All Chapters of A Hot Daddy For Christmas: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

The shift didn’t come from something big. No dramatic conversation. No defining moment that changed everything all at once. It came from something quieter. Consistency. — Cami kept showing up. Not out of obligation. Not out of curiosity. Because she wanted to. And that changed the weight of everything. — That night, it was late when she arrived. Later than usual. Ariana had been half-asleep on the couch, a book resting loosely in her hand when the door opened. She didn’t even startle anymore. Just looked up. “Hey.” Cami stepped inside, closing the door behind her. “Hey.” Mateo was already awake, sitting at the table with a glass of water in front of him. He glanced at the clock. “You’re out late.” Cami shrugged, dropping her bag onto the chair. “I wasn’t tired.” Ariana shifted slightly, sitting up straighter. “You are now.” Cami glanced at her. “Maybe.” She walked further in, slower this time. Less energy than usual. Less sharpness. Ariana noticed imme

It didn’t feel like they were fixing anything anymore. That part was over. What came after was quieter. More natural. Like something that had already settled into place and was now just… living. — That evening, Cami came back like she said she would. No hesitation. No second thoughts. She walked in, dropped her bag in the same spot as always, and moved through the space like she knew it. Like it wasn’t temporary anymore. Ariana was sitting on the floor this time, papers spread out around her, her focus somewhere between reading and overthinking. “You always make a mess when you think,” Cami said, stepping over a stack of papers. Ariana glanced up. “It’s organized.” “It’s not.” “It is to me.” Cami rolled her eyes slightly but didn’t argue further. She sat down across from her, pulling one of the papers closer. “What is this?” “Work,” Ariana said. “That explains nothing.” Ariana leaned back slightly, watching her. “You don’t actually care.” “I don’t,” Cami repli

It didn’t stay perfectly smooth. Nothing ever does. But when the shift came this time— it wasn’t sharp. It didn’t break anything. It just… reminded them that what they had now still needed to be held carefully. — Cami didn’t come the next day. That wasn’t unusual on its own. But she didn’t text either. That was. Ariana noticed by the afternoon. She didn’t say anything at first. Didn’t reach for her phone right away. She just… waited. Let it be what it was. Mateo noticed too. “You’re thinking about it,” he said from across the room. Ariana didn’t look up. “She didn’t text.” Mateo didn’t respond immediately. Because that wasn’t really about the message. “She’s allowed to have space,” he said. “I know.” Ariana’s voice was calm. Not defensive. “I’m not worried.” A pause. “I just noticed.” Mateo nodded once. That made sense. — By evening, her phone was still quiet. Ariana picked it up, stared at the screen for a second— then set it back down. She didn’t

The rhythm held.Even with space.Even with silence.It didn’t fall apart anymore.And because of that—they stopped paying so much attention to it.—A few days passed like that.Not distant.Just… lived.Cami didn’t come over every day.Ariana didn’t wait for her to.Mateo didn’t watch for the shift.Everything moved the way it was supposed to.Naturally.—That evening, it was quieter than usual.No music.No background noise.Just the low hum of the city outside and the soft sound of Ariana flipping through pages on the couch.Mateo was nearby, leaning back, watching her in that quiet way he always did.“You’re thinking again,” he said.Ariana didn’t look up.“I’m reading.”“You’re not turning the page.”That made her pause.Then she glanced at the book.“…okay, I’m thinking.”Mateo’s mouth twitched slightly.“What about?”Ariana closed the book slowly, setting it aside.“Nothing bad.”A pause.“Just… everything feels settled.”“That’s a problem?” he asked.She looked at him.“No.

It didn’t feel like they were moving toward anything anymore.They had already arrived.Not at some perfect ending—but at something steady enough that it didn’t need to be questioned.—The next few days passed quietly.Not empty.Just… lived.Cami didn’t come over one night.Then the next.But this time, it didn’t stand out.Because nothing about it felt like distance.It just felt like her life existing outside of theirs.And that—that was part of it too.—On the third day, she showed up again.Later than usual.The apartment was dim, the lights low, the atmosphere slower.Ariana was sitting on the floor this time, leaning back against the couch, her head tilted slightly as she talked to Mateo.Their voices were quiet.Not secretive.Just… soft.The door opened.Cami stepped in.Neither of them startled.They both just looked over.“Hi.”Ariana smiled faintly.“Hey.”Mateo nodded.“Hi.”Cami closed the door behind her, standing there for a second like she was taking in the room.