Full Circle

After nine years, John tore off his ring, revealing the tan line it had left behind. He wiggled his finger and felt a long-forgotten sensation. He placed the ring on his wooden living room table, appreciating it one last time.

"Thanks for being there for me, old friend. Sorry it has to end like this.”

John dragged himself to the bathroom, passing through the kitchen where a pile of dirty dishes sat untouched. He stopped to grab a glass of water. In the bathroom, his trembling hands opened the vanity, reaching for a pill bottle. He squeezed the cap, unscrewed it, and it popped off. John took one last look in the mirror. His cheeks were puffy, his eyes red. What have I become?

"I'm sorry, Victoria. I wanted you to be happy.” He lifted the bottle to his lips.

He shut his eyes to the reality of his situation. For nine years he had known nothing else and didn’t have it in him to fight anymore. He recalled her words before she started the downfall,

“Don’t you get it, John? I don’t love you anymore and I want a divorce.”

“Please, Victoria. We’ve been together for almost ten years.”

“You’ll be hearing from my lawyers soon. Good-bye, John.”

“Goodbye John,” he echoed to himself. As he was about to swallow, he heard a ping come from his living room.

"Whoa, Johnny boy! What are you doing?” The voice said from afar. “Ow, that hurt! Can I get a little help here?”

He spat out the pills and dropped the bottle, tiptoeing toward the source.

“W…who said that?”

“In here.”

He scanned the living room and saw no one.

“Are you my… conscience?"

“Something like that.”

“Where are you?”

“Down here.”

John looked at the table in his living room, and his ring was gone.

“Keep going, you’re getting warmer…”

On the solid wood floor of his living room, John found his ring.

“Bingo!” it said.

His golden ring had white-gloved hands that extended from the sides and a pair of dark blue shoes. It wore a pair of sunglasses and had a mouth. John stepped back and took a sharp breath.

“There’s no way in—”

“Yes, way! Actually, Wade!” The ring extended one of its gloved hands. “Good to meet you, Johnny boy!”

He shook the ring's tiny hand.

“How did you—who are you?”

“Name’s Wade.”

“What's going on? I'm hallucinating, aren't I?"

“Nope. This is as real as life. Which, by the way, what were you doing over there?”

John crossed his arms and looked away, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Wade put up his hands. “Hey, no worries. Just trying to help.”

“Yeah,” John said as he slumped back in the recliner. Wade sat on the table next to him.

“So, after nine years that’s it, huh?"

“I don’t have a choice.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Johnny boy! We can’t control the outcome, but we always have a choice.”

John took a sip of his drink. “Sounds like you're talking from experience."

Wade's face grew more animated as he explained to John how he was meant to be melted down and repurposed. The man who made it carved "Full Circle" on the inside band. A bit of magic would awaken as soon as the wearer removed the ring.

John recalled the man who sold him the ring saying, "Only remove this ring if you might break the promise."

The promise—till death do us part.

“You were about to break the promise.”

"What are my choices now, then?”

Wade rubbed where his belly would be if he had one.

"Well, for starters, you can choose out of the kindness of your heart to get me a snack. I’m starving over here. You can imagine after nine years…”

John chuckled.

“Sorry. Didn’t know rings ate. Uh, what would you like?”

"Hmm… surprise me!”

John headed back into the kitchen and opened his pantry and fridge.

It was as bare as the desert except for a bag of tortilla chips and some salsa.

Would a ring like chips and salsa?

Am I asking myself that right now?

He put the salsa in a shot glass, grabbed some chips, and headed back into the living room.

“Here you go. Chips and salsa.”

Wade picked up the shot glass of salsa, drank it all, and then bit into a chip.

“Ooo, spicy. That was good, thanks!”

“You’re actually supposed to… never mind.

“Anyway, my choices?”

“You know how you surprised me with the snack?

“I don’t know much about your love life or lack thereof, but when’s the last time you surprised the missus? Took her to a spontaneous dinner, activity, or something like that?”

“I… I don’t know. It’s been a while.”

Wade bit into another chip.

“Sounds like your relationship is as exciting as a bag of rocks, there, Johnny boy.”

John chuckled.

“It wasn’t always that way.”

He shared with Wade all their adventures from when they were dating and married.

They celebrated their honeymoon in Maui and even won a game show together.

John smiled as he told Wade all this and painted pictures for him.

