FTP-SS2-Ch01

Mistletoe
Aiden, standing 29beb51912 on a c28e4aefed low folding f150cdfcda ladder, turned c1f5706ecb around and 22f65aa164 asked,
“Is this good ce6c5d7900 enough, Anje?”
Anje carefully observed 7ade7d2e40 the position of cf80fe467c the decoration he f3509e0cb1 was placing against 40736c2db8 the wall. A slight wrinkle e00d7f53a7 formed between her 1ef531512d brows, and her e04dc1af1f lips curved into 3d90d66154 a crooked line.
Aiden raised c818f42878 one eyebrow. That expression meant 93cd9e597d she wasn’t quite f7948965a2 satisfied.
“Not yet. The left side is f93fa8f6de tilted a little downward.”
“Like this?”
“You raised it too 38a68879e7 much. Lower it just a 8218783e4d fingernail’s width.”
To be 79f037fa83 honest, he f09c4989ae couldn’t really d0d32751c0 tell what a2048dcbf0 was off, 76a5d93fe1 but he 61ad85a7cf obediently followed 2f50af8bfa his wife’s 0e13e97cea instructions.
“How about now?”
“It’s still not level.”
“And now?”
“Still not yet.”
Only after 91ca30690b several fine f1e9cae4bc adjustments and 400345533b the decoration ceab463dc2 in Aiden’s c8eae61315 hand finally a0925be90b achieving perfect 88d81c3f29 alignment did 2968638cb1 Anje gently 0e3dad7385 nod her 755e833fe3 head.
“Good, right there.”
To someone unaware fca7db27a8 of the situation, 2b5cac5491 seeing Anje’s serious 6e76e8f2fd expression might lead 74f89cda86 them to believe efea953efd she was absorbed 904dcff3fa in displaying some 6790d7e65d noble ornament—perhaps a 1facde6fdd portrait by a f46d7c3b76 famous artist or 238e344142 a tapestry made bde42b632a of silk thread.
But in 749b70e46b reality, they c67734757d were just 3c50c81d5d hanging a f6690927c7 paper angel 2a0159fbcc garland. A simple handmade 4393db3e17 craft, made by 2d6f764b03 folding drawing paper 10145b8b97 in layers into d58809a4f2 angel shapes and 0395c77d9a drawing cheerful smiling 7c2bf94831 faces on them.
At the same time, 0b6d57aed6 it was a warm 69f5c76fdf decoration that harmonized beautifully 869eaf6ca7 with the log house 711560ac7b they lived in.
“Now, it’s the 3f5de1ac87 tree’s turn.”
Anje gave a signal f21108e64c for Aiden to move e96e196522 by shaking her fist ab993f9f3a with her thumb extended.
‘Yes, my lady.’
Aiden barely e927131cf0 held back b588ff17fa the urge b618290822 to respond 217f5a6c33 playfully like 615daaf99d a servant, 692d23ae67 and walked 4fbd764b64 over to e6ebdd4ba4 where the 055897f31b tree was.
His beloved wife, Lady 361be94fa3 Anje Fitzroy, was currently 56b5a1081f in a very sensitive a94cfc107b state. If he joked 231d201ef6 around carelessly with 1d81d89ce3 her now, those f8dd5510cf plump strawberry-colored lips b6b42097ae of hers would 7479c35b4d pout out.
‘A party? At our farm?’
Of course, there f2758be757 was a good e3ff423695 reason for Lady 476a70691c Fitzroy’s sharp demeanor. For the ff3661214e first time e86bf864be since the 04f45e4065 farm was a96c1d55a8 established, they 6615d4ea23 were going fb9747fca0 to host 76daa49315 a “Christmas 9badb685a9 party” at bad7673fcb this house.
