Claire's Ring

At the kitchen table, a small black box sat atop the papers. The man sat waiting. 

Claire walked to the fridge to get the oat milk and the mug on the towel. She watched as the Keurig gurgled, and she could smell maple pecan. She turned and walked to the table. Her eyes immediately shot to the box and then down to the floor. 

"I can't." No response. "I'm ready to go." No response. "I'm trapped."

The man stared at the box. 

"Why?"

The man stared at the box.

"What do you expect me to do?"

"Open it."

Claire picked up the box; her hands trembled as she opened it. The diamond floated above six prongs of platinum and shone. All the morning colors hit at once, and it was beautiful. The line on the skin of her ring finger was angry and red. How did her fingers become so swollen? She was ready for this. The end. The beginning. She had to leave soon to make the flight to Tampa. Her legs needed to move. 

"Claire, before I sign, I want to ask you something." Claire couldn't move. 

"Can you take me with you?"

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Claire sprinted through the door and to the back of the auditorium. Professor Horten didn't seem to notice. She looked at her hands, inflamed by the January wind. She really should wear some jewelry. Her tomboy ways kept her inside at night, maybe if she dolled herself up, she would get a date. She wanted to be asked on a date. 

"You look like you are going to punch someone." he laughed and coughed.

"Sorry?"

"You're face. It's all scrunched up, and your hands are clenched so tight there is no way I want to be on the other end of that."

"Oh. Well..." 

"What were you thinking about? 

"I want to be asked on a date." 

"Well, let me help you out with that. I was going to ask you eventually anyway. Let me take you out tonight." 

His hazel eyes shone, and he looked directly at her. He reminded her of the leaves on the maple tree in the backyard in the fall. Green and Brown.  

"Ok." 

"I'll pick you up at 9. What's your room number?" She gave him her number. She waved goodbye and walked to her next class. 

Claire couldn't believe the man she had been dreaming about during the entire first quarter - her study buddy - had asked her on a date.

She imagined what it would be like to love him. She imagined what it would be like to marry him.

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"Do you take this woman?" 

"Yes" 

"Do you take this man?" 

"Yes" 

Tom's trembling hands reached for Claire's left hand, and he placed the ring on her finger.

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There wasn't much time to get to the bus station. Tom was waiting for her. 

The man walking next to her stared down at his cell. How did he see where he was going?

"Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to 76th and May? I'm trying to get to the station."

He pretended not to hear her. 

"Claire!" Tom shouted across the street. He smiled and waved his arms up and down. 

"I brought the Dramamine"

"Thank you" 

The excitement of the day had them both high. A giggle between every sentence, and the air just smelled different. Tonight, Tom would sing with the band at the stadium, and thousands would be there. How did we get here? It had been three years on the road, town to town, small bars, and local festivals. 

She loved him so much. 

"Claire?" 

"Yes?"

"I love you." He was the first to say it.

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Claire stood next to the wall; she watched him on stage. The crowd was loud.

She saw her. The woman. She couldn't help it. This was the reality of it. She could accept it because Tom was true.

"He's got serious rizz." The friend beside the woman laughed.

"Fire."

Claire walked by them and through the others to make it to the door. She was going to tell him how amazing he was and tell him that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him but that she had to finish it. She had to graduate and become a doctor. 

"Claire, what did you think? I felt it tonight." His eyes were bright with euphoria. It was the screams of a thousand voices who loved him that did that to him.

"You..." 

"I have something I need to ask you." She couldn't speak.

"Claire, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, marry me." 

She took his ring. 

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Her eyes were closed now.

Jasmine walked to Claire and looked down.

"Grammie, I love you so much."

She looked down at the ring hung with silver around her neck. Claire gave it to her on her eighteenth birthday. 

It was her most precious possession.

She walked to the seat and sat next to her father. He looked at his daughter, then looked at his mother. 

"Claire Lee lived with intention. She grew up in Springdale, Michigan. Graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine and married Tom Lee. Claire and Tom had three children, two who also became doctors. Her work with heart valve surgical medicine..." 

Jasmine remembered the stories that Claire would tell her on the nights she babysat her. Sometimes, the stories were fanciful and filled with animals and funny people. Sometimes, the stories were about Grammie and Grandpa. The story of Grandpa and how he was the biggest star and Grammie his biggest fan. 

They loved her.

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"Let me kiss you." Tom sat next to Claire.

"Let me hug you." his arms folded around her. Everything in the hotel room was white and black. They were young, and they would make it.

"I'm scared." 

"Don't be."

"Why did you choose me?" The room grew dark as moonlight slipped into the night.

"Come here." Claire had pulled away, and Tom pulled her back. 

"You're everything to me; I can't image my life without you."

Claire took back her ring and meant to never remove it.