Page 84 of Worth the Fall

He shrugs. "Just saying, maybe we should let the expert pick. Clearly, she knows what she’s doing."

"Obviously," Felicity chimes in, flipping one of her curls over her shoulder like she’s got years of ring-buying experience under her belt.

I glance at Becca for backup, and she smirks. "Actually," she says, leaning down to give Felicity a high five, "I think she’s onto something. Hearts are meaningful."

"See?" Felicity says, beaming with triumph as she hops to another display case. "I’m really good at this."

For the next fifteen minutes, Felicity transforms into a pint-sized jewelry consultant. She circles the cases with all the gravity of someone making life-altering decisions, pausing every sooften to press her nose to the glass and declare, "Nope. Not the one."

At one point, she insists on trying on a display ring and holds it up to the light with a critical eye. "This one’s okay," she says with a shrug, "but it’s not special enough for Mia."

"Exactly," I say, relieved that she’s starting to understand.

"But I’ll keep it for me," she adds, slipping the ring back into the jeweler’s hand with an air of royalty. "When I’m old enough to get married, of course."

Becca chuckles. "Ambitious. I like it."

Hector, meanwhile, has discovered the free candy near the entrance and is happily munching on peppermints like he’s here for a casual afternoon outing. "Man," he says, between crunches, "this kid is putting more thought into this than you are."

"She doesn’t have twelve years of baggage making her second-guess every decision," I shoot back, earning a sympathetic glance from Becca and a playful nudge from Felicity.

"Daddy," she says, tugging on my sleeve. "You don’t have to be nervous. Mia’s gonna say yes. She loves you!"

My chest tightens at her words, and I kneel down to pull her into a hug. "Thanks, princess. That means a lot."

"Okay, okay," Hector says, clapping his hands. "Enough of the emotional dad stuff. Let’s find this ring before Felicity starts planning her own wedding."

Eventually, we land in front of a display of vintage-inspired rings. One in particular catches my eye—a delicate band with a single diamond, framed by smaller stones in an elegant, understated setting.

The moment I see it, something clicks. It’s not flashy nor over-the-top, but there’s a timeless beauty to it that feels exactly like Mia.

"What about this one?" I ask, pointing to it.

Felicity leans in close, her nose practically smudging the glass. "Hmm," she says, her tiny finger tapping her chin again. After a long pause, she nods solemnly. "This one’s good. Like… really good."

Becca peers over my shoulder, her eyes lighting up. "Miguel, that’s it. That’s so Mia."

Even Hector, who’s been cracking jokes all morning, goes quiet for a moment. "Yeah," he says, his voice softer than usual. "That’s the one, man."

I glance at the jeweler, who’s already smiling as she carefully lifts the ring from the case. "It’s a lovely choice," she says, placing it in my hand.

I turn it over gently, the weight of it grounding me. For the first time all morning, the nerves start to settle. This is it. This is Mia.

"Daddy," Felicity whispers, tugging on my sleeve. "Can I hold it?"

I kneel down and place the ring in her small hands, watching as her eyes widen. "Wow," she breathes. "Mia’s gonna love it. I just know it."

As we leave the store, Felicity skips ahead, humming a made-up tune about "Mia and Daddy getting married." Becca hangs back with me, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder.

"You okay?" she asks softly.

I glance at Felicity, who’s now trying to convince Hector to let her carry the bag. "Yeah," I say, smiling. "I’m good."

Becca nudges me with her elbow. "You’re more than good, Miguel. This is gonna be amazing."

I watch as Hector finally relents, handing Felicity the bag and grinning as she holds it up like a trophy. For a moment, all the doubts and baggage fade away, replaced by something I haven’t felt in years—hope.

"Yeah," I say, my voice steady. "It is."

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