26

9:35 a.m.

"You ready?"

Bella lets out a small yawn but then nods.

"Mhmm, but the first stop is coffee."

I chuckle and agree. I make sure I have what I need before heading to her front door. I work on unlocking the deadbolt while Bella grabs her purse.

I swing the door open and we head out. I wait just outside for Bella to lock the door behind us.

When it's secure, she turns toward me nodding.

We head downstairs, both still a little groggy from our late night.

Normally, when I start seeing a girl, I don't have this much interaction upfront. We hang out, of course, but there are no sleepovers and because of my schedule, rarely are there consecutive days of seeing each other.

Part of me wonders if this weekend has been some weird, time-warping blip—something fun but not self-sustaining past Monday.

It's hard to fathom how this could keep being this fun and easy.

Bella and I get downstairs and climb into my car. She tells me the destination, and I nod, starting up my car.

We stop for coffee first, heading into the shop where she works. She's had the last few mornings off, and it's starting to show. I can't imagine she's the only capable employee in there, but when we stop in and see a frantic Jess behind the till, Bella winces.

"Actually, let's just hit up Starbucks," she murmurs to me. There is a long enough line ahead of us that no one behind the counter has even seen us come in.

I look at her. "You're sure?"

She nods, taking my hand and slipping back inside. "If I get in there, I'm going to have to help them. Jess is sweet, but she's a little clueless. I'll get sucked right in."

I smirk, nodding. Being unable to leave the job is something I get.

Instead, we head two blocks down toward the closest Starbucks. It's not as good, not by a longshot, but it's also stress-free.

When we have coffee in hand, we head back to my car. The jewelry store is only about a mile away, and after navigating parking, we climb out, drinks in hand.

I offer Bella my hand as we head out, and she takes it, smiling up at me as our fingers thread together.

This is what it's like to be in a normal relationship.

I glance at Bella, wondering if it's too soon to broach the topic of any sort of relationship. I'm never one to rush in and define something, but it just feels so natural in my mind.

I decide to hold off on that conversation a little while longer, but promise myself I won't be a coward about it.

The store isn't that busy on a Sunday morning, but the moment we step through the doors, I can feel eyes on us.

A saleswoman swoops in almost immediately. "Good morning!" she cries, her voice a little too loud. "My aren't you two the most gorgeous couple. How can I help you this morning? Perhaps taking a look at some engagement rings?" she looks at Bella. "You're smart to show him what you want specifically. So many men are just hopeless at this."

I don't know about Bella, but I can feel the blood draining out of my face. I glance at her to see she looks just as shocked and pale as I feel.

Thank god.

"Tia, you are needed to finish the estimate in the back," another saleswoman says, stepping toward us. Tia looks at her coworker, her mouth-puckering. She looks back at us before giving us a thin smile and leaving us to head behind the counter. As soon as she slips behind a thick velvet curtain to the backroom, I let out a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry about that," the new saleswoman says, getting our attention. "Tia is a romantic." She offers us a polite smile. "I'm Maggie. How can I help you this morning?"

I'm still a little bit too much in shock, but thankfully, Bella recovers. "He's looking for a necklace for his mom's birthday. Maybe something with his birthstone?"

Maggie turns to look at me and smiles. "What a lovely idea. I can show you a few options if you like."

I nod, and she leads us to a glass case.

"Up here are a few pendants we can do with different stones. What month is your birthday?"

I clear my throat. "June."

Bella looks at me in surprise. "It's coming up."

I nod. "We are kicking off the birthday run as of today. Mom is May, I'm June, my dad is July, and my brother is August. Not to mention the host of cousins I have all during the summer." I look at Bella. "What about you?"

"September," she says, smiling a little. I squeeze her hand softly, happy to know more about her.

"Typically June is represented with pearl," Maggie says, getting my attention again. I look at her. "But if you are looking for gems, it's also been represented with alexandrite."

I look down at the blueish gems set into small pendants where she points. "These extraordinary stones shift color under the right lighting conditions, which is quite delightful to obs,erve" she continues. I look at her in surprise.

"I've never heard of it," Bella says, leaning over the case next to me. "What colors do they shift to."

"A bright pink-purple, depending on the stone and the cut."

Bella looks at me, clearly impressed.

"What sort of price range are they?" I ask, looking up at Maggie. She starts showing me a variety of sizes that help determine cost. I'm a little lost when it comes to style, but Bella seems to be on top of that.

"I love this pendant," she says, pointing to a thin gold heart. "But this one is also nice. What do you think?"

I lick my lips, shrugging. "Honestly, it's hard to know what my mom would like." I consider the two. "Though, I think I've seen her wearing hearts before?"

Maggie beams. "I can tell you if my child bought this for me, I'd be over the moon. It's quite popular because we can add any number of gemstones along the heart there," she says, pointing to a few other samples. I frown.

"Can it be added retroactively?"

Maggie nods. "Certainly, she could come in any time to add gemstones."

My mind starts racing, thinking about what I can afford to get her now. If I get her her own birthstone now, I can start saving up for mine, dad's, and Jaspers. That's the next year in gifts covered for both birthday and Christmas.

I tell Maggie and Bella my plan, and I'm relieved when they both confirm it is in fact a good idea.

Maggie helps me pick out the right emerald to represent mom's birthday. "We can have this ready in an hour. Does that work for you?"

I nod, glancing at Bella.

"I'm sure we can kill time," Bella says, reaching out and squeezing my hand. I smile back at her.

"Absolutely."