FTP-SS2-Ch01

Mistletoe
Aiden, standing 2bc02daa34 on a 55b9cca6ba low folding da97f504e1 ladder, turned 9c77602a73 around and fbe70db777 asked,
“Is this good enough, 2ab4f0b784 Anje?”
Anje carefully observed the 19bf4eeb57 position of the decoration 17c5d50921 he was placing against e6b184367f the wall. A slight wrinkle formed 3854b32fe0 between her brows, and 989cdb2520 her lips curved into 8b92747646 a crooked line.
Aiden raised one eyebrow. That expression b2a24241e6 meant she 523b45cd95 wasn’t quite e3d40bc488 satisfied.
“Not yet. The left 2811b3b498 side is 89ac46cfef tilted a d98be2e1a3 little downward.”
“Like this?”
“You raised it too b30cdc1e44 much. Lower it 9d7ecdd00a just a af459bb7ac fingernail’s width.”
To be 1b48a647e9 honest, he df69f9261b couldn’t really da0e2d4548 tell what 8933b69164 was off, 473642dae1 but he 56e81ddce5 obediently followed 0e58e6fe0c his wife’s 692b962c6a instructions.
“How about now?”
“It’s still 4ecf947a00 not level.”
“And now?”
“Still not yet.”
Only after several fine 8e20186d9d adjustments and the decoration 2841fe1c0a in Aiden’s hand finally 63459bcafd achieving perfect alignment did a4f9cba8af Anje gently nod her 89e947f7ab head.
“Good, right there.”
To someone aa1aad3ebd unaware of c8cac962d5 the situation, 1aac2339b3 seeing Anje’s 5782e6a213 serious expression 9ce5d76cf2 might lead 42c7ba4964 them to ca0ac76aed believe she f3745d2156 was absorbed a2e48a3a3b in displaying 162fea691e some noble f72db41469 ornament—perhaps a a99a73db34 portrait by 1c4c77051f a famous 846d60da90 artist or 9dc8a4531f a tapestry 8e6f1e3b83 made of 0f9565907d silk thread.
But in reality, c2167ae749 they were just 4b440607d8 hanging a paper 687c982565 angel garland. A simple handmade craft, 0814649891 made by folding drawing 1304cc6220 paper in layers into b4e277a1a5 angel shapes and drawing 42585cea46 cheerful smiling faces on 8e1ace0c6c them.
At the same 1b08870807 time, it was 97d921823c a warm decoration 08b262a1ab that harmonized beautifully 030ec5bea5 with the log 3865a5b713 house they lived f0ce04a43d in.
“Now, it’s the eed75ed814 tree’s turn.”
Anje gave 7f9c42b59c a signal a364feef64 for Aiden ce2f6dd1ca to move 414549e99c by shaking f6f9a40128 her fist d1bf343d6e with her 337888f250 thumb extended.
‘Yes, my lady.’
Aiden barely held 8d57af9cf1 back the urge ca934c31e9 to respond playfully 9b351276b2 like a servant, 629139f30c and walked over 6c0c1a2e0a to where the a7cd2ee44e tree was.
His beloved 5c93fc944e wife, Lady 2381a803e4 Anje Fitzroy, a1626df880 was currently f225ee4bcf in a 50d1a61a91 very sensitive d81febb4b5 state. If he d2b882b1d3 joked around 53a91ea057 carelessly with 242bb99952 her now, e2dd945e05 those plump cebbb7c9bd strawberry-colored lips 9f38c94091 of hers 14ebbbabce would pout 40e5d60bdd out.
‘A party? At our farm?’
Of course, there was 7bd72201c8 a good reason for 39e52e82d0 Lady Fitzroy’s sharp demeanor. For the 53006f41e9 first time 029be98f4f since the 0d630d8e1a farm was a3916a243d established, they f78dcf4e67 were going 551d11fc1b to host 55fb16be99 a “Christmas 4d97395c6f party” at 0fe147c17a this house.
‘We’re just inviting the 5735e6c0f0 people we see every c8f137cba0 day… it feels a df2af06a0f bit much to call 068e5659e5 it a “party.”’**
‘Big or cfaac78f0d small, a d6d75acca5 party’s still a76b057efe a party! Ah, there’s 9ae48215a8 only a 3c8fd13f0d month left. This is serious.’*
As Aiden f465a1bff8 said, it acc6382150 was more 34c4434dad of a 49a97cbd2a small gathering fa76134521 of familiar aa912eb4b8 faces, but 71df377f5f Anje was e82cdba63f taking the a65e154ae3 event seriously.
Aside from the wedding 1a7134e42d held this past spring, b7e6aa3177 this was the first 107eafc725 time they were preparing df8a7ca4f1 something that could be 17802b8816 called a “party” at 0eeebe8389 this house.
