It's no secret that Jamie likes sparkly things. She likes how they catch the light and twinkle prettily. Untouched snow. Sparkly gel pens. Her younger sisters' glitter projects. Christmas lights. Jewelry.

Her jewelry collection started with a pretty ring to match the pair of earrings her grandma gave her for her tenth birthday. She didn't wear the earrings much- they were for special occasions like recitals and birthdays. When she turned fifteen, her mom said she could wear them whenever she wanted, but she still doesn't wear them often. Partly because she still associates them with special occasions but mostly because she forgets to put them on, and when she does wear them, she can't see them unless she's looking in a mirror.

The matching ring, though…

Her grandma gave her the matching ring for her sweet sixteen, and Jamie wore it for a week straight. She loved the sight of the pretty pink and white gems on her finger and the confidence it gave her. On more than one occasion, Madison caught her staring at it while slowly moving it around to watch how the gems reflected light. She would blush, and Madison would smile.

Her following birthday. Madison gave her another ring, this one less flashy but just as pretty. She said she bought it shortly after Jamie confessed to her mixed feelings about wearing the ring from her grandma. On one hand, she loved how it looked and how it felt on her finger. On the other hand, she didn't want it to get lost, stolen, or damaged, and it felt too fancy to wear to school. The ring Madison gave her had smaller stones, which were all white. There weren't any flowery designs on the ring, just a straight band and a line of gems.

Jamie's third ring she bought herself at a drugstore because it had a dolphin on it. It doesn't have any gems on it, but she doesn't care. It's cute and fits perfectly on her finger. It quickly becomes her everyday ring that she only takes off for showers and when doing messy art projects.

Then she gets one with a little heart.

Then one that's a little chain of daisies.

Madison gives her another ring for her eighteenth birthday, and Jamie literally gasps when she sees it. It's shaped like a tiara and is rose gold. Jamie's never even heard of rose gold before, but it instantly becomes her new favourite colour. The ring ties with the one her grandma gave her as her two favourite rings.

She wears it on her first date with Madison.

Over the years, her collection grows with rings of every style and design. Stars and moon, flowers, a wrap-around sword, vines, chevrons, arrows, bows, flowers, mountain outlines, the curve of a wave, and even a scorpion tail that moves up to strike when she curls her finger.

There's always at least one ring on each hand.

"I have another ring for you," Madison says cheerfully, sweeping into the living room of their shared apartment, where Jamie is curled up on the couch, watching a cute, queer TV show. She pauses it and sits up. "Close your eyes."

Giggling, she does as she holds out her hands. Usually, Madison puts the new ring in her open palm, but this time her hands remain empty.

"Okay, open."

Jamie opens her eyes, expecting to find her girlfriend still standing over her, and is a little startled to find she's at eye level. Then it takes her a second to realize why she's at eye level.

Down on one knee, Madison holds a jewelry box out in front of her. It's open to reveal the gorgeous engagement ring inside. The band is rose gold, the main stone is morganite, and the accent stones are diamonds. It is the most beautiful ring she's ever seen.

She has no idea how long she gapes at the ring, though she does snap herself out of her shock to listen to the proposal speech Madison prepared. The words 'Will you marry me?' barely leave Madison's mouth before Jamie is launching herself at her, tackling her to the floor to smother her with kisses, crying, and saying, 'Yes! Yes, yes!'

Jamie feels like she can't get close enough to her fiancee, but she does pull back just enough to let Madison slip the stunning ring on her finger. Then she's back to where she was before, clinging to Madison with both arms and legs wrapped tightly around her, kissing anywhere she can reach.

A few years later, Madison puts another ring on her left hand, this time at the front of a church, surrounded by their families, as Jamie puts a ring on her hand too.