Offer To The CEO

Friday, continued …

"Sir, that is our decision on how we will support each other. Alecia is highly intelligent, and while she is coming to Australia with my so I can finish my degree …"

"Business I hope?"

"Actualy no, I am studying .."

"You are going to be a lawyer like your sister."

"Grandfather Yao, no. I am studying to be a nurse."

"Men are not nurses, that is a woman's job."

"Grandfather Yao, nursing is a profession, as much as being a doctor is. It is about caring for people and supporting them in dealing with their health."

"But that will not support my granddaughter." In a much louder voice he demanded "Tan get here now. How dare you let this …"

"Fahter calm down. Alecia and I hae debate this, and he is her choice. Let it be."

"Well you and I …"

"Father, no we will not be debating it. Once James finishes his degree they are coming back here and Alecia will join the company on a part-time basis while studying for her degree. As to financial support you know the money you gave them for their sixteenth birthday she apparently has tripled it in six months, so financially they will be fine."

As Yao Tan finished giving information to his father, Alecia came back over and glared at her grandfather, as if to say, stop bullying my fiancé.

Meanwhile, standing to the side watching everything was Hou Yi and Anna, reflecting on their last time they were here, and they obtained their own marriage certificate. Hou Yi looked down at his wife, who despite beign slightly uncomfortable standing on her crutches was happy to be here.

"Anna, sweetheart how much has changed since we were last here?"

"Yi, darling, there has been such a dramatic shift. We left here with unusual expectations and come back here realising how we really feel about each other and with our life ahead of us."

With that Hou Yi leaned down and gave Anna a kiss, but it was soon interrupted by the children yelling out. "Ewww. Uncle Yi, Aunty Anna, we do not need to see that."

Pippa then piped up "Well, I suppose it is no different to what we see all our parents do." Rosemary and Rebecca could not contain themselves and started to laugh.

Hou Yi looked at his watch and realised that they were just about at the time for the booking, and called out in English "Come on everyone, we need to get moving." With that everyone started to head towards the entrance for the Civil Administration Bureau.

Once inside, James and Anna, with Hou Yi and Yao Tan went up and confirmed their appointment. Rather than into a small office, everyone was shown into a larger room where there was seating for 30 to watch for formal process for James and Alecia to obtain their wedding certificate.

Anna, on entering took a seat at the back of the room and Hou Yi slipped into the chair beside her. While everyone else was entering the room Anna rested her head on Hou Yi's shoulder while waiting for the whole process to start.

Due to James only speaking English, the process was done in both languages. As the official started to drone on, Anna turned to Hou Yi and said quietly "Was our ceremony like this?"

Hou Yi whisphered into Anna's ear "It was, but the outcome …"

"Ended up being so much more than either of us expected" Anna whispered in finishing the comment.

As the process went on, the Lawyer in Anna found it fascinating. How it process went on to ensure that they laws were complied with. None of that sank in when she and Hou Yi obtained their marriage certificate or the times subsequent to that where she had watched the process.

It was different to the process in Australia where people had to filing their notice of intent to marry through to their ceremony religious or civil, and in the location that they wanted. Here the legalities were all performed in a government office with the wedding ceremony being about fun, family and friends, without the stress of legalities.

As Anna looked at James and Alecia during the process they both appeared to be so consumed with the it. For them it was a momentus occasion that was appearing to consume all their thoughts. Who would ever have thought James, would have changed from the person he was even at Christmas just past. All he wanted to do, was to go out and party with his friends. Now, he found something that was more important than anything to him.