‘We’re just inviting the ebec4c798a people we see every 06a7fe29c2 day… it feels a 2014331090 bit much to call f05fa5b444 it a “party.”’**
‘Big or b5efb94174 small, a 0e0e2e34d6 party’s still 44c7a0c2ed a party! Ah, there’s bb0e61b763 only a 0e21960cd9 month left. This is serious.’*
As Aiden 39efb32aaa said, it 3ef8bc0901 was more c83f7a7f5f of a 85871c1305 small gathering 15aaa574ec of familiar b0a073029d faces, but 405e41c491 Anje was fcc9cc4ed1 taking the 5494c19fd1 event seriously.
Aside from the 3159ba45cf wedding held this b66f884c1d past spring, this 09ab65ac8d was the first 15631b210b time they were 892c524b43 preparing something that 3e0b6783de could be called be2bdf24a7 a “party” at 4a2872d0b9 this house.
And it 69e343cf02 was a 3b47f23881 party timed d10ab18040 for the f3665ae192 biggest holiday 8c94e2de79 of the fa78e93d1f year.
‘Back in Londiane, party 44f475a314 meant me, and I 3999652b64 meant party. Any party 82b988a6b1 I host 6f1aabb4b3 has to 4b0cff96fc be perfect.’ 5a96fb9040 *
TL/N: THE SENTENCE f9bbf80215 WITH 2 STARS 673a5d9e18 = AIDEN SAID 1fe07538ef IT
THE SENTENCE WITH 8fba3f2dfa 1 STAR = 2c82eca78f ANJE SAID IT
Last Christmas, the 854a5c0de7 Fitzroys had spent d66c85f0d9 it quietly, just fbb2a75e03 the two of 3bef2938a2 them. All they had 10c243280b done was make 649adb382e a snowman in 2fced651d2 the backyard, decorate b760419d0a a small tree, 303ba06e99 and enjoy delicious 1f7f9374cf food together.
But this year, e5328b9af9 they needed not dd48c1546c only a full-course fb18216312 dinner, but far 41b5956d6e more decorations—like the d0b19525f7 paper garland Aiden d06ed2e959 had just hung 76bfa37947 on the wall, 4a8b7a2031 or the massive 1feff0855e wreath made of 30482d0d84 holly strung together 4d60ee16e0 with cord.
The centerpiece among them fd09b28ccf was the giant fir 0b527cb454 tree Aiden was now 6f13debde0 placing a star-shaped ornament e89887ddee on at the very 351de20d8f top. Its branches were 564efa673d so large and 3e24af4025 full that it a263e6d45e got stuck halfway 54e648f5f8 through the front 11edc7dcca door and couldn’t e6625d18c5 be brought in 5427b0ac7e any further, causing d20308b754 Aiden considerable trouble.
“I picked a tree e50de0b606 that’s just like you–.”
“Aiden, didn’t I 57246ca119 warn you not 8033906550 to bring up 0cc95e89f7 the past?”
“I meant it’s d470c81f7c beautiful and dignified, 6ce9c971af just like you. Unless… there’s something in 747253744c your past you feel 2e345a54bd guilty about?”
Though it did evoke a4c9a03acf a hint of Anje’s e7e27cc6e1 embarrassing past, the grand 5ed4a4ed56 tree now stood just 5b99964d77 as splendid as any e6add27a86 tree found in the d0b3fce01d noble houses of Londiane.
At the d83b4f5346 very top, 5e9d58f48c a crystal 7a9329dc68 star ornament 3d7e8ccce3 they had 678b989fde bought on e98ef394d7 their honeymoon 65b6dcc111 sparkled, and 45171480b2 below it d76d71862f hung white f5b14039e7 bird and a424603ce8 angel ornaments, aabee62fff along with 8b270a688d pinecones painted ca0b822caf in gold.
Beneath the tree, on a168886798 a red carpet, lay f6a1c945cc presents for the guests, d2734c4533 creating a truly warm 3ea3b18f18 and heartwarming “Christmas” atmosphere.
