It wasn't at first sight

by ByAllegra

What happens when Hanna loses her dog and Caleb finds it? This is a HALEB AU story. Hanna will have to deal with the asshole who kept her dog for a year. Caleb will have to deal with the beautiful but crazy girl who doesn't stop yelling at him, and who also happens to be the actual owner of "his" dog. Of course it won't be long until they change their minds and fall for each other.

63. Chapter 63

Almost two weeks later.

Rosewood.

It's December 24th, in the evening.

Caleb turns off the engine of his car after parking. "Well… here we go."

Hanna sighs. "We could still drive the hell away from here, get some drive-thru, and go home to watch a movie…"

Caleb smiles. "No way, I've already dressed up. We are doing this."

Hanna "Aren't you even a bit nervous?"

Caleb "Yeah, a bit. But I'm trying to stay calm because you're anxious enough for the both of us." He takes her hand.

Hanna "Well, you shouldn't be. I mean, my dad doesn't have to like you. I'm not even sure if he likes me, and I'm his daughter."

Caleb chuckles. "Then why are you so nervous?" He caresses her hand, also playing with her engagement ring.

Hanna "I don't know."

Caleb "Come on, we are in this together…"

Hanna "Okay, let's go." She finally opens her door.

After retrieving a cake and a few gifts from the backseat, they finally make their way to the house Tom Marin shares with Isabel.

Hanna rings the doorbell. It takes some time before someone finally answers.

Isabel "Oh, hi, Hanna… and…" She hesitates, glancing at Caleb.

Caleb "Caleb, nice to meet you." He offers a friendly smile.

Hanna "Hi, Isabel."

Isabel turns her gaze back to Hanna, and stares at her, confused.

Isabel "Oh, come on in… I'm sorry, I just… I wasn't expecting you." She explains after a pause, stepping aside to let them in.

Hanna "My dad invited us over." She explains, handing Isabel the cake after they enter.

Isabel "He must have forgotten to tell me. Well, it's alright, I suppose. I'll just set a couple of extra places at the table. There's plenty of food anyway."

Caleb "Where should I put these?" He asks, indicating the bag of gifts.

Isabel "Oh, give me that. I'll place them under the tree."

Caleb "Thanks." He says.

Isabel "Go ahead, everyone's in the dining room. We're having an early dinner. Landon goes to bed early." She offers the explanation, her tone slightly curt.

Caleb "Who's Landon?" He whispers to Hanna as they head for the dining room.

Hanna "Kate's son." She whispers back.

Caleb "Oh."

They enter the dining room, and Hanna immediately confirms by the expression on her dad's face that he indeed completely forgot about their visit for Christmas.

Hanna "Hi, everyone!"

Hanna's grandmother stands up from her seat at the sight of her. The others greet Hanna and Caleb from their seats.

Regina "Oh, Hanna! My dear! I didn't know you were coming!" She approaches her. "How gorgeous you are, my girl." She pulls Hanna into a hug.

Hanna "Hi, grandma!" She hugs her back. "You look great yourself too! I've missed you!"

Regina "I've missed you too, my sweet." She pulls away from the hug and holds Hanna's face. "Look at that beautiful face of yours." She smiles at her.

Hanna smiles back.

Regina then turns her gaze to Caleb. "This handsome guy must be Caleb."

Hanna "Yeah, this is Caleb." She looks at him. "Babe, this is Reggie, the coolest grandma on the globe."

Caleb smiles. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Marin."

Regina "Oh, you can call me Reggie." She smiles back. "Nice to meet you too, Caleb."

Finally, Tom approaches them.

Hanna "Hi, dad." She says simply.

Tom "Nice to see you again, Hanna." He gives her a squeeze on her shoulder, then looks at Caleb. "Nice to meet you, Caleb." He offers his hand for a handshake.

Caleb "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Marin." Shaking his hand.

As Regina and Tom go back to their seats, Isabel shows up with a couple of extra dishes, cutlery, and glasses. "I don't have any more dishes from my special Christmas place setting." She explains while Kate moves her son's high chair, making some space at the table for Hanna and Caleb. "I hope you don't mind using these." She says, setting a couple of places for Hanna and Caleb with dishes that seem to be the regular ones they use any other day.

Hanna "It's okay." She barely answers and takes a seat.

Caleb sits down next to her and lovingly gives her knee a squeeze, sensing her discomfort.

Hanna "Want some turkey?" She asks him, as she takes his dish to serve him some food, noticing that everyone else seems to have started eating before their arrival.

Caleb nods.

Regina "So Hanna, I've seen your store this morning. I didn't have the chance to go inside, but it looks like a beautiful place. Congratulations!"

Hanna smiles at her. "Thanks, grandma! You have to stop by sometime and see the inside."

Regina "Oh, I will, my dear. I'll also visit your New York store sometime. When's the grand opening?"

Hanna grins. "In two weeks."

Regina "That's great, sweetheart. Hand me your dish. Let me serve you some mashed potatoes."

Tom "Grand opening, huh? Didn't realize you were that close to launching. Sorry, must've slipped my mind. Been a bit preoccupied with work lately."

Hanna "Well, you didn't even know about my store here in Rosewood until it was already open for business, and even then didn't even care to pay a visit, so…"

Tom "I will go visit your store soon… Anyway, speaking of projects, Kate's been busy with her new job. She's been telling me about it non-stop. Seems like she's really enjoying it."

He changes the subject, trying to avoid the awkwardness and focusing on something else, but by mentioning Kate's job, he involuntarily only makes Hanna feel more upset.

They keep having dinner, Kate making most of the conversation, Isabel and Tom taking part in it, Regina trying to get Hanna and Caleb more involved, and Kate's husband barely saying a word during the whole time.

At some point, Kate's son, Landon, drops his baby fork, and Hanna picks it up from the floor herself, as she's the one sitting next to him. The baby is barely a few months older than Finn.

Hanna "Let's give this to your mom, little one. You can't use it anymore. It's been on the floor." She sweetly explains to the baby while handing the fork to Kate at the other side of his chair.

Kate "It's fine, he takes most of his food with his hands anyway. Thanks, Hanna." She says, placing the baby's fork aside on the table to wash it later.

Tom "Well, look at you, Hanna, playing babysitter tonight! I thought you weren't a big fan of kids." He chuckles, teasing her. "Remember when the Hendersons left their kid under your care? Poor boy." He laughs.

By that comment, Caleb gets a better picture of the dynamics between Hanna and her father, and why she isn't close to him. The man obviously doesn't know the first thing about his own daughter, as Hanna does like kids, she's pretty good with them, and even has a special adoration for Finn.

Hanna rolls her eyes. "I was only twelve, dad. I was a kid myself and they left me with that little demon that wouldn't stop tossing things at me. I had to lock him in the bathroom because he hit me with a freaking toy car on my head and left me bleeding."

Regina "Yes, that kid was a little pain in the ass. I would have tied him to a chair." She comments, taking Hanna's side. "So, Hanna, how was China? Your mother told me you were there some weeks ago."

Tom "China, huh? Did you guys go on a vacation? Such an unexpected destination."

Hanna "No, dad. I went on a business trip. A company there is mass-producing my new line." She explains, still trying to be patient with her clueless-about-her-life father.

