Chapter 166

Chapter 166
Sienna's POV

The smell of cinnamon and bacon filled the air, making my mouth water as we entered.

Ophelia was already bustling around the sideboard, wearing an elegant cream-colored dress with a festive red scarf. She looked up as we entered, her face lighting up with genuine pleasure.

"There you are, darlings!" she exclaimed, hurrying over to kiss both our cheeks. "I've made French toast and my special bacon. And Sienna, dear, I have fresh orange juice for you—no caffeine this early in the day."

Ava bounced into the dining room wearing festive red pajamas, her blonde hair in a messy bun and her eyes still slightly puffy from sleep. "Good morning!" she called out cheerfully, then made an exaggerated gagging sound as she noticed Hayes and me holding hands. "God, you two are disgustingly cute. I'm not awake enough for this level of sweetness."

I felt my cheeks warm as I tried to pull my hand away, but Hayes only tightened his grip, shooting his sister an amused look. "Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Ava."

She snorted, settling into the chair beside me. "Sienna, please tell me you'll come tree shopping with me today. Hayes has the aesthetic sense of a concrete block—everything he picks is boring and monochrome."

Ophelia laughed as she set a plate of perfectly golden French toast in front of me. "Ava's right about that. Hayes, this year you're in charge of carrying the tree and paying for it. The decorating is women's work."

Hayes held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, my aesthetic is officially under attack. I'll stick to the heavy lifting."

Malcolm entered from his study, looking distinguished in a dark green sweater that brought out his eyes. "Don't forget to buy extra lights," he said, settling into his chair at the head of the table. "Last year's string burned out, and the tree looked half-dead by New Year's."

I watched the easy family banter with a warm feeling spreading through my chest. This was what I'd always imagined family breakfasts should be like—comfortable, teasing, full of shared history and inside jokes.

"Dear," Ophelia said, settling beside me with her own plate, "I started the gingerbread house cookies this afternoon. Would you like to help me decorate it this afternoon?"

"I'd love to," I replied immediately.

As we ate, the conversation flowed naturally from Christmas traditions to holiday memories. I found myself relaxing completely, contributing to the discussion and even laughing at Hayes's dry commentary about his father's obsession with perfectly symmetrical tree lights.

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An hour later, we were bundled into Hayes's car, with Buddy panting excitedly in the back seat. The drive to Holly Farm took us through the heart of Aetheria's historic district, where every storefront was decorated with twinkling lights and festive displays.

The farm was exactly what I'd imagined from Christmas movies but had never experienced in real life. Rows upon rows of evergreen trees stretched across rolling hills, their branches heavy with snow from the previous night's light dusting.

The air was crisp and clean, filled with the sharp, green scent of pine and the distant aroma of roasted chestnuts from the vendor stalls. Christmas music played from speakers hidden among the trees, and the whole scene felt like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

"Oh my God," I breathed, stepping out of the car and turning in a slow circle to take it all in. "I had no idea it would be like this."

Ava linked her arm through mine, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "We come here every year! Last year I picked a tree that was way too tall for the living room ceiling, and Dad nearly had a heart attack when they tried to bring it inside."

Ophelia laughed, pulling on elegant leather gloves. "Which is why this year we measured first. Ten feet, not an inch taller."

We spent the next hour wandering through the rows of trees, with Ava and Ophelia debating the merits of different varieties while Hayes and Malcolm followed behind, occasionally offering practical observations about trunk thickness and needle retention.

I found myself drawn to a perfectly shaped Douglas fir about eight feet tall, its branches full and symmetrical, its color a rich, deep green that seemed to glow in the winter sunlight.

"This one," I said softly, reaching out to touch the soft needles. "It feels... warm, somehow."

Hayes appeared at my side, his hand coming to rest on the small of my back. "You have excellent taste," he said, his voice warm with approval. "This is the most beautiful tree here."

Ava bounced over to examine my choice, then clapped her hands together. "Sienna, you're a natural! This tree is absolutely perfect."

Our next stop was the Christmas decoration shop adjacent to the tree farm. The store was a wonderland of ornaments, lights, garlands, and holiday displays. Ava immediately began exploring like a child in a candy store, exclaiming over elaborate ornaments and testing different string lights.

I found myself drawn to a display of hand-blown glass ornaments, each one unique and delicate. One in particular caught my eye—a clear glass ball with intricate snowflake patterns etched into the surface, catching and reflecting the shop's warm lighting in prismatic rainbows.

"You like that one?" Hayes asked, appearing beside me with his usual silent grace.

I nodded, studying the delicate craftsmanship. "It's beautiful. The detail work reminds me of the precision we use in the workshop—every line has to be perfect, or the whole piece suffers."

Without hesitation, Hayes picked up the ornament and handed it to the shop clerk. "We'll take this one."

"Hayes, you don't have to—" I started to protest.

He cut me off with a gentle smile. "I want to. Besides, this ornament will hang on our family tree every year. Every Christmas, we'll see it and remember this day."

The possessive way he said "our family tree" sent warmth flooding through my chest. I didn't argue further, instead moving on to select a few more ornaments that caught my eye.

Hayes watched me shop with obvious pleasure, occasionally offering suggestions but mostly just enjoying my excitement. When we reached the checkout counter, he smoothly produced his credit card before I could even reach for my wallet.

"Thank you," I said softly as we loaded our purchases into the car.

Hayes leaned down to kiss my temple. "Thank you for letting me spoil you a little. Watching you experience all these firsts... it's the best Christmas gift I could ask for."