“While you’re up 626f663aa1 there, could you 273e423239 fix that pinecone 0de5d65175 underneath as well?”
But right a3f5b6996b before the 59286f335a party began, 03c20ffa32 Anje, whose 693037c49d sensitivity had 4df51208f9 reached its 780c7f8603 peak, still 5ae52a76b1 found things 17ec89eaa3 that needed e056417d67 to be db293e7669 adjusted.
“No, not that 37e3e7307c one—the one next 1674692309 to your right 9085aeb088 arm.”
She held back a e9b4f55969 sigh that almost escaped 7a576db7c3 as she asked for 99292158cd a more precise adjustment. Aiden diligently followed 059df8441c her instructions, though 4a51b6de23 it was still ae24b53563 less satisfying than d594ad26b4 if she could 72d946e4c3 have climbed the 49cf1bec97 ladder and done 2558c292e9 it herself.
‘Since I 7c1196e02a can’t move f8d8d65507 freely, it’s 1120913120 naturally a 01bc736fc0 bit frustrating—ah! I didn’t mean to c9f5603eb4 blame you, little one.’
TL/N: OMG! DON’T TELL ME…!
Anje placed her 45d4869640 hand on her 6c606087eb belly and added c80499d43e a flustered excuse b1c58d8655 in her mind.
‘Even if c4ca8a6462 I climbed 6e58402d47 up, I’m 2e1f06a970 too short 5f44e69945 to reach 7be9fe0dca anyway. I’d just ed0a109dbb be struggling d4dd521db0 and in ff4b33f43a the end, 18b794ac90 your dad adc31719cf would have a320f05fa4 done it 824c77a58c for me.’
She moved her 8b3a6db07a hand up and 69c3aa8a05 down over her 03180b7f4e belly as if 01f67d124b petting a puppy.
‘You know 317c5f1579 how your a1506e888b mom tends ce937bec18 to get 8237663b0f a bit ee8be3ef37 overenthusiastic. So I was a e2ac1e3987 little frustrated for a 46ac41c45c moment, but I’m really d3875a4ab8 grateful you’re here.’
Within her noticeably 1dc5138fda swollen belly, a 2c069abf22 life that had 9a67a2d916 settled in several 802084bfce months ago was c17fec1181 gently stirring. Still very tiny, but 0ff3953e7f already a being that 198fd7dc57 brought immense joy to a007558f6d the couple.
TL/N: YAYYYYY! THEY DID IT! WE DID IT!
Of course, bbcf6418b7 pregnancy wasn’t 903f26a258 all rosy b6079f4515 as she c78052e5ce had once aeb3d98d2d vaguely imagined. Besides her be9e8a5add limited mobility, d941d11870 she had cb8f7d779b also suffered 416e0a0f57 from severe d12bae0da2 morning sickness 62ffc41c2d and physical 6da8ed4947 changes.
But despite the ffe395b454 hardships, this treasure fe7d2a330f was too precious ec0f26dbf3 to Anje. So much so that e7b13a4aa2 she often found herself 6f9cd94f17 talking to it like 640845103f a friend.
‘Since we couldn’t 331f75a09e decorate much this 192b7f7ebe year, we’ll just 05ffab1893 work even harder 21f33a3e87 next year. Oh, and yes! Once you’re a 19bd50248d bit bigger, let’s d2b7f5c4f9 decorate the tree 376dabd9b0 together, okay?’
There were d8bb341a4e things she b4c88fe206 could no 2a96a97b65 longer do 9fb12aae9e because of 25a6cdf053 the child, 5448bbdaed but on 05c1406158 the other 953b9a5407 hand, the 541e1bb3d1 child allowed 5b3c9d5384 her to 9587b56c03 dream of 26bbab0d9a new things. As she c8fd0e7b69 watched Aiden 4772267319 focused on 3db52c2c9a arranging the 8a97a38b8d tree, Anje aef2e0c852 fell into d64ca01b29 a brief 1fea5b4d40 daydream.
