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I stacked the boxes next to the tree, where Ember was already pulling decorations out of a box. I grabbed a container of hooks and placed them on the floor so they could be added to the ornaments. Then I disappeared into the basement for the last few boxes.
I took the opportunity to take a few seconds to calm down. If I was going to have a chance with her, I needed to pull myself together. I couldn’t be getting a hard-on because she was walking around in flannel pajamas. Technically, there was nothing sexy about her outfit. Unfortunately, my dick wasn’t getting the message.
When I returned to the family room, they’d already put up several ornaments on the tree.
“We reserved the top of the tree for you since you can reach it easier,” Hanna said as she hung a Cinderella’s castle over one of the lights, illuminating it blue.
“That’s so pretty,” Ember said, admiring it.
I pulled out my phone and snapped a few pictures.
Hanna turned while my phone was raised and asked, “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to commemorate decorating the first tree in our new house,” I said, pleased with how domestic the pictures looked.
Hanna moved to the side, out of camera range. “I probably shouldn’t be in the pictures.”
I snapped a few of Ember because she turned to face me and smiled. Then I sent them to Mom, adding one of Hanna and Ember at the last second.
Hanna frowned. “Why are you sending pictures of me to your mom?”
“She’ll love it, and you belong in our pictures. You’re part of our family.”
Hanna shook her head. “I’m a friend.”
I raised a brow, silently pleading with her not to make a big deal out of it in front of Ember.
“You’re my other mother,” Ember said, giving Hanna a hug. It’s what she’d called her ever since Hanna suggested it one night while she was reading her a book. Ember had asked if she could call her something other than Miss Hanna, and she’d responded by saying, ‘I guess you could say I’m your other mother.’
Hanna squeezed her tight. “I love you, sweetie.”
My heart contracted at the scene. It was moments like this that I wanted to remember forever. I wanted more family events where Hanna was included, and not just as a friend, but as a member of my family, as my significant other, and maybe even as Ember’s stepmother.
It was wishful thinking, but if someone asked what I wanted Santa to bring me this year, it would be Hanna. She was all I wanted, every day for the rest of my life. I’d add a few more kids and maybe even a puppy. I was open to whatever she wanted.
“Are you going to help?” Ember asked as she looked up from the box she’d been sifting through.
“You want to hand me a few and I can put them up high?”
Ember handed me a snowman, and I put him on a sturdy branch.
Hanna turned on a holiday music playlist on her phone. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not,” I said, noticing that Ember was nodding her head in time to the music.
“I wanted to make sure. You can be cranky about the holidays,” Hanna said.
“I stay away from the shop this time of year because of the nonstop holiday tunes. I get tired of hearing the same songs. But I haven’t listened to many this year.”
Hanna nodded, ever conscious of everyone else’s feelings. “If it’s too much, let me know.”
“Can we watch a holiday movie tonight?” Ember asked.
“We have dinner at Grandma’s tonight,” I pointed out.
“Yay!” Ember said. “I’m so excited that we can walk to Grandma’s, and I’m near Addy all the time.”
“I am, too.” As a parent, I worried about whether I was making the right decisions. I’d stayed in town because it was close to my work, but now that Ember was older, being close to family was more important than ever. “I have fond memories of growing up on the farm, and I want you to have the same experience.”
