“I think I broke him,” Nora says, as if reading my mind. “It’s like he’s going through some sort of mental crisis. To be honest, he could use the vacation.”
That’s what Florida or Mexico or Hawaii is for. You don’t vacation in the place your girlfriend dumped you. It’s weird.
I’d like to discuss other things with her but not doesn’t feel like the right time. Not when we’re talking about Denver. I guess I’m the idiot who brought it up.
“When’s the city council meeting? I’m busy with work every day but if it’s in the evening, I can go there to show my support.”
Nora smiles at me. “It’s actually Thursday at seven. I made sure not to fill in anywhere that night so I can go and say what I need to say.”
Pride fills my chest. Ever since BudgieFest, Nora hasn’t been able to let the budgie treatment by many of the breeders go. Now that Amos and her mother are settled in, it’s left her plenty of time to stew about it.
She wants change and I believe if anyone can make it happen, it’s Nora.
Clo decides he wants to visit our neighbors. Amos reaches into his pocket to pull out his old pipe that Sandy gave him. He likes to put millet pieces in the hole at the end and watch Clo eatfrom it. It’s cute how wildly entertaining he finds this. Skeeter whines from the porch next to Amos’s feet. He thinks he wants millet too.
“I’m so happy,” Nora murmurs, voice soft as she watches them. “I didn’t know I was missing this.”
I rise to my feet, feeling shaky and nervous. “Well, you were, Nora Everhart. We both were. And, frankly, I don’t want to miss another second without you. Life can take twists and turns at any moment. Your grandparents learned that. I don’t want to take this life for granted.”
Her blue eyes widen in surprise as I crouch down on one knee. I know Denver proposed not too long ago, but this is different. This is real. Our future is so tangible I can almost feel it in my hands. Soft and sweet like one of our many budgies.
It’s worth protecting. Worth nurturing. Worth growing.
I pull the ring out of my pocket. Nora’s eyes are as big as saucers now. Once she recognizes the ring, tears flood them and spill down over her cheeks. It’s then, I flash back to when I came to own the thing.
“I want you to have this, Elias.”
I grunt from where I’m scrolling through my phone by the window. My tea glass is empty and so is my stomach. I’m dying for some onion rings.
“What?” I ask as I pocket my phone.
Goldie’s hand shakes as she clutches tightly to something in her fist. I walk over to her and squat down. A boat in the bay blares its horn beyond the windows behind me. Down below, I can hear patrons of The Icehouse laugh.
“If that’s a spider, you’re going to hear a grown man scream like a little girl,” I say in warning.
She chuckles and playfully nudges my boot with her orthopedic shoe. “Silly boy. No, it’s very important to me.”
I’m not sure why she would want to give me something so important, but I hear her out. I feel bad that her family lives their lives over in New York while Goldie is all alone out here.
She’s not alone. She has you.
“Let’s see it,” I say, nodding at her to show me.
She uncurls one of her slender, slightly crooked arthritic hands. They’re the same hands that write endless notes in her journals and type furiously on her laptop. In her palm is…
Her wedding ring?
“I don’t get it,” I say with a strange laugh. “Are you proposing?”
She swats at me. “No, you big oaf. I’m gifting you this ring.”
“I can’t accept that.” I rise to my feet and shake my head. “It’s yourweddingring, Goldie. Yours.”
Her cloudy eyes move past me to look out at the bay. Heartbreak, still laced with hope, shines in her eyes. “You’re going to need it more than me soon.”
At this, I snort. “I’m not even dating anyone.”
It’s been one Helsinki of a dry spell. Basically, no one can tolerate my grumpiness. I have friendly companionship in my elderly roommate and that’s enough for now. Besides, all her budgies keep me busy.
