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“No. You should set up the tree and decorate it with Dalia before she has a tantrum.”
She left the table and flopped onto the sofa, watching them from there.
Tyler had a second serving of roast and finished it quickly. Then, after washing Dalia’s face and hands, he cleared the table, before going downstairs to get the tree and decorations.
Once he’d set the artificial pine trunk in its stand, Sienna listened to her daughter’s babbling and giggling as she clapped her hands each time Tyler inserted a new branch into the stem.
Together, they sorted the colored bulbs and balls. Dalia handed them to him, and Tyler hooked them where she indicated. An hour later, the tree glittered with garlands of lights, multicolored balls hanging from its branches, and a bright new star on top.
“Now, I’ll put Santa in front of the tree and help him remember my Christmas wish.” Carefully, Dalia moved the foot-tall Santa Claus figure over to the tree. She’d yet to reveal her Christmas wish.
For a moment, Sienna forgot her anger and smiled when Dalia came to her and pulled her up. “Mommy, come and see. It’s so pretty. We did a great job.”
“Yes, you did.” Sienna hugged her and tried to disguise her annoyance under a cheerful voice, but lamented her daughter’s attachment to the handsome doctor.
She’d allowed Tyler to set up the Christmas tree with Dalia because it had been agreed to earlier in the week, but he needed to get out of their lives and let them be. Eventually, they would both forget him.
“Stand in front of the tree, and I’ll take a picture,” Tyler dug out his phone.
“No, no picture,” Sienna snapped.
“Why, Mommy? I want a picture.” Scowling, Dalia stomped her foot.
Her head about to burst because of her monstrous headache, Sienna exhaled heavily and relented. “Okay, one picture, and then you go to bed.”
“I want a picture with Doc in front of our tree, too. You can take it, Mommy.”
Sienna rubbed her aching forehead but obeyed.
“One picture, and then you go to bed right away,” she repeated, her tone firm.
“Okay.” Dalia pulled Tyler’s hand and stood next to him.
His arm wrapped around the little girl, he smiled for the picture.
“I would love to take a selfie with my favorite girls.”
“No, I’m not presentable enough for a Christmas picture.”
“It’s just—”
“No.” She hissed and glared at him. “Thank you for putting up with her demands.”
“It was a pleasure, Sienna. Can’t you see I enjoy it?”
“Well, I’m very tired. I’ll put her to bed and will probably fall asleep myself. I assume you’ll pick up your stuff. Congratulations on the new apartment. Goodnight.”
Not trusting herself, she grabbed Dalia’s hand, dragged her to the bedroom, and shut the door, before her tears could fall.
