Page 80 of Ten Years and Then…
“That’s sweet. Just like you always are. But—God, this went so much easier in my head. I don’t want to do this, because once I do … then it’s goodbye.”
Daniel saw what she wasn’t saying. Her hand was halfway inside her purse, and her eyes were darting back and forth from him to it. She had something to give him.
She didn’t do it last night. Of course she didn’t. She didn’t want to upstage his gift to her.
“Nora, it’s all right,” he said gently. “We said it last night. You’ll always remember. I’ll never forget. Even if this is goodbye.”
She blinked again, but this time the tears came.
“You’re right. You’re always right. I have to do this now.”
She took a deep, shuddering breath, and a small velvet box from her purse, tied with a little blue bow. A jewelry box?
“Nora, you didn’t have to give me anything. You already gave me everything.”
But he took the box from her anyway, untied the ribbon, opened it.
“I had it made. Specially made. Just for you. For us, really. You’re just the one who’ll wear it.”
Inside was a necklace. The pendant was a silvery heart. But not silver. Platinum, maybe? Or white gold. Probably white gold, because it was an alloy—gold and something else, he couldn’t remember what, but fused together. Two things made into one.
Set on the heart, side by side, were two blue stones. A sapphire, her birthstone. And the other one … aquamarine. His.
“Like I said,” she whispered, barely able to speak. “For us. So you’ll always remember me. I’ll always be by your heart.” Her voice cracked. “I wanted you to always remember. Because I’ll always love you.”
He leaned over, kissed her. Her tears were on his face.
And then, so were his.
Nora, two minutes later
She finally stopped crying, and so did he. He was holding the necklace up to look at it more closely. The stones glittered in the sunlight exactly the way they should.
“It’s beautiful, Nora.” Daniel turned his back to her, and for an instant she was confused, but then she realized what he was doing. “Would you—please, would you put it on for me?”
She took it gingerly from his hand, draped it around his neck and closed the clasp. “There, let’s see.”
It sat there, maybe a couple of inches above his heart, and it looked perfect. Like it had always belonged around his neck.
“I can’t believe you did this, Nora. I mean—I do believe it, just … I don’t know how.”
Her fingers were still playing with the necklace. “I don’t think I ever mentioned my Uncle Bruce. He’s a jeweler. I drew the design myself, and he made it for me. I had to give you something. Something real. And symbolic, too, I guess.”
He took her hands in his. “It really is. And not just the stones, or even the heart. I love that you picked white gold. Two different metals, together into one new thing.”
What did he mean? White gold was an alloy, she knew that. Uncle Bruce would have thrown her out of his store if she didn’t know something as simple as that. But she’d never thought about what that really meant.
The tears started again, suddenly. She had to fight to make any words come out.
“I never—I mean it. I didn’t even think of that. And you did! I said it should be a symbol, and you made it even more of one.” Last night, she’d told herself she would make the promise, and ask for his, if she could hold her nerve. It was now, or never.
He started to speak, but she pressed her finger to his lips. Then she took a deep breath, and another, and wiped her tears away. “Daniel, I don’t know how to say this. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. I want us—I want to make you a promise. And then you make one to me.”
He was looking into her eyes, all the way into her heart. But as well as he knew her, she didn’t think he knew what she was asking.
“Say it, Nora. Whatever you’re thinking, you can say it.”
Now or never.
