MY ROSEMARY II THEODORE NOTT

009.

There's a ring I would like to give to you. It was your great-great-grandmother's and was worn by your mother as well. Take good care of it and yourself,

with nothing else than best,

Mr Kane.

"That's sweet," said Inez, reading the letter over Rose's shoulder.

Rose grinned, placed her letter on the couch and opened the little box which contained the ring which Mr Kane mentioned in his letter.

"Whoah," chuckled Inez when she laid her eyes on the heirloom ring. "That's a nice ring."

It was a nice ring.

A silver ring with three small emeralds. You could tell by just looking at the ring that it wasn't a new one but Rose didn't mind that. It was a ring that has been passed over her biological mother's family for generations and while she didn't really feel anything towards the woman or the ones before her ― she was grateful to have something of theirs.

"It has a chain," said Rose when she took the ring from its box.

"Clever. You don't really like to wear rings," said Inez.

Rose grinned. "It's really pretty. I really wished he would had stayed for a little while."

"Yes well he isn't the best with timing now, is he? He missed Theo by like three minutes. I asked if he saw him on the street but he didn't," explained Inez, her eyes still admiring the ring.

"True. You know, I don't think Mr Kane has ever even met Theo," said Rose.

Mr Kane visits Rose about once a year ― when she was a child he visited her more often ― but other just that once. His visits always falls around Rose's birthday and every year he brings her a little present.

When Rose was three, it was a stuffed animal which she still has in her room.

When she was six, Mr Kane gave her a dollhouse.

But never has Mr Kane met Theo. There seemed to be some unluckiness in that department. Rose has told the older gentleman about Theo but their paths have never crossed.

"That's odd," commented Inez before leaving the couch once again.

Rose turned to look at her best friend who was pouring herself a cup of coffee. "It's not odd," said Rose. "And give me some caffeine."

Inez took out another cup. "Really? Because you've been with Theo for four years now and he has been in your life for five, yet Mr Kane has never met him."

"He's just bad with timing," shrugged Rose when Inez gave her the cup filled with her elixir of life ― caffeine. "Mums say that all the time. When I was a child, Mr Kane used to drop by during the strangest hours of the day."

"Yeah perhaps or then he just doesn't like to admit that little Rose has a boyfriend," grinned Inez.

"That could be it. Remember the way Jakob reacted when I told him about Theo?" Rose reminisced. "He grabbed Theo by his arm and had a long conversation with him."

Inez smirked. "Oh, that was a good day."

Rose chuckled at the memory ― Jakob was really something. He was like her uncle, a man who has known her Mimi for years. He was like her uncle, almost a father figure whenever Rose needed one.

The blonde girl was about to place her cup of coffee down on the side table when she flinched, drawing a deep breath in and nearly dropping her cup. She quickly stood up and handed her cup to Inez without a second thought. Inez frowned a little but soon realized what was going on.