“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.”

　　“Norah,” he said, approaching with a pained expression, “I’ve been calling your parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad,’ and we’ve even set a wedding date. How can you expect me to sleep on the floor?”

　　That did seem pretty unfair.

　　I hurried to the bed and grabbed my blanket. “I’ll take the floor.”

　　“No way.”

　　He lifted me and the blanket effortlessly. “I can’t let you sleep on the floor.”

　　I tried to protest quietly, worried about being overheard by my parents, but it was futile.

　　Before long, Zachary and I were lying in bed together. I was so nervous, I didn’t know where to put my hands or feet.

　　“Norah,” he said softly, smiling with warm eyes.

　　“You worked late last night and traveled today. You must be exhausted. Just sleep.”

　　His voice was soothing and full of care, just like a real boyfriend.

　　Maybe it was the wine or just his kindness, but I felt tears starting to well up.

　　I struggled to keep my voice steady.

　　“Zack, thank you.”

　　“You don’t need to thank me,” he said with a gentle smile, stroking my hair.

　　His hand was warm and comforting. “It’s late. You should get some rest.”

　　3

　　I slept deeply through the night and didn’t dream at all.

　　On New Year’s morning, I was in the kitchen with Mom, preparing breakfast.

　　Mom kept asking questions.

　　How did I meet Zachary? How long had we been together? What did he do for work? Where was he from?

　　I answered vaguely, struggling to keep up.

　　There were plenty of things I didn’t know myself.

　　Then she asked about his age. When she found out he was five years younger than me, she became even more anxious.

　　“He seemed so mature yesterday. I didn’t realize he was that much younger.”

　　“Do you think he might be too young and not able to take care of you?”

　　“Is he treating you well?”

　　I was about to find an excuse to escape when I suddenly heard my nephew yelling from the living room.

　　“You lost! Pay up! Zachary, pay up!”

　　It was incredibly rude, shouting at a guest like that.

　　“What’s going on, Jack?” I asked as I walked out and saw Zachary and my nephew on the couch with a deck of cards.

　　My nephew pointed at Zachary and shouted, “He lost, so he has to give me money!”

　　“What are you guys playing?”

　　Zachary chuckled, looking a bit embarrassed.

　　“Jack taught me a card game. We played one round, but I lost, and…”

　　He didn’t get a chance to finish before my nephew cut in.

　　“You lost! Pay me now!”

　　I gave my nephew a stern look.

　　“This is my boyfriend and a guest in our home. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners or respect?”

　　My nephew, startled by my tone, started crying.

　　“I don’t care! He lost! Pay up!”

　　“Norah, why are you going after Jack like that? He’s just a kid,” Luna said, coming out of the bedroom.

　　As she got closer, she was practically jabbing her finger at me.

　　Zachary quickly moved in front of me, holding my hand.

　　“Norah, you’re in your thirties. You shouldn’t be acting this way.”

　　My brother chimed in, backing her up.

　　With his reinforcements, my nephew’s voice got even louder.

　　“You owe me 80 dollars! Pay up!”

　　“My dad does this with other people and on the computer all the time. He’s got tons of money.”