Rings
Summary: Kelly has a gift for Tracey. I still can't summarize. Written in response to "Something Sweet" challenge.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 781
Kelly was the first one out of the elevator leading to their apartment that evening. Once she saw the small package sitting directly in front of their door, she quickly rushed out and grabbed it. She had a strong belief that Tracey already saw the box, but at least this way her girlfriend would not know who sent it to them. Kelly quickly fished the keys out of her coat pocket and opened the door.
"Are you feeling alright?" Tracey asked as she came into the apartment behind Kelly. She had genuine concern for the other woman, especially when considering how quickly Kelly rushed out of the elevator. Tracey closed the apartment door and walked over to Kelly.
"Fine," Kelly assured Tracey. She walked into the kitchen in search of scissors or a knife so she could open the package successfully.
Tracey eyed the package curiously. "When did that get here?" she asked. "And who sent it?"
Kelly picked her head up slightly. "Today presumably, and my brother Brian," she answered simply. She frowned at it as she realized that the scissors were not successfully cutting through all the packing tape.
Tracey chuckled and handed Kelly the knife. "Is this some sort of childhood Gaffney joke that I'm not going to understand?" she asked as she sat down at the other end of the kitchen table.
Kelly shrugged. "It might be," she noted as she finally got one side open. She tried her luck with the top and found that it opened much easier now. "I asked him for one thing, but knowing Brian he probably sent me a million more little gadgets that he doesn't want anymore."
"What a prince," Tracey commented.
Kelly rolled her eyes as she finally opened the package. The first thing she noted was an abundance of packing peanuts. "Or he just sent me a million pounds of these things," she noted with a frown. "And before either of us feels like throwing the box away, it will spill and we'll be finding peanuts all over the apartment for the next month." She sighed heavily. "Only my brothers would do this."
"What about your nephews?" Tracey asked curiously. She propped her head up in her hands and looked over at Kelly affectionately. Kelly was adorable when she got frustrated with the tiny things in her life.
"Probably, seeing as they have my brothers as fathers," Kelly commented as she fished through the box. She mentally groaned as some of the peanuts came out. There was only one thing in that box besides the peanuts she realized. Unfortunately in this case, that something was small, especially in comparison with the box's size.
Tracey stood up and wrapped her arms around Kelly's waist. Her head rested gently on Kelly's shoulder. "Do you want to come back to this?" she whispered into Kelly's ear. She planted a small kiss on Kelly's shoulder. "What's in there anyway besides the abundance of peanuts?"
Kelly did not answer right away. She had finally recovered the object in the package with a triumphant "Ha". It was concealed in a small jewelry box. Kelly smiled as she turned around to Tracey. "It's yours," she said as she placed the box in Tracey's hands.
"Mine?" Tracey asked with slight confusion.
Kelly nodded as she opened the small box. Inside the box was a small silver ring. Tracey had seen them before, but never up close. Kelly picked it up and slipped it over Tracey's thin finger. "It's a Claddaugh ring," she explained. "This particular one was my great grandmother's."
"Kelly," Tracey began. "I can't take this. It's been in your family for years." She started to remove it, but Kelly objected by shaking her head.
"And you're part of my family now," Kelly insisted. "Besides, its too small for me anyway. Brian was the only other one who cared about it, and his wife's fingers swell too much when she's pregnant, which will probably be on and off for the next ten years at the least."
"Still," Tracey began guiltily.
Kelly smiled and planted a small kiss to Tracey's forehead. "Trace, I want you to have it," she insisted. "It's Irish," she continued. "The hands represent friendship, and the crown above the heart represents loyalty. The heart's obviously love. Wear it with the end of the heart facing you, and it means that your heart belongs to someone."
"Well," Tracey began as she once again wrapped her arms around Kelly's waist. She pulled the blonde in closer and kissed her forehead lightly. She then moved in for a more intense kiss on the lips. "That part's definitely true," she pointed out. "I love you, Kelly."