Chapter 167

Chapter 167
Sienna's POV

After a quick lunch at a charming café in town, we headed to an upscale boutique that Hayes assured me would have perfect gifts for his family. The shop was elegant and well-curated, with beautiful displays of jewelry, scarves, books, and artisanal items.

I stood in the doorway for a moment, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the choices and the price tags I could see from across the room.

Hayes seemed to sense my hesitation. He took my hand and guided me inside, his voice low and encouraging. "Remember what I told you about Mom and Ava's tastes. Don't overthink it—just choose something that speaks to you."

I nodded and began to browse, gradually becoming absorbed in the hunt for the perfect gifts. For Ophelia, I found a beautiful music box with a hand-painted Vienna street scene on the lid. When wound, it played "Silent Night" in delicate, crystalline notes.

"She'll love this," Hayes said when I showed it to him. "Mom studied voice in Vienna when she was young. This will bring back wonderful memories for her."

For Ava, I selected a unique necklace with a pendant shaped like musical notes, the silver catching the light beautifully. And for Malcolm, I chose a limited-edition bottle of single-malt Scotch whisky and a leather-bound book on business ethics.

When we reached the checkout, I insisted on paying with my own credit card, despite Hayes's obvious desire to cover the cost. He respected my choice, though I caught him discreetly noting the total—probably planning to find some other way to reimburse me later.

"Ready to go home and decorate?" he asked as we loaded the wrapped gifts into the car.

I looked at the packages, then at his expectant face, and felt a surge of pure happiness. "More than ready."

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Back at the estate, we found the living room transformed. The Christmas tree had been set up near the fireplace, and boxes of decorations were arranged on every available surface. Ophelia and Ava were sorting ornaments by color and size, while Malcolm was testing string lights to make sure they all worked properly.

"Perfect timing," Ophelia called out as we entered with our shopping bags. "We've got everything organized and ready to go."

I set down my purchases and walked over to examine the tree more closely. Seeing it in the elegant living room, surrounded by the family's beautiful decorations, made me realize how significant this moment was. This wasn't just decorating a tree—this was my first real Christmas as part of a family.

"Where should we start?" I asked, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice.

"Lights first," Ophelia said decisively. "Then garland, then ornaments. Dear, would you help me with the lights?"

"Of course," I accepted the string of warm white lights she handed me and began carefully wrapping them around the tree, starting from the bottom and working my way up. Ava directed from the side, calling out suggestions about spacing and coverage, while Hayes and Malcolm worked on the higher branches.

The process was more meditative than I'd expected. There was something soothing about the repetitive motion, the way the lights gradually brought the tree to life, the comfortable chatter of the family around me.

"You're a natural at this," Ophelia observed as I finished my section. "The spacing is perfect."

As we moved on to the garland, Ophelia asked casually, "Dear, how did your family usually celebrate Christmas when you were growing up?"

I felt my hands pause on the silver ribbon I was draping. "We... didn't really have traditions like this," I admitted quietly. "Usually just a quiet dinner. Sometimes we'd go to church on Christmas Eve, but not every year."

The room grew quiet for a moment, and I felt heat rise in my cheeks. I hadn't meant to bring down the festive mood.

Ava was the first to respond, her voice bright and matter-of-fact. "Well, now you're stuck with our traditions! And next year, you'll be the expert who teaches us all how to do it properly."

Her easy acceptance made my throat tight with emotion. I blinked back tears and focused on the garland, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'd like that very much."

Hayes appeared at my side, his hand briefly squeezing my shoulder. "Every year from now on," he said quietly, echoing his earlier promise.

When we finally moved on to hanging the ornaments, Ophelia handed me the box containing the ornament Hayes bought for me at the farm shop. "These should go on first," she said with a warm smile. "The ones you chose should have the places of honor."

I carefully removed the hand-blown glass snowflake ornament and looked for the perfect spot. Hayes appeared beside me with a stepladder, steadying it as I climbed up to hang the ornament on a prominent branch where it would catch the light from the fireplace.

"Beautiful," he said softly as I climbed down. "It looks like it was made for this tree."

One by one, we hung the rest of the ornaments—family heirlooms mixed with new additions, expensive pieces alongside handmade treasures from Christmases past. Each ornament seemed to have a story, and Ophelia shared many of them as we worked.

When we finally plugged in the lights, the tree blazed to life in a warm, golden glow that filled the entire living room. I stepped back to admire our work, and felt tears prick at my eyes. It was the most beautiful Christmas tree I'd ever seen, and I'd helped create it.

"Perfect," Malcolm said with satisfaction, raising his glass of eggnog in a toast. "To another successful Sterling family Christmas tree."

"To Sienna's first Christmas tree," Hayes corrected, his arm sliding around my waist. "May it be the first of many."

I leaned into his warmth, overwhelmed by the sense of belonging that surrounded me like the tree's golden light.