That’s when I see it.
The shimmering glint of blue that reminds me of Faye’s eyes.
Needing a closer look, I step toward the window, and I’m instantly transported to that day all those years ago, when everything about my feelings for Faye changed.
We were in Seattle, heading to a concert, and something in a shop nearby had caught her attention. Since we were holding hands, I abruptly stopped alongside her.
“What are we stopping for?” I innocently asked.
“Look at that blue sapphire,” she gasped in awe. “It’s gorgeous.”
Glancing from the ring to her, I remember thinking, Not nearly as gorgeous as you. But instead, I said something along the lines of, “It’s almost the color of your eyes.”
“Someday… when I get engaged,” she’d whispered in awe, “I want a ring like that.”
“Uh… Don’t most girls want diamonds?” I’d teased.
“That’s what makes this special, Mark. Not only is it my birthstone, but it would show me the man who wants to spend the rest of my life with me knows the real me. One of the only gifts I remember from my grandmother is a pair of blue sapphire earrings, in this exact shade. They are my most prized possession.”
“Really?”
“Yes, before she passed, she brought me into her bedroom one day, and we were looking at her jewelry. My grandfather loved to surprise her with gifts from time to time. After she laid them all out for me to see, she asked which one was my favorite.”
Sighing heavily, she placed her free hand over her heart. “I remember there was a diamond necklace and earrings, and a few other gemstones on various matching sets. But the one that stood out was the pair of blue sapphire earrings.”
“Did she give them to you that day?”
“No, I didn’t know it at the time, but it was her way of setting up her will. She let me wear those earrings at my eighth-grade graduation. Then, when she passed about a year later, she gifted them to me, along with a letter I’ll always cherish.”
“Wow,” I said, speechless.
“A ring like this would match perfectly with my earrings.” She’d sighed heavily. “I want something to represent my past, present, and future with my future husband. That’s why a traditional wedding band will never work.”
When I’m bumped from behind, I’m brought back to the present.
For the longest time, I stare at the vintage white gold ring in the display case. A large radiant-cut blue sapphire is set in the center, with two smaller diamonds flanking each side.
Faye and I most certainly have a past.
She’s occupying nearly every thought of my present.
After reconnecting, I hope like hell we have a future together.
“Yo, buddy, you goin’ in or out?” An impatient man stands to my left, hoping to enter the door I’m blocking.
Glancing once more to the ring in front of me, then up to the sky for guidance, I make a split decision.
One I hope I don’t live to regret.
It’s late when I finally feel I’m at a stopping point with this project. As I shut down my computer, I stand and stretch my aching limbs. Taking off my glasses, I rub at my dry eyes and head to my room to change into pajamas.
When I finally pick up my phone, I see there are several missed messages.
One from my mom, just checking in.
I’ll call her back in the morning.
Another from a client, asking to set up a meeting later next week.