The rest of the dinner goes by just as awkwardly, Hanna regretting several times her decision to have come over for Christmas at her dad's. Tom barely asks Caleb about his job, and that's the most he does to try to get to know him. After finishing their meal and clearing the table, they head to the living room.

Hanna "I'll go use the bathroom, babe. Sorry to leave you alone, but I really need to pee."

Caleb grabs her chin and places a tender kiss on her lips, knowing she's not having a good time. "I'll be fine." He gives her a reassuring smile.

Hanna smiles back before disappearing down the hallway.

By the time Caleb enters the living room, all the seats are taken, so he stands aside. He leans over a piece of furniture adorned with numerous picture frames and takes the opportunity to inspect them. None of them is a picture of Hanna, or so he thinks until he spots a small frame at the bottom, almost obscured by the larger ones in front. He takes it for a closer look and indeed finds a picture of a seven-year-old Hanna, smiling brightly with some missing teeth. He smiles at it and carefully places it back in the front.

That gesture of his doesn't escape Regina's notice.

A couple of minutes later, Hanna returns and makes her way directly to Caleb, wrapping her arms around his waist as if drawn to him by a magnetic force, seeking his comfort.

Caleb wraps his arms around her shoulders, placing a tender kiss on her hair, as she has rested her head against him, her cheek pressed to his shoulder, facing away.

Hanna "Look, babe! There's a picture of me." She happily says, spotting the frame that Caleb just uncovered.

She pulls back slightly from his embrace and picks up the frame for a better look before showing it to him.

Caleb "Very cute little girl." He says, rubbing her back.

Hanna "I must have been six or seven in this pic. Look at my teeth." She smiles and puts it back in its place.

Isabel shows up with a tray of cake slices.

Isabel "Want some cake, guys?" She offers to Hanna and Caleb.

Hanna takes a look and realizes it's not the chocolate cake they brought, the one Caleb bought after calling her to confirm which flavor she preferred. Instead, it appears to be a pistachio cake, a flavor Hanna really dislikes.

Hanna "No, thanks."

Caleb "I'll pass too, thanks."

It's just a minor detail, but Hanna is already feeling down, and it's another thing that adds to her frustration.

Isabel continues offering cake to the others.

Hanna "Can we leave already?"

Caleb nods.

Hanna lets go of Caleb and turns to 'her family'.

Hanna "We're going to head out now. Thanks for having us." She announces, still trying to be polite. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

Caleb "Nice to meet you all. Merry Christmas."

Regina "Oh, you're leaving already? We haven't even opened the presents yet."

Hanna "It's okay, grandma. I doubt there's a present for me under that tree anyway, so let's just save us another awkward moment." She says as the lady approaches her.

Regina "Oh, honey… I would have gotten you a present if I had known you were coming over." She says, sounding sad.

Hanna "Don't worry, grandma. I don't care about presents. It was very good to see you." She hugs her briefly before turning around to walk away.

Caleb follows her.

As they reach the front door, Tom catches up to them.

Tom "Wait, Hanna."

Hanna and Caleb turn to him.

Tom "I'm sorry, I completely forgot you were coming. I'll get you a present next week."

Hanna "It's not about the damn present, dad." Her eyes already glassy. "I can't believe you forgot we were coming over for Christmas. We haven't seen each other in months, I told you I would bring my boyfriend, well, my fiancé actually. You didn't even notice this diamond on my hand." She tells him, raising her hand to show her ring. "But you know what? This is my fault. I shouldn't have come over. I should have known better. I don't know what I was expecting. You've always been like this."

Tom "Like what, Hanna? I think you're overreacting. I just forgot you were coming, it's been weeks since we arranged for you to come over for Christmas and things have been hectic lately. But it was me who invited you to come over in the first place, so-"

Hanna "Yes, because I called you." She interrupts him. "It was me again taking the first step because you obviously don't give a damn. Anyway, this was only because I wanted to introduce Caleb to you, but I think he got a big clue of why you and I aren't close and why I didn't think it was necessary for him to meet you earlier." She opens the front door. "Now we can go back to ignoring each other again until something comes up and I end up reaching out to you once more. Merry Christmas, dad." She steps outside.

Caleb "Goodbye, Mr. Marin." He simply says before following Hanna outside and closing the door.

Hanna "I'm sorry, Caleb. This was a mistake, and I knew it the whole time. I'm sorry I made you come." She says while walking away. "I'm sorry for all the drama too, I just needed to get it off my chest."

Caleb "Hey…" He reaches out for her arm, making her turn to him. "Come here." He pulls her into a hug. "You didn't make me come. You actually tried to talk me out of doing this, remember?" He kisses her head. "It wasn't that bad, Han. After everything you told me, I wasn't exactly expecting a warm family dinner." He chuckles, trying to downplay the situation. "Now, if you'll allow me, I'll go back and get our jackets because you were so eager to leave that we left them in the dining room."

Hanna "Oh, yeah… I completely forgot… I don't even feel that cold. Must be the heat of the moment." A nervous chuckle coming from her mouth.

Caleb "I'll go get them, wait in the car." He says, handing her the keys.

Hanna "Let's just leave them. Let's go."

Caleb smiles. "I'm not leaving my jacket, Han. I'll be right back."

Hanna "Okay, suit yourself." She takes his keys and walks away.

Caleb goes back to the front door and rings the doorbell. Luckily for him, it's Regina who opens the door for him only a few seconds later.

Regina "Oh, I thought you might be Hanna." She says, letting him in.

Caleb "We just forgot our jackets in the dining room. Hanna's in the car." He explains.

Regina "Oh, let's go get them back." She answers, accompanying him to the dining room.

Caleb grabs the jackets and is ready to leave, but Regina stops him.

Regina "Look, Caleb. I'm really sorry about tonight. I know my son leaves much to be desired as a father, and I feel terribly sorry for Hanna, she's such a sweet girl. I would love for them to be closer, but there's nothing I can do about it. It's just the way it is."

Caleb "It's okay, I get it. You can't force things. I just can't understand how anyone could not love Hanna or want to get involved in her life, because she's pretty amazing."

Regina smiles at him. "I'm glad she has you. Don't think I didn't notice what you did with that picture of her earlier. It was very kind of you."

Caleb smiles back.

Regina "And I've also noticed that ring on her finger. I didn't say anything about it just in case you guys had some kind of announcement planned, but I see now that you didn't. Congratulations on the engagement, Caleb. As I just said, I'm glad Hanna has such a caring man by her side."

Caleb smiles. "Thank you, Reggie. It was very nice meeting you. It made this evening worth it."

Regina "I'll walk you to the door."

Caleb "Merry Christmas, Reggie! Hope to see you again soon." He tells her when they reach the front door.

Regina "Merry Christmas, son! Make sure to make Hanna's Christmas better."

Caleb smiles at her. "Sure."

/

Caleb hops into his car and hands Hanna her jacket, already wearing his.

Hanna "Thanks." She says and just places it on her lap since the car's heater is on.

Caleb reaches out and wipes the single tear running down Hanna's cheek.

Hanna "I'm fine, don't worry… it's just frustrating… Let's get going."

Caleb "You didn't have to do this for me."

Hanna shrugs. "Well, now you have a better view of what a crappy family I have… you're still in time to run away."

