"Maybe we're just being too picky," Daniel suggested, his deep voice soothing in the midst of our frustration. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he watched Henry's search. "You know, it's not really about the ring. Alice loves you, and she'll be thrilled no matter what you give her."
"Of course, I know that," Henry replied, exasperated. "But I want to find something special, something that truly represents our love. Is that too much to ask?"
"No, of course not. Come on, there's one more store."
We headed across town and came to one of the smaller stores in Mystic Hollow. I’d actually never been in it, but I’d heard it was a good place to find antique rings. I just hoped my sources were right because otherwise we might have to look into ordering something online, which wouldn’t be nearly as special.
"Okay, brother. There's got to be something here that catches your eye," I said as we entered the fourth and final jewelry store in our small town.
"Maybe this will be the one," Daniel said, a hint of laughter in his face. "Fourth time's the charm, right?"
"Let's hope so," Henry said, his gaze flitting over the display cases, searching for that elusive treasure.
We wandered through the store, the soft clink of jewelry and hushed conversations creating an almost reverent atmosphere. The lights glinted off the various gemstones, casting tiny rainbows onto the walls. It was hypnotizing.
"Emma?" Henry said in a hushed tone. "I think I found it,"
"Really?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat as I crossed the room to join him. Daniel followed closely behind, a broad smile playing across his face.
"Look." Henry pointed to a ring nestled amongst the others in the case. "It's perfect."
As my gaze fell upon the ring, I couldn't help but agree. It was an exquisite piece, antique, and undeniably unique. The gold band was adorned with intricate flowers, each petal lovingly etched into the metal, giving the impression of a blossoming garden wrapped around Alice's finger. Nestled between the blooms were tiny diamonds, glittering like dewdrops on a summer morning. The overall effect was both delicate and enchanting, much like Alice herself.
"Henry, you're right," I said, unable to tear my gaze away from the ring. "It's absolutely beautiful. I think she'll love it."
"See, I told you we'd find something," Daniel said, clapping Henry on the back. "Wasn't it worth the wait?"
"Definitely," Henry agreed, his face lighting up with relief and elation. "I can't wait to see Alice's face when I give her this."
"Me neither." It was going to be wonderful.
The jeweler finished removing the ring from its case and handed it to Henry, who stared at it like he was holding a piece of the moon itself. The room held its breath along with us, all attention on the delicate masterpiece in his hands.
“What size is it?” Henry asked.
“Six,” the man told him, adjusting his glasses as he stared down at the ring in my brother’s hand.
“It’s her size!” Henry exclaimed, then turned back to the man. “I think I want it.”
"Ahem," the jeweler cleared his throat, breaking the spell. "Now, about the price..."
"Right," Henry looked up with a hopeful expression. "How much for this one?"
The jeweler hesitated for a moment before revealing the amount, which caused Henry's face to pale considerably. "That's a lot." Henry considered the ring again.
I shot him a look. “Can I?”
Henry nodded.
I turned to the salesman. “The ring is beautiful, but we’ve seen ones we liked at Diamond in the Rough and Jewels are A Girl’s Best Friend. I think if you can get it down another thirty percent, we’d be open to buying it.”
“Thirty percent?” His brows rose. “No, I couldn’t do that. Let me see what I could do though.” Henry seemed to be holding his breath as he looked between me and the salesman as he scribbled away on a notepad. “I can go down fifteen percent.”
“Twenty and we have a deal,” I said, then nudged Henry, who reluctantly stuck his hand out.
After a tense moment, the salesman took his hand. “Twenty percent.”
Henry turned to me and grinned, but he didn’t have to say anything. This was the ring, and he’d gotten it for a good bargain. My job here was done.
