“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.”