shoe.” Katie reached for Rick’s arm as she tried to steady
her steps. “Actually, Cinderella isn’t alone on the shoe loss thing. I stumbled out of my shoe in this parking lot last May
at Todd and Christy’s wedding, remember?”
“No. When did you lose your shoe?” Rick wrapped his arm around her, steadying her steps.
“When I was running after the limo. Right after I found out about the prank you and Doug played on Christy and Todd.”
“Oh, right.”
Katie knew Rick didn’t really remember. Now that she thought about it, Eli was the one who had kept an eye on her that evening.
He was the one who picked up the wreath of flowers she had been wearing as a bridesmaid. The one who said she had lost her
halo. Then he proceeded to hang the mangled wreath on the rearview mirror of his beat-up Toyota. He said it reminded him to
pray.
Rick and Katie headed for one of the benches along the walkway under the palm trees. As soon as they sat down, Rick kissed
her.
Katie pulled back and looked at him before he could draw her close again for another kiss. “What’s going on? You’re, like,
off-the-chart nice and ultra-affectionate this evening.”
Rick smiled the same heart-happy grin he had given her earlier when she entered Crown Hall’s lobby.
“I have something I’ve been waiting to give you.” Rick pulled from his pocket a small jewelry box.
Katie held her breath.
Is this it? Now? No! I’m not ready. I thought I was, but I’m not. Please, Rick! No! Not yet!
Rick didn’t drop to his knee. He remained seated on the bench next to Katie and handed her the jewelry box. Once the box was
in her hand, she realized it was too large for a ring. And too flat.
“What’s this?”
“Open it and see.”
Katie opened the box. The only light around them came from the strings of white twinkle lights wrapped around the palm trees.
She was pretty sure the treasure in the box was a piece of jewelry, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
Faintly making out the shape of what might possibly be a small medallion, she said, “Did you win a gold medal in the Olympics
and not bother to tell me?”
“No, and don’t ruin this by trying to be funny.”
“Ruin what? I can’t tell what this is.”
“It’s a brooch.” Rick made the declaration with such finality Katie knew he thought the identity of the object should have
been obvious to her. But it still wasn’t.
Her confusion escalated. “A brooch? What exactly is a brooch?”
Rick removed the piece of jewelry from the box and held it up so Katie could see the way the inset stones sparkled in the
faint light. The brooch looked like a round sunburst with many small stones that seemed to be winking at her.
“This belonged to my grandmother.” Rick’s voice had turned tender again. “She gave it to my mom. Right before Valentine’s
Day my mom asked if I would like to have it made into something for you.”
“So this is what you were going to give me on Valentine’s Day?”
“Yes. I planned to surprise you, but then I realized I couldn’t have anything designed and completed in time for Valentine’s
Day. So I thought I would give it to you then, and you could think about what you would like to do with it. I’m giving it
to you now so, once you decide, I can have it ready by graduation. It won’t be a surprise, but it will be something you like,
and that’s more important.”
“Rick, you don’t have to give this to me. It was your grandmother’s. It’s too valuable.”
“That’s exactly why I want you to have it.” He put the brooch back on the cotton in the box and placed the box in Katie’s
hand. “This is important to me. To us. I’ve wanted to give you a piece of jewelry ever since we became a couple. It’s just
that with money being so tight from opening the cafés, I couldn’t put aside enough for anything of value. When my mom gave
me this, it meant a lot to me. That’s why I was so eager to
her steps. “Actually, Cinderella isn’t alone on the shoe loss thing. I stumbled out of my shoe in this parking lot last May
at Todd and Christy’s wedding, remember?”
“No. When did you lose your shoe?” Rick wrapped his arm around her, steadying her steps.
“When I was running after the limo. Right after I found out about the prank you and Doug played on Christy and Todd.”
“Oh, right.”
Katie knew Rick didn’t really remember. Now that she thought about it, Eli was the one who had kept an eye on her that evening.
He was the one who picked up the wreath of flowers she had been wearing as a bridesmaid. The one who said she had lost her
halo. Then he proceeded to hang the mangled wreath on the rearview mirror of his beat-up Toyota. He said it reminded him to
pray.
Rick and Katie headed for one of the benches along the walkway under the palm trees. As soon as they sat down, Rick kissed
her.
Katie pulled back and looked at him before he could draw her close again for another kiss. “What’s going on? You’re, like,
off-the-chart nice and ultra-affectionate this evening.”
Rick smiled the same heart-happy grin he had given her earlier when she entered Crown Hall’s lobby.
“I have something I’ve been waiting to give you.” Rick pulled from his pocket a small jewelry box.
Katie held her breath.
Is this it? Now? No! I’m not ready. I thought I was, but I’m not. Please, Rick! No! Not yet!
Rick didn’t drop to his knee. He remained seated on the bench next to Katie and handed her the jewelry box. Once the box was
in her hand, she realized it was too large for a ring. And too flat.
“What’s this?”
“Open it and see.”
Katie opened the box. The only light around them came from the strings of white twinkle lights wrapped around the palm trees.
She was pretty sure the treasure in the box was a piece of jewelry, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
Faintly making out the shape of what might possibly be a small medallion, she said, “Did you win a gold medal in the Olympics
and not bother to tell me?”
“No, and don’t ruin this by trying to be funny.”
“Ruin what? I can’t tell what this is.”
“It’s a brooch.” Rick made the declaration with such finality Katie knew he thought the identity of the object should have
been obvious to her. But it still wasn’t.
Her confusion escalated. “A brooch? What exactly is a brooch?”
Rick removed the piece of jewelry from the box and held it up so Katie could see the way the inset stones sparkled in the
faint light. The brooch looked like a round sunburst with many small stones that seemed to be winking at her.
“This belonged to my grandmother.” Rick’s voice had turned tender again. “She gave it to my mom. Right before Valentine’s
Day my mom asked if I would like to have it made into something for you.”
“So this is what you were going to give me on Valentine’s Day?”
“Yes. I planned to surprise you, but then I realized I couldn’t have anything designed and completed in time for Valentine’s
Day. So I thought I would give it to you then, and you could think about what you would like to do with it. I’m giving it
to you now so, once you decide, I can have it ready by graduation. It won’t be a surprise, but it will be something you like,
and that’s more important.”
“Rick, you don’t have to give this to me. It was your grandmother’s. It’s too valuable.”
“That’s exactly why I want you to have it.” He put the brooch back on the cotton in the box and placed the box in Katie’s
hand. “This is important to me. To us. I’ve wanted to give you a piece of jewelry ever since we became a couple. It’s just
that with money being so tight from opening the cafés, I couldn’t put aside enough for anything of value. When my mom gave
me this, it meant a lot to me. That’s why I was so eager to
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