Chapter 6
JETT
The children’s Christmas party is in full swing. Tobias and Savannah Stone know how to create magic—they’ve transformed this massive toy store into a winter wonderland.
The entire floor is decorated like something out of a Christmas movie, every inch drenched in twinkling lights and festive cheer. Real reindeer munch on hay in one corner, surrounded by barriers to keep eager kids from doing anything wild. Santa holds court near a glittering sleigh, and elves buzz around, handing out candy and smiles. It’s pure joy.
Brooke looks around in utter amazement, and when she sees her friend, Eden, the happiness she exudes will be a memory imprinted on my brain forever. They giggle when they see one another, then hold hands.
“Daddy, can I go play?” Big shiny eyes look up at me.
“Off you go. Hey, Eden.”
They rush off, with Anna in tow, before Eden even replies.
I mill around, soaking in the festive cheer. There’s a lot of noise. Happiness, laughter, chattering. If ever there was a child’s paradise, this is it.
“Jett, so lovely to see you,” says Savannah gliding over, the perfect hostess.
“Great to see you, Savannah. Great to be here.” Is it me, or have you guys made this even more spectacular than last year?
“We let Jacob help with the planning, and he went a bit overboard. It’s lovely, isn’t it? The children look so excited.”
I nod in agreement. “Spectacular doesn’t do this justice.”
“Thank you.”
“This is a small child’s dream. I don’t even know where Brooke has gone.” But I’m not worried because Anna will be close by.
“She’s probably with Eden,” Savannah says.
“Those two are inseparable.”
“I’m glad. Eden absolutely loves Brooke.”
“The feeling is mutual, I assure you.”
“Don’t be shy, Jett. Help yourself to the canapes. We’ll serve drinks later at the adult party.”
“I’ll grab something in a bit.” I flash a polite smile. She nods and moves on, talking to a server, her presence magnetic. Earlier, she was kneeling on the floor with the kids, chatting with them like they were the only ones in the room. Now she’s circling back to make sure every adult has what they need. Tobias married well.
Savannah returns to my side. “Sorry about that. I just needed to make sure the pinatas were set up.”
“Pinatas too?”
“There’s a chocolate fountain coming out later.” She puts a finger to her lips. “We’ll keep that quiet for now.”
“This is incredible, Savannah,” I say, gesturing to the transformed toy shop floor. “What you and Tobias do here is really something.”
“Thank you.” Her smile is warm but modest, as if this level of generosity is just another average day for her.
“And thank you for the playdate the other day, for having Brooke over. She and Eden are inseparable.”
“Don’t they just love one another?” She gushes, clasping her hands together. We watch the duo over by the reindeer. “It can get a bit lonely for her sometimes, at home.”
“Oh?” This surprises me.
“With Jacob, Samuel, and Lewis, she feels outnumbered. She keeps on asking for a sister.”
“Wow. Tall order.”
“You know Tobias—what Eden wants, Eden gets. I love having a big family so—” She stops mid-sentence and places a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry. I—”
“Don’t apologize. It’s not necessary.” I don’t want her to feel bad for me. “We’ll have to get Eden over sometime. It’s just not ... easy sometimes.”
Her expression softens. “I know. I understand.”
She doesn’t need me to spell it out. Being a single dad with a demanding career isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
I glance toward Brooke and Eden, who are still holding hands as they make their way through the room. “They are inseparable.”
Savannah follows my gaze and laughs softly. “Are they working the room?”
“Who knows? But for four year olds, they’re doing a pretty good job of it.” The two of them are the picture of childhood mischief, their laughter trailing behind them as they dart between groups of kids.
Tobias joins us, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, sorry I couldn’t get to you earlier.”
“You’re the host. No need to apologize. This event is magnificent.”
“It’s good to see the kids so happy,” Tobias says, his voice filled with quiet pride. Savannah slips an arm around his waist, their connection palpable.
“She’d adopt all of them if it were possible,” Tobias adds, smirking at his wife.
“We have a big enough house,” she counters, only half-joking.
“Did you come alone?” Tobias asks, scanning the room.
“Dina’s supposed to meet me later,” I reply. But the truth is, I doubt she’ll show. Dina’s not the children’s party type. She’s young, carefree, and has made it clear she has zero interest in parenting.
“Is she the one from Singapore?” Tobias asks.
“No, from Connecticut. She’s a fashion buyer for a trendy online store.” My dating history isn’t exactly a secret. It’s a carousel of short-lived relationships—convenient, unburdened, and purely physical. Lately, though, it’s felt ... hollow. Brooke’s getting older, and is becoming more aware of the absence in our lives. I can’t ignore it anymore.
Tobias and Savannah exchange a look, one of those silent conversations married couples have. Their ease with one another is something I admire—and envy.
“How long have you two been married?” I ask.
“Eight years,” they both reply at the same time.
“We met right here, actually,” Savannah says.
“Here?” I’m surprised. “I thought you worked for him?”
“That came later,” Tobias says, his eyes lighting up at the memory. They share a story about how she mistook Tobias for a sales assistant. The way they look at each other as they reminisce—it’s like no one else exists. And I’m left feeling like a third wheel.
I try to stay engaged, but my mind drifts. Savannah’s hair glints under the lights, a soft brown with golden streaks. It’s muted elegance compared to Cari’s vivid auburn, which catches fire under the sun. I look around, hoping to see that flash of red in the crowd. I wonder if she’ll show, though I won’t be too surprised if she doesn’t. She didn’t sound too keen on coming.
I snap back to the present as Tobias calls over his teenage stepson, Jacob. The kid has grown tall, and now he’s all angles and confidence.
