Page 59 of Falling For Her Boss

EPILOGUE

Isabella

I have always dreamed of a perfect family Christmas. When I was younger, Joshua used to make a lot of effort for the big day, but it always felt a little strange when it was just the two of us at the dinner table with a massive turkey between us. Our Christmas tree was a fake cactus plant covered in flashing lights because we couldn’t really afford much else at the time. We always placed one gift for each of us under the tree, and that would be it. I’ve never been materialistic, but I always wanted Christmas to be a time of plenty. A time of celebration and not of scrounging for scraps.

Now, I’ve finally got my wish. I hold Logan’s hand as Joshua sits on the floor with the girls, helping them open their presents. They shed the paper like wild things, uncovering children’s books, various toys and bags of sweets. They seem delighted with each and every thing they open and I sigh with relief. I took a long time on Christmas shopping this year, among trying to run my business, taking caring of the kids and visits to the doctor with my baby bump. It’s good to see that the kids are grateful for my efforts, even if Santa Claus is getting all of the credit. Logan squeezes my hand and I know he’s congratulating me on my present buying. I lean my head on his shoulder with a smile. Even after five years together, we’re still absolutely on the same level. He knows me inside out, and I know him just as well.

When the last of the girl’s gifts have been opened, us adults exchange presents. Joshua hands me a small box and I immediately know what it is. It’s always been our tradition to buy each other gifts from thrift stores, and for as long as I can remember, he’s always bought me a bracelet. He always manages to find something beautiful and elegant, and this year is no exception. The gems on it are aquamarine to match my engagement ring and I slip it on immediately with a smile.

“Thanks, big bro,” I say. I want to get up to give him a kiss, but I settle for blowing one in his direction. My bump tends to stop me from doing a lot of things. I feel a little lazy during this pregnancy, but I think I’ve earned the right to be a little laid back.

Logan hands his gift over to me. Another tradition, we always give each other a book to read, and after we finish reading them, we have a discussion about it. This year, he’s bought me a thriller novel and I can’t help smiling. A few weeks ago, I was in a terrible mood, getting down about my pregnancy back pain, and it somehow put me in the mood for thriller movies. I told Logan that it made me feel like my life wasn’t so bad when I saw the characters in their predicaments. I lean over to kiss his cheek and he smiles at me.

“I’ve actually got you something else as well,” he tells me quietly. “I’ll show you later.”

My heart rate rises a little. I’ve never been one for surprises, and I know I’ll be wondering all day what he’s got for me. But days like this always pass so quickly.

We watch some Christmas movies, and then Joshua calls us to the table for food just after midday. He insisted on cooking the meal as a thank you for letting him stay, and part of me was relieved that he offered. Logan is a terrible cook, and I really didn’t feel like slaving over a hot stove, especially with my baby bump weighing me down.

We enjoy a fantastic meal around the table. Even the girls, who are sometimes fussy eaters, eat everything on their plate, mopping up every glisten of gravy and asking for seconds. We try a little Yule log for dessert and then head back to the living room for a Christmas nap. All this food has got us tired and mopey.

It’s four o’clock when Logan shakes me awake. I open my eyes and see Joshua snoozing in the armchair with both girls on his lap. I smile to myself, though I don’t much appreciate being woken up. Logan takes my hand.

“I want to show you your gift,” he whispers. I sigh and allow him to take me from the room, but despite my tiredness, I couldn’t be more excited. Logan is good at buying gifts, and I know this will be no exception.

We head into the second living room for some privacy and he hands me a large rectangular book. It looks like a photo album. I blush. Logan knows me so well, he knows I love sentimental stuff like this. I open it up and find that he has documented our last five years between the pages. He starts with a picture of when we first got together and our first trip away to Paris. He took a lot of pictures back then, when we weren’t so busy that we forgot to get the camera out. But even so, he’s managed to capture all of the important moments. He’s cherry-picked the best pictures from our wedding and our honeymoon in Barbados. There are hundreds of my pregnancy and of when the girls were first born. And then, right at the end of the book, there are several blank pages. I glance up at Logan just as he snaps a picture of me on his phone and I laugh. After all these years, he’s still immortalizing our memories forever.

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