Stranded for Christmas with my Boss (Forbidden Billionaire Boss Daddies)

Epilogue Five Years Later

Jensen

The house was alive with the buzz of holiday cheer, filled with friends, family, and the unmistakable warmth that only Alyssa could create. I looked around the living room, watching as the firelight danced over the Christmas tree, adorned with ornaments Alyssa and I had collected over the years, each with a story that had become part of us.

Alyssa was in the center of it all, talking to Holly by the fireplace, both of them laughing as Holly’s little boy tugged on her hand, begging to be lifted up to see the tree. Seeing them together, surrounded by friends and family, reminded me how much we’d built over the years—and how much more we had to look forward to. Even now, five years later, she still made my heart race. There she was, balancing her career, our family, and everything in between with a strength I admired more every day.

“Daddy!”

I felt a tug at my pants leg and looked down to see Lily, our three-year-old daughter, reaching up for me. She was the spitting image of Alyssa, with her mother’s blonde hair and my eyes—a combination I hadn’t realized could make me so vulnerable until the day she was born.

I leaned down, scooping her up as she pointed excitedly toward the front door. “Daddy, is Santa coming?”

“Not tonight, sweetheart,” I said, tapping her nose and making her giggle. “But if you keep being good, he’ll be here in a few more days.”

Her eyes widened with excitement as she wrapped her small arms around my neck, her head resting on my shoulder. Holding her like that, I felt the familiar warmth of fatherhood, a feeling so fierce and consuming that I’d do anything to protect it.

“Do you think Santa’s bringing me a puppy?” she asked, whispering in that secretive tone only a child could manage, like the two of us were sharing the most important secret in the world.

I stifled a laugh, giving her a serious nod. “Well, we’ll have to wait and see. You’ve been very good this year, but puppies are a big responsibility.”

Lily nodded sagely, as if she understood the weight of responsibility, though she was still small enough that she thought a “big responsibility” meant picking up her toys. She squirmed in my arms until I put her down, and she took off toward the Christmas tree, where she resumed her vigilant watch over the presents below.

Turning back to the party, I watched Alyssa as she moved around the room, greeting guests and exchanging stories with old friends. This was her element, and she was radiant. It was hard to believe that the woman who had started out as my assistant now shared my life, my home, and my future. She was my wife, my partner, my everything.

As the evening wound down, the last of the guests said their goodbyes. Alyssa and I stood by the door, waving as they stepped out into the falling snow. Once they were gone, the house was quiet, the only sound the crackling fire in the living room. I wrapped an arm around Alyssa’s shoulders, pulling her close.

She sighed, leaning into me. “That was fun.”

“It was,” I agreed, brushing a kiss to her temple. “You did an amazing job, as always.”

She smiled, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “I had a good team. You helped out a lot.”

I chuckled, remembering my tasks of arranging the furniture and stringing the lights just so. “All I did was follow your instructions.”

“Well, you do that very well,” she teased, reaching up to kiss me. Her lips were warm and soft, and as I pulled her closer, the world around us faded until it was just the two of us.

We moved back into the living room, and Alyssa settled onto the couch, tucking her legs beneath her as I joined her. She looked over at the tree, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“It’s hard to believe how much has changed,” she murmured. “Five years ago, I was terrified of losing my job, and now…” She looked around, her gaze landing on me. “Now, I have everything I ever wanted.”

My hand found hers, our fingers intertwining. “I know exactly what you mean. You took a risk on me back then, and I still don’t know how I got lucky enough for you to stick around.”

She laughed softly, squeezing my hand. “I think you had something to do with it, too.”

We sat in comfortable silence, watching the snow fall softly outside the window. The glow of the Christmas tree bathed the room in a warm, gentle light, and I felt an overwhelming sense of peace—a peace I hadn’t known I was capable of finding.

After a moment, Alyssa reached down, placing her hand over her stomach in a gesture that caught my eye. A soft smile played on her lips as she looked at me.

“Are you ready,” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, “to do this all over again?”

My heart stopped, her words sinking in. I stared at her, searching her eyes for confirmation of what I thought she was saying. Slowly, she nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek as she took my hand and placed it on her belly.

“We’re having another baby,” she murmured, her voice full of joy and disbelief.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, the weight of her words wrapping around me in a way I’d never felt before. Another child. Another little life that was part of both of us.

“Alyssa…” My voice broke as I pulled her into my arms, holding her close as the reality sank in. “You have no idea how much I love you.”

She laughed, the sound muffled against my chest. “I think I do. And just so you know, I love you just as much.”

We stayed there, wrapped in each other, our future growing between us. My hand rested on her belly, feeling the warmth of our child, knowing that we were building something extraordinary—together.

I pulled back slightly, brushing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you,” I whispered. “For everything. For our family. For you.”

She smiled, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else.”

The room was quiet, filled only with the soft glow of the Christmas lights and the gentle sound of our breathing. Outside, the snow continued to fall, blanketing the world in quiet wonder. And as I held her close, my hand still resting on her belly I knew this was the life we’d built together—layer by layer, year by year—growing richer with each moment. Our love, our family, was everything I’d ever wanted and more.