Caleb chuckles. "Wanna compete for who's got the worst family? Because I'm pretty sure I'd beat you on that one. Mine abandoned me and then they all died, so I pretty much have the win there." He jokes. "Besides, this wasn't so bad… your grandma is actually pretty cool."

Hanna "You kidding me, right? My dad forgot we were coming over, he ruined every attempt my grandma made to make us feel more comfortable, he didn't even try to get to know you, Isabel made us feel like the most unwelcome people in their house, did you see the way she kept staring at us when she opened the door? Kate is just a fake bitch, her husband is a dork… and they kept our chocolate cake."

Caleb can't help but laugh a little.

Hanna "Don't laugh."

Caleb "I'm sorry." He apologizes, biting his bottom lip in an attempt to hold back an amused smile.

Hanna sighs.

Caleb "I'm sorry you had a bad time, babe." He gets serious now and takes her hand.

Hanna "I wasn't expecting the best Christmas ever, you know? I knew this was going to be far from perfect. I just… I don't know, I just wanted a normal dinner for you to meet my dad and my grandma. Anyway… I'll have something to talk about in therapy next week."

Caleb "We still have time for a drive-thru special Christmas dinner and a movie…" He suggests, caressing the palm of her hand.

Hanna "Yes, please. I barely had a bite or two. I'm hungry."

Caleb "Yeah, me too." He says, letting go of her hand and turning on the engine to pull out with the car. "And I'll get you another chocolate cake another day. The bakery must be closed today."

Hanna smiles. "You know what's the best part? Now I won't feel sorry for not inviting these people to our wedding. Not that I was even considering it, but now I'll have no remorse." She comments as Caleb drives away.

/

Later on.

Hanna and Caleb are cuddled together on their couch, with Chocolate lying next to Hanna, his head on her lap. She caresses the dog's ears as she watches the movie that Caleb picked out, which isn't bad at all. The empty wrappers and cups from their drive-thru meal are scattered on the coffee table.

Hanna's phone buzzes, distracting her from the movie. She sees that it's a text from Ezra, so she decides to open it.

Hanna "Babe! Aria is in labor. Ezra just texted me. Their baby is coming tonight!" She says excitedly, a grin on her face.

Caleb "Well, that's surely a Christmas' present!" He smiles too.

Hanna "I'm so excited!" She says, already typing on her phone to text Ezra back.

Caleb "Are you and the girls going to the clinic?"

Hanna "Nope… Aria asked us not to come. They want it to be just the two of them there to welcome their little one. Ezra is keeping us all posted."

Caleb "Seems like a reasonable choice."

Hanna "Yeah, they want their privacy for the baby's first hours. We'll have to wait a couple of days to meet her when they go home."

Caleb "Or him."

Hanna "Or him." She smiles and makes herself comfortable against his side again, refocusing on the movie.

Once the movie ends, Caleb stands up from the couch and starts clearing the coffee table.

Caleb "Any news from the guys?"

Hanna checks her phone. "Nope, nothing yet." She moves Chocolate's head off her lap and stands up to help Caleb.

They go to the kitchen, and Caleb throws everything into the trash.

Hanna "Babe… Did you remember to talk to the owner of the apartment in New York?"

Caleb "Yeah, he said it's okay if we stay for a couple of extra weeks. What are we going to do with Chocolate? Your mom isn't coming back until next week." He asks while washing his hands.

Hanna "Spencer offered to keep him until she comes back. I told her we would take him to their place the day after tomorrow, and my mom is picking him up when she comes back."

Caleb "That's great! So, we are leaving Tuesday morning?"

Hanna "Actually… I'm meeting up with Mona. She's helping me with some things. Is it okay if we leave in the evening?" She leans against the countertop.

Caleb "Yeah, sure. I'll take the chance to put some hours into my software." He says, as he and Toby have decided to keep the office closed between Christmas and New Year's and take some days off. "What are you and Mona up to?" He asks, intrigued.

Hanna "She's helping us get some influencers to attend the grand opening. And also some prominent figures, including politicians, just some power players to attract the target audience for my dresses... We are sending out invitations. Some of these people already know me from Spencer's wedding, so she's positive we'll get good attendance."

Caleb "Oh."

Hanna "What does that 'oh' mean?"

Caleb "Nothing. Didn't Lucas hire a press agency to attract some attention?"

Hanna "Yeah, well, but Mona offered to help too, and I don't see why not. I mean, I'll need as much help as possible, and she does have really good connections."

Caleb "Well, I could give you some reasons why not…"

Hanna "Look, Caleb. I know you're not a big fan of Mona's, but-"

Caleb interrupts her. "Yeah, because she's lied to me more than once, maybe? She's even lied to you. She also left you stranded in Philly that time she dragged you to that private party at some night club just to abandon you for a guy later. She always has an agenda."

Hanna sighs. "She's truly doing better now, Caleb, and she deserves a chance. She's applying for a few jobs, but in the meantime, she needs something to focus on and she's pretty good at this."

Caleb "I'm not saying you shouldn't help her. I'm saying that one thing is letting her in charge of your store here in Rosewood for a couple of days and another thing is letting her handle your new store's grand opening in New York. That involves the reputation of your brand, it's a big deal. Does Lucas know about this?"

Hanna remains silent.

Caleb "You should tell him. You two shouldn't be doing things in parallel if he already hired people to take care of that. The least you could do is let him know, and maybe even put Mona in contact with these people for her to help with her own contacts. What if you are sending invitations to the same people twice? Wouldn't look so good... or serious."

Hanna "Look, I'm not that stupid. That's why I'm meeting up with her, to oversee her plans. But yes, you are right. I'll talk to Lucas so we are all aligned."

Caleb "I didn't say you were stupid." He gets closer to her. "I just don't want you to risk your hard work from all these months just to help Mona." He places his hands on her waist.

Hanna "I won't." She places her hands on his shoulders. "And she's helping me too."

Caleb "Okay."

Hanna "Can we let it go now?"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Wanna open your Christmas present? We aren't quite in the Christmas spirit right now, but… I've got you something."

Caleb smiles. "We are at least getting a tree next year... and some Christmas lights. Anyway, I've got you something too."

Hanna pecks his lips. "Let's go open those presents then."

/

Caleb comes back to the living room after retrieving Hanna's present from upstairs, just as Hanna returns from outside with Caleb's present from her car.

Caleb "Here, buddy! This is for you." He says, placing a small present next to Chocolate, who's still lying there on the couch.

Hanna smiles at Caleb's thoughtful gesture.

Then, Caleb walks toward her and hands her a present that is even smaller than Chocolate's.

Caleb "Hope you like it."

Hanna grins as she unwraps it, then she opens the little box and finds a pair of delicate earrings. "Oh, babe! I love them!"

Caleb smiles. "Thought they would match your ring perfectly."

Hanna "They are beautiful, baby." She hugs him. "Thank you very much." She plants a tender kiss on his cheek. "I'll save them for a special occasion." She says, pulling away from the hug.

Caleb "You are welcome, Han."

Hanna "Well, this is for you." She hands over an envelope.

Caleb eagerly takes the envelope from Hanna's hand, his curiosity piqued. He tears it open and finds a sleek voucher inside.

Hanna's eyes light up as Caleb takes a look at it. "It's an all-inclusive package to the Maldives. We can choose any date within a year."