“Dad, you gotta tell the twins to calm down,” Jacob complains, pointing to them near the large Christmas tree.
“What are they doing now?” Savannah cranes her neck to see.
“Running laps around the tree. They’re gonna take someone out.”
Tobias sighs. “Tell them Santa’s watching.”
"Dad, these kids are grown up for their age, I don't think they even believe in Santa." Jacob rolls his eyes.
"How old are you, Jacob?" I ask.
He smiles. "Fifteen."
"Fifteen?" My eyes almost bug out of my head. I remember Tobias introducing Sophia and me to Savannah and Jacob soon after he and Savannah got married. Tobias and I weren't so close then, but we knew of each other through the millionaire mastermind group. Later, after Sophia died, Tobias suddenly became a good friend. He was there for me when the people I expected to be there for me—friends I'd known since high school and college, good family friends—dropped off.
He surprised me.
And then I came to learn that Tobias also suffered a loss, and he seemed to understand. Savannah, too, was there, especially that first year. She helped with Brooke, even though she’d had a young daughter to take care of.
I'll never forget their kindness.
Savannah places her hand on her son's shoulder. He’s taller than her now. “Can you please just go over and tell them that Mommy’s watching?”
“Mom!” He whines. “Rachelle is here and you said we could hang out … you said I wouldn’t have to baby sit the terrible twins.”
Tobias chuckles softly. “She the one in the black dress who can’t keep her eyes off you over by the sleigh ride photo booth?”
He gesticulates to where a teenage girl is standing alone shyly. Right next to the photo booth is a snowfall machine. Of course it is. I’m in awe, these two have thought of everything.
“Yeah, Dad. Don’t embarrass me, please,” he pleads.
“Honey. You are not to go over there and do a Millicent, do you hear me?” Savannah chastises her husband, but her words are wrapped up in soft, unwavering love.
Tobias shakes his head. “I promise not to do a thing.”
“She’s pretty, honey,” Savannah says to Jacob. “Introduce us if you want, or don’t.”
Jacob seems to visibly relax.
Brooke tugs on my jacket. “Daddy, Anna won’t let us feed the reindeer.”
"You can't feed them, honey," Savannah says.
"Maybe a carrot or something?" Tobias asks.
Savannah shoots him a don't-even-go-there look.
"They've got so much work to do," Brooke protests.
"They gotta fly around the world, and Santa's gotta go down chimneys,” Eden wails.
"No, sprout, you cannot feed the reindeer," I say, hoping Brooke will understand.
Savannah crouches down to their level. “They have a big night ahead of them, girls. Lots of flying to do. They need special food to stay strong.”
“Not even chocolate fingers?” Brooke asks hopefully.
"Definitely not!" Savannah and I cry out in unison. I note that Tobias is silent. I secretly think this man would let these two feed them whatever they wanted if it made them happy.
Luckily, there are handlers with the reindeer to make sure the children don't do anything ridiculous.
"Are you girls having fun?" Savannah asks, bending down. They look at each other and nod.
"Would you like to come and see the chocolate fountain? I think it's coming out now." She looks at her watch. "I told the servers to only have it out for the last hour, otherwise all the children would be high on the sweet stuff,” she says in a low voice to me and Tobias. Would you both excuse me." She moves, one hand holding Eden’s and the other Brooke’s. “You can go to Rachelle, honey,” she says to Jacob. “Me and the girls will take the twins to the fountain.”
"You think that's a good idea?" I hear Jacob say.
I’m left watching them, a family so seamlessly whole it makes my heart ache. I feel a smattering of sadness watching the Stones because I now understand what Brooke sees when she’s at their house.
This is family, pure and simple. Love and belonging. No wonder Brooke gets lonely after seeing how things could be. “You’re a lucky man, Tobias. You have a beautiful family.”
“Thanks, man. It's the best thing in the world. The best thing.”
My phone vibrates and Dina’s name flashes on the screen. I excuse myself and step away to take the call. “Are you coming?”
“I'm going out for cocktails,” she says, “and we’ll come later.”
I knew she wouldn't want to come to this. It's a bit too much for her, and it's not her scene. “I'll see you later at the hotel.”
“I don't know, Jett. I don't know, you know? I’m going out with my girlfriends, and one drink turns into many drinks.”
“I understand. You do you and I'll do me. I'll see you when I see you.” I hang up, and see Cari across the room.
She hesitates at the entrance, still in her work clothes—the signature satin blouse and slim fitting pencil skirt, with her smart suit jacket over it. She looks gorgeous, polished, and professional. Her eyes dart nervously around the room, until they land on me.
I’m already moving toward her. “You came,” I say, shoving my hands into my pockets.
“I thought it might be good to ... you know, have some time off.”
“I know.” And I do. I’ve heard the weight in her voice lately, the struggle she’s tried to hide. “Enjoy.”
Her lips curve into a small, unsure smile. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“You’re allowed to take time off.” I remember how her laughter used to fill the office, a sound so contagious it could lift the worst of days. She hasn’t laughed like that in a long time. I heard her talking to someone on the phone about struggling to pay the rent because her mom had stopped working. She’ll have a nice Christmas bonus that will hopefully help.
“I needed to get away,” she agrees.
"Didn't you want to bring your plus one?" I've seen this guy hanging around the office sometimes.
Before I can say more, someone interrupts us. Her friends, I think, though I don’t see their faces before stepping back. I’m already missing her presence as she turns to greet them, and I’m left wondering why seeing her here feels like the best thing that’s happened all night.