True Gift (An Anya Maynard Novella)

Chapter Three

   “No, she’s good she’s already mat-” I elbowed Maddie as inconspicuously as possible and she corrected herself, “she’s already married.”

   The woman instantly dropped her eyes to my ring-less hand, “really? Are you having your rings sized?”

   I pulled my hand off the counter and stuffed it in my pocket to get it away from her assessing gaze.

   “Rings?” Maddie asked skeptically, “they give you more than one?”

   The woman looked to Maddie with an ‘I can’t believe you don’t know’ look, “of course. The diamond is just to hold his place. The band is what proves he’s honored his commitment.”

   Maddie rolled her eyes at the woman, “that’s so lame. What’s a stupid ring like that supposed mean about commitment?”

   The woman blinked a few times at Maddie’s quick dismissal of such a time honored tradition before turning back to me, “just…let me know if you change your mind.”

   I nodded to her with a tight smile and waited till she was out of sight to glare at Maddie.

   “What?” she asked at my expression, “what did I do?”

   “Being engaged is a huge deal to human woman,” I whispered harshly, “it’s a sense of pride and you just told that woman that her ideals were stupid.”

   “Well they are,” Maddie said as she leaned against the counter, to more glares from the sales girls, “it’s just a ring.”

   “To you,” I grumbled.

   From the corner of my eye I could see a grin creeping up Maddie’s face in realization, “it matters to you too doesn’t it? You want a ring.”

   “Yes…no,” I frowned, “believe me, I don’t doubt Connor’s love or commitment to me but…but it was how I was raised, as a human. Our bond might be enough for our kind but…not to everyone else. They can’t see how much he loves me, or how much I love him.”

   “So then buy him one of those place holder things.”

   I gave her a deadpan look, “that’s not how it works. The man proposes to the woman, not the other way around. And the diamonds are just for the woman, the man only gets a band.”

   “So then get him one of those, it’s not like you’ve bought him anything else for Christmas.”

   “Neither have you,” I argued, “I haven’t seen you buy anything that wasn’t for yourself.”

   But she just waved me off, “Christmas is your thing, not the Fae’s. We don’t do the ‘you’re only good enough for a gift once a year’ thing, we give gifts all year long…for no reason I might add.”

   “Oh,” I said in remiss, “well…sorry then.”

   “No biggie,” she shrugged, “I’m used to you and your cluelessness by now,” she grinned, “but seriously, if you’re not going to get him one of those commitment rings then what are you going to get Connor? Christmas is only a few days away…” 

   “I know,” I frowned and looked back to the platinum bands, “I’ve looked at everything but I can’t seem to find anything that could possibly translate how much I love him.”

   “What about yourself?” Maddie asked nonchalantly.

   I looked up to eye her again, “not this again Maddie.”

   “No, I’m serious.”

   I shook my head and walked away from her, meaning to check on how much longer the necklace would be, only to be stopped my Maddie as she grabbed my arm.