“Now that sounds like an exciting relationship,” Wade said. “What made things different back then?”

John scratched his head and thought about it for a minute.

“I guess we were living in the moment, enjoying each other’s company. Doing what we enjoyed.”

“Going with the flow. That’s how I roll!”

“Yeah, but you’re not bogged down with work, stress, bills, etc.”

“I felt bogged down when you dropped me in that sink,” Wade shuddered. “I still have the nightmares and those smells… gosh, those smells.”

“Sorry about that, buddy.”

Wade shrugged.

“It’s in the past! Pay for my therapy, and we’ll call it even.”

Then, he sat up straight.

“Johnny boy, can I ask you a personal question?”

John nodded.

“Do you still love her?”

John looked into the distance as if searching for the answer.

“It doesn’t matter; it’s over. I don’t care anymore.”

“Remember when I said we always have a choice? You’re giving up.”

John frowned.

“What did you say?”

“You're giving up, Johnny boy. You almost did—forever! That’s the only way you’ll fail, is if you give up. Even if things don’t pan out like you want, you at least chose to give a damn about it.”

John’s face turned red as he clenched his fist.

“I’m not giving up. She’s the one who wants to break it off after nine years. If anything, she’s the one giving up. If she wants to go be 21 again and live out her best years she feels she missed, who am I to stop her?”

“Her husband. You’re her husband. If anyone can salvage what’s left of this sinking ship, it’s you.”

“What about if you love someone, let them go?”

“True, if that’s what they want and you’d both be better off, but you got to try, Johnny boy. You’d regret it if you didn’t.”

“Why?”

"'Cause you love her.”

"How'd you know?”

Wade smiled, “Your question.”

John got up and walked back into the bathroom. He picked up the pills and placed them back in the bottle on the countertop. He shook it side to side like he was trying to figure out how many were in there. “What do you know about love anyway? You’re just a ring. I’m still not even sure if you’re real or if this is some alcohol-induced hallucination.”

Wade jumped down and followed. He took off his sunglasses and revealed a pair of blue eyes. “Actually, I know a lot about it. Some people say love is like magic. When it’s there, you just know and everything feels right with the world. When it’s gone, you feel that loss deep down and everything within you works to bring it back again. You still love your wife, Johnny boy. I’m a result of that magic that happens when you need a second chance for it.”

“Lucky me,” John replied. “I don’t need a second chance. I didn’t even ask for this. You’re a ring, and I think I'm losing my mind.”

Wade caught up to him, “You haven’t held your wife’s hand in so long. That was the only time I was able to be with her ring—my love. "I told her you’d come to your senses and we’d be back together soon. But it’s been so long... cold... and now,” Wade said, as a tear fell. “I’ll never see her again."

“Oh, I had no idea.”

Wade headed back towards the table. “Clearly you’ve made up your mind and think your relationship is dead. I should come to terms with that too.”

“I’m sorry, I—”

“Hey, it’s your choice. Your life, after all. So long, Johnny boy. Take care of yourself,” and with that Wade fell back onto the table.

“Wade! Wade!” Nothing. He held the ring in his palm. It was normal again—a broken promise. “Come back, please! You were right, I do still love her. I gave up on us and felt scared. It’s easier to let it die, but I don’t want to. It doesn’t have to. It is my choice! Maybe things can still work out after all.” He picked the ring up and marched into the kitchen—a man on a mission. He took the bottle of pills and held it close to his face, staring through it. John glanced over at the garbage can, took a deep breath, and let the bottle slip through his fingers like sand. He looked at his ring and placed it back where it belonged. “Come on, Wade! We’ve got a marriage to save!”

John jumped into his dark green Hyundai Sonata and sped over to Victoria's. He pulled up to her curb and took a few deep breaths while he sat in his car. He grabbed a napkin in the compartment and wiped the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. They seemed to be an endless trickle the whole drive. He opened the door and stepped out into the cool air which set him at ease. John looked at his ring. "Wish me luck, buddy." He walked a few steps up to Victoria's Victorian styled home. No light's on, but you could still see the purple outlines along the roof. Not a sound on the street, except for John's footsteps and breath. He knocked on the door. No answer. Knocked again. Nothing. He turned around and thought how easy it would be to hop in his car and speed away. This was a fool's errand anyway. She had already made up her mind but so had he. He took a few steps back when the door opened. Victoria stood there in her baby-blue robe. Arms crossed.