Caleb "This is amazing, Han!" He looks at her with a big smile on his face.

Hanna "I got it after you suggested we take a trip together at the Radley the other night. Now it seems perfect for our honeymoon…"

Caleb wraps his arms around her, pulling her against him for a hug. "Can't wait to marry you, can't wait for this trip together."

Hanna smiles, wrapping her arms around his neck, still holding the little box with her new earrings in one of her hands. "Yeah, me too." She buries her face into his neck, placing a tender kiss there. "I love you."

Caleb "I love you too, Han." He rubs her back. "Must have cost you a fortune though, you didn't have to." He adds, pulling away from the hug and approaching Chocolate after leaving the voucher on the coffee table. He takes Chocolate's present and starts unwrapping it for him.

Hanna "Are you kidding me? You got me this beautiful ring, the earrings, you didn't let me pay my share of the New York apartment rent. That's the least I could do. Besides, I just wanted to give you something special and now I can finally afford it… just don't expect a huge present for your birthday too." She chuckles.

Caleb smiles. "Forgot you were becoming rich now." He jokes.

Hanna laughs. "Well, not just yet… we'll find out if Lucas was right about those projections he made in a few months. And if he wasn't, who cares? I'll be a married woman by then, so I'll have my hubby to clean up my messes, including the credit card I used to pay for this trip." She jokes, leaving her earrings on the coffee table as well and approaching Caleb and Chocolate.

Caleb laughs. "I love your reasoning, always conveniently in your favor." He says, amused, while finishing unwrapping Chocolate's new toy. "Luckily for me, I'm pretty sure your business will keep growing, so I'll be in the clear. Maybe we'll even be planning another trip the following year too."

Hanna smiles. "Well, I'm not so sure about taking another trip just yet…" She casually says while taking Chocolate's new toy from Caleb's hand. "Hey, buddy! Look what Caleb got for you!" She tells the dog while squeezing the toy, making it squeak, and tosses it away.

Chocolate jumps off the couch and goes to fetch it.

Caleb "Why not?" He asks, intrigued, making himself comfortable on the couch. "Are you planning on opening a third store or something?"

Hanna "Nope…" She sits down next to Caleb and leans against him. "I was just saying, we might have other plans then, who knows?"

Caleb wraps his arm around her as Hanna takes her phone.

Hanna "We still have that little project that we put on pause…" She casually says, typing.

Caleb "You and Lucas?" He asks, slightly confused.

Hanna laughs. "God, no!" She makes a disgusted face, her eyes still focused on her phone. "You and me, hopefully."

Caleb remains silent, trying to pick up on hints. Chocolate comes back and lies down on the floor, chewing on his toy.

Hanna looks up to him with a smile on her face. "Our Haleb baby, you silly head."

Caleb's face lights up with a grin. "Really?"

Hanna "I don't know… I'm just saying it might happen. We still need to see how things turn out for us… but… It would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Caleb "Would be great."

Hanna smiles at him again. "I think we should focus on our wedding for now, then on our trip, I'll also have to adapt to the new workflow of my business, but… I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about it and that I'm looking forward to it, whether it happens next year, or maybe the following one."

Caleb nods. "Yeah, I know we still have a lot of things coming up right now. But thanks for bringing it up."

Hanna sits up a little to initiate a kiss, placing one hand on his shoulder and using the other one to hold his face. Caleb starts rubbing his palms up and down her back while responding to her kiss.

Caleb "Come here." He whispers to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her onto his lap.

Hanna sits on his lap, straddling him, and resumes the kiss that lasts for a couple of minutes until Hanna pulls back from his mouth and rests her head on his shoulder.

Caleb "Are you getting sleepy?" He asks, caressing her hair.

Hanna "Yeah… I wanted to stay awake and be attentive to Ezra's texts, but… it could take hours for the baby to be born."

Caleb "Let's just go to sleep then, time will pass faster."

Hanna "Yeah, let's go to bed." She says, standing up.

/

Next morning.

Hanna wakes up early, and normally, she would just go back to sleep, but her first thought that morning is Aria, so as soon as she reacts, she rushes to take her phone from the bedside table.

Hanna grins. "Wake up, Caleb!" She blindly starts to shake him with her free hand, her eyes glued to her phone.

Caleb "What's going on?" He asks, waking up startled and looking at Hanna. He relaxes right away upon seeing her expression as she keeps staring at her phone.

Hanna "Aria's baby was born a couple of hours ago." She happily tells him.

Caleb "Yeah, and you almost just sent me to the other side from a heart attack."

Hanna "I'm sorry, babe." She gets closer to him, showing her phone. "Look, it's a baby boy."

Caleb "Oh, so I was right." He smiles and takes Hanna's phone to get a better look at the picture of the baby that Ezra sent to the girls, along with a text: "It's a boy, guys! Welcome to Dante Fitzgerald."

Hanna "Yeah, I'll have to stop calling Finnie my favorite nephew." She chuckles. "He's no longer the only baby boy now." She rests her head on Caleb's chest.

Caleb "So, Dante, huh?"

Hanna "Yeah, it was one of the names they were considering if it was a boy. I think he was an author, or something like that… I don't remember exactly what Aria said, but it had something to do with books, I guess." She smiles.

Caleb "Sounds a lot like Aria and Ezra." He says, leaving Hanna's phone aside on the mattress and taking his hands to her back, scratching her there through the fabric of the pajamas she's wearing. "What are we doing today?"

Hanna "I've no idea. Do you have something in mind?"

Caleb "Yeah, actually… I was thinking about stopping by the graveyard. It's been a while since I've been there."

Hanna "Can I come with you? You've never taken me there."

Caleb "Well, I've only been there a couple of times with Toby myself, and I didn't know you wanted to come too. But sure, I'll be happy to take you with me."

Hanna smiles. "You met my dad yesterday, it's about time I met your grandpa too."

Caleb smiles too.

Hanna "We could go for a walk with Chocolate later too… maybe take a stroll through town and check out the festive decorations… we could use some holiday spirit."

Caleb "Uh huh, sounds like a good plan."

/

Almost two weeks have passed.

Hanna and Caleb spent New Year together in New York City, sharing a romantic night at Times Square, where they experienced that cliché moment of kissing at midnight as the New Year's Eve Ball descended.

Since that night, Hanna's schedule has become increasingly hectic as the grand opening of her new store approaches. She finds herself working long hours, sacrificing her Pilates classes once again, and even canceling a couple of therapy sessions.

Fortunately, her workshop in New York has been running smoothly for a week now, thanks to the dedicated team of new seamstresses led by Leo, the talented designer hired to oversee the production of every single dress from her most valued exclusive line. Also, a couple of shipments have arrived from China with her new non-exclusive line, leaving behind the stock problems that her business faced in the past.

Now, Hanna arrives at the apartment in the evening. She's on the phone, tossing her keys on the dining table along with her purse and her laptop inside a case.

Hanna "No, I told you I didn't want stupid branded keychains in the gift bags. These are haute couture dresses. I wanted something more fine and delicate like purse hooks or pocket mirrors." She says, taking a seat at the table. "Well, if there's no time to order those, then we won't be giving out gift bags at all! Keychains and stickers? Are you kidding me? Wealthy people are coming to the event. I'm not giving them a bunch of trinkets." She ends the call and sighs, taking her laptop from its case and turning it on.

