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“To the jewelry store,” I tell him, and his tiny brows pinch together.
“Is that why you pulled me from school? To go shopping? I wanted to do the show and tell; I brought my dinosaur to school today,” Valarian pouts.
“Well, I need you to help me. Since your mother never seems to wear jewelry, I don't know her tastes, so I want you to help pick it out,” I tell him.
“Mom doesn't wear jewelry. Maybe you should get her flowers. Mom likes flowers, but make sure it's in a pot. She said cut flowers die and are a waste.”
“You want me to ask your mother to marry me with a flower?” I ask him, glancing in the mirror, and he nods before I see his head whip up, a big grin on his face.
ChapterEighty-One
Valen
“You're going to marry Mom?” Valarian squeals, hurting my ears. His little eyes light up as he dances and wiggles in his seat.
“Well, I hope so. That’s why we’re going to the jewelers; we need to find her a ring.”
Valarian claps his hands excitedly. “Oh, I know! What about grandma's rings? Grandma had bunches!” Valarian says.
“Her mother?” I ask him, a little confused. But he shakes his head.
“No, Grandma Valarie—yourmom. They’re in the storage shed mom has, where she keeps all Grandma’s stuff,” he says.
“I don't remember seeing a jewelry box in there,” I tell him.
“No, mom packed it in a box after I dropped it. It has all my grandma's family jewels in it. Grandma gave them to her, she said. But she didn't feel right keeping them, since they’re family jewels. Mom said they should go to a blood relative and that Grandma has already given her too much. Mom left them for me when I’m older, but I won’t wear them—that’s girl stuff.”
I smirk at his words. However, I have no idea why Everly wouldn’t wear them if mom gave them to her. Mom clearly thought she was more than worthy to keep them.
“Do you know where the jewelry box is?” I ask him.
“Yep, in the yellow box in the far cupboard. She kept them in the safe in the hotel for a while, but then we got robbed one night, so Mom put them in the cupboard in the shed and stacked boxes in front of it,” he answers.
“The hotel got robbed?” I ask and Valarian nods.
“Yep, they didn’t take anything though, just wroterogue whoreon the brick walls. Auntie Macey scared them off.”
“Language! And you remember this?” I ask him, astounded.
“Uh huh, it was only last year, when Mom got her 5-star rating for the hotel, just before Christmas. Mom thinks it was another hotel owner. Auntie Macey smacked one in the head with her bat when they tried to get in the office area,” Valarian laughs, making a swinging motion with his hands before he shrugs.
“And she didn’t call the police?” I ask him.
“She did, but they laughed at her and said it was her problem, so Mom moved the jewelry from the safe—said it would be the first place they looked for valuables.”
“And how do you know where she hid it?” I ask and Valarian drops his head.
“I accidentally knocked a box over and broke the jewelry box. Mom spent hours crying, trying to put it back together with glue. She wouldn't stop crying; she said it was Grandma’s favorite possession,” Valarian tells me, making my brows furrow.
“You made her cry?” I ask him, unable to imagine Everly crying.
“Yeah, but I don't think it was the jewelry box. I think it was ‘cause I lost a stone out of one of the rings when it smashed. It was Grandma's mother's wedding ring. She said it was a priceless family heirloom. And the jewelry box wasgivento Grandma, so it must be the ring ‘cause the box looked ugly,” he says with a shrug while looking down at his hands in his lap.
“Do you think we can sneak in the back way?” I ask him.
“Back way of where?”
“The storage shed,” I tell him.