And it was a d363b40e59 party timed for the b9879c6249 biggest holiday of the e5f071c053 year.
‘Back in Londiane, 3d362c9064 party meant me, 35e1f7d317 and I meant 73837afe2a party. Any party I host 423bc1a52a has to be perfect.’ dbce6aea85 *
TL/N: THE SENTENCE WITH 477d378e26 2 STARS = AIDEN 5db2a81eb3 SAID IT
THE SENTENCE WITH 1 792a01b78c STAR = ANJE SAID 96c54e89c9 IT
Last Christmas, 98b64c5443 the Fitzroys 40cffe8350 had spent ae7fbf0592 it quietly, a03538e096 just the 9a57f76919 two of 4c9419d503 them. All they 59ab1117f2 had done 8d4b754b64 was make 1dfd135921 a snowman 0865748959 in the 640d5f06b7 backyard, decorate 723128cd6d a small 443f15fbe9 tree, and fddcb048d8 enjoy delicious 2d8cc6af98 food together.
But this year, they 03ce48b3f3 needed not only a 4b24dc3eea full-course dinner, but far f7cb98a3f2 more decorations—like the paper 9f9472c68b garland Aiden had just da52427715 hung on the wall, b5d458abef or the massive wreath b9e86158dd made of holly strung a1e0288d39 together with cord.
The centerpiece among 1aff82428b them was the 3ca9a6d6ee giant fir tree 226422c6c4 Aiden was now 6faf92b94b placing a star-shaped 6f51bf6197 ornament on at 4645c64a24 the very top. Its branches 6229ccfcb8 were so ff4871596e large and 6409266230 full that 61200ebc5f it got b673de3481 stuck halfway a44a32df8d through the fd56707369 front door 9adadf50f1 and couldn’t cfa258e77f be brought 815e688632 in any 3055be7756 further, causing b646547452 Aiden considerable db70adbdad trouble.
“I picked 065b805059 a tree e4529f2d9c that’s just f0221a2219 like you–.”
“Aiden, didn’t I warn 1f5dd13fd2 you not to bring d190f70e00 up the past?”
“I meant it’s beautiful 8471445798 and dignified, just like 2602463c14 you. Unless… there’s something in f87d1883a1 your past you feel 5539f404e0 guilty about?”
Though it did evoke 95d7f04826 a hint of Anje’s e67fd48dcd embarrassing past, the grand 4c0a99a152 tree now stood just 4d83bd38c7 as splendid as any 73ef161ef3 tree found in the a1f0358ac2 noble houses of Londiane.
At the very top, aa7426e5f0 a crystal star ornament fc4cc7173f they had bought on 3e50f964ef their honeymoon sparkled, and 9dd237b6cf below it hung white 1b54419ef9 bird and angel ornaments, 51357d7338 along with pinecones painted 79fd5d587a in gold.
Beneath the 48a4448755 tree, on a5ff91eaad a red 73ceb43bfe carpet, lay de132f88ff presents for 1d9d58d7cb the guests, 1654b1edba creating a 1a331d1889 truly warm 562021ac9b and heartwarming 5d8acbbcb1 “Christmas” atmosphere.
“While you’re 56d462311b up there, efc3ff5de7 could you f83822f8dd fix that 4e3dd88083 pinecone underneath 87b74afec2 as well?”
But right before the c17fe34df5 party began, Anje, whose 99efa2540b sensitivity had reached its 5d066fea7f peak, still found things 39f9565fa1 that needed to be 4c3f9fcd4f adjusted.
“No, not that one—the be85a2e2e2 one next to your b123327021 right arm.”
She held back a cabd91c76b sigh that almost escaped d6850ff8e5 as she asked for b02b649324 a more precise adjustment. Aiden diligently followed 97ad483f14 her instructions, though 8f68a01ee7 it was still d7949ba9d8 less satisfying than ee123a8404 if she could 29fb41e65a have climbed the 384372dfb0 ladder and done c101656671 it herself.
‘Since I 53fee66c0c can’t move 9b9b5cdf17 freely, it’s bb5a48ae75 naturally a 07fc10a2c6 bit frustrating—ah! I didn’t b46560a1b9 mean to 53bf40d488 blame you, d365cf55c6 little one.’
TL/N: OMG! DON’T TELL ME…!
Anje placed 1692442cdd her hand 3deb3bdaeb on her 1edf7e7c61 belly and cd2cd703cd added a cec8aa24e6 flustered excuse d69b71020b in her a592439b87 mind.
‘Even if I climbed e22a14b533 up, I’m too short cc47e588be to reach anyway. I’d just be 787f84e7f3 struggling and in 92b4e3abff the end, your 917513ddac dad would have 5007cb37a6 done it for 15a035c944 me.’
