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“No, I wouldn’t expect she would,” Gigi agrees, chuckling right along with me. “But that doesn’t mean you should give up.”

“Oh, I don’t plan on it,” I state firmly. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that I’m not letting her slip through my fingers a second time.

“Good!” she exclaims and stands, retreating from the room without a word.

I have no idea where she went or why, but I finish eating the lasagna in a few large bites before she returns holding a small black leather box. The kind expensive jewelry comes in.

“When you’ve figured it all out, you can give her this.”

Gigi places the small box in front of me and I stare at it, as wide eyed as the fish I scoop out of the sea. It’s obvious what’s inside, what she’s telling me I should do. Something I hadn’teven considered yet but seems so obvious now. Still, I ask a stupid question.

“What is it?”

“Open it and find out.”

With a shaky hand I lift the tiny lid of the box and see what I expected to see. A ring, and engagement ring. It’s old and nothing like those gaudy rocks you see women wearing nowadays. No, this ring has class and style, obviously a custom piece.

“It’s a family heirloom. Passed down from father, or mother, to son for them to propose with. Since I have no son, I had intended to just give it to Rae someday but hoped I’d be able to give it to you first.”

Sitting in a bed of intricately entwined white gold, sits a smooth large pearl glimmering with a hint of cerulean. The color shifts in the light like the surface of the ocean from white to blue. The band is thick and sturdy and amidst the elegant design holding the pearl, tiny diamonds are snugly placed. It’s perfect for my Bambi.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, reverently plucking the ring from the black suede cushion.

“Rae’s father proposed to her mother with it. My husband and I were happy to give it to him then, and I’m happy to give it to you now. I know her parents would approve, even with all your childhood shenanigans.”

I smile, a tad embarrassed for my past behavior. Not all of it though, just the things I know Gigi wouldn’t approve of.

“Thank you, Gigi.” I hold the ring up to the light and take in its unique beauty, imagining it snugly resting on Bambi’s left hand. “I’ll try not to let you down.”

“I know you won’t,” she says as if it’s already decided.

I’m not as confident as she is, but with the ring situated safely back inside its little black box, I make sure it snaps shut tightly before slipping it into my front pocket.

“Now how about you tell me about your trip?”

For the next hour I recall some of the most interesting experiences from my six-month trip. None of it compares to being back home.

Now I just have to go repeat this whole conversation with Owen.

~

“You’re not surprised?” I ask my best friend who seems far too calm for this situation.

“I was surprised Raelyn was pregnant. Not surprised it’s yours.”

“How is that not surprising to you? It was a surprise to me.”

Owen shrugs and drinks from his pint glass, licking the foam from his lips. We’re sitting in a back corner ofAnchor’s Bottomwhere no one can overhear our conversation. I met him here after leaving Gigi’s and am more shocked at his calm acceptance of my revelation than he was at hearing I was back in town.

“It was a surprise to you because you weren’t expecting it. I was always expecting you and Rae to eventually hook up.”

“What the hell is going on here? Did everyone but me know this was going to happen?”

I fall back in my booth and flop my hands on the table making the beer in our glasses sway slightly, letting out an audible exhale.

“Look man, I knew you were interested. The way you watched her and beat up any guy who got near her with ill intentions, it was kind of obvious. I figured you would either get over having casual flings and get together or you wouldn’t.”

His casual explanation of my world-shattering revelation is a bit disarming. Here I am going through a massive mental reorganization, and everyone around me is just shrugging their shoulders like it’s no big deal.