.
The congregation grew larger and larger. People began to dance, the square filled with hullabaloo.
Hayden was a bit lost. But after a while, a man dressed in white finally appeared from behind the tree.
âHave you set all this up?â Hayden trotted toward him, pounded his chest with his fist, laughing gleefully, âWhatâs the point of making such a display for New Yearâs Eve?â
âItâs not just a New Yearâs Eve, but the first New Yearâs Eve Iâve spent with you. And I hope it will be you who spends every New Yearâs Eve with me in the future.â
âOf course.â Hayden raised his eyebrow, complacent, âWho else would want to spend their New Yearâs Eve with you but me?â
âYou agreed, no regrets.â Joseph smiled and grabbed Haydenâs hand.
Then, under the gaze of the crowd, he dropped to one knee.
For an instant, Hayden froze.
The blue box Joseph held in his hands was exquisite. With a snap, he opened it.
Inside were a dozen different shaped rings that glittered in the light. Hayden gaped, and the twitch she had when she guessed what Joseph was trying to do was replaced with amusement.
âAre you proposing to me?â She asked.
Joseph raised his eyebrow, acting as if this was the common way to propose. âLest you say you donât like the ring I picked out, I have ten rings custom made. So youâll like at least one of them.â
Hayden smiled, happy. Then she shed tears of joy.
Joseph looked at her with affection and tenderness in his eyes.
Sniffling, Hayden looked away from Joseph purposefully and held out her hand.
âOnly children choose, adults want everything.â
âOh yeah?â
Joseph smiled and, one by one, placed the rings on Haydenâs fingers.
Soon there was a ring on each finger of his right hand.
Hayden was kidding. He didnât expect Joseph to really mean it, so he hastily withdrew his hand.
Ga ln ovels . com fuels your imagination âDo you really think I meant it?â
Joseph held out his hands, smiling at him. âYour left hand.â
It was supposed to be touching, but now somehow it was hilarious.
Hayden looked at the rings on his fingers laughing uncontrollably.
âI look like an opportunist, donât I?â.
âYou wore my rings, now youâre mine.â
âIâm yours.â She murmured, âAlways have been, always will be.â
Her journey with Joseph was not so auspicious, there had been ups and downs, but perhaps fate brought them together. Though she had struggled, now she had thought it all through. If she had to choose someone to spend the rest of her life with, it would be Joseph, Joseph Beckham.
For her, Joseph was not an option, he was the answer.
Joseph took her to a restaurant that was on the top floor of the mall, from where they could enjoy the cityâs night scenery.
âI thought youâd bring the kids, too:â Hayden said, âIs this how people propose? Friends and families get together to cheer.â
Joseph responded in a tender tone. âI did it to his because I expected you to accept a proposal made by myself. Not because of the children, not because your aunt and uncle will accept me now, not for any other reason, but because you love me.â
Hayden paused, she was touched. She murmured as her face flushed. âDid you eat honey before you came? That was sweet.â
He had been acting very sweet since the proposal, that wasnât him.
The waiter came over to serve them dessert. Then he looked at Hayden quizzically.
âSorry to interrupt you, sir and maâamâ¦.. Hereâs your dessert.â
âThank you.â
The waiter continued to look at them oddly as he left and said something to his colleagues.
Hayden was confused and asked.
âWhy is he acting so weird, is it my makeup?â.
âI donât think thatâs the reason.â Implicitly, she looked at his hands covering his face.
Instantly, Hayden realized she was still wearing all the rings. The sparkles of the rings almost blinded her when she looked at them. Hastily, she hid her hands under the table.
âWhy didnât you tell me?â
âWhy? You have to eat.â
âItâs all your fault.â She glared at him, âWhoâd buy ten rings to propose?â
Joseph smirked.
âWhen I bought them, I didnât think youâd wear them all.â
âAnd youâre still making fun of me?â. She grumbled, âIâm going to take them off now.â
âYou canât.â Joseph said solemnly.
âYou are so unreasonable!â. She stomped Josephâs foot under the table in a fit of rage, âTheyâre so heavy, I canât even lift my hands! How am I going to eat?â
But she knew he wouldnât take them off. No woman would take off her engagement ring on the day of the proposal.
The tinkling of bells ushered in the New Year as the sky lit up with fireworks. The city welcomed the biggest celebration of the year.
âMake a wish.â Hayden urged Joseph, âMake a wish, before the chimes stop.â
When he heard the chimes, he folded his hands as he used to do in the past and made his wish.
âI wish for Stella not to have to suffer from asthma anymore, I wish for Noah to come out of his autism, I wish for Alayna to be able to overcome depression, I wish for Edison to find his love, I wish for health for grandpa, uncle and auntâ¦â.
She had so many wishes to keep mumbling until the bell stopped ringing.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that Joseph had barely moved. For an instant, he frowned.
âWhy didnât you make a wish, this works!â.
Joseph laughed and looked at Hayden fondly. âBut my wish came true, I donât have to make one anymore.â
âIt came true? What is it?â
She was puzzled, and at the same time curious. After Joseph had stared at her for a good while, she finally understood what he meant.
That she would accept his proposal was his wish.
When she realized it, the redness on her face went down to her neck quickly.
He didnât eat honey before he left home, he bathed in honey.
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