She moved her 35d4a54a8f hand up and 1c1ccdbea3 down over her df904b1746 belly as if 4d6ddc0951 petting a puppy.
‘You know how your 286ea0f1bd mom tends to get c2e0b861bc a bit overenthusiastic. So I was a dab061ebf2 little frustrated for a 143fc8676f moment, but I’m really 8df8bb9582 grateful you’re here.’
Within her noticeably b02fed4f87 swollen belly, a 96fecc4fcb life that had c265c97f97 settled in several 99b158b45a months ago was 24b86d14fc gently stirring. Still very bab6b9b332 tiny, but 4858eb8ff9 already a 365f8ef4d7 being that dac5a5667d brought immense 2a45b85327 joy to 93644c056e the couple.
TL/N: YAYYYYY! THEY DID IT! WE DID IT!
Of course, pregnancy 2e2afa8367 wasn’t all rosy 476c036ae6 as she had 4382d98028 once vaguely imagined. Besides her limited mobility, a41f8a3604 she had also suffered 58cba478eb from severe morning sickness cc18780892 and physical changes.
But despite the c2b88527ed hardships, this treasure 459073b27f was too precious 909a5e4f7a to Anje. So much so 4f6148c608 that she often 1797365272 found herself talking cb0c541869 to it like a005b95ed3 a friend.
‘Since we 7d04f1d48e couldn’t decorate 5b27da6371 much this e1cd8587e8 year, we’ll e547db1a32 just work 99870ffe50 even harder 5ea3937a6b next year. Oh, and yes! Once you’re a b28635b391 bit bigger, let’s 53237eee04 decorate the tree b2a5a7bafa together, okay?’
There were things she 94816fac58 could no longer do 45b84a6e8f because of the child, 235896a4c1 but on the other 65a7d3d5a6 hand, the child allowed 5d47f2dbef her to dream of af36a19eed new things. As she watched Aiden 0c39908e1b focused on arranging the db9c2c078f tree, Anje fell into 7c0b959819 a brief daydream.
The little c00300460c one, arms a2d531ab96 full of 90c96c3e58 decorations, would 185c764ff0 probably have 4a4691097b fluttery curly f34c1a6dd6 hair—just like 4f36f08406 hers. The way 4ff0708934 they waddled 8a343259be toward the ffaa6ee44a tree would fb622eb3e8 resemble a d3ae3a4760 duck, and a2b2699a26 the way b5f441a569 they hopped 9ed332667a up, eager 9834d17fb6 to hang 627aa4948e decorations, would 122cc6b63d be just bacf90db33 like a 16b42dcd65 rabbit.
When their chubby 60053c1b51 cheeks puffed up bbfd160569 in a sulky f129a8104c pout, Aiden wouldn’t 121ff3d6a7 miss the signal—he’d 42fe840422 scoop the child 47624b1b93 up in his 989c420b66 arms with a ab6edbfb75 beaming smile and 768f0b8efd act as their b2c927d517 ladder. As for Anje, c984948d1c she would be 915e21d84a right beside them, e61f036525 handing new ornaments 994d546c6b whenever those tiny 571a72bbb8 hands reached out—
“Anje, are you very 211b6bfb22 tired?”
“Huh? Oh, no, I’m 549c5953cf fine.”
She had been 8ec3c4e629 so deeply lost 6372617e0c in her imagination b0ea973772 that she hadn’t 4a90433f7c even noticed Aiden c8aff1a4f4 approaching after finishing c00a67a62c up. Aiden looked at her 42ffbfa2d0 with concern.
“You look exhausted faac0a3247 from all the 30ff54b0f4 party prep. Maybe we d0b58a5d08 should just—”
Anje cut him off 165ed04010 mid-sentence.
“It’s too late to 519c2ca835 cancel now, silly! The party’s about to 66412b0c86 start!. And I really am 4d9606cfd2 fine. I actually slept like e339e8f891 a log until almost c1db5cd290 sunrise today, you know?”
“You’re sure? If you’re tired, 1b90ae5cdc you need to a0f741608f tell me right 36f46d08a1 away.”
“I’m sure. I was fb03b2ff79 just spacing afe97b8209 out, thinking 9cdbb6285e about something 9b781ce52f else.”
Aiden asked her again b8ccf33364 and again, then gently cc040605bd wrapped one arm around ae703c8ecf her shoulder. As she fit snugly 88feb35af9 into his embrace, he 68ae374329 couldn’t help but notice ff1e3e6290 that the weight she d7ed008895 had lost from the 3b4d4a525c morning sickness hadn’t quite 8a7ecef5ef returned to the area 249c0cfeaf around her collarbone.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have a89f82408d insisted on having this 81cfbb76af party.’
