"That's a beautiful ring, sonny," Frank Morelli said as the eighteen-year-old boy pointed to the diamond solitaire he liked best. "What a lucky lady."

Jake Knightley smiled proudly at the jeweler's words. He looked again at the delicate ring. The diamond was small - especially compared to some of the other rocks in Mr Morelli's store - but it had still taken a hefty chunk of his savings. Savings that he'd been planning to use on an extended holiday in Europe. But if all went according to plan, he would be spending Christmas at home this year… with his fiancée.

But how could things not go according to plan? Caroline had been dropping hints about getting married throughout the course of their relationship. And while part of him was still a little freaked out about taking such a huge step forward when they were both so young, he'd reasoned that they could have a long engagement and get married after their respective university graduations.

"So what's your plan?" Mr Morelli asked curiously. "How do you plan to propose?"

"Tomorrow night is our eleven-month anniversary. I've booked a table at an Italian restaurant in the city that has harbour views," Jake said proudly. "I've hired a quartet to serenade us, ordered her favourite flowers and I'm going to hide the ring in her champagne glass."

Mr Morelli raised an eyebrow. It was an expensive effort from a boy who had just finished his first year at university. He'd known Jake Knightley since he was twelve and had enjoyed watching him grow up into a responsible young man. Jake had balanced study and part-time jobs since he was fifteen and he'd obviously saved very hard. Was this girl worth it? Mr Morelli sure hoped so.

"I'm happy for you, sonny," he said simply. He rubbed the gold wedding band that he still wore on his ring finger. "Oh, I remember when I was getting ready to propose to Diana… When she said yes, I was the happiest man in town."

"How did you meet?" Jake asked curiously. Diana Morelli had passed away when he was just nine. He didn't remember her very clearly, but he had hazy memories of a sweet-faced brunette woman who wore a flowery silk scarf and smelled vaguely like peppermint.

Mr Morelli's face softened. "Diana and I, we grew up together. We were the best of friends. But we didn't start dating until after high school."

He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and produced a small photo. "See, that's the two of us."

Jake grinned. Mr Morelli looked around thirteen in the photo, but he recognised him immediately. His slightly cheeky smile and impish expression hadn't changed one bit. The girl by his side had long wavy brown hair and a pretty smile. They made an attractive pair.

"You must still miss her," Jake commented.

"Oh, I do, my boy," Mr Morelli said solemnly. "Every day." He smiled. "But I had her for a longer time that I deserved and I'm thankful for that." He looked earnestly at Jake. "I hope you find that kind of happiness with the woman you marry, son."

He carefully put the ring Jake had chosen into a tiny box, and then slipped the box into a small bag.

"Thanks, Mr Morelli," Jake said, grinning from ear to ear as he took the small bag from the jeweler's hand.

He couldn't wait for tomorrow night.

How could she?

Jake paced angrily back and forth, resisting the urge to play Caroline's voicemail message for the umpteenth time. He had listened to it far too many times already.

He shook his head in disbelief. How had this happened? He had put so much work into the preparations; he had done everything he could to make tonight a night to remember…

Well, it would be a night to remember, he reflected wryly. After all, it wasn't every day that the girl you were planning to propose to decided to break up with you via voicemail message. On the day you were planning to propose to her, no less.

He fished the tiny box out of his suit pocket and put it on his dresser. He wouldn't need this anymore. He would return it to Mr Morelli in the morning.

"Honey, have you seen my car keys?" Blythe asked, sticking her head in his room. Her brow furrowed when she noticed that he had changed into his sweats.

"I thought you were going on a date," she commented. "Are you feeling sick?"

Heartsick, he thought melodramatically, but he wouldn't say that to his mother.

"Caroline broke up with me," he said coolly.

His mother gasped. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry to hear that," she said sympathetically, sitting on the bed next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jake winced. "Not really."

He didn't know if he'd ever want to talk about it.

"Did she say why?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? I mean you can't really say much during a voicemail message, can you?"

Blythe frowned. She had never particularly liked Caroline, but had done her best to tolerate her anyway, for her son's sake. She couldn't lie – part of her had been hoping they would break up eventually. But she would have preferred it if Jake had been the one doing the dumping – and at least he would have been kind enough not to do it via voicemail.

