1

　　On New Year's Eve, while I was absorbed in work at my computer, my mom called.

　　“Norah, are you coming home for the holidays this year?”

　　Before I could respond, I heard my brother and his son in the background.

　　“Come back soon, we miss you so much.”

　　Was it me they missed, or just my money?

　　I snorted inwardly, recalling last year’s events.

　　I hurried home with bags full of holiday treats and handed my nephew a generous cash gift as soon as we met.

　　But when I went to the bathroom, I overheard him complaining to his dad.

　　“Aunt makes so much money every year. Why does she only give me just 300 dollars?”

　　Then my brother’s response was even more shocking.

　　“Your aunt is turning 30 this year. At her age, she’ll never get married. Her money and her house will all be yours eventually.”

　　I was so enraged that I nearly lost my temper but managed to keep it in check.

　　On the second day of the New Year, I made up an excuse about working overtime, bought a plane ticket, and flew back to Harrisburg.

　　A year had flown by, and once again they were trying to lure me home, just pretending they missed me.

　　For some reason, I blurted out, “Sure, I’ll come. I actually just started dating someone and can bring him home to meet Mom, Dad, and my brother and sister-in-law.”

　　There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line.

　　After hanging up, I felt a rush of satisfaction.

　　But that soon gave way to regret and anxiety. I’ve spent 30 years without finding a boyfriend, and now, with the New Year upon us, where was I supposed to find one?

　　My motivation to finish the report vanished, and I sat at my desk, feeling utterly lost.

　　"Working late again, boss?" came a clear voice.

　　I looked up to see Zachary George standing there.

　　He just joined the company last year right after grad school and was on my team.

　　With the New Year tomorrow, most people had already left for home or vacation, so I was surprised to see him still here.

　　“Zachary? What are you still doing here? Aren’t you heading home for the holidays?”

　　He sighed. “I couldn’t snag any train or flight tickets, so I’m stuck in Harrisburg this year.”

　　Alone?

　　The thought sparked in my mind.

　　Zachary was often the subject of speculation among the women in the office.

　　With his fair skin, tall frame, and striking looks, he was quite the heartthrob, especially when he smiled.

　　He was usually reserved and diligent at work, and since he’d always been single, many people in the department had been trying to set him up with someone.

　　He might just be the perfect person to impress in front of my family.

　　“Um, Zachary, are you still single?”

　　“Yeah.”

　　I was surprised to see him blush slightly at my question.

　　After hesitating for a moment, I stammered, “Zachary, I was wondering if, um, you might be able to do me a favor. It might be a bit awkward.”

　　Normally, as the team leader, I’m all business, but now I was stumbling over my words, which caught Zachary off guard.

　　“What’s the favor? It won’t be a problem. I’ll help.”

　　Looking at his handsome, earnest face, I decided to go for it.

　　“Could you pretend to be my boyfriend and come home with me for the holidays? Don’t worry, it’s just for show, just a few days to trick my parents.”

　　A stunned silence followed.

　　Zachary was clearly shocked, just standing there, speechless.

　　I was so embarrassed that I wanted to disappear into a hole.

　　“I’m sorry if I’m being forward. Just pretend I was joking. Please don’t take it seriously, ha-ha… ha-ha…”

　　“When do we leave?”

　　My awkward laughter was cut short.

　　Before I could recover, he asked again, “When are we heading back?”

　　“Tomorrow. Is that too sudden?”

　　“No, not at all,” he replied, showing no sign of discomfort. “It’s just that time is a bit tight, so we need to move quickly.”

　　“Move? Where are we going?”

　　I was still trying to process how he’d agreed so easily.

　　He gave a relaxed smile. “When meeting my girlfriend’s parents for the first time, it’s only right to bring a few extra gifts.”

　　On the way to the mall, I booked plane tickets for both of us.

　　As I was typing the passport details, he glanced at me with a faint smile and didn’t say a word.

　　“What’s the matter? Are you having second thoughts because I’m five years older than you?”

　　“No, no,” he quickly reassured me. “Being the boss’s boyfriend? I’d actually love that.”

　　What a charmer!

　　I gave him a playful nudge. “Just so we’re on the same page, you’re not actually my boyfriend. This is all just for show, alright?”

　　At the mall, while I was browsing, I felt someone grab my hand.

　　I turned to see Zachary holding onto me, his smile wide and his eyes shining.

　　“We’re meeting your parents tomorrow, so we’d better practice being a couple. Don’t mess this up,” he said with a grin.

　　He had a point.

　　I thought about it for a moment, then decided not to pull away, letting him guide me through the store.

　　A thought crossed my mind:

　　Having a boyfriend this handsome wouldn’t be so bad.

　　After we finished shopping, Zachary called a cab and helped me into it.

　　As he shut the door, he leaned in through the window and said with a smile, “See you at the airport tomorrow, Norah.”

　　2

　　The next morning, when I arrived at the airport, Zachary was already there, holding the gifts we’d bought yesterday.

　　I couldn’t help but think about last year, when I had to lug heavy bags through the airport by myself, feeling exhausted.

