Christmas Special

A/N: 

Dear Reader,

This chapter is not in any way related to the plot of this story. It's a little gift to add to your Christmas happiness. Please don't pay for this chapter. It's free (Free-To-Read)

"Merry Christmas, Maria," Romeo exclaims, his voice waking the sleepy Maria. 

"Merry Christmas, Romeo, and thanks for stealing my sleep," she cackles. She sits up and sees Romeo holding a small cheesecake with a big candle in the middle.

"That's weird, cakes that size, do not come with candles this big," she observed. Romeo beamed. "Of course, this candle is special and if I say special, I mean, it grants Christmas wishes," He giggled. Maria narrows her brows.

"What kind of wish are you talking about Romeo?" She asks quizzically, focusing her gaze on the cake.

"Any kind, so just make a wish," He snickered.

"Okay." Maria opens her mouth to make her wish and is unexpectedly stopped by Romeo.

"Wait!" He walks closely with the cheesecake in his hand, lighting the candle. "Here, you have to blow this candle before making your wish, or you make the wish and blow the candle to seal it," he says, placing the cake in her hand. Maria stares with confusion, not believing that anyone could grant her wish, but she complies with Romeo, not wanting to ruin his cheerful mood.

She closes her eyes with the cake in her hand, and the candle burning brightly. "This Christmas, I wish to be around my family, and see them smile together around a gigantic Christmas tree, in a night with the sky filled with shining stars..."She blows the candle.

Romeo's heart twitched, knowing that Maria didn't have any living biological family, and is astounded by her wish, but hatches a plan to make this Christmas a memorable one for her.

Christmas Eve

Grandma Selina receives all of Romeo's guests in the well-decorated living room. Pluto makes an entrance with Mia. Surprised? yeah, even Romeo looked surprised. Then Acid came a few minutes later, alone. Maria had the sunniest smile. She was helping Grandma with preparing snacks. For the first time, she felt like she had a real family, just learning how to make Grandma's special cookies.

During dinner, Pluto takes permission from Romeo and Grandma to say something. No one understood his request, but it was granted.

He kneels beside Mia, who was sitting next to him. Mia's heart thumped in her chest. It couldn't be what it looks like. They started seeing each other for barely a month. He brings out a red ring case from his pocket.

"Mia, we've known each other for ages, but only started dating a couple of weeks ago, but I have never been sure about anything than I am now. I have a wish right now, which only you can grant. Will you marry me and grant my wish.?" Mia looked on speechlessly. Could she be dreaming, she pinched herself and felt a sharp pain. No, it's not a dream. Pluto is really asking her to marry him.

"Yes Pluto, I'll marry you, she said, extending her left hand. Pluto slips the ring onto her finger, and kisses it, standing up to give her a soft passionate kiss on the lips, while everyone looked on with surprise and happiness. They took turns in congratulating them.

Soon, it was time for dessert and Romeo insisted they have dessert in the garden.

"Outside will be too old for an old lady like me, Grandson? Grandma Selina objected, looking at Lizzy for support but she just grinned.

"Not if we have our winter coats with us," He said with a bright smile, beckoning the maids to give everyone a coat, which they complied. Grandma Selina returned the smile, knowing that Romeo has won.

"I hope it's worth it, Grandson," She commented.

"You'll see when we get there," Romeo smiled mischievously. "But first, all ladies must be blindfolded", he said.

"Why the ladies alone? What are the guys hiding? Mia couldn't help but ask.

" You won't know unless to obey," Pluto smirked.

It didn't take time to get them blindfolded anyway. Romeo blindfolded Maria, just as Pluto blind-folded Mia and Acid had the honor of blindfolding Grandma and Lizzy, as they led them to the garden. Simultaneously, the cloth covering their eyes were removed. Maria's jaw dropped when she saw the gigantic Christmas tree.

When she said gigantic, she was thinking of something of 80 feet but what she was seeing was nothing less than 200 feet. Not only that, the decorations were perfectly done. The white lights twinkled concurrently, revealing the words 'Merry', whiles the red lights spelled 'Christmas'. the Greenlights formed a heart shape. 

Warm tears began running down her cheeks. Of course, they were happy tears. A light on the floor stole her interest before she realized, that the floor was covered with artificial grass all over, but she couldn't understand was how they emitted lights, with the writing, 'THIS IS FAMILY'. Maria shed more tears, and hugged Romeo tight, giving him a soft, passionate kiss. Romeo pulled away and pointed at the sky.

God, he couldn't have climbed up to the sky right? But it was just as she imagined. The sky was bluish-white with a constellation of stars. But she felt a connection to a particular star, a little bigger and brighter than the rest. She focused her gaze on it and Romeo beamed, following her gaze.

"Do you want to make another wish?" He asked, seeing her so delighted.

"No, I have more than I ever wished for. I have the best family in the world, " she said, still focussing on the star.

"Why do you keep gazing at that star?" He asked.

"It seems to rather be gazing at me," she grinned.

"Then you should make a wish right now." Maria looked at the star, then to Romeo, Grandma, Mia, Pluto, and then Acid and Lizzy. She shifted her gaze slowly back to the star and said.

"I wish, that this family grows, and remains together for as long as we live."

She flinched when Romeo gave her a glass of champagne. She looked around and saw everyone holding a glass of Champagne. Did she gaze for that long?

"This is a toast to the family..."Romeo exclaimed. Everyone lift their glass in unison, and responded, 

"To Family"

Maria smiled so much that her cheekbones began to hurt. She knew that this is the best Christmas she ever had. A Christmas with people she has grown to love and cherish as her family. She couldn't wish for anything better. Looking at Romeo smiling mischievously at her, she realized, that the night was far from being over but she couldn't help asking.

"How did you pull this off in just a few hours?"

"I had a little help from Pluto, Acid, and even James. Well, James helping is a gracious surprise of its own.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄 To all my cherished readers. I hope this chapter made you smile...