“Ah…” James squealed with delight.“No, James,” Deborah said.“He already broke it, love,” Jayden said, amused.“James, flowers are for admiring and smelling, not for crushing.”“Ah!” James now whined because the white petals wouldn’t stay in place.“You broke it, son. That’s why it won’t go back to normal,” Jayden explained with a smile, seeing the pout on his son’s face.James held up the stem to his mom.“But you broke it, sweetie,” Deborah said, seeing that he was about to cry because he wanted his flower back.“Aww… how sweet,” David said, watching the little one’s tantrum.“Ta-da, it’s done,” the shop owner announced, showing them the completed centerpiece.“Waa…” James cooed.“I agree with my son,” Jayden said.“I love it,” Deborah said, admiring all the details.“The square vase with these colored pebbles gives it a fishbowl feel, and the gel pearls help keep the crystals in place, creating the illusion that they’re floating in water,” David said, appreciating ever
Little by little, everything for the wedding was falling into place. Thankfully, they managed to sort out all the details before Christmas, which was a relief for the couple.During those days, Deborah received a message from Elliot, asking her to visit the company because the special rings they had ordered were ready.“You know, remembering his previous designs, I’m really excited to see what he’s done for us,” Jayden said as they drove to the Peterson company.“I’ll be happy with whatever he’s made, even if it’s just a simple ring,” Deborah replied.“Aww… That’s why I love you. Hey, since we’re here, why don’t we check out some other jewelry for you to wear on our big day?”“But you can only buy one thing.”“Huh? What? Why?” Jayden pouted.“Because, according to your mom and Caroline, it’s part of the tradition.”“Huh?”“For the wedding day, the bride must wear something new, something blue, something borrowed, and something old,” Deborah said.“Oh… right. I think I heard t
“Why a butterfly?” Jayden asked, examining his ring closely.“Well, you both made a significant change in your lives by coming together, and together, you’ll continue to transform your lives into something more beautiful and lasting,” Elliot explained.“That’s a beautiful thought, Elliot,” Deborah said.“It’s a lovely message, and wow… you’re really impressive, using those tiny diamonds to create the butterfly wings,” Jayden added, still admiring the intricate work.“Thank you. It did take a bit longer because I had to find the right pieces to create the wing design,” Elliot replied.“Elliot never ceases to amaze me. It’s very challenging to work with diamonds that small,” George said, his pride evident in his voice.“Hehe, you really do have a great talent, Elliot.”“Thanks, brother.”“Ooh… Gaa…”“Hehe, when you’re older, I’ll make you some jewelry too,” Elliot said, tickling the little one.“Hey, speaking of talent, can I cheat a little and see the jewelry you’re launching
And so, in the blink of an eye, December had arrived—a month that marked the end of the year. With it, Deborah and Jayden were busy wrapping up the final tasks at the company before their holiday break.They were so focused on this that they put everything related to the wedding on hold. The year-end account closures took priority, and, unfortunately, their parents agreed with them. However, they made them promise to pick up where they left off once the new year began.At that moment, Deborah was in her office, finishing up her review of several important investment accounts for the month. But after staring at numbers for so long, she started feeling dizzy and stood up to gaze at the sky for a while.As she watched the clouds drift by, she couldn’t help but reflect on everything that had happened up until now.For her, living through these moments felt like some kind of dream; after all, this year had brought about such a dramatic change compared to the last.She had divorced Roge
"Is that what’s most important?" Danielle asked, puzzled. "Booo… I thought you’d say the best part is having the boss as your husband now.""That’s just the icing on the cake," Deborah joked."What? I’m just an accessory?" The two women noticed Jayden entering the office. "That hurts, my love… sniff… how cruel," he said dramatically, covering his mouth to hide his smile."No, love, it’s just that—oh!" Deborah started, but as she approached him, he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close, revealing the smile that had been playing on his lips. "Cheater.""I don’t know what you’re talking about," he said, giving her a kiss."Hehe, but I meant it—you're the one who completes me, you're my true happiness," she declared, kissing him again."Well, if you put it that way, I can’t stay mad.""Exactly, and by the way, what are you doing here?" she asked, glancing at the clock on the wall, noting that it was still work hours."Well, I was nearby because I came to check on… oh! You bea
That weekend, they finally finished their Christmas shopping with a visit to the ornament store to pick out the last few items needed to decorate the house.“And that’s it! We’ve got all the ornaments, tinsel, bells, ribbons, and everything else for the living room decorations,” Jayden said cheerfully as he finished loading the bags into the car.“You’re wrong about that, Jayden,” Deborah corrected him as she handed him the rest of the bags.“Wrong? About what?”“We still need to buy something very important.”“But... we already checked off everything on the list,” Jayden replied, puzzled, showing her the piece of paper where they had written down all the decorations they wanted.“I didn’t put this on the list. Come on,” Deborah said, helping him close the trunk before taking his hand and leading him toward a flower shop nearby.Jayden was a bit confused by her actions, knowing that natural flowers wouldn’t last long, but just as he was about to express his opinion, he saw her h
These holidays were the first ones that Deborah truly enjoyed.It was a significant moment to her; ever since her mother’s passing, she hadn’t experienced such joyful Christmases. Caroline had been there to support her, but the magic would always fade when she returned home.The days they spent promised to become unforgettable memories, from the laughter and heartfelt moments at the company parties to the joy of the children who visited their Christmas village, where even Santa made an appearance to hand out gifts to all who attended.Although, the part about the Christmas nightmare that Brandon had mentioned might be something Deborah would rather forget, especially after the jelly massacre of the gingerbread soldiers.Amidst all these emotions, the much-anticipated December 24th finally arrived.It began as a typical day, with the family enjoying breakfast together, until they noticed that some snow had fallen overnight, covering the entire garden in a thick, white layer.“Ah..
Once the little one had fallen asleep, they gently placed him in the crib set up next to the living room so he could feel the presence of his family while the adults began the final preparations for that evening’s dinner.When Nicholas arrived, he joined them in finishing up the arrangements in the living room. They even set up a camera to record the evening, capturing the family's first Christmas with Deborah and James for their collection of home videos.By the time the clock struck 6 PM, everyone took a moment to rest and get ready for dinner.Later that evening, some special guests arrived for the dinner.“Welcome,” greeted Eric and Samantha.“Thank you for having us, and Merry Christmas,” George said as he entered the house, shaking off the snow from his coat.“Merry Christmas!” Elliot shouted excitedly.“Ah!” A certain little brown-haired boy perked up at the sound of his uncle’s voice.“James!” Elliot exclaimed, running over to pick him up and noticing that James was dre