Page 165 of If You Say So

She nodded her head without saying a word.

“I thought about getting you a new diamond ring,” I said softly, finally showing her the top side of the ring. “But I didn’t think that was good enough.” I slipped the ring on her finger, my eyes on how well it fit there. How great it made me feel. “So, I stole the one that I gave you before. Had the

jeweler do some creative designing with it.”

She smacked me on the arm, causing me to laugh.

“No, you didn’t lose it, baby,” I apologized. “I’m sorry about lying to you.”

She stared down at the ring now, her tears no longer unshed.

They were trailing down her face at a rapid pace.

I watched her study the ring, and her breath hitched.

“How…” She licked her lips. “Baby, it’s beautiful. But why the black diamond?”

I touched the ring with my thumb.

On one side of the ring, there were her old diamonds. It had a princess cut half-carat diamond

with three smaller diamonds on the band. Which was how her old ring looked. On the new part of the

ring was a black diamond sitting next to the old princess cut. Same cut. Same shape. Same everything.

Only black instead. On the other side were three smaller black diamonds embedded in the band.

The new me, and the old me.

That night, as she lay in my arms, I knew that my life from this point forward would only get better and better.

Epilogue

Some days just aren’t worth a bra.

-Frankie’s secret thoughts

Frankie

One year later

“So, Dr. Francesca Solomon…” I held up my hand to stop the woman interviewing me.

“It’s Maldonado now.” I grinned. “We were married last weekend.”

The woman interviewing me, who just so happened to be the mother of Piper, as well as my new

mother-in-law’s best friend, grinned at me.

“I actually knew that.” She shook her head. “I forgot, though.”

I smiled. “It’s still so weird signing my name. I hate to tell you, after all these years signing

Solomon, it’s going to take some getting used to.”

Cheyenne Mackenzie smiled.

“Okay, Dr. Maldonado. Tell me a little about yourself,” she said.

---