Chapter 38: Lost Ring

"Where is it? Where is it?" May asked herself, looking around her room for something.

Today is Valentine's Day and Drew has planned a special surprise for May. But right now...she seems to be looking for something frantically.

"Come on. I know it's here somewhere." May asked, lifting up the bed with her scepter's levitation power. She scanned the floor under the bed before gently putting the bed back down.

May went to the bathroom, looking on the sink and in the cabinets under the sink. She went in the walk-in closet and looked on some shelves. After she was done there, she went to the balcony and checked the floor.

"Not here either." May whispered to herself. "Where could it be?"

At this moment, Drew walked into the room. He noticed May on the balcony, staring out at the backyard. He started approaching her. His big surprise isn't ready yet, so Drew is just going to make sure she doesn't end up going into the room that has his surprise in it.

"Hi, June." Drew said once he was now standing behind May.

May jumped a little from the voice behind her and she quickly turned around, keeping her hands behind her back. "H-hi, Drew. What's up?"

Drew pulled out a rose and held it out to May. "It's Valentine's Day. Our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. And we also got a day off today."

"Y-yeah…" May stuttered. She stared at the rose.

Drew looked at May in confusion. "That's your cue to accept the rose."

"Right…" May was about to pull her right hand out from behind her back, but she thought better of it, and she accepted the rose in her left hand.

Drew noticed May's strange reaction to accepting the rose. Doesn't she always use her right hand to accept his roses? Why was she hesitant in doing that?

May smelled the delightful aroma of the rose and then she smiled up at Drew. "It's beautiful, Drew. Like always."

Drew smiled. "Well, happy Valentine's Day, May. I have a big surprise for you later."

"Aww...you don't have to do that." May said.

"I know. But I want to. And trust me. You'll love it."

"Sounds great! I know that I'll love whatever you give me."

"Well, to pass the time, do you feel up for a ride?"

"Umm...I…" May thought for a bit before answering. "I'm sorry, Drew. There's a lot of work to be done. Civilians to see, problems to solve, a kingdom to run..."

"But we don't have to do any of that today. It's a day off for Valentine's Day, remember?"

"Umm…"

Drew narrowed his eyes at May. "What's really going on?"

"I just...I...um…"

"May?"

"I just…" May looked down. "I...lost…"

"You lost what?" Drew asked.

May didn't answer. Drew could see that May seems like she's having a hard time telling him what's wrong. Drew frowned. She's really still keeping secrets from him? They're supposed to be over that by now.

May is Drew's wife, and he knows her. He could tell that she feels uncomfortable talking about whatever it is she lost. He feels a little hurt that May is really keeping something from him. But he'll just leave it alone. He wants May to always be happy, and she's not happy talking about this.

"May, forget I asked you that." Drew said.

May looked up. "Huh?"

"I can tell that...you're uncomfortable talking about this, so just forget I brought it up. I know that...we aren't the closest couple we could be quite yet, and...I guess there's still things we keep from each other."

"Drew, I-"

"Stop, May." Drew cut May off. "It's okay. It's okay to still keep things from me."

"But Drew-"

"I'll come get you when my surprise for you is ready." Drew said, before walking away sadly.

May felt her eyes get watery. She saw Drew leave the room, looking down. She pulled out her right hand from behind her back and she stared down at it. Her ring. That's what she was hiding from Drew.

"I...can't tell him I lost it." May said to herself quietly. "He'd be so...mad at me." Her hand balled into a fist. "I have to find it."

Drew exited the castle and went to the stable. He brought out his Rapidash. He climbed on top and then they were off.

"What could she be hiding from me?" Drew asked himself. "Shouldn't we be done with keeping secrets from each other? And why didn't she use her right hand to take the rose? She's right-handed after all. So why?"

His Rapidash neighed.

Drew sighed. "Okay. Let's just go see what the Goddess thinks about this."

Drew rode his Rapidash to the secret flower field where they came to a stop in front of the shrine. Drew jumped off of Rapidash and walked to the shrine. He pulled out his sword and carefully inserted it into the middle hole of the shrine, pushing it in. The golden Goddess appeared above the shrine.

"King Drew, what brings you here?" The Goddess asked.

"It's May." Drew said. "I can tell that she's hiding something from me when I thought we were done with that. And I don't know what to do. She won't tell me what's wrong, and I don't want to push her into telling me, but yet I also want to know what she could possibly be hiding from me. It just...hurts a little that she isn't talking to me about her problems."

"How do you know if she has a problem?" The Goddess asked.