She hesitated, trying to think of the right words to say. And then her eyes widened as she saw the little box on his dresser. That couldn't be what she thought it was. Could it?

"Jake…" she began warily. He followed her gaze and groaned.

"You weren't meant to see that," he grumbled.

"Jake, is that what it looks like?"

He swallowed hard. "I was going to propose tonight, Mum."

Blythe massaged her temples, unable to comprehend what her boy had just told her. He was eighteen years old, just starting his life at university…

"It would have been a long engagement," he said quietly, seeming to read her thoughts.

She exhaled. "Engagement is still a big step when you're eighteen, honey."

"Well, I guess I don't have to worry about it now," he said bitterly. "And I don't know what I'm going to do this summer now. Caroline's dad was going to give me an internship in his firm but he's hardly going to do that now, is he?"

It seemed to be a rhetorical question, so Blythe didn't reply. Instead she put her arm around Jake and let him bury his head on her shoulder, just as he had when he was a kid.

How could she fix her son's broken heart? Then it came to her.

"What are you going to do with the ring?"

"Return it, of course," he said.

"You bought it with your savings, didn't you?"

He nodded wearily.

"Well, I remember you telling me when you first started working that you wanted to save up for a trip to Europe. I think the return of the ring would just about cover a great European vacation… And I think your dad and I could afford to throw in some spending money…"

For the first time that evening, there was hope in his earnest green eyes.

"Are you serious, Mum? I mean, I know I was supposed to get an internship and work this summer."

"You have your whole life ahead of you to work," Blythe replied calmly. "But you won't always be able to spend a summer in Europe."

"But Dad…"

"..Will be just fine with it," she finished. "Just let me be the one to bring it up, OK?"

She was rewarded with a huge hug.

"Merry Christmas, honey!" Blythe said merrily. "What are you doing today?" She squinted, trying to get a better view of her son on the laptop screen. They were having a conversation via Skype.

Letting him go to Europe for the summer had been a difficult decision, especially letting him stay there for Christmas, but seeing her son looking so relaxed and happy, she knew that it was worth it.

"Merry Christmas, Mum!" he said, sounding quite upbeat. "I'm with Dan Weston, you know, that Aussie guy I met in Italy. We're in Switzerland this week and planning to do some skiing."

"Wow, it's hard to imagine going skiing right now. It's 37 degrees (Celsius) over here!" Blythe laughed, looking at the sunshine and blue sky outside her window.

"What are you doing today, Mum?" Jake asked. "Having the Woodhouses over as usual?"

"Yes, they're coming over in a couple of hours, but we're going out for a change – we're having a Christmas picnic on the beach," Blythe replied. "It's such a gorgeous day – we didn't want to spend it inside!"

She carefully turned her laptop around so that Jake could see the array of goodies that lined her kitchen counters.

"Oh, yum – it all looks so good!" Jake said wistfully. "I wish I was there."

"You could have come back for Christmas if you'd wanted to," Blythe pointed out. As understanding as she was trying to be, she did feel slightly resentful that her older son hadn't flown back from Europe in time for the holiday season.

Jake sighed deeply. "Look, I would have liked to, Mum, but being in Europe is just what I need right now. It's helping me to heal."

And then Blythe felt petty for forgetting that.

"I know, sweetie," she said sadly. "Just know that I love you and I'm counting down the days until you return." Jake had promised to return by mid-February to give him time to get ready for his second year at university, but it felt like that was ages away.

As she hung up with Jake, she silently wondered if she had done the right thing in encouraging him to go to Europe.

Many years later, when Dan Weston had become one of Jake's best friends and had started working for his firm, Blythe would remember this moment and she would realise that sometimes, even when things don't turn out the way we want them to, they happen for a reason.

Author's Note: Well, it's the first Christmas that Jake and Emma have spent apart, but I hope this chapter provides you with some additional insight into Jake and Caroline's back story (which I reference in Symmetry). I'd love to know what you thought of it – feel free to review or PM me!

Can you guess what Christmas carol this chapter title (One Golden Ring) is loosely based on?

And what do you think of Mr Morelli? I've decided that I quite like his character and I'm thinking of bringing him back in a future chapter. Stay tuned! :)