Chapter 223

"I'm not great at sewing," Stacey admitted, a little awkwardly. "I only made one—Jeremy's. Everyone else's gifts were bought."

Jeremy's eyes lit up. He clutched the small package, his joy evident. Jason, Sharon, and Hayden exchanged amused glances.

Sharon smiled. "Long trip, you must be tired. There's a spare room upstairs if you want a nap."

Stacey shook her head. "I'm fine," she said, though the morning flight had been long. Suddenly, Jeremy grabbed her hand, pulling her up and towards the stairs. Hesitantly, Stacey followed.

He pulled her into his room and shut the door, leaving Hayden speechless outside. Stacey stared, surprised. "Jeremy, your dad's outside!"

Jeremy ignored her, tearing into the package. Stacey chuckled. "It's okay if you don't like it, sweetie. It's not as good as your dad's."

Jeremy's hand froze, then he grabbed his writing tablet. He scrawled "[I like it!]" in large, forceful letters and thrust it at her.

Her heart melted. Such a sweet little angel, she thought, smiling. Holding up the bear-themed outfit, she beamed. "Want to try it on?"

Jeremy nodded eagerly.

"Need help?" she asked.

He shook his head and wrote on the tablet, holding it up for her to see: "[I'll do it myself.]"

Stacey's eyes widened. He can change his clothes alone now? Amazing! "Okay, go ahead!"

Jeremy darted into the closet.

Knock, knock.

Stacey instantly knew it was Hayden. Rushing to the door, she opened it to reveal her tall, casually dressed neighbor. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing tanned skin. Her heart pounded. "Jeremy's changing," she managed.

"Is that the outfit you made?" Hayden asked, curious.

Heat crept into Stacey's cheeks. "I got help from Cynthia with the design. I just sewed it." She couldn't take all the credit. Cynthia had done the hard part.

Hayden smiled. "You did a great job."

He waited until Jeremy emerged, wearing the adorable bear suit, before stepping inside. Stacey and Hayden both stared. The outfit was so different from Jeremy’s usual clothes. Stacey’s eyes lit up; Hayden was stunned.

She'd suspected Jeremy would look cute in animal-themed clothes, but this was beyond her expectations. Hayden was equally surprised; this was a far cry from his own creations.

"Oh, so cute!" Stacey squealed, instantly hugging Jeremy.

Jeremy beamed.

Stacey examined him from every angle. How can he be so adorable? She took his hand, a little nervously. "Can I take some pictures? You look so cute!"

Jeremy, seeing her so happy, nodded joyfully.

Stacey snapped photos, her mind already buzzing. He's so handsome! Kevin would love these animal-themed outfits too. She decided then and there to learn fashion design.

Hayden, recovering from his initial surprise, leaned against the door, watching them with a smile.