Caleb "Hey there." He approaches her, standing behind her chair, and leans forward to press a tender kiss on her cheek. "Wouldn't want to be the person on the other end of that call." He jokes.

Hanna "Hi." She says, already typing on her laptop. "It's just Judith, the woman Lucas hired to organize the whole event. She's getting on my nerves."

Caleb "Would you mind signing these papers?" He asks, placing some legal documents next to her on the table and handing her a pen.

Hanna "Does it have to be right now?" She asks, still focused on her laptop. "Can't I do it later? I'm kind of busy here."

Caleb "It'll only take you a couple of minutes, and you'll be busy later too anyway."

Hanna takes the pen. "Where do I have to sign?"

Caleb "Here." He says, pointing his finger to the first page.

Hanna signs.

Caleb "And here." He says, indicating another page.

He guides her through signing several pages until it's done.

Caleb "Thanks, that's all."

Hanna leaves the pen and immediately refocuses on her laptop.

Caleb "Aren't you even going to ask what the hell you just signed?"

Hanna "Nope, I'm too busy to care and I trust you." She says without even looking at him. "If that's a prenup, I'm making you sign one too." She jokes, though her expression remains serious as she's still very concentrated on her work.

Caleb laughs. "No, it's not a prenup. Don't worry." He takes the documents and saves them in a folder. "Wanna eat something now? Or are you planning on yelling at someone else before dinner?"

Hanna "I didn't yell at Judith… And I'm not hungry, you can eat whenever you want."

Caleb "I already did. It's almost ten."

Hanna "Oh… I didn't even realize it was that late… Do you like this?" She asks, turning her laptop to him. "This is the design for the banner for people to take pics at the event… It's okay, isn't it? I mean, with the right lighting and all, it will look better…"

Caleb "Yeah, I like it… It's simple and has your name all over it."

Hanna chuckles. "Yeah, that's the point of it."

Caleb nods. "I like it." He repeats.

Hanna "Okay, I'll give them the green light to print it then."

Caleb "I'll just go watch my series… There's food in the fridge if you get hungry later."

Hanna "Thanks." She answers, focused back on her laptop.

Caleb presses a tender kiss against her temple before heading for the couch.

Two hours later, Caleb is already in bed, ready to go to sleep when Hanna finally turns off her laptop and heads for the bathroom.

Caleb "Aren't you going to eat something?" He asks her from the bed when she returns, as she starts taking her clothes off.

Hanna "I'm still not hungry." She explains while grabbing the t-shirt Caleb was wearing that day. "Can I wear this to bed?"

Caleb "Only if you eat something before turning in."

Hanna rolls her eyes while throwing it on. "I had a late lunch, Caleb." She says, turning off all the lights, except for the bedside table. "I'll have something for breakfast before leaving in the morning." She adds, getting into bed.

Caleb "Okay."

Hanna turns off the bedside table now and makes herself comfortable in the bed.

Caleb "Didn't you forget about something?" He asks her a couple of minutes later.

Hanna "No… the door's locked if that's what you're asking." She answers after mentally going over the things she always does before going to bed.

Caleb "My kiss." He tells her while getting closer. "You haven't given me a single kiss during the whole day."

Hanna turns to her side, facing him in the darkness. "Oh, I'm sorry." She says, grabbing his face and placing a very tender kiss on his mouth. "I know I've been absent these days… I'll make it up to you in a couple of days." She chuckles. "When I'm finally done with the craziness of organizing a grand opening."

Caleb "It's okay, I'm not complaining." He says, taking his hand to her face, caressing her cheek. "Just wanted a kiss… and maybe another one." He adds, stealing another kiss from her, a longer one now, and more intense too.

Hanna smiles against his mouth. "Mhm… I needed this kiss probably more than you did." She admits, pressing her lips against his again. "Just didn't know it until now." She says, opening her mouth to capture his, continuing the kissing. "I love you." She says after a few seconds and pecks his lips once more before pulling back.

Caleb "Goodnight, badass girlboss."

Hanna grins. "Goodnight, baby."

She turns around, taking Caleb's arm and placing it on her waist for him to spoon her.

A couple of hours pass, and Hanna is still wide awake, tossing and turning in bed, keeping Caleb up too. Every time he manages to fall asleep, he wakes up to Hanna's movements beside him.

Caleb "Hey…" He whispers softly. "Are you okay?"

Hanna sighs. "Yeah, I'm sorry I'm keeping you up." She says, sitting up. "I'm just too anxious to sleep. Can't shut my mind off." She adds, running her hands through her hair. "I keep going over all the things I need to get ready tomorrow. Anyway, I'll move to the couch, so at least one of us can get some rest."

She moves to stand up, but Caleb reaches out and takes her arm.

Caleb "Wait, come here."

Hanna "It's fine, I'll just go use my phone for a while and see if I can stop thinking so much."

Caleb "The last thing you should do when you can't sleep is reach for your phone." He insists, gently pulling her back. "Come here."

Hanna gives in, lying down again. "I swear I'll sleep straight for three days after I'm done with all this." She says, resting her head very close to Caleb's, practically on his pillow, so they are both on their sides, facing each other.

Caleb chuckles and places a tender kiss on her forehead while sliding his arm between her waist and the mattress, hugging her from there. "I'll help you clear your mind."

Hanna "You will?" She asks, closing her eyes and relaxing in his arms.

Caleb "Uh huh." He leans in, searching for her mouth, and when he finds it, he connects their lips in a very passionate kiss.

Hanna "Won't fall asleep if you keep kissing me like this." She smiles.

Caleb "Oh, yes. You will… Here." He says, moving one of his hands to her leg that isn't against the mattress, and guides her to rest it on his waist.

Hanna resumes the kiss herself, sucking on his lips more intensively now that she knows exactly what he has in mind.

Caleb slides his hand underneath her panties and, cupping her, he starts by rubbing his palm against her, very softly. "Do you think this might help you clear your mind?"

Hanna "Huh…" She barely answers.

Caleb continues his movements, feeling the way her body reacts to his touch: her warmth, her wetness, her heavy breathing. He uses two fingers and traces her opening with their tips, teasing her a little.

Hanna breaks the kiss. "Please, babe…" She buries her face against his cheek, and Caleb can now feel her warm breath against his face. "You have no idea how much I love your touch…"

He finally slides his fingers inside, pumping them in and out softly. Hanna's soft moans muffle against his skin as he goes on and on.

Caleb "I love you so much, my beautiful wife-to-be." He whispers to her, and in response, he feels Hanna's lips pressing a kiss on his cheek.

He then decides to add his final touch and, after finding her most sensitive spot with his thumb, he begins to rub small circles on it.

Hanna's sounds of pleasure come one after the other as she gets closer to her climax. Only a couple of minutes later, Caleb can feel her tightening around his fingers.

Caleb "You done, baby?" He wants to make sure.

Hanna "Yeah…" She exhales deeply against his face.

Caleb gently stops his movements and gives her a tender kiss on her lips. Then, still holding Hanna, he twists his torso a little to reach for the bedside drawer, retrieving a tissue from there.

Caleb "Feeling more relaxed now?" He asks softly as he uses the tissue to clean her.

