It was almost noon as Brennan strode purposefully down the steps of the Jeffersonian and toward the nearby shady park where she was supposed to meet Booth for lunch. The middle of May had the park blooming with fuchsia azaleas, pale pink dogwoods, and fluffy white pear trees. The perennial flowers were at their peak, making the park a beautiful place to enjoy a sandwich and some shared time with her husband.

Brennan had decided to leave work slightly early, hoping to walk a few laps of the trail that circled the park before Booth arrived at the park from work. Even though she had been well aware of the changes her body had undergone during her pregnancy with Hank, she was somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that she was still carrying a bit of leftover baby weight. Of course, Booth, being the loving husband that he was, always insisted that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, extra weight or not, but she was determined to drop the last few stubborn pounds, and she knew that she'd benefit from the exercise. The blossoming trees in the park provided a shady canopy on the trail, so it was a pleasant place to take a brisk stroll before enjoying her meal.

As she walked past a secluded park bench, she stopped suddenly as she heard a familiar voice. Looking in the direction of the sound, she was surprised to see Booth sitting there. Thinking he had arrived early, she started walking toward the bench until she realized he wasn't alone.

Sitting on the bench next to Booth was a young, very attractive blonde woman whom Brennan had never seen before. The woman giggled softly as she brushed her hair off her shoulder and smiled coquettishly at Booth, who naturally seemed to be enjoying the attention the young woman was giving him. They seemed to be sharing some sort of joke between them as they leaned toward each other, laughing and talking animatedly.

Brennan hesitated, trying to decide what to do. On one hand, she trusted Booth completely, knowing that he loved her and was faithful to her. On the other hand, it seemed to be somewhat suspicious for her husband to have this sort of apparently secret meeting with such an attractive young woman. Brennan finally shook off her suspicious thoughts as she walked toward the bench where she was supposed to meet Booth. For all she knew the woman was a new FBI agent that Booth was supposed to mentor. Still, it was a surprise that he hadn't mentioned it...

Trying not to let her doubts get the best of her, Brennan patiently waited on the appointed park bench for her husband, who joined her a few minutes later than they had originally planned. Booth seemed slightly breathless, apologizing for his tardiness by saying he'd been detained at work. She waited for him to mention his previous companion, but he said nothing about talking to the young woman before he met his wife. Because she didn't want him to think she was spying on him, Brennan chose not to mention that she had seen him in another part of the park. Surely he'd tell her about it if it was important. Brennan decided not to worry about the situation, knowing there must be a logical explanation. The woman was probably just an old friend, or perhaps the wife or girlfriend of an old Army buddy. She knew there really was nothing to be concerned about…

But try as she might over the next week or two, Brennan couldn't get away from her nagging doubts. She scolded herself as she tried to think through the situation rationally. Booth was a loving husband and an exceptional father. He'd never given her reason to doubt him once they had committed themselves to a monogamous relationship. She knew he loved her deeply in spite of any flaws she might have. Logically, it was ridiculous to think that he was seeing another woman in any sort of romantic relationship. Of course, it didn't help matters that the woman she'd seen him with was a beautiful blonde like many of his previous girlfriends, and it didn't help matters that he'd never mentioned anything about the meeting with this woman to his wife. Brennan sighed as she looked into the full length mirror, running her hands down her hips. Maybe Booth was disappointed in her appearance since Hank's birth. She wasn't the youthful woman with the slender figure he'd met all those years ago...maybe he regretted marrying her...

Annoyed with herself for being distrustful of her husband, Brennan finally decided to simply ask Booth about the woman he'd met in the park. Communication was the key to a good relationship, and she was certain that this was all a simple misunderstanding. She resolved to discuss the irritating little issue with him after dinner that evening.

Oooooooooo

The dinner dishes were done, the children were in bed, and now it was time for Brennan and Booth to spend a few quiet hours reconnecting after their hectic day at work. They found themselves in their usual spot, curled up together on the sofa, enjoying their closeness as they sipped their drinks. Sometimes they didn't even need to talk...they could just sit quietly together, and that would be enough. This evening, however, Booth seemed slightly nervous, causing Brennan some disquiet. She sat expectantly next to him, wondering what had made him uncomfortable.

"So, Bones, our anniversary is coming up soon…" he began. "...and I wanted to get you something really special…"

"That's not necessary, Booth. I don't need a gift to commemorate our wedding…"

"Yeah, well...I think it is necessary. I was thinking about what a lucky guy I am, you know? I'm the luckiest guy in the world, and it's all because of you, so I wanted to get you something really special that tells you how I feel about you." He produced a small jewelry box from his pocket. "I hope you like it. I'm kinda nervous about it, because I had it made especially for you..." He kissed Brennan gently and then handed her the box. "Happy Anniversary, Bones. I know it's not our anniversary yet, but I couldn't wait any longer..."

She smiled happily as she opened the box. Inside was a small glittering pendant on a fine gold chain. It was a flat golden circle inlaid with five small gemstones in different colors spaced at intervals around the curved surface. "Booth...it's beautiful…"

He grinned as he explained the significance of the design. "It's kind of like one of those mother's rings, but I like this design better. The circle stands for our family, and each one of the stones stands for one of us...those are our birthstones. See, there's you, me, Parker, Christine, and Hank." He winked at Brennan. "The woman who helped me design it said that we could leave room in case we had more kids...there's plenty of space to add more birthstones if we ever do have more kids…"

Brennan chuckled softly as she tried on her new necklace. "I don't think we'll have to worry about that, Booth, but I'm glad you planned ahead. Did you really design this necklace?"

"Well, I had some help. That's why I was late meeting you for lunch the other day. I'd met with the designer at the park before you got there. She works out of her home instead of a shop, so she wanted to meet me in a public place."

Smiling, Brennan nodded as she touched the necklace laying at the base of her neck. "Let me guess...she's a young, very attractive blonde woman..."

"How did you know that?" Booth looked at Brennan in surprise. "Oh, I get it." He grimaced slightly as he continued. "You saw us there together in the park. Is that why you've been feeling blue the last week or two? C'mon, Bones...you should know better…"

"I know." She shrugged her shoulders as she gave him a bashful grin. "I know you love me, but I've been feeling a bit uncomfortable with my appearance since I haven't been able to lose all the weight I gained before Hank was born, and she is a very attractive young woman…"

"Yes, she is." Seeing Brennan's shock at his statement, Booth laughed. "What? You're right. She is very attractive, but I wasn't the least bit tempted, because I knew I'd get to come home to the most beautiful woman in the world. There isn't woman in the world who can hold a candle to you, Bones…"

"You're just saying that because it's expected…" Brennan pouted a little bit as she leaned against Booth and embraced him. "You're my husband, and you're supposed to think that way…"

"I'm your husband because I get to think that way. Remember what I said? I'm the luckiest man in the world, and I'm so blessed to have you in my life." Booth kissed her gently and then touched her necklace with his index finger. "Now, tell me the truth. Do you really like this pendant?"

"Yes...I love the symbolism behind it, and I love the idea that you helped design it. It's a one of a kind, just like you…" She reached up to get another kiss. "Thank you, Booth."

"You're welcome, Bones." A grin spread across his face as he twitched his eyebrows at his wife. "So, what d'ya say? Maybe we should go work on adding another stone to that necklace, right?"