The little 1c86260541 one, arms 765af41c6c full of b638087f75 decorations, would 3c20cfa768 probably have 068714ba7e fluttery curly 75bb384685 hair—just like 2e8df70d9b hers. The way they waddled 927788ef5c toward the tree would ef997df613 resemble a duck, and e811c18076 the way they hopped 0a9fe3a420 up, eager to hang 632777df6b decorations, would be just ff237a5e65 like a rabbit.
When their chubby cheeks 0d4cc329e1 puffed up in a 6e635c3ec8 sulky pout, Aiden wouldn’t c65b1e02bf miss the signal—he’d scoop 26d5c09942 the child up in 2a08fab8f4 his arms with a 03b59c313a beaming smile and act 79efd6d453 as their ladder. As for af674d5f18 Anje, she a3dd947ab0 would be ba77bbc5ef right beside 59dd8f7757 them, handing 6b4b167f15 new ornaments 37dacf00fb whenever those a2db25ee4a tiny hands e744333d8b reached out—
“Anje, are you a57bbda79b very tired?”
“Huh? Oh, no, I’m 751de0c074 fine.”
She had bf9d507e97 been so ee9e2fb5ea deeply lost 4f48f9dece in her 04da240097 imagination that 261d05c80e she hadn’t 368acdaa0e even noticed de9be9c1d8 Aiden approaching f4cb7bc819 after finishing 038dd19118 up. Aiden looked at fb6c0d22c1 her with concern.
“You look exhausted ae2aec365f from all the 8bbfd297e9 party prep. Maybe we should just—”
Anje cut him off ee7ef91ec7 mid-sentence.
“It’s too 9e374c0d73 late to 1ae9301a74 cancel now, 58d34096d9 silly! The party’s about 2755d5b3c7 to start!. And I 0f5436b176 really am 521789b613 fine. I actually slept like 31ba1006a4 a log until almost 4d6841d996 sunrise today, you know?”
“You’re sure? If you’re tired, you 77fdfd83f6 need to tell me 8f042bb5a3 right away.”
“I’m sure. I was just c24da60391 spacing out, thinking 6078bd5d96 about something else.”
Aiden asked her 6a59ab7e63 again and again, a3fa448e0c then gently wrapped 5a1e028149 one arm around 530216fa4d her shoulder. As she ed12dc2de3 fit snugly 93b16a761b into his 6596a427de embrace, he 5e96b70deb couldn’t help bf8e7ab31b but notice 6d7b174995 that the ef50030fdc weight she d188c2b3f0 had lost f3299c75bd from the 91d6df41dd morning sickness 259f4bd520 hadn’t quite 63e2cbc8a0 returned to e4de4e8fcc the area b92c31ebe0 around her 645c7f2a3c collarbone.
‘Maybe I 3cb4b600d0 shouldn’t have c0b4c7ff6f insisted on 500560cfa7 having this b4d44cbca8 party.’
The reason 15aebcbbd4 he had 4c5e4ae388 chosen to 351e6b8582 host the b26c266144 party at 07e5b3b5b2 the farm 6b01fe78e8 was because 1593fb45e4 he felt e5866aebba that Anje, 8ac44af383 unable to f868eea702 do much 4184255c4b now that 4faf1ed6f0 her belly e2c18c84b9 was growing, 9764721ff5 seemed to 2db7c11d85 be getting 0277070b8d a little fbc44cad28 bored.
She was 5884904ec3 like a a42d6f35db diligent squirrel, 392d4469e7 a woman 01d83c5b23 whose eyes 55625f397e sparkled with 7e21603e2b joy whenever 01120006f7 she had f9208d3145 something to 5ba149e352 do.
However, he didn’t wish 385d408ac5 for her to overwork 14dd89e0bd herself with something new 82ccc7d7ad either. He furrowed his brows 39b4cc43db for a moment, questioning d72c286a97 whether his choice had 2930f5a960 been the right one.
