The congregation got bigger and bigger. People started to dance, the square was filled with merriment.
Hayden was kind of lost. After a while, a man in a white suit finally showed up from behind the tree.
“You prepared all this?” she trotted towards him, hammered his chest with her fist, laughing joyfully.
“What’s the point to make such a splash for a New Year’s Eve?”
“It’s not just a New Year’s Eve but the first New Year’s Eve I spend with you. And I hope it will be you
who spend every New Year’s Eve with me in the future.”
“Of course.”Hayden raised her brow, complacent. “Who wants to spend their New Year’s Eve with you
except for me?”
“You agreed. And don’t you regret it.”Joseph smiled, gripped Hayden’s hand. Then under the eyes of
the crowd, he got on one knee.
For an instant, Hayden froze.
The blue box in Joseph’s hands was exquisite. With a clicking sound, he flipped it open.
Inside it was a dozen of rings different in shape, glimmering under the light. Hayden gaped, and the
move she had when she divined what Joseph was trying to do was replaced by amusement.
“Are you proposing?” she asked.
Joseph raised his brow, acting like this was the common way of proposing. “Lest you would say that
you don’t like the ring I picked, I have ten rings custom-made. So you will like at least one of them.”
Hayden smiled, happily. Then tears of joy shed.
“Pick one.”Joseph looked at her, affection and tenderness in his eyes.
Snuffling, Hayden averted her eyes from Joseph purposely and reached her hand out.
“Only kids make choice, adults want them all.”
“Is that so?”
Joseph smiled, and then one by one, he put the rings on Hayden’s fingers. Soon there was a ring on
each finger of her right hand.
Hayden was just joking. She didn't expect Joseph would actually do so, so she withdrew her hand
hurriedly.
“You really think I mean it?”
Joseph fanned out his hands, smiling at her.
“Your left hand.”
It was supposed to be something touching, but now it somehow was hilarious. Hayden looked at the
rings on her fingers laughing uncontrollably.
“I look like an arriviste, don’t I?”
“You wore my ring, now you are mine.”
“I’m yours.” She murmured. “Always have, always will.”
Her journey with Joseph was not so propitious, there had been ups and downs. Maybe fate just
tethered them together. Though she had struggled before, but now she had thought it through. If she
was to choose someone to spend the rest of her life with, it would be Joseph, Joseph Beckham.
To her, Joseph was not an option, he was the answer.
Joseph took her to the restaurant on the top floor of the mall, from where they could enjoy the evening
scenery of the city.
“I thought you would take the kids here too,” Hayden said, “is that how people propose? Friends and
families gather together to cheer.”
Joseph replied in a tender tone.
“Because I hope you want to marry because of me.”
“Not because of the kids, nor that your uncle and aunt accept me now, nor any other reason, but
because you love me.”
Hayden paused, she was moved. She murmured as her face flushed. “Did you eat honey before?”
He had been so sweet since the propose, that’s so not him.
The waiter came up to serve their dessert. He looked at Hayden queerly.
“Sorry to interrupt you, sir and madam…. Here’s your dessert.”
“Thanks.”
The waiter kept giving a queer look at them when he left and murmured something with his colleagues.
Hayden was confused, she asked.
“Why is he acting so weird? Is my make up?”
“I don’t think it’s the reason.” Implicitly, he looked at her hands covering her face.
And instantly, Hayden realized that she was still wearing those rings. The glitters of the rings almost
blinded her when she peered at them. Hurriedly, she hid her hands under the table.
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“Why ? you have to eat.”
“It’s all your fault.” She glowered at him. “Who would buy ten rings to propose?”
Joseph smiled teasingly.
“I didn't think that would put them on though.”
“And you still mock me?” she grumbled, “I’m taking them off now.”
“You can’t.”Joseph said solemnly.
“You’re so unreasonable!” she stepped Joseph’s foot under the table in a fit of pique. “They’re heavy, I
can’t even raise my hands! How can I eat?”
But she knew she wouldn’t take them off.
No woman would take off her engagement ring on the day of propose.
The clangor of the bell ushered in the New Year as the sky was illuminated by fireworks. They city
welcomed the biggest revel of the year.
“Make a wish.” Hayden urged Joseph. “Make a wish, before the chimes die.”
When she heard the chime, she crossed her hands customarily as she had done in the past and made
her wish.
“I wish Stella doesn’t have to suffer from asthma anymore, I wish Noah will come out of his autism, I
wish Alayna can get over depression, I wish Edison finds his love, I wish health for grandpa, uncle and
aunt…”
She had so many wishes to make, she kept murmuring until the bell stopped chiming.
When she opened her eyes, she found Joseph had barely moved. For a instant, she scowled.
“Why didn’t you make a wish? It works!”
Joseph laughed, looked at Hayden affectionately. “But my wish had come true, I don’t have to make
one anymore.”
“It did? What is it?”
She was puzzled, and at the same time curious. And after Joseph stared at her for a good long while,
she finally understood what he meant.
She accepting his proposal was his wish.
When she realized that, the reddishness on her face crept down to her neck in an instant.
He didn’t eat honey before he left home, he bathed in honey.
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