Chapter 36: My Gift To You
After sorting through boxes of jewelry, Vincent had finally found a wedding ring for himself and Katrina, as well as an engagement ring. They didn't "match," nor were they necessarily "wedding" rings, but he was more intent on finding just the right one for each of them. The ones that spoke to their personalities.
He had picked an old-fashioned gold ring with a round ebony stone for himself. It reminded him of one his part-Italian father had inherited from his maternal grandfather. Katrina's engagement ring was a square-cut ruby stone set in a thick silver ring engraved with lilies. Her wedding ring was a thin band of titanium with three tiny diamonds set in the middle.
But something just didn't feel right. Vincent felt as if he needed something to give her that was more personal, something not stolen. Pacing his workshop fretfully, Vincent wondered what he should do. And then the idea came to him. He picked up the engagement ring and smiled, walking over to his barrel full of wax pellets.
Hours later, he walked up to the Sinclair porch to see Katrina and Bo sitting out in the night air. Bo was dozing, while Katrina read with the light of a few candles. She smiled at Vincent as he approached and stood to kiss him.
"You look funny," she said. "What's the matter?"
He felt a cold sweat cover his body and he realized that he didn't have the courage to do as Bo had ordered. Vincent dropped his gaze to the floor as he dropped into a chair beside Katrina.
"Do you want some water or something?" Katrina asked, looking concerned.
"No, Kitty. I'm just tired."
"It's no wonder," she yawned, "you were gone all afternoon."
She said it with a hint of reproach in her tone which made Vincent even more nervous.
"What did you do?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
"Read the last Harry Potter book. It's really good. Oh, and I learned a new word."
"What?"
"Wanker. It means asshole or something like that."
"Oh."
Bo sputtered in his sleep, shocking Vincent. The deformed man chewed on his bottom lip, keeping his eye on his brother. "I can't do it . . ."
"I wish you'd tell me what's wrong, my love. You can't lie to me," Katrina insisted.
"I . . . I . . ."
"Just tell me, silly," she whispered, poking him gently in the ribs. "It's nothing bad, is it?"
He shook his head.
"Well then?"
"Come with me," he whispered in her ear, pulling her into the house and up to their bedroom. Vincent closed the door behind them quietly and turned to face her, taking a deep breath. He looked down into her love-filled ocean blue orbs and was glad to feel his hesitation recede.
"This is for you, Kitty," Vincent said, pressing a small box into her hand.
She took it with a smile, brushing her hair from her face. Her fingers deftly unknotted the string and popped open the lid. "Vincent . . ." she breathed, lifting up a thin silver chain. Katrina blinked slowly, staring at the pendant hanging from it.
Vincent had carefully fashioned a tiny, flat lily out of wax. He painted the blossom black, with a green stem. It was set into two thin pieces of glass, with a tiny wax V and K on either side of the flower. It was the size of a quarter, and the chain was long enough for the pendant to hang perfectly between Katrina's breasts.
"This is so beautiful," Katrina whispered, tiptoeing up to kiss him. She smiled and snuggled up against him. "I love it."
"It reminded me of you. A lily, as beautiful as you are, but black. Unique. Different from all the rest. Black for your hair, for your favorite color, for the sky the night I met you."
Katrina looked up with tears in her eyes. "You're making me feel all squishy," she whispered with a light little laugh, feeling embarrassed by his words. "You say such pretty things to me, things I don't deserve."
He smiled down at her and rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm only telling you how I feel."
She smiled and buried her head in his chest. Vincent's arms surrounded her and crushed her body to his. Katrina let out a little breathy sigh.
"I'm not hurting the baby, am I?" he asked into her hair.
"No, babe," she whispered.
"There's something I want to ask you, Katrina."
She pulled away from him and smiled, although her eyes looked wary. "Ask me anything."
Vincent slid to his knees and embraced her belly. "I want . . . if you want to . . ." He turned red and began to stammer.
"What do you want?" she asked with a little laugh.
He pulled the ruby ring out of his pocket and showed it to her. "I want you to marry me. Will you, Katrina?"
For a moment, he thought she was angry. The color drained from her face and she stared down at the ring with wide eyes. Then she turned a bright pink and tears trickled down her cheeks.
"Oh Vincent . . . I . . . I would love to be your wife!" Katrina's arms came around him and she knocked him backwards with the force of her hug.