Hanna "Uh huh."

Caleb leaves the tissue aside and settles back comfortably on his pillow.

Hanna rests her head and one of her hands on his chest. "Thanks for taking such good care of me. I love you."

Caleb "I love you more." He places one of his hands on her back and uses the other to stroke her hair as she drifts off to sleep and he joins her.

/

The following day is probably the most challenging for Hanna since she arrived in New York ready to embark on such a significant project as opening a new dress store and workshop, no less than in New York City, the fashion capital. It's the last day before the grand opening, and she still has a lot of things to take care of.

It's noon when Caleb shows up at the new store, where many people are working to get everything ready for the big day tomorrow. A couple of girls are hanging dresses on the racks, while a third one is carefully ironing some of them aside. There's a guy setting up a sound system, a couple of other men carrying what seems to be the banner specially made for taking pictures, and an extra pair of guys maneuvering a photo booth into position.

Caleb approaches the girl who is in charge of getting rid of the wrinkles. "Excuse me, have you seen Hanna?"

Girl "Yeah, she's upstairs. Are you the guy from the catering?"

Caleb "Oh, no. I'm-"

Girl "Good for you then. Wouldn't want to be in that guy's shoes." She interrupts him before he has the chance to tell her who he is. "He'll get a good yelling from Hanna when he arrives."

Caleb "Why? What happened?"

Girl "Don't you smell it? The whole place smells like eggs and cheese. And it's even worse upstairs. The stupid guy got the delivery date wrong, delivered the food yesterday, someone apparently let them in and they just left the appetizers upstairs, and well… the heating did the rest."

Caleb "What a blockhead!"

Girl "Yeah…"

Caleb "Well, I'll go see Hanna. Thanks."

Girl "Wait! Who are you?"

Caleb "I'm Caleb. Hanna's boyfriend."

Girl "Oh." She smiles at him. "Nice to meet you. I'm Camille, the store manager."

Caleb "Likewise!" He says heading for the stairs.

As soon as Caleb reaches the first floor, he finds Hanna with two air fresheners, one in each hand, spraying them around the place.

Caleb "Hey!"

He greets her, and Hanna turns to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. However, her facial expression doesn't reflect sadness. She simply looks frustrated.

Caleb "How can I help you?"

Hanna "Buying a bunch of clothes pegs for my guests' noses so they don't suffocate from this nauseating blue cheese smell, maybe?"

Caleb "It's not that bad…" He says, even though the smell indeed is strong.

Hanna "Not that bad? I've already gotten rid of all the spoiled food, opened every window, and used almost all these air fresheners, but the smell won't go away. And I doubt we'll be able to find another catering service on such short notice. The ground floor was supposed to showcase the mass-produced line, while this floor was meant for the exclusive designs. Thank God we didn't bring the exclusive line from the workshop yet, or my dresses would smell like crap too. I don't know what to do. I can't host an event here with this smell, but I can't postpone it either. There are so many things arranged for tomorrow, so many people hired… it's a mess. A complete disaster." She spills out her words rapidly, barely pausing for breath between each sentence as if she were pouring out her problems to Caleb in a frantic rush.

Caleb "Chill, Han. We can solve this." He approaches her and takes the air fresheners from her hands, then places them on top of a couple of boxes piled up nearby. "You take care of finding a new catering service." He says, taking her face and wiping her tears with his thumbs. "I'll get rid of this smell." He places a tender kiss on her forehead and lets go of her.

Hanna "Lucas and Judith are already taking care of it. They've already got a refund from this stupid guy who messed up the dates. Thank god Judith found the email where she specifically asked them to bring the food tomorrow. And they are trying to get a new one… won't be easy though…" She sighs.

Caleb "Well, but it's not impossible either. Worst case scenario, you can just buy some food and drinks and hire some waiters…"

Hanna "Yeah, drinks aren't a problem. We hired a guy who's setting up a bar for cocktails so at least that's covered." She explains, taking her phone and starting to type on it.

Caleb "Perfect. So it's not that bad. We've got this. Let me make some calls and I'll take care of the smell in here. Do you have any other things to take care of?"

Hanna looks at him. "Well, there's this fitting happening at the workshop right now. We hired some models to wear some of the dresses tomorrow… Leo is taking care of that, but… I would like to take a look too."

Caleb "Go there then."

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb gives her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, took the afternoon off to give you a hand here. I've got this."

Hanna smiles back.

/

Three hours later, Hanna returns to the store.

Camille "Hey, Han! You're back!"

Hanna "Yeah… What's all that noise?"

Camille "Your boyfriend... he's upstairs."

Hanna rushes toward the stairs, and upon reaching the first floor, the noise intensifies, and she spots some strange devices and a couple of huge fans.

With the strong wind from the fans blowing, Hanna has to use her hand to hold her hair on one side of her head.

Hanna "What's all this?" She asks Caleb, spotting him on one side of the room, leaning against the wall where the wind isn't as strong.

Caleb "A couple of industrial fans and some portable air cleaners that I rented. Don't worry, they're picking them up tomorrow morning so you'll have plenty of time to bring your dresses and set everything up for the event... It's working, isn't it?" He smiles as Hanna approaches him.

Hanna "Yeah… I can barely smell the bad odor now." She smiles back.

Caleb "I'll just take one of the air cleaners downstairs in a little while, to freshen the air there too. Don't worry, it won't mess anything up, the wind here is only because of the fans."

Hanna "You're the best." She hugs him, placing a tender kiss on his cheek, then another one on his mouth.

Caleb grins. "Told you it wasn't that bad." He says, hugging her back and squeezing her against himself.

Hanna "Thank you for this." She gives him another quick kiss before pulling away, retrieving her phone from her purse. "I'll let Lucas know that everything is okay here now." She says, typing a message.

Caleb "Have they found a new catering service yet?"

Hanna "Almost. Judith was handling it. She sent me a menu option that looked pretty good half an hour ago, and I gave her the green light to move forward. So, I guess she must be closing the deal right now." She explains, finishing with her phone and returning it to her purse. "I have to get going… Listen, Anna is coming from Rosewood with some dresses from the store there that I asked for. She's bringing them here. Could you make sure they're hung in the racks downstairs until we can bring them upstairs tomorrow? I don't want them to get wrinkles. I've already told Camille, but she's pretty busy too, and since you'll be here…"

Caleb "Don't worry, I'll remind them. Anyway, if Anna is the one bringing the dresses, I'm sure she'll ensure they're treated properly too."

Hanna "Yeah, I know I'm being too obsessive. I just want everything to be perfect tomorrow."

Caleb smiles at her.

Hanna "Well… I'll see you later at the apartment then. Thanks for being here, Caleb." She says, locking her gaze with his. "Seriously."

Caleb "Anytime, babe." He places his hands on her shoulders, leaning in to kiss her lips. "Just give me a call if something else comes up."

Hanna smiles back. "I will." She gives him another quick kiss. "Thanks." She repeats before turning to leave.

/

That evening, Caleb arrives at the apartment after a long day helping Hanna, barely having seen her for a few minutes during the day as they tackled different tasks. He takes off his coat and beanie, grabs a bottle of beer from the fridge, and settles onto the couch.

