Reese wondered the best approach.
Should he buy flowers? Or is that trying to hard? He stopped outside the bookstore, peering in through the large glass windows. He could see why Finch would like this place. It had an old-fashioned look to it. Reese imagined the smell of old books, like it was at the library and suddenly pictured Finch, sad and alone, looking for a place that felt as safe as his library.
Reese doubled back, giving himself time to think and get a small gift for Finch.
He had no idea what he would say to convince him to come back to the library, but he needed some small token to let Finch know he wasn't mad. And then, more importantly, he needed to tell Finch his true feelings.
As soon as Reese caught sight of an antique store, he ran across the street, not wanting to spend too much time in this store. The door jingled when he pushed it open and the smell of polished metal and leather rushed to his nose. A friendly-looking older man smiled from behind a wooden counter.
"Can I help you with anything…?" The man asked; the creases around his crooked smile showing his age.
"Actually, I'm looking for something for my friend. He's an old book collector and I want to give him a great gift. Although…" Reese paused, "Money is a bit of an issue…"
The clerk almost looked apologetic.
"I might have just the thing…"
He left Reese to wait in the shop and headed back behind an old green velvety curtain. Reese took in the small room and strolled around, admiring old clocks, wooden chests and strange metallic objects of unknown uses. When the clerk resurfaced, he was holding an old cherry wood box and slowly looped around to Reese's side of the counter.
"This…" The man began, popping the lid open like an engagement box, "…Is an old 1867 Waltham. Pretty rare…"
Reese turned to see a pocket watch in the box and the clerk pulled it out, the gold chain shimmering with the declining sunlight streaking through the window, and handed it to Reese. He turned it over in his hands—it was beautiful, old and mysterious.
Perfect for Finch…"It belonged to a Union soldier who left his high school sweetheart from the south behind. She was then due to marry some rich fellow because her parents didn't approve of her dating a soldier, particularly a man from the north. While fighting he met a nurse in the war and was engaged-to be married before she was killed from a cannon explosion. When he came back to New York, it turns out his high school sweetheart never married the man and left her family behind to start life in New York. She cut her hair and pretended to be a man to get a job in the city. When the soldier came home, he needed to find work and ended up at the same factory as his old girl. When she realized who he was, she revealed herself to him and they were finally reunited. They married not long after and lived happily for the rest of their lives."
Reese smiled at the similarity of this story with his but doubted this man told stories often when selling his merchandise.
"You know why I am telling you this story?" The clerk asked after a moment.
Reese tilted his head to the side in anticipation.
"You remind me of him: loyal, kind-hearted, would spend all their money on someone you care about…soldier… " He paused for effect.
"How did you know?" Reese put the watch back in the box.
"You have presence like a soldier."
"I also said spend all your money on them. If you come into an antique store but money is tight, I suppose you'd be spending all of your money." The clerk continued, with a knowing nod.
Reese shrugged apologetically.
"'Suppose so."
The clerk closed the box and handed it to Reese.
"How much for it…?" Reese asked.
"Probably too much for you, but you'd still buy it, wouldn't you?"
Reese was puzzled but he ran his thumb over the intricate woodwork on the top.
"Yes, probably…" he replied with a sigh.
"Then it's free. No charge for you, sir," The clerk replied, heading back around the counter.
"Um…what do you mean, Mr.…?"
"Wilbur, I haven't been called 'Mr.' in a long time."
"Wilbur, how much do I owe you…?" Reese asked, leaning over the counter.
Wilbur smiled.
"I already told you, it's free."
"Why?" Reese took a step back, "If this has a story like that, it has to be worth a lot of money."
"The soldier I told you about…? He is an old ancestor." Wilbur grinned even wider.
Reese's eyes widened and he looked down at the box in his hands.
"I never really had plans to sell it, but I didn't have much use for it. So I decided, when the right person came along for the right reasons, I would give it as a gift. If not for this story, I wouldn't have been born. You remind me so much of dear old James and I hope you find happiness just as he did. Please…" He gestured to the box, "…Please take it."
Reese smiled and shook Wilbur's hand.
"If you ever need anything…" Reese began as he pulled out a card, "Don't hesitate to call."
On the way back to the bookstore, he couldn't help feel as though he got the perfect gift.
Reese was busy staring at the box in his hand that he almost ran into a man exiting the bookstore.
"Oh, sorry sir-"
Reese stepped back and saw Finch, sheet-white and wide-eyed and they both almost dropped the antiques they held in their hands.