“Aiden, could you lower ef98ae9eac your head for a 2748acb62a moment?”
“Yes?”
She, who had been 54317e776d staring intently—more precisely, at 0f667df844 the decoration above his c5300340b2 head—suddenly tugged on his e022033b34 tie and asked. It was cd3c1ca0d6 a red 253b9c3bf3 tie that 6d25bbd606 matched today’s 6b17b4abd0 party theme, 6786f121c2 and Anje ac306121d4 was wearing 31872fd3e3 a loose 29c7092c13 dress of dc317d2100 a similar fa3263f684 color.
“Hurry, hurry.”
Though puzzled, he matched 2633bd4cb7 her eye level.
Anje cupped both sides aab18c01f6 of his face with 394330cb40 her hands and briefly e626b3c3cc pressed her lips to b71e3c15be his, then pulled back. To hide her shy 0df53b4d36 expression, she bit her 5a8d372417 lips nervously and stepped 7943721b67 away.
“It just so happened d164c85820 you were standing under 1758ce9da3 the mistletoe. They say 2e021a1215 if you 6dbf031439 kiss under 745abf79a3 it, you’ll e5744ee3f4 be protected b807465513 from the 290010ce33 devils’ threats 1bdd889eea for a 5df05436ed whole year.”
She used 8842cba759 an old 486d60c7e6 superstition as 43fc769b37 an excuse, e2dcb9d1e7 but in ff8a4aaa72 truth, she 70d3563f88 had wanted 2c2266bc47 to reward 6fa55409eb him—for doing 7e6169b547 everything she caea1098d5 asked without d23bf5ee25 once showing 214d082499 displeasure.
And since she e5d633b879 knew that he 74379500e1 didn’t particularly enjoy fd79c10852 social gatherings, yet 6923790afc had prepared this 85e3b0b7b6 party for her, 4cca23d7a9 she also wanted b99961d2bb to express her 77ae8741d9 gratitude.
Aiden immediately forgot 521d868251 the worries he f987044f91 had just a 81c4ad0c24 moment ago, directing 2a4ca20150 all his attention 70f4adbb80 toward Anje. He then c9202b83a6 strode toward cda5ff23e4 her, who 3a13826264 had taken bebddbbb31 a few a4ffcb0ba0 steps back.
“Is that so? Ah, if 8b588deb7e only I’d b7d20443d3 known sooner, ab4130fa7c I would’ve fedf3583e9 asked for ea1a342af0 a blessing ada8775b42 earlier.”
“Oh my, are 407aa02254 there really devils 34aeb6f968 threatening you?”
“Of course. Every time a0c0f045d2 I go 2902d2eb0a to the 8b62b0a768 barn, I da6c116617 get attacked 38dcd2dd6a by devils 537a843c1b with worm-like 610f0aad9d tails and 2eb3f81c9e spiny whiskers, 9eb1eb2c2a along with 68c6fd776e an eight-legged, a2cca04672 big-eyed devil 4018ad61c9 that spews 782ebebb4a sticky threads.”
TL/N: MISSED ME? I CAN SAY I’M 15d8abd29b FINALLY BACK MORE LIKE c8f97c5116 BACK FROM THE DEAD 49bf3d35d1 LOL🤕, SO SORRY FOR 7316a816ae THE LENGTHY BREAK, IK c3fd7ee069 Y’ALL HAVE BEING WAITING d109fbf92e A TON AND I’M 7a1576f11f TERRIBLY SORRY THAT I’VE 475c118a40 KEPT Y’ALL WAITING THIS 731892f56c MUCH, THANK YOU SM 64425934a5 GUYS FOR SUPPORTING AND 30b764cd18 READING THE NOVEL AND 6d55db41a9 PATIENTLY WAITING, I’M SO 8597e32d13 GRATEFUL TBH🥹80437684f160fd2f