Against the Odds | DAERIN

Bonus 2

d a n i e l l e

"Mummy!" I heard a little girl's voice shout, as quick footsteps approached me from behind. "Can we please put our stockings up now?"

I turned around and smiled at the girl in front of me. "Of course, baby," I replied as Haerin walked in holding stockings in one hand and our son Jerry in the other.

Jerry was turning two in a few months, and our daughter Jamaica had just turned four. Haerin put down Jerry next to me and crouched down, giving Jamaica her stocking.

She gave a little squeal of excitement and tried to reach up to hang her stocking. "Nearly there, Jamaica," Haerin said from beside me. My eyes left Jamaica for a second and met with Haerin's. She had a hand on Jerry's back, stopping him from falling as he stood, wobbling a little bit.

She looked as gorgeous as ever, and in the eight years that we've been together, she hasn't changed a bit. Not to mention that she still looks at me like I'm the best thing in the world, although I do think I lost the place of the person she loved most the day our kids were born. She's genuinely the best parent ever, and seeing her with our children makes me fall even more in love with her.

She smiled at me, the same way that she's done all these years, and I returned it. Eventually, Jamaica gave up trying, and Haerin had to lift her. Another squeal of excitement left her, and she hugged Jerry before jumping around, shouting about how Santa was coming tonight. We put a stocking up for Jerry and then made some hot chocolate, putting a generous amount of whipped cream on the top, which Jamaica was very happy about.

Haerin and I watched as Jerry drank his milk, and Jamaica sipped her hot chocolate, a bit of cream on her nose. I felt an arm around my shoulders, and I instantly melted into it.

"Hi, baby," she mumbled as she kissed my head.

"Hey, Haerin." I looked up at her, and she smiled, before taking another look at the kids. "I'm so happy I met you."

"I'm so happy you met me too," I replied, and I smiled contentedly, thinking about the life we've created with each other.

After we put them to bed, Haerin and I quietly placed all the presents under the tree, trying our best to stay as silent as possible. Once we finished, we walked to our room, gently shutting the door behind us.

"I have something for you," Haerin said, as she gently pulled me closer to her by my waist. After all these years, she still makes my knees weak.

"I have something for you too," I replied, leaning up and kissing her. She pulled me closer, and I leaned back, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"You can wait for tomorrow, or you can have it now?" she asked as we pulled apart. "There's obviously more than one thing, but there's one I really want to give you."

"Actually, screw that, you're having it now." She quickly let go of me and went to her side of the bed, bending down and going underneath it quickly before pulling out a box. She gestured for me to come sit with her as she put the box on the bed.

I sat down, looking at the medium-sized black box in front of me, and I almost felt like a kid again. I gently pulled the tab on the side of the box, which pulled out a drawer in the box. Inside, there were multiple Polaroids and printed photos, ranging from when we first met to two weeks ago.

"Every photo has something written on the back of it," she said, picking one up and turning it over, showing me the writing on the back.

"You will forever be the sweetest person I've ever met," I said, looking at her and smiling brightly.

"Good," she replied with a shrug, moving the box and taking its place next to me.

"Hey! I didn't even get to look at them!" I said, protesting, but she laughed.

"You can look at them later," she mumbled, pulling me onto her lap and kissing me. My knees rested on the bed on either side of her, and my hands tangled in her hair.

"I love you," I whispered into her ear before trailing kisses softly down her neck.

"I love you too," she replied, moving backward onto the bed, so that she was lying down and my hands were on either side of her head. She flipped us over so she was on top and gently grabbed my chin, forcing me to look her right in the eyes.

"Don't wake the kids up," she said, as she pinned my hands above my head with her other hand.

"I'll try," I replied, before closing my eyes and letting her take control.

Things with Haerin are never boring, and I know that until the day I die, I will love her and our family with everything I have. She's my person, my soulmate even, and I wouldn't want to ever live a day without her. She taught me self-worth and raised my standards higher than anyone else ever could, and I thank her for that every day. I'll forever be completely and utterly helplessly in love with her because how could I not be? So for anyone out there right now, doubting if you're being treated right, wondering if you could be getting more—you could be. Don't settle for the bare minimum when you can get so much more. You deserve more. Go find your Haerin; she's out there.