Aria looked down at her hand. Her delicate fingers lay motionless, cradling a perfect little ring. A sweet sentiment of a love that had gone wrong many times. Traveled down numerous paths that it shouldn't have. Yet, a love that endured. A kind of romance that strengthened itself through sideways glances when they sat together on the park bench. The kind that tore down walls built of judgment and speculation, instead of building walls against each other.
This ring wasn't just a gift. Aria had earned this beautiful bauble. She had given all of herself to him, expecting nothing in return but his full heart and adoration.
And then they were here.
Here.
Looking this beautiful future of theirs, dead in the face.
She had never really given much thought to an engagement before, or even the ring for a matter of fact. Perhaps this was another product of their age gap. Ezra had been pondering about it for quite some time. Aria wasn't necessarily classic and traditional, yet he didn't feel daring enough to go alternative and fashion forward with a gem stone. So he had waited, and searched, and trusted his gut. And thought, a lot. Aria had given up so much for him, for them, to be together.
The ring jumped out at him in an antique shop. And for once, he wasn't even looking.
"Well, isn't that funny. That's how things always seem to go in life" Ezra thought to himself.
It was sitting in a red velvet box, waiting patiently to be seen. He had been walking past the sparsely filled counter on his way to the book section. Ezra often stopped here on his way home at night and checked for any new hidden gems. He had never had much luck, but the thrill of the search kept him returning. He had always been drawn to this store like a magnet, and maybe this was why. He was meant to find the most perfect little ring sitting in the back of the jewelery case, at just the right moment. How many times had he wandered on by it, never paying it any attention, and now it was calling to him.
After noticing the box and the ring inside, Ezra immediately took two steps back and shoved his face to the glass.
"Uh...Uh Hello. Excuse me? Is anyone around to open the case?" He slid his hands from his pockets and placed them on top of the display case, while still angling his face to get a better look at the ring. "Hello?" He bellowed again.
"Sorry sir. We normally don't have a lot of patrons on this end of the store. What can I help you with?"
The woman who approached him was middle aged, and didn't seem overly enthralled that anyone was shopping in the store to begin with.
"This ring. Right here. The one with the etching on it... Can I see it please?" He snatched it out of her hand before she had barely placed them on the counter.
"If I'm remembering correctly, this piece is made of 10 karat rose gold, and is considered to be an art deco style. It has raised prongs, with a quarter carat diamond in the center. And the engraving on the sides are hand done. This piece dates back to the late 20's I suppose," and she trailed off.
"This is a truly beautiful ring, but it's often overlooked here in the back. What's the occasion?" Ezra wasn't trying to ignore her. He spun the ring around in circles between his forefinger and thumb, and he rubbed the little diamond to try and make it shine. "Who is it for?" the clerk questioned again, finally breaking him of his concentration.
"Uh...en-engagement ring. I have been looking for an engagement ring for a long time now."
She smiled. "We don't get many men in here to purchase an engagement ring. We usually are more shopped for old kitchen tables or dolls... let me find my binder to make sure that the information I gave you is correct. It gets misplaced every now and then since it doesn't get used too often."
She milled around behind the counter, eventually pulling out a thin black binder with only several laminated pages inside.
"Ah yes...found it. It seems that everything I told you before is correct. The only additional thing that I missed is it's been sized down to a 6.5."
"I'll take it."
Ezra purchased the ring without giving it a second thought. He hadn't planned on buying Aria a second hand engagement ring. Or a second hand engagement ring with a diamond so small. Or a second hand engagement ring, with a small diamond, that was incredibly inexpensive. He had been saving for the past year and in his mind, had planned to purchase the biggest diamond he could afford. He loved her so much that she deserved to be showered in the finest of things. Ezra had always imagined breaking the news of his engagement to his mother, sliding Aria's hand across the dinner table with a massive diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller, yet equally large, diamonds around it.
And here he sat, staring at his impulsive purchase. Wondering if he made the right decision. A smile slowly slid across his face as the sun bounced off of the facets. Ezra placed the ring back in it's box and tucked it neatly back into his jacket pocket.
Aria and Ezra were not a normal couple. They did things their way. This was not a normal ring. It was beautiful, unique and understated. It was humble. Everything that Ezra believed their relationship to be. He just hoped that Aria wasn't disappointed when they didn't need to take an insurance policy out to cover the symbol of their undying devotion to each other.
