Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty

Christmas morning arrived quietly.

For about seven minutes.

Then chaos started.

"DADA!"

A tiny voice echoed through the townhouse.

Followed by the unmistakable sound of little feet.

Well.

Little feet attempting to run.

Roman opened one eye.

Then the other.

Just in time to see Lillie burst into their bedroom.

A huge smile on her face.

A Christmas-themed onesie covering her from head to toe.

Behind her came Theo.

Then Poppy.

Then Noah.

Then Harper.

Then Daisy laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"What is happening?"

Roman sat upright.

Completely confused.

"It's Christmas."

Theo looked horrified that this apparently needed explaining.

"It's six in the morning."

"It's Christmas."

Fair point.

Within twenty minutes both families were gathered downstairs.

The Christmas tree glowed softly.

The fireplace crackled.

Wrapping paper waited beneath the branches.

Presents everywhere.

Lillie sat in the middle of it all.

Completely overwhelmed.

She didn't know what Christmas was.

But she was absolutely certain she approved.

Meanwhile Harper sat on the couch looking enormous.

The twins were due in a few months.

Daisy wasn't far behind.

Both women surrounded by blankets.

Both looking tired.

Both looking happy.

"Okay."

Noah clapped his hands.

"Present time."

The children erupted immediately.

Paper flew.

Bows flew.

Somehow Theo got tangled in ribbon.

Nobody asked how.

Lillie mostly enjoyed the wrapping paper.

Roman had bought her dozens of presents.

The wrapping paper still won.

Typical.

Hours seemed to pass in laughter.

Photos.

Coffee.

More presents.

More wrapping paper.

More chaos.

Then eventually...

Somebody handed Roman a gift.

He looked surprised.

Actually surprised.

"What?"

Harper rolled her eyes.

"It's a Christmas present."

"I know."

"Then open it."

Roman looked around the room.

At everyone.

The children.

The women.

The men.

The tree.

The house.

The family.

Slowly he opened the gift.

Inside was a framed photograph.

A family photo.

One taken a few weeks earlier.

Everyone together.

Outside the townhouses.

Lillie in Roman's arms.

Daisy beside him.

Harper and Noah.

Theo.

Poppy.

The future.

The family.

For a moment Roman didn't say anything.

Not a word.

Daisy immediately noticed.

Because Roman always had something to say.

Always.

Now he was just staring.

At the photograph.

Silent.

The room slowly quietened.

Noah noticed.

Then Harper.

Then everyone else.

Roman swallowed.

Hard.

His eyes remained fixed on the frame.

For a moment nobody spoke.

Then Daisy reached for his hand.

"Hey."

Roman blinked.

Looked up.

Smiled.

A small smile.

The emotional kind.

"You okay?"

The question hung softly in the room.

Roman looked back at the photograph.

Then around the room.

At the children laughing.

At Harper stealing food from Noah's plate.

At Daisy.

At Lillie chewing wrapping paper.

And suddenly he laughed.

A shaky laugh.

"Yeah."

His voice was rough.

Unexpectedly rough.

"I just..."

He stopped.

Trying again.

"I've never really had this."

Silence.

Not sad silence.

The understanding kind.

Roman looked down.

Almost embarrassed.

"Christmas wasn't really a thing growing up."

Nobody interrupted.

Nobody joked.

Because for the first time they all realised something.

Roman had built companies.

Built success.

Built wealth.

But he'd never really had family.

Not like this.

Not Christmas mornings.

Not traditions.

Not children waking everyone up before sunrise.

Not wrapping paper everywhere.

Not chaos.

Not home.

Daisy squeezed his hand.

Roman looked at her.

Then at Lillie.

Then at the photograph again.

And finally smiled.

A real smile.

The happiest one she'd ever seen.

"I think this is my favourite Christmas."

Immediately Harper started crying.

"Oh for God's sake."

Noah laughed.

"You're crying again."

"I'm pregnant."

"That's not an excuse anymore."

"It absolutely is."

Everyone laughed.

Even Roman.

The moment passed.

The room filling with warmth again.

And as Christmas morning carried on around them, Roman sat quietly for a moment longer.

Watching.

Listening.

Remembering.

Because for the first time in his life...

He wasn't wishing for anything.

Everything he wanted was already sitting in that room.

His daughter.

His future daughter.

Daisy.

His family.

And for Roman Moretti—

that was the greatest gift he'd ever received.

❤️📖🎄💕👶🌸✨