Krystal, Opal and Dixie had done them proud with the feast, and everyone came away from the table with their bellies full. Bianca had picked at her meal though, thoughts of her upcoming proposal giving her butterflies.

"Are you okay?" Marissa asked, noting her lack of appetite.

"I… um… I'm perfect." Bianca replied, Marissa's smile making her stomach flip once more.

…

After dinner they all gathered around the Christmas tree where Marissa took on the job of giving Miranda, AJ and Gabby their last big Christmas presents.

Gabby got her gift first. It was a large box; very similar to the one Ayesha had received this morning. Gabby had been acting a little jealous of her friend's new doll buggy all morning, well now she was going to have one of her own. Marissa and Reggie had conspired in the gifts between them, knowing both little friends would want to copy each other.

Reggie got down on the floor to help put the toy together while an excited Gabby, after shouting her 'thank yous', ran off to find Mrs Bunny to ride in her new buggy.

Miranda came next, her present was much smaller but she vibrated in excitement before she opened it.

"Is it my game?" she asked.

Marissa laughed.

"Opening it and see."

Miranda ripped off the paper and the squealed,

"My game!"

"Was it the one you wanted?" Marissa asked.

"Yes, yes, yes!" cried Miranda in delight.

She had been asking about the next instalment to her favourite karaoke-dance game for months.

"And there is this too." Marissa added handing her slightly more unusually shaped package.

Miranda pulled the paper from her next gift a little more cautiously.

"The diamond microphone!" Miranda gasped in delight when her gift was revealed.

"You said you needed another one for the game…" Marissa explained.

Miranda happily hugged Marissa, her mommy and then Marissa again just for good measure.

"Thank you… I love it!" she exclaimed.

"And next." said Marissa, handing AJ a parcel even smaller than Miranda's. "This gift was a long time planning… so you can thank Binks too for she's the one who got most of it organised. And it is gift you will have to share with the rest of the family."

Confused, AJ opened the package to reveal a picture frame. He turned it over to find a photograph of a sailing dingy. He was still none the wiser.

"It's your very own boat." explained Bianca. "It just needs a name."

"A boat!" AJ cried jumping in surprise. "You bought me a boat?!"

"We bought you a boat." said Marissa, pleased to see the grin on her son's face. "Uncle Jack is going to look after it at the Marina for you."

AJ beamed at Uncle Jack.

"Well you are getting on so well with your sailing lessons," Jackson said, "I told them you were ready for a boat of your own."

AJ hugged his mom and Binks and Uncle Jack, and then his mom and Binks again… He was ecstatic.

Marissa cleared her throat.

"There is one last present here for Bianca." she said. "It would seem the smaller the present the bigger the gift."

Bianca swallowed nervously. The ring was still in her pocket; Marissa's words were not far from the truth.

Marissa stood up, the gift still hidden behind her back.

"Now I wasn't sure what I could give you… I didn't think I would see you again…" Marissa stammered, "But then I knew just the thing. It was my mother's…" She laughed nervously, "I never thought it would be something I could give to someone I love… but I'm so glad that it is."

Marissa went down on one knee and held out a ring.

"Bianca will you marry me?"

The whole room held their breath… and waited for Bianca's answer.

Bianca, her mind filled with thoughts of her own proposal, hadn't felt the question coming in Marissa's nervousness and an unexpected answer escaped her lips.

"No." she gasped.

Marissa's face became a mask of horror.

"NO?! Was it too much? Is it too soon…?"

Bianca laughed.

"No…" she said, reaching out and helping Marissa to her feet. She then stood herself, holding Marissa's arm for stability. "No… I mean… Oh no, you got there first again…"

Bianca pulled the ring from her own pocket.

"…I was going to ask you."

Marissa looked from the ring to Bianca and let out a nervous laugh of her own.

"So that was a 'no' meaning yes?" Marissa asked, a worried edge still in her voice.

"That was a yes meaning yes." said Bianca.

"Yes?"

"Yes!"

Marissa grinned. She cupped Bianca's cheeks in her hands and pulled her lover close, kissing her fiercely.

"Don't scare me like that!" she said when she pulled away at last.

Gabby threw herself at her embracing mommies and hugged their legs. Everyone got up to congratulate them and applaud.

Miranda and AJ hugged each other excitedly and danced in a circle.

"We're going to be real twins!" AJ cried, his face filled with joy, and Miranda cheered right along with him.

"That is quite the Christmas present." said Kendal turning to Griffin and laughing in delight.

Jackson, who was sat between Erica and Krystal, patted the old rivals on the back.

"It looks like you are going to be in-laws after all." he said merrily.

Krystal looked to Erica and smiled tensely.

"If we can't be friends, can we at least stand to be civil?" she asked.

"I love my daughter." Erica said. "I think I bear even that to see her happy." Her words were harsh but she smiled as she spoke. "I can stand to be civil."

Bianca and Marissa pulled apart in the bustle of congratulations and clumsily exchanged rings.

"It fits perfectly." said Bianca as she turned the ring round on her finger to examine the stone. "And it was your mother's."

"Lydia's, yes."

"I shall treasure it."

Marissa smiled and examined the ring on her own finger.

"This looks old." she said.

"It was Mona… my grandmother's."

"It is beautiful… I will take good care if it too."

Bianca gazed into Marissa's hazel eyes and sighed. She then reached out and pulled the heart-shaped pendant Marissa wore, that had been hidden by the collar of her shirt.

"I know you will. You've already taken such good care of my heart."

Bianca sighed.

"You know how much I love, right?"

Marissa leaned in and kissed her again.

"I love you more…" she whispered.

…