“John? What are you doing here? This better be good. It’s almost midnight!” Victoria said, brushing her long black hair from her face.

“Hey Vic, is it already? Great, then I still have time,” John smirked.

“Time for what?”

“To let you know that…I...I'm just gonna come out and say it.” This was the moment that Wade told him about. He'd have to make a choice and the next few words would write the future as if on stone. He played a few scenarios in his head, trying to figure out the best one. The best ideas though, don't come from the head. They come from the heart.

"Nine years ago, I made you a promise. Actually, many."

“It’s too late for that, John. Now, I have a flight to catch tomorrow morning. Some girlfriends and I are going to Hawaii to get away from all this nonsense. The paperwork goes into effect tomorrow since we both signed it. We can finally move on with our lives.”

“Hawaii? Like where we had our honeymoon?” That was enough to trigger the pleasant memories they had shared together.

“Yeah, but Honolulu this time.”

"Look, this is gonna sound beyond crazy, but tonight I got a second chance. My ring, whose Wade, helped me realize that I had given up on the most important thing in my life or what should’ve been. Us. He said the only way you’ll fail is if you give up. Even if things don’t pan out like you want, you at least chose to do something—to give a damn about it. And that makes all the difference. So frankly, my dear, I do give a damn.” He grabbed Victoria’s hand and squeezed tight. “I treated you like a routine instead of an adventure, which is how life should be. I want to go on many more with you, but…” he let go of her hands. “If you've made up your mind, then I won’t ask again and will leave for good.”

Victoria's mind raced as if she was getting proposed to again and wasn't sure what to say. She hesitated the first time he asked, but realized it was her own fear of being tied down to someone else for life. That still lingered, even after nine years. She hadn't yet realized it's not about being tied down or trapped. It's about choosing to do life with someone you love, trust, and give a damn about.

“John, " she began, "I don’t know what to say. I don’t think I can."

He looked at her as the spark in his eyes diminished. John took off his ring and placed it in her hand. "I'll never stop loving you. I can't. No matter how hard I try. Goodbye, Victoria. Hope you find what you're looking for out there." He started down the stairs and headed towards his car like Rhett Butler left Scarlett.

Victoria watched as he walked away. Then, something like a magnet pulsed inside her. "Wait, John!" He turned his head back. "I already have!"

"You've, what?" He turned to face her.

"I found what I'm looking for." He walked back up the steps and stood in front of her. The spark in his eyes ignited again. "You!"

You never know what you got till it's gone.

John grabbed her face, held it in his hands, and kissed her like it was the last time they’d ever see each other.

Midnight.

“Happy 10th anniversary, darling,” he said.

“And to many more,” she said as their wedding rings clinked!

John's ring came back to life, “Way to go, Johnny boy!”

John slipped off his ring while Victoria stared at the scene that unfolded.

“Wade? You’re alive!” John said.

“You did it! Knew you could. ”

“Ahhh!” Victoria screamed, “Who’s that?”

“No worries, that’s my buddy, Wade.”

“Your ring? You mean you were telling the truth?” she asked.

Wade cleared his throat and bowed like a gentleman, Nice to meet you, Misses Johnny. ”

“You too.”

Victoria's ring spoke, “Oh Wade! I knew you’d come back. I knew it!”

“Told ya, babe. Just had to talk some sense into my ol’ pal over there.”

Victoria looked at her ring, awestruck, like she was seeing it for the first time.

John chuckled. “For goodness’ sake, Victoria, take your ring off so they can be together for a bit.”

Wade held his hand up, “I promise we’ll be back soon.”

“Hey, stay away from the sink,” John yelled to Wade as they walked into Victoria’s house. Wade nodded, and John turned back to Victoria.

“How did that even happen?” she asked.

"Magic. So I guess that means you’re not going to Hawaii today?”

“Of course, we are. I'll text the girls we'll do another trip soon.”

“We’re going to Hawaii?” Wade yelled. “I can finally work on my tan! It’d be nice to be golden brown again. It’s been ten years after all.”

"Why don't you come inside, John? I got a new bikini for the trip that I want to show you."

"Sure thing," John said. "I'll be in in a minute. I want to check out the stars really quick."

Like their phases in the sky, everything comes full circle.