The Road Ahead (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 4 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Eight

Hunter simply smiled, and she hit him playfully. "Oh, very funny, Hayes."

"You said it, I didn't," he said, laughing.

"Sure, sure. Come on, then."

He followed her to the living room, where Spencer had surrounded himself in the pile of gifts. He grinned up at Hunter and Ryan, and they smiled back. "Why don't you wake your siblings, too?"

"Okay!" He ran into the other room, where the others were sleeping, and they heard a loud ruckus, and groaning. Hunter laughed. "Do you want to make something for breakfast?"

"I wasn't thinking about it much."

"Let's go out for breakfast, then. On me."

"Are you sure? I can whip something up-"

"Or you could relax a little." He kissed her cheek. "You should just be relaxed."

"Easy for you to say. I'm just... I'm nervous, Hunt."

"I know, honey. But you're going to do perfectly."

She smiled up at him, and he kissed her temple. "You're so beautiful."

Phoenix was dragged out of the room by his left arm by Spencer, and Ryan laughed. Robin eventually followed, and Elle looked positively exhausted. Spencer plopped down in the middle of the presents again, and Elle distributed the presents without too much of a struggle. Spencer tore into his and yelled excitedly. "A car!"

Hunter laughed, kissing the top of his head. "What've you got, Robbie?"

She opened hers and squealed excitedly. It was a bracelet making kit, topped with charms, beads and plastic string.

Phoenix opened his, and he smiled fully for the first time since he had come to London. It was a boxed set of canvases, paintbrushes, and acryilics, all of which he was starting to run out of.

Elle tore into hers and gasped. "New pointe shoes!"

"I heard your other ones broke recently," said Ryan, and Elle hugged her.

"Thank you so much, Ma!"

Ryan laughed gently, kissing Elle's temple. "It was my pleasure," she said.

The kids went away to play with their separate gifts, and Hunter smiled at Ryan, bringing out a box she hadn't seen earlier. "Well? Aren't you going to open Santa's gift to you?"

"I told you not to get me anything!"

"I didn't get you anything at all, darling. Santa did. Remember?"

She rolled her eyes, untying the box. She gasped slightly when she saw what it was. "A Pandora bracelet, Hunter?!"

"Of course."

"But- I- Hunter!"

"Yeah?" he said innocently.

"You know how I hate it when you spend money on me!"

"I didn't spend any money. Santa did."

"Don't give me that! Hunter, I-"

"I would do it again a thousand times," he said gently. "I promise. Shall I show you the charms?"

She blinked tears out of her eyes and nodded. "Okay."

"This," he said, taking the first one, "is a wise owl. And the green eyes, well... that's obvious, isn't it?"

She smiled slightly, and he took the next one. "This is a red robin. It's supposed to represent, well... Robin." He showed her the next one. "This is a phoenix."