　　It was nice to have someone like Zachary around.

　　Once the plane was in the air and settled into smooth cruising, I began to feel incredibly drowsy.

　　After staying up late to finish the report, I was still exhausted.

　　Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep, my head resting on Zachary’s shoulder and a blanket covering me.

　　When I woke up, I found Zachary with his eyes closed.

　　“Awake?”

　　As I stirred, he opened his eyes and handed me a thermos.

　　“I just got some milk from the flight attendants. It’s still warm. Drink up.”

　　“Th-thanks.”

　　I was parched and took a sip. The milk was perfectly warm, so I drank it all in one go.

　　“Zachary.”

　　“Yeah?”

　　“Did you know I drink warm milk every day?”

　　“Of course. You have that little milk warmer in your office, right?”

　　I was genuinely moved.

　　After so many years on my own, Zachary was the first person who’d really paid attention to my habit of drinking warm milk.

　　The plane landed smoothly.

　　After a long, dusty journey home, I found myself feeling a bit anxious at the door.

　　“Don’t be afraid,” Zachary said, squeezing my hand and knocking confidently.

　　“Norah’s back!” my parents called out as they opened the door.

　　They paused for a moment when they saw Zachary, but their smiles quickly returned.

　　“Come on in. You must be Norah’s boyfriend,” my mom said warmly.

　　“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Light.”

　　Zachary greeted them with ease, looking more comfortable than I felt.

　　My brother and sister-in-law were also there. They greeted us with big smiles, just like my parents.

　　“Hey, Auntie,” my nephew said with a lackluster tone as he came out of his room. He barely looked at me, gave Zachary a quick glance, and then turned away.

　　Seeing this, my brother quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “He’s just a kid, doesn’t know any better.”

　　If this had happened in the past, it wouldn’t have bothered me much. But at this moment, looking at my nephew’s indifferent face, I felt a surge of irritation I couldn’t quite shake off.

　　“Brother, Jack will be 8 next year, and you still haven’t taught him any manners?”

　　My sister-in-law immediately shot me a disapproving look.

　　“Oh, come on, Norah. It’s New Year’s. Don’t be so strict with the kids.”

　　Before I could respond, Zachary pulled me close and looked at me with affection.

　　“Norah loves kids so much. I keep saying our future children will be just as sweet and well-behaved because of her.”

　　His words really touched my parents.

　　They’ve been worried about me for years, so hearing that I’m not only getting married but also thinking about kids made them overjoyed.

　　“That’s wonderful to hear.”

　　My parents beamed and started bringing out a feast for us.

　　“Mr. and Mrs. Light, you’re too generous.”

　　Zachary quickly started chatting and laughing with them.

　　Meanwhile, my brother and sister-in-law looked a bit tense and fell silent.

　　Soon, it was time for New Year dinner.

　　Since I had mentioned bringing my boyfriend home, my parents had gone all out, preparing a table full of seafood, chicken, duck, fish, and meat.

　　Zachary was polite and charming, and he had my parents laughing nonstop.

　　“Wow, talk about favoritism. When Luna first came for New Year’s, we didn’t get this kind of welcome.”

　　Just as everyone was enjoying the meal, my brother suddenly commented, sounding a bit resentful.

　　Luna Fisher, my sister-in-law, added, “These days, young people break up all the time. Who’s to say if they’ll even end up getting married?”

　　The smiles on my parents’ faces instantly froze.

　　Zachary wrapped me in his arms and spoke up.

　　“Our new house is all set. How about we pick a wedding date with your parents today?”

　　He then turned to my parents, his eyes full of warmth and sincerity.

　　“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to ask officially. Dad, Mom, I promise to take great care of Norah for the rest of my life.”

　　Hearing this, my mom’s eyes welled up with tears, and my dad moved, raised his glass and took a big sip.

　　“Zack, hearing that from you makes us feel so reassured.”

　　After dinner, Dad was so pleased and a bit tipsy that Mom had to help him to bed.

　　My brother and his wife weren’t happy and wore long faces.

　　I started unpacking the gifts I had brought: sea cucumbers, bird’s nest, skincare products, cashmere sweaters, and thermal underwear.

　　The more I revealed, the more uncomfortable my brother seemed.

　　I made sure to speak loudly.

　　“Don’t be upset. These are all gifts Zack specifically got for Mom and Dad. I remember when Luna first came over, she didn’t bring anything.”

　　My brother forced a chuckle. “We can’t compete with you. Money’s easier to come by in the big city.”

　　“That’s not really fair,” I shot back. “No one’s money just falls from the sky. While I was working late, you and Luna were out drinking and playing cards.”

　　I let it all out, speaking my mind without holding back.

　　After I finished unpacking, I returned to the room and felt a surge of awkwardness.

　　Tonight, I was supposed to share a room with Zachary.

　　Looking at the cozy, well-made bed, I felt incredibly uneasy.

　　“Um, Zack, we have underfloor heating here.”

　　“Oh?”

　　“So, if you decide to sleep on the floor, it won’t be cold.”