Changying, Will You Marry Me?

Christmas Day saw the family all wake early, or in the case of some of the men, just shower and change early after staying up all night, and gathered for a big breakfast in the room that had housed all of the gift baskets for the festival. It seemed to Changying that the household staff had multiplied as the family's every wish was seen to. Then to the merriment of the children they were allowed outside to the tree where over fifty stockings hung around the base of the big tree.

The stockings were gifts from Joseph and Antonia and held all manner of things from tickets for holidays, jewellery or technology for the adults to the reins of a new pony or keys to a motorised toy car among other things for the children. Changying smiled as she found a stocking beside Wang's with her name embroidered carefully on it.

"I didn't expect to be treated so much as part of the family," she whispered to Wang.

"The moment you agreed to come here you became part of the family, it just your choice whether to stay or not," he kissed her. "I am so very glad you are here for all of this. It's the best part of having a big family at Christmas," he smiled and looked around at his siblings and parents who all laughed and played together. "Being here with you just makes it even more fantastic," he took a small box from his pocket and got down on one knee. "Changying, will you marry me and be part of this craziness every year?" He flipped open the lip of the box to display a stunning teardrop diamond solitaire.

"You had me at craziness," she laughed and nodded. "I want nothing more than to marry you." He slipped the ring on her finger before standing again and taking her in his arms.

"Shit I owe Ben another twenty," Carlo said from nearby. "I can't believe you went for cheesy." He shook his head in disgust at his little brother. "Alright round two city chick," he pulled her from Wang's arms and dipped her back kissing her passionately. Letting her up he winked and chuckled, "See I did teach him everything he knows." With that, he sauntered off toward Ben and his family.

Changying stood stunned, and chuckling Wang took her hand and led her to where his parents stood to watch the chaos of their family unfold. Antonia wept and hugged them both tightly while Joseph in a rare display of warmth kissed her on both cheeks and congratulated his son on his fine choice of a wife with a manly embrace patting him on the back.

Once everyone had congratulated them and people started moving away from the tree, Changying and Wang stole away to her room together to find some quiet time and rest. Exhausted they fell onto the bed and snuggled together despite the heat of the day. While Changying had come inside to snatch some sleep at about three that morning, Wang had stayed up all night with his brothers and fell asleep almost instantly as they lay entwined together.

Despite having called her mother earlier that morning, she was bursting to tell someone about her engagement and slipped from the bed and Wang's arms. She sat by the large window willing a breeze to come through and took a photo of her hand with the ring sparkling in the sunlight. Then she texted Chunhua, "Guess what I got for Christmas?"

Disappointed not to get an immediate response she put her phone on silent and moved back to the bed and her future husband. Laying back down beside him, she was surprised when he wrapped an arm around her and gathered her into his body. "She's probably just busy unwrapping presents herself," he murmured his voice heavy with sleep.