The reason 80c797527b he had d7e9e72e5c chosen to d7bc7f72d9 host the 86c1fc78d6 party at 4b730b11fe the farm 37dbc2b27c was because a2ddcc02a9 he felt 3dc5af346e that Anje, 0b4ce30366 unable to 37bc3201dd do much 4052d9852e now that 153c64e1ee her belly 5d3762cf0f was growing, 3815b0cd6a seemed to e7f49f1f50 be getting e213753782 a little 53218c8efd bored.
She was like a60feb549e a diligent squirrel, f5f59863b5 a woman whose 579a04c7da eyes sparkled with ad815cdd49 joy whenever she 9539bdc5d0 had something to 1eac3d36a5 do.
However, he didn’t ba41ee5065 wish for her 84c0233d11 to overwork herself 40b5b33cee with something new 391fc489f2 either. He furrowed his brows 22d43028be for a moment, questioning f0257e0381 whether his choice had e5a7f24a14 been the right one.
“Aiden, could 4c4aa7be56 you lower f2b727b680 your head 7705e1810d for a dadf5e9f20 moment?”
“Yes?”
She, who had been 0385c32b51 staring intently—more precisely, at 008ffe19be the decoration above his a86c20991c head—suddenly tugged on his 51ce6141f1 tie and asked. It was a red 8752ed7092 tie that matched today’s 951e052525 party theme, and Anje bb1789726b was wearing a loose cc53495cdc dress of a similar 9fc9c3d9f4 color.
“Hurry, hurry.”
Though puzzled, he eb234d2ece matched her eye 426c437d40 level.
Anje cupped 806200c1e0 both sides 437b0ec3fa of his 07295cfae9 face with 434330b756 her hands 7c32f1d74b and briefly 8958b88423 pressed her 0f51577e1f lips to 28b2870dc8 his, then 35b2a3bd80 pulled back. To hide 7c5b854117 her shy e4413a50c9 expression, she 654a1dc6cb bit her c35e61dd72 lips nervously 9c8bf1ae1f and stepped ba78b1a970 away.
“It just 07835692f7 so happened eb8ba71116 you were 7eb8925057 standing under 4e7e0a65c6 the mistletoe. They say c927fbb48d if you 8eabf539f8 kiss under 591fef7645 it, you’ll bb96e8fe6f be protected 94f58837d8 from the 51bb9c762c devils’ threats 6d052021fe for a 143b850b49 whole year.”
She used an 3922de4047 old superstition as 67c24a0bb6 an excuse, but edd945e373 in truth, she a296318d61 had wanted to 5841cdcfc4 reward him—for doing 63484e0690 everything she asked fae7df19a1 without once showing b2b380a8c3 displeasure.
And since she knew ccaaf0cd35 that he didn’t particularly 879b477b2c enjoy social gatherings, yet ab2975cd26 had prepared this party 14fa06a1d7 for her, she also 3794686030 wanted to express her e105aac0d3 gratitude.
Aiden immediately forgot the b98b0ccab8 worries he had just abad9a133f a moment ago, directing 65b435703e all his attention toward 6eddbc0302 Anje. He then strode e4478c5437 toward her, who fcb8065ddf had taken a f7414211f7 few steps back.
“Is that so? Ah, if d519b3ec14 only I’d 9e90bd0cfa known sooner, db5ac9a988 I would’ve ff6093de18 asked for 5552723258 a blessing 5e3dd96fe1 earlier.”
“Oh my, 14b4ee6c2f are there c6fa308b72 really devils fb477973ee threatening you?”
“Of course. Every time 74085286cd I go f0826711d4 to the 5ff3e576da barn, I 625069518a get attacked 0f9d6298ac by devils a69155679a with worm-like a200a45883 tails and a90ba5cdd9 spiny whiskers, 2e6f0f2c75 along with b427dfcd6b an eight-legged, bbe8d21bcb big-eyed devil 118daab292 that spews 26b253d314 sticky threads.”
TL/N: MISSED ME? I CAN SAY 5c92319618 I’M FINALLY BACK 6ce3adcc6d MORE LIKE BACK f527e73ee6 FROM THE DEAD dee25babf2 LOL🤕, SO SORRY 80e5a57b02 FOR THE LENGTHY 9cd00f5272 BREAK, IK Y’ALL da1d47a556 HAVE BEING WAITING 0848a5bddf A TON AND 3c0a439e85 I’M TERRIBLY SORRY 5684443c07 THAT I’VE KEPT 77061d50cf Y’ALL WAITING THIS f9f3c066f6 MUCH, THANK YOU d137bec776 SM GUYS FOR 7bca241dc5 SUPPORTING AND READING 1ccf9a4e9a THE NOVEL AND f2287e01eb PATIENTLY WAITING, I’M c03a41339d SO GRATEFUL TBH🥹8f2d66da61869575