As he takes his first sip, he notices Hanna on the tiny balcony outside, wearing one of his jackets. Standing up and leaving his beer on the coffee table, he heads out there.

Caleb "Hey there."

Hanna "Oh, hey!" She seems surprised to see him. "Didn't hear you coming."

Caleb can't help but notice the faint scent of smoke lingering around Hanna as he joins her on the balcony. He looks at her hand and sees her cigarette, but he doesn't give it much importance and approaches her, resting his arm over her shoulders.

Caleb "Trying to chill out a bit?"

Hanna nods and, given that he didn't make any comments about her smoking, takes another puff.

Caleb "So, how's everything going? All set for tomorrow?" He asks, rubbing her arm with his palm.

Hanna "Yeah… Judith made the arrangements with the new catering service. They have their own trucks to prepare the appetizers, and they're parking them around the corner. Waiters will be bringing the served trays right from there to the back door, so no smell of food will impregnate my dresses…" She takes another drag on her cigarette.

Caleb "That's great, even better than the original service, right?"

Hanna "Yeah… I'll just need to take care of the final details at the store. We still need to set everything up on the first floor tomorrow when they remove all that equipment you rented. But everything else is already ready."

Caleb "You don't have to worry about a thing. I've already returned the fans, and we only left the air cleaners on for the night, but they don't even make noise or produce wind. And the bad smell was completely gone a couple of hours ago."

Hanna grins. "Really? It's gone?"

Caleb "Yeah, Anna and Camille hung all the dresses that Anna brought from Rosewood, plus the ones Leo sent from the workshop here. Also, Camille made me hang those heavy curtains in the fitting rooms and clean all the mirrors in the store. So, the only thing you have to do tomorrow is stop by there, check if everything is the way you like, and then just get yourself ready for your big evening."

Hanna puts out her almost entirely consumed cigarette and turns to hug Caleb, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck as she smooches his cheek several times.

Caleb smiles, wrapping his arms around her lower back. "Is this a 'thank you'?"

Hanna "It's a 'thank you' and an 'I love you so much.'"

Caleb grins. "Then you are welcome, and I love you too."

Hanna grins too. "Can't believe the grand opening is right tomorrow… it's been so many months working on this…"

Caleb takes one of his hands to her face and cupping her cheek, he kisses her mouth. "Everything will go perfectly fine tomorrow, Han."

Hanna smiles again, appreciating his reassuring words. Then she rests her head on his shoulder and goes back to staring at the beautiful view of snowy New York City that she was admiring earlier, in silence, with the company of her cigarette, before Caleb joined her out there.

Caleb moves his arm around her back again, resting his cheek on top of her head, and joins her in that relaxing silent moment.

Hanna "Can I ask you something?" She suddenly asks, after several minutes of pure silence.

Caleb "Shoot."

Hanna "What the hell were those papers you made me sign yesterday?"

Caleb chuckles. "Oh, now you care."

Hanna "I'm just intrigued."

Caleb "Just some legal documents to add your name to the title of our house."

Hanna "What house?"

Caleb "Our only house, maybe?" He chuckles again. "You know, the one in Rosewood." He says playfully.

Hanna pulls back slightly from him to look up at his face. "Why would you do that?"

Caleb shrugs. "So you would stop referring to it as my house..."

Hanna "Oh, Caleb! You didn't have to… Your grandfather left you that house. Besides, I know it's our home, you didn't need to-"

Caleb "Hey!" He cuts her off. "We are getting married anyway. I just wanted it to be under your name too. I wanted to make it truly be ours together. We are becoming a family, aren't we?"

Hanna "Yes, we are." She cups his face with her hands. "I love you… you didn't have to do it. But I appreciate the gesture. So nice of you…" She pecks his lips. "I love you… you are making me feel the need to tell you that I love you so many times these days that I'm a little worried those words will start having less meaning or impact." She chuckles. "Anyway, they aren't just words… I love you."

Caleb grins. "Don't worry, those words said by you still have the same impact on me as when you said them the first time." He gives her a brief but intense kiss on her mouth. "I love you."

/

Hanna's big day finally arrives.

With only a few hours of sleep, that morning she starts her day at the store, making sure that everything is perfectly set up for the grand opening that evening: the ground floor awaits the guests, with a banner positioned for picture-taking near the entrance, illuminated by strategically placed photography lights. The racks on either side of the store are full with the beautiful dresses of her new line produced in China, meticulously organized by color.

Hanna can smell the subtle and fresh citrus scent creating a welcoming atmosphere in the store, which thanks to Caleb's efforts, isn't marred by the bad smell of blue cheese from the day before.

Near the back, the checkout counter has been shifted to make room for a small stage, flanked by a DJ booth because of space limitations, as even though it's a very spacious place for a store, it's not a place meant to host this kind of events.

Going upstairs, her exclusive designs from her Rosewood workshop and her new bigger workshop in New York are displayed with care, allowing guests to appreciate each piece individually. A bar has been set up along one side, where bartenders will serve cocktails to attendees.

Moving down the hallway to the fitting rooms, delicate long curtains adorn each entrance, with a spacious padded seating area opposite them for customers' companions to wait comfortably. A photo booth has been installed over an available wall where Hanna plans to place a huge elegant mirror the following they once the booth is taken out after the event.

Later, in the afternoon, Hanna takes some time to herself, getting her nails done and stopping by a salon for a special hair treatment to enhance softness and brightness. Afterward, she heads back to the apartment to start getting ready for the event. Having picked out one of her own designs to wear, she changes into the very delicate black skintight dress with lace-patterned cutouts on the upper half, three-quarter sleeves, and a very fine turtleneck collar, perfect for winter. She chooses to wear her hair up in a messy yet stylish bun. And for the final touch to her outfit: the earrings that Caleb got her for Christmas.

Caleb "Whoa!" He says, coming through the front door upon seeing Hanna.

Hanna shoots him a smile from the bed where she is sitting as she finishes putting on her high heels.

Caleb "You look amazing, Han." He tells her, taking off his jacket and leaving his bag with the laptop on the table.

Hanna "Thanks, babe." She smiles again, standing up from the bed and approaching him.

Caleb "You aren't wearing a bra?" He asks her as she reaches him and places her hands on his shoulders.

Hanna chuckles. "Nope… this original Hanna Marin dress is meant to be worn bra-less. The patters from the lace do their thing to hide my nipples." She explains as Caleb places his hands on each side of her waist.

Caleb "Yeah, well… Tell that Hanna Marin woman that I can still see your boobs." He jokes, amused, with his eyes fixed on her chest. "You look just flawless." He compliments her again, getting serious, shifting his gaze to her eyes now.

Hanna grins. "Thanks." She pecks his lips.

Caleb "Can I have a real kiss?" He asks, pressing his lips to hers again.

Hanna pulls back smiling. "Nope, I've already done my make-up. You'll mess up my lipstick. You are late for a kiss."

Caleb "Yeah, I'm sorry. I was working at this coffee shop and I ran late. I'll get into the shower right now."

Hanna "Do you mind if I get going? I wanna arrive early, just in case." She asks, caressing his cheek.

Caleb "Yeah, sure, don't worry." He says, letting go of her. "I'll meet you there."

Hanna "Did you remember to pick up your shirt from the dry cleaner's?" She asks him, grabbing her clutch, getting ready to leave.

