For Worse or For Better- Book #6 in the WF Series

Chapter 43: Christmas

♡ Alaiya's POV: ♡

We picked up the kids after Roman said that he was genuinely okay and I asked him again if he wanted to take a few minutes to process everything. He said no, but thanked me for helping him. I then told him to hush it because he can tell me anything and I'd help him no matter what and also that I should be the one thanking him for having so much trust in me.

Later, we all watched The Grinch, Roman and Autumn made some cookies together which turned out very delicious, and now it's bedtime after a very long Christmas day. The kids were exhausted from playing so much and the excitement from the holiday. Well, Dayton and Autumn were. Aubrey wanted me to throw her in the air for a little bit so that's what I did. Dayton, Autumn, and Roman heard that they were missing out on the fun so we all five sat together and played a bunch of games, told stories, and laughed for what felt like hours.

I had a hard time telling them to stop playing since all of their giggles are so adorable, and I'll admit, I didn't technically stop them. Roman and I made them laugh so much that they ended up falling asleep in seconds when we laid them down in their beds to "play another game".

Felt like a genius in that moment.

After I exit our bedroom after changing into my pajamas, I head to the living room and see Roman sitting at the breakfast table on his laptop. I go behind him as he's facing the opposite way, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"It's me," I whisper, kissing his cheek, realizing that his skin is so smooth that I have to give him another peck. "You are not working today," I demand, taking his fingers off the keyboard and setting it aside.

He already works so hard. The least he deserves is one day to give himself a break.

He sighs, giving in before pulling me onto his lap. I lay my head against his chest, shutting my eyes to relax with him for a second.

"Do you want to go first with your present or should I?"

"You're going to have to walk to the basement for mine."

I look up at him confused because walking to the basement for a grand gesture is kind of odd.

"Are you going to-."

"Murder you? No," he asks and answers my question while standing up and setting me down on the floor.

"You're cute when you finish my sentences." I smile.

His glare returns. "I lied when I said no."

I laugh at that before holding out my hand, ready for whatever grand gesture he's about to show me. He interlocks our fingers until we reach the unfinished room downstairs which I haven't been in for a while. Roman said there was a leak a few weeks ago and we shouldn't go in until we get a plumber to look at it.

He turns the doorknob to the room, me full-on expecting a boring, old, unfinished room that has nothing in it, but seeing something entirely different.

I swear, my eyes almost pop straight out of their sockets. And that's no overstatement.

No.

No, there's no way!

I'm dreaming. No one wake me up!

The second that door opens, I see the walls full of books everywhere. Every single wall has tall shelves on it, and the dull lights inside the said shelves which the millions of books are sitting on makes the sight look even more astonishing.

Oh my god! No way! There is no way that he did this!

The room is painted all black while the shelves are all white. And there aren't just any books. No. They're my favorite ones that I've read on my phone or ones that have been on my to be read list, along with a bunch that would definitely fall underneath my interest which I notice as I walk closer to a few of the shelves.