A Step Forward?

“If you can’t afford to get me that ring,” her voice rising, face tight, eyes focused.

“You can’t afford to have me!”

Her words rung in his ears. They echoed for a week. He had to stop those words. He had to get that ring.

He strode down the sidewalk of the quaint downtown with purpose. His dark hair flipped as he turned the corner and caught a gust of wind. Looking down the street, there were flower barrels on the corner, benches along the way, and halfway down on his left hung a dark brown sign with gold letters reading, “Stern Family Jewelers”.

He slowed up. Stepped aside. Zippering his jacked a bit higher, hands trembling, and his heart pounded. It was cool. He was perspiring.

Those words still rang loud. He thought of all the things she wanted. He considered everything he wanted to give and couldn’t right now. He would do it anyway. He’d make her happy now and figure out how to make everything else work afterwards.

Did she deserve better? Yes, but he couldn’t imagine her not with him.

He continued toward Stern’s. There weren’t too many people. It was a quiet town. He walked up and pulled on the handle. A little bell above the door rang. He stepped inside.

It was a long and narrow room with dark wood throughout and a tiled floor. Along each side were glass cases filled with jewelry. Despite the dark wood, the room was well lit from within the cases and from above.

The man walked forward. An older man stepped in from a back room.

“Good afternoon,” the older man said. His voice was pleasant and welcoming. “I’m Jacob, what can I help you with today?” he said.

“Hi,” the man said. His heart was pounding and hoping it wouldn’t show as he approached Jacob. “I’m looking for an engagement ring.”

His voice trembled a bit, something Jacob was all too familiar with. A young man, girl of his dreams, looking to buy the biggest gift he’d ever give.

Jacob knew most of the families in town and they only came to his store based on his reputation for quality.

This nervous young man didn’t seem familiar.

“Did you know what type of ring you’d like?” Jacob asked.

“She’d like a white gold or platinum band, more traditional, than not.”

“Well, we should start over here,” Jacob said. “Did you have a budget in mind?”

Jacob knew this always bothered people, but it was no use showing a ring that was far beyond their means. The man looked up. He had brown eyes, sad eyes, Jacob thought. No, maybe more desperate than sad.

“I was thinking maybe around four or five thousand,” he said. “Do you think I could get her something special for that?”

“We should be able to find something very nice for her,” Jacob said in a reassuring manner. He unlocked a case and pulled out a tray. He set the tray to the side of his register. It was a beautiful wooden box with black velvet holding nearly thirty rings in four rows.

They sparkled. Dazzled.

“They’re beautiful.” He stared at them.

Jacob smiled, “yes they are. You can touch them. Hold them up to the light and if you look close enough you can see an angel dancing as if on the head of a pin.”

The man reached for one toward the middle and pinched it between his thumb and forefinger. The velvet held the ring in place for a moment and then gave in to the pull.

He looked down at it. Held it up to the light. The diamond was captivating, but so too were the one’s surrounding it. He lowered the ring and looked at Jacob. There were no prices on the rings.

“This one may be a bit too much,” he said. “She wants something nice, but not over the top.”

“Ok, that one may be too much, but there are some with a single diamond flanked by a few baguettes. Very nice, but more understated.”

Jacob had been through this dance before. The man wanted the best, but the cost became prohibitive.

“I’d suggest you take a look at some more then pick three or four and we can compare those against one another instead of the entire tray.” Jacob said.

The man nodded. He began looking again. Taking one and setting it back and then another.

Jacob watched.

The bell above the door rang. Jacob looked up. The man turned. A woman in her early thirties entered and walked to the counter.

“Hi Jacob,” she said with a smile.

“Good afternoon, Karen.” He replied.

She approached the counter and Jacob turned reaching for a few small boxes. As he turned back, the man lifted the box of diamonds and moved it to the side so Jacob could set the boxes on the counter next to the register.

“Thank you,” Jacob said.

The man nodded. He reached in his pocket and pulled out an inhaler. He took two big puffs and settled himself, returning the inhaler to his pocket. He looked at Jacob and smiled slightly. Then went back to looking at the rings.

Jacob turned most of his attention to Karen and opened each box for her to see. “They cleaned up nicely,” he said.

The man glanced over at them, but soon turned back to the diamonds in front of him. He continued to pull them out and put them back.

As he put the last one back, he looked at Jacob and said, “These are all very nice. I think these on the end,” he pointed at three nearest him on his left side, “would be the style she’d really like.”

Jacob looked, taking notice of their position.

“I appreciate your time,” the man said. “I’ll be back next week. I get paid on Thursday.”

He smiled and Jacob smiled back.

The man turned to leave and as he walked to the door Jacob finished up with Karen closing the boxes and bagging them for her.

The bell above the door rang as the man left. Jacob handed the bag to Karen. He then looked at the box and realized the first diamond ring the man had looked at was missing.

Jacob dashed between the cases. He was quicker than one might think, “excuse me Karen,” he said as he passed her and went through the door.

He looked right and saw the man.

“Excuse me sir!” He called after him.

The man turned and saw Jacob. He looked panicked.

“Yes?” the man said.

“Could you come back to the store? It appears one of the rings is missing, I only looked quickly, but would rather we look together, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” the man said and walked toward Jacob.

Jacob took this as a good sign. He approached Jacob much as he had entered the store, a bit uncertain, but willing himself forward.

The two went back into the store. The box remained on the case.

Jacob said, “I didn’t mean to alarm you, but I didn’t see the first ring you looked at.”

“It must be there,” the man said nervously. He was perspiring again.

“Let’s see,” Jacob said. From the other side of the case, where the man had been standing, he saw the ring on the counter. It was partially covered by the box, but the diamond stuck out and laid against the glass top.

Jacob took it in his hand and looked intently at it. Then lowered it and looked at the man.

“Sorry to have bothered you,” Jacob said. “I hadn’t seen it there from behind the counter.”

“No problem,” the man said. “Thanks again, I’ll see you next week.”

“Have a good rest of the afternoon,” Jacob said.

The man nodded and walked out of the store again, the bell rang as he did so.

He walked back the way he had come and tried to pace himself. Placing his right hand into his pocket he felt his inhaler and alongside it was the solitaire ring he wanted so badly to give to her.


In his apartment, he held the ring in his fingers. It sparkled. It dazzled. Jacob was right, he could see an angel dancing on its top in the light. He put it back in the box that came with the ring he had left behind.

His thoughts drifted. They were conflicted. He never imagined he could have tried something like this, but he did it. He didn’t get caught. He was safe. He had proved he’d do anything for her.

Was this how their life together should begin? It wasn’t the beginning, he told himself. It was a new step. A step forward. A step toward what they wanted to have together.

Together.

Now all he had to do was get down on one knee, propose to her and hear her say yes.



Word Count: 1493