"Because the signs are obvious. She accepted a rose from me with her left hand after hesitating about using her right. She kept stuttering when talking to me as if she was scared about something. She had a frown on her face when I asked her what's wrong. And she looked down sadly, not saying anything to answer me."

"I see...those are strong clues that tell you something is wrong. Answer me this, Drew...is May a person?"

"Umm...Yes."

"Are you in charge of her life?"

"Well...no."

"Is she important to you?"

"Of course."

"Then don't worry about what she's hiding." The Goddess said. "It's her life. She decides to keep her secrets to herself. She decides if she wants to tell you. You can't decide that for her."

"I know that, but…"

"She'll tell you eventually. And sooner than you think."

"You know that for a fact?" Drew asked.

The Goddess nodded. "I can see the future. And I know that she'll tell you what she's hiding really soon. But take my advice and just let her be. We all can choose to keep secrets to ourselves."

"But...I'm her husband."

"I know, Drew. But whatever she's hiding from you must be important. Maybe she thinks that if you were to find out what it is, then you'd be mad at her."

"...maybe you're right. But I'd never be mad at her. I always want her to be happy. How can I make her happy? No one should be sad on Valentine's Day."

"You have that surprise for her, right?"

Drew gasped. "That's right...she's bound to show her smile when she sees her surprise today."

"You better get going, King Drew."

"Right. Thanks, Goddess." Drew said.

"Come back any time."

Drew pulled out his sword, the Goddess disappearing. He put the sword in its sheath and climbed up on Rapidash. They ran out of there.

It's now time for May's surprise. May has been looking for her wedding ring for a while. She checked many rooms of the castle, but no luck. Now she's just sitting on her bed, looking down at the floor.

Drew walked into their room. He noticed May. He started walking towards her. "Hey."

May shot her head up. "Oh. H-hi, Drew."

"Ready for that surprise?" Drew asked.

"Now?"

Drew nodded. "Come on. Stand up."

"I...I don't know…"

"Come on." Drew took May's left wrist and pulled her up on her feet. "This surprise will turn that frown upside down."

May smiled. "Let's see it."

Drew walked May to a room on the first floor. He opened the door and let May stare at the inside in awe.

May slowly entered the room, mouth agape in awe. "Drew...I can't believe you…" she was staring directly at what she saw on the floor. Ice.

"Turned this room into an ice-skating rink?" Drew finished.

"Yeah." May answered. "How did...when did...why did you…"

"A lot of hard workers, they started last month, and because I knew that you'd love it." Drew answered May's questions.

May looked at Drew and lunged herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace. Drew hugged her back. "It's amazing, Drew! I love it so much!"

"I knew you would." Drew said.

"You're the best, Drew! And I can't believe you really installed an ice-skating rink in the castle!"

They pulled away from each other. "I do what I can to make you happy." Drew said.

May blushed. "And you also spoil me with gifts."

"If it brings us closer together, then of course I do that." Drew said.

Those words hit something in May's chest. Drew has always dreamed that they'd be really close. He also does his best to keep her happy. He wants him and May to be close partners in life. He wants them to trust each other 100%. He wants them to not keep things from each other. He wants them to always be open with each other.

And May has been hiding the most important thing of all from him. And today just had to be the day she loses it. She's worried that Drew will definitely be mad at her because she lost it.

"Umm...D-Drew…" May started, looking down. "I-I have something to tell you."

Drew stared at May for a bit longer before speaking. "What is it?"

"I-it's just...I umm…"

Drew waited for an answer. He won't push May to tell him right away. Being the good husband that he is...he'll give her all the time she needs to tell him.

"I-I…" May said. "I...don't...deserve this."

Drew froze. "What?"

"All of this, Drew…" May said. She looked up into his eyes and her eyes got watery. "I don't deserve any of this!" She yelled before running out of the room, crying.

"May!" Drew called. But she didn't stop or turn back. Drew looked at the ice-skating rink.

May said she doesn't deserve the rink? Why would she say that? They're married and Drew loves to see May happy by giving her surprises like this. Doesn't she like the skating rink?

Of course she likes it. She said she loves it. So then...why did she run? What is the thing she's hiding from him?

No matter what...Drew has to know what she's been hiding. He wants to help her. He wants to see her smile again. And it's Valentine's Day too. Today is special...for both of them. They both want to celebrate the day together, but May can't without her ring. She just can't.

Her ring is very important to her. It's the symbol of how much Drew loves her. It's what united them as husband and wife. And to do Valentine's Day without it...is unimaginable. She needs to find it. Without it, she just isn't the same.