Seven

Chapter 41

Evangelina.

This is my mother's jewellery box and her jewellery. The realisation has the box slipping from my fingers in shock. I have not seen nor heard my mothers name in a very, very long time. And to be holding something that belonged to her, that she herself had held is quite emotional. I take a better hold of the box so as not to drop it completely on the floor and instead sit it on my coffee table to stare at it.

My nose runs and I wipe it with the heel of my palm. I had not even realised that I'd started crying again. Between my grandmothers things and finding my mother's jewellery box, this has been more emotional than I had anticipated and I definitely won't be opening any of the other boxes tonight. I pinch my mother's ring between my fingers and realise this and the matching larger gold band must be my parents wedding rings. This has me crying in fits and I toss the rings back into the box and close the lid on the shiny jewels.

My knees come to my chest and I wrap my arms around them, hugging myself as I rock soothingly on the floor while I cry. I haven't cried like this for some time. Right when my grandmother passed I cried like this many times a day, it would drain me of all my energy but this cry is somewhat therapeutic. I've never properly grieved for my parents, I don't remember them enough to do it. There are no memories of them for me to dwell on, no specific mannerisms that remind me of them. I grew up with only a dull sadness when thinking of my parents. Mourning only what could have been, not what once was. But seeing something like their rings just hits a little harder. They had a life, they were in love and married. They were real.

I hold myself and wonder what life was like for them. How they may have met, when they first told each other they were in love, their wedding day, finding out about me. My birth. I wonder a lot about what they would be like now, how old they'd be, what their careers would be, the house they'd have that I'd be able to go home to during breaks at University like everyone else. I don't know how long I've been on the floor of my living room for when my phone buzzes. It's a text from Seven, telling me he's on his way to pick me up. I'd almost forgotten of our plans to go out for dinner and of me to stay at his home again. I suppose I should pack my overnight bag and shower the dried tears off my face.

I feel a lot better emotionally after my little break down and a hot shower. In fact when I change I decide on wearing my mother's earrings with my outfit. Whatever that outfit may be. Seven hasn't said where he's wanting to go for dinner so I'm not sure what to wear. My make up is done, my hair is tamed and so I sit on the living room floor in my underwear and my mother's gold hooped earrings and flip through old grainy photos of my grandmother when she was my age with people I don't know.

A heavy knock drums against my door signalling Seven's arrival and I close the photo album and skip excitedly to the door. I unlock my three locks before opening the door for him.

And there he is.

I swallow heavily so I don't drool. Seven is standing at my front door, his usual messy hair brushed back and tamed off his face. A light blue collared dress shirt is buttoned to the top and secured by black tie. A thin checkered brown and white full suit on; slacks, jacket and waistcoat all matching. His usual gold rings adorning his fingers that clutch a white box. For a moment I think it's a pizza box but it's a little deeper than that.