Caleb "Uh huh. Went this morning." He answers, already taking off his sweater along with his t-shirt.

Hanna "Okay, see you in a little while, babe!" She says, opening the door.

Caleb "See you, Han!"

/

Later on.

Hanna's store grand opening is starting perfectly well. The staff hired to make sure the guests feel as comfortable as possible as soon as they make their way through the entrance is doing a great job, taking their coats, leading them along, offering them to pose for pictures, making sure they know where to find the bar with the cocktails, even though there are already waiters passing by with trays of drinks.

Hanna is on the ground floor, greeting people non-stop, when her face lights up with a huge grin upon spotting Spencer, Aria, Emily, Alison and Toby arriving.

She excuses herself from the couple of ladies that she's having conversation with, and walks over her friends.

Hanna "Hey!" She says excited. "You are all here!"

Emily "Hey, Han! Of course we are all here!"

Alison "Wouldn't have missed this for anything!"

Both Emily and Alison smile back at her.

Spencer "Hi, my Hanna Banana!" She pulls Hanna into a brief hug. "Of course we came to your big day! We are so thrilled for you!" She lets go of Hanna.

Toby "Congratulations, Han! This place looks amazing." He gives Hanna a brief hug too.

Hanna "Even you made it here! I surely wasn't expecting you!" She tells Aria.

Aria grins. "Yeah, well, I didn't want to miss your big night either! Ezra is with the baby, we booked ourselves a hotel room a couple of blocks down the street so I could come here."

Hanna "You are the best!" She hugs Aria. "Thank all of you guys for coming." She says, pulling away from Aria. "It means a lot to me that you are all here tonight."

Alison "You look fantastic, Han!"

Hanna "Thanks!"

Emily "Is that a dress of yours?"

Hanna "Yeah, I had to wear one of my dresses tonight." She smiles. "Couldn't be otherwise."

Toby "Where's Caleb?"

Hanna "He must be about to arrive. He was taking a shower when I left, so I don't think he'll take too much longer." She explains. "Well guys, go get some drinks at the bar upstairs… I'll send Caleb upstairs when he arrives." She adds, looking at Toby.

Hanna doesn't even have time to relax her face from all the smiling, because the next ones to come through the entrance are Ashley and Ted. And of course, Ashley rushes over to her daughter right away.

Ashley "Oh, sweetie! What a great place you are opening here!" She says, while already hugging Hanna. "I'm so proud of you!"

Hanna "Thanks, mom!" She says, hugging her back. "Thanks for coming, thanks for being here." She simply can't stop thanking her.

Ashley "I'm very happy to be here." She pulls away from Hanna, and Ted takes the chance to greet her too.

A few minutes later, Hanna is still busy greeting people non-stop, some of them without even knowing who they are, when once again, a big grin shows on her face. This time, she spots Caleb approaching with a huge bouquet of red roses.

Caleb "Hey there, gorgeous! Congratulations on the big day. These are for you." He gives her the bouquet with a smile.

Hanna "Oh, Caleb!" She takes the bouquet with a wide smile. "Thank you so much. They're beautiful!" She hugs him.

Caleb "You are welcome, baby." Hugging her back. "I'm very proud of you."

Hanna "I so wanna kiss you right now."

Caleb chuckles and carefully plants a gentle kiss on her lips, being careful not to mess up her red lipstick. "You can save me a real kiss for later." He says into her ear.

Hanna "Oh, I'll save you more than a kiss." She responds, hugging him tighter.

Caleb pulls away from her, still smiling. "Wanna me to leave your roses somewhere?" He offers, as he knows she still has a lot of social activity to do.

Hanna "Yes, please. Leave them over the checkout counter. I'll get them back later before we leave. Wanna take them home." She hands the bouquet back to him.

Caleb nods and is about to walk away, but Hanna stops him, grabbing him by the arm. He turns back to look at her and still with her indelible smile, she places another soft peck on his lips.

Hanna "The guys are upstairs."

Caleb smiles at her again. "Okay."

/

As the evening progresses, Hanna's store becomes increasingly crowded, and all the guests appear to be having a great time.

Among the attendees, in addition to the influencers, prominent figures, Ashley, Ted, and the guys, are Mona, Lucas with Lizzie, as well as Hanna's employees from Rosewood, and all the investors who are part of the growing business.

The food is delicious and easy to eat while standing, and the drinks are refreshing and varied, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Delicate cocktails such as margaritas and daiquiris are available, along with classic beverages like bourbon and whiskey, as well as beer and soda.

Hanna's dresses are also attracting a lot of attention, which was the main focus of the event. Guests are being extra careful when handling them, making sure not to stain them with food or drinks and taking care not to snag the delicate fabrics and ruin them.

The music played by the DJ is also very good, and the volume is just perfect, not so loud to interfere with people's vivid conversations, but still enjoyable. At some point, music suddenly stops as Hanna makes her way up the small stage, taking the mic.

Hanna "Good evening, everyone." She starts, trying to capture people's attention. "Well, I just wanted to say a few words. First of all, thank you all for coming and sharing this very special day with me." She continues once all eyes are on her. "There are some special people I would like to mention…" She scans the crowd until she spots Ashley. "Mom, I want to thank you. You were the first one to believe in me, my first and only investor when I started all of this more than a year ago. You let me borrow your basement, and you also put up with me taking over almost the entire house when things got crazy and just the basement wasn't enough anymore. Thank you very much for your support. I love you." She smiles, seeing Ashley become emotional and Ted handing her a napkin. "I also want to thank all of my friends. They've all been there, some of them from the beginning, Spence helping me out with my first business plan… I know I drove you nuts while working on it, so thanks for your patience. Also, thanks to Aria, Em, and Ali for being there too when my first dresses were ready and I needed a talented photographer and a couple of models." She smiles at her friends who are smiling back at her in the crowd. "I'll also thank my friend Lucas, for showing up when things were getting out of hand because my business had become too much to handle on my own. That I'm opening this second store here in New York today is very much thanks to you, Luc. Thanks for being my partner in this new phase." She then looks for Mona in the crowd. "Mona, thanks to you too. You always show up when I need your help as well. The great attendance at this event is pretty much your achievement. Thanks!" Then she turns her gaze to Caleb, knowing exactly where he is because she saw him standing beside Spencer only a few seconds ago. "And last but not least." She says, smiling, her eyes locked on Caleb's. "My love, Caleb. Thank you, babe. You've believed in me right from the beginning, spent hours working on my first website, which was my first store ever, and you made it just perfect for me. You renewed my mom's basement for me to have a nice and comfortable place to work. And you also supported me at those moments when I doubted myself. The crazy growth of this business also affected us, but we came out stronger. You are my rock. Thank you very much, for everything..." She blows a kiss to him. "Oh, and I can't wait to marry you, by the way." She adds, raising her hand for everyone to see her ring. "I love you."

Caleb "I love you." He mouths back to her.

Hanna "Well, now I'll ask the DJ to play some music because we have a little fashion show prepared for all of you… I'll be presenting some of my best designs." She announces to the crowd, under Caleb's proud and admiring gaze.

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Hi everyone! I took a couple extra days to update this time, but this is such a long chapter, so it was worth it.

Many things happen in this chapter, because there will be a time jump in the next one. Hope you enjoy it!