Since she confessed the same.
It was one year, four months, and twenty-seven days since they made love together for the very first time.
Since his world was completely changed because of it.
Since he started to feel whole again.
Since he started toliveagain.
Theo knew because he’d been counting the days.
It was oneyear, four months, and three weeks since Theo met up with his mother for their first joint therapy session. When she arrived and sat with him in the waiting room while Amelia finished up with another patient, she took a little dark green velvet box out of her purse and set it gently on the arm of his chair.
“Here you go. Nana’s ring, as requested.”
When he opened it up, his heart leapt into his throat.
There it was: his grandmother’s ring, a beautiful antique emerald cut in the shape of its name, set in a band of smooth, delicate yellow gold and surrounded by a halo of small baguette-cut diamonds in an art deco style. It looked like a starburst.
It looked like Audrey.
“Thanks, Mom.” He snapped the box shut and tucked it into his interior jacket pocket for safekeeping. He was glad she followed through. It was what he’d asked for, written on the back of Amelia’s business card he gave her the day he went to her office:
I want Nana’s ring, the antique emerald one from the 30s.
I’m going to ask Audrey to marry me.
She’s the one.
“Are you sure, Theo?”
He glanced at his mother out of the corner of his eye. She hadn’t said it with judgment—only curiosity.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t ask me for a ring for Kendra. You bought hers,” she pointed out.
Theo heaved a deep sigh. “Well, she never ended up finding out I even got her one, did she? And honestly, that should have been an indication. If it was real, I would have asked you. I was an idiot. I’m glad I could return it.”
“You were young.” Eleanor reached over and took his hand. He looked down at it, but didn’t stop her. She was here, after all. That meant something. “You’restillyoung. And so is she.”
“I’m not that young.” And neither was she. Theo hadn’t reallylookedat his mother in a long time. The sight of how small his mother’s hand was against his—and how much older it seemed, how much more frail she was now than when he’d last thought about it—made him ache.
Kid, she’s not gonna be around forever, you know.
Someday, I’ll have to come get her.
You need to take care of her until then.
I still love her a whole helluva lot.
I always have, and I always will.
Someday, she’d leave him for good.
Someday, he’d lose her too.
He turned his hand over and gently squeezed her palm.
