She wears them like a promise. That’s what made the idea take root.
I didn’t want to give her something store-bought. It wouldn’t move her the way I needed it to. I wanted something that meant more. Thatwasmore. Something that would stay on her finger the way she stays under my skin.
So, I did something I never thought I would.
I called my mother.
Now, the sharp trill of my phone cuts through my thoughts. My mother’s name flashes across the screen.
I answer on the second ring.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Oh, darling. You’re working late again, aren’t you?”
Her voice is warm, amused, and oddly maternal in a way that still catches me off guard.
“I’m finalizing notes for the jeweler,” I admit. “I wanted everything settled before the end of the week.”
“You’re as meticulous as your father,” she says, but there’s affection beneath the comparison. “Have you decided which gem you’re going with?”
“Yes,” I say. “The ruby.”
She hums, pleased. “Good. I had a feeling you’d choose that one. It’s bold and timeless. Uncommon, in the best way. Like her.”
I pause, letting the silence stretch between us. I’m not used to this—this easy rhythm between us. This soft side of her.
“She’s going to love it,” she adds.
“I want it to be something she never wants to take off,” I say quietly. “Not because I told her to. Because shechoosesto.”
There’s a beat of silence before she says, “That’s lovely, Nathaniel. You’ve always been thoughtful, but I can tell how much this means to you.”
I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “It means everything to me.”
When she speaks again, her tone has shifted slightly—gentler now, almost hesitant. “I know there were—and still are—many things that I could have done better. I think we both know that. But helping you with this…it’s meant something to me. Thank you for letting me be part of it.”
It knocks something loose in me. A memory. A younger version of myself, watching them pour everything into Alexander—so much sharper, brighter, easier to love—while I existed in the periphery and learned to live off what scraps were left.
And yet here I am, asking her for help with the one thing I want to get right more than anything I’ve ever done. I wouldn’t be here if this weren’t for Olivia. The desire to create something worthy of her has forced open a door I thought I’d sealed years ago, and my mother has stepped through it without wounding me this time. For once, the past doesn’t feel like the only thing in the room.
“I’m glad it’s you,” I say. “Helping me. With her.”
My mother’s breath catches. “You really love her, don’t you?”
“I don’t remember anymore what it was like not to.”
She’s quiet again, then says softly, “You’re different with her.”
“I know.”
“Well,” she says, slipping back into lightness, “I’ve pulled a few personal diamonds from my own collection. Smaller stones. They’d be beautiful flanking the ruby, if you’d like. Consider it a gift.”
I’m not surprised, but I am…moved.
“Thank you,” I say simply. “For everything.”
“Of course, darling. By the way, I do hope you’ll make time for my birthday gala.”
