Rings and Strings

Love isn't shown in the material possessions that you are given, but, instead, in the memories and happiness that you create together.

              “Asher, what are you doing?” I questioned in between giggles.  His lips met mine in a quieting hush while his hand groped awkwardly for mine.
              “Just a second, Noelle,” He whispered, a smile erupting across his features. His hazel eyes stared curiously into mine, unwavering and full of mischief. I tried to sit up, but he gently pushed me back down onto the bed, continuing to lean down over top of me. I raised an eyebrow, ready to question him once again.
              “I have something for you,” He said, pulling my left hand closer to him. He sat up on the bed, crossing his legs and pulling my arm gently to move me closer. Leaning backwards, I watched him open the drawer on his bedside table and withdraw something from within. I was beyond curious, now.
              “Ash-“
              “For you!” He exclaimed holding out his hand. A piece of string was nestled safely in the middle. I stared a moment, blinking a few times.
              “Err...Thanks?” I replied, shifting so that I could see more properly. “It’s my favorite shade of green.”
              “I know,” he replied. “Hold out your hand.” I obeyed without question. A small, slightly confused, smile teased my lips as I watched him tie the string around my ring finger.
              “It’s so you don’t forget…”
              I looked up at him then. I was surprised to see him looking so serious as his fingers fumbled with the small knots.
              “Forget what, Asher?” I asked, laughing despite myself. “To pick up milk at the grocery store?
              He laughed, too. Leaning forward, he kissed me again, deeper and more serious than the last time. Pulling away, he smiled his dimple smile that I loved.
              “It’s a secret.”

              The next morning, I woke up before my alarm. Hoping to spare Asher, I felt around blindly before finding the accursed thing. Sitting up, I dangled my legs over the edge of the bed and waited for the sleepy feeling to fade away.  It was still early, about six-thirty, but it felt earlier than that. With a small groan, I slowly stood up and made my way over to the adjoined bathroom.
              Turning the shower on, I pulled the scrunchie from my hair and pulled my sleep shirt over my head.  I was about to enter when I saw a flash of green and stopped. It was Asher’s string. I held up my hand and stared at it for a moment.
              “He’s so silly…” I murmured. I debated on taking it off, but thought better of it. It seemed important to him, so I wasn’t about to ruin what fun he was having.
              Fifteen minutes later, I stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to my dresser.  It was all routine, like clockwork. The night before I had set out my outfit for the day, that way I wouldn’t have to make a lot of noise and chance waking Asher.
              I was in the process of adjusting the straps to my bra when two arms snaked around my waist, startling me.
              “Good morning, love.” Asher breathed into my neck.  I turned around in his hold to face him.
              “Did I wake you up? I’m sorry!” I exclaimed, reaching up to place my hand on his cheek.  He smiled down at me and shook his head.
              “No, you didn’t. I wanted to get up early today,” he replied. I frowned slightly, brushing his golden locks from his face.
              “Why would you want to get up early on your day off?” I asked curiously. His smile broadened.
              “So that I could make you breakfast before you go to work!” He kissed me, then, pulling me close to him, his hand reaching up to run through my damp brown hair.
              “Breakfast? Asher, what on earth has gotten into you?” I asked as soon as my mouth was free.  His eyes widened suddenly.
              “Breakfast!” He shouted, turning and bolting out into the hall. A second later, I heard a shout of success.
              “I didn’t burn it!”

              I stared curiously at Asher as he busied himself at the kitchen counter.
              “You know, Asher, it doesn’t have to look as amazing as it smells. Make me wait any longer and I’m bound to eat the placemat.”  I teased, taking a drink of my orange juice. Fresh squeezed? He really did go all out. What on earth was he up to? He’s always been the sweetest guy, but today was the icing on the cake.
              “Here you go, ma’am. Waffles with a side of sausage and eggs, fried, just like you like them.” He placed the plate down in front of me and I stared in wide-eyed wonder.
              “You did all of this for me?” I whispered. I didn’t want to eat it. It was beautiful He even had fresh strawberries, sliced and shaped just like hearts. It was picture perfect, like out of a cooking magazine.  Movement brought me from my thoughts and I looked up to see Asher sitting across from me in his chair. He was smiling, his palm cradling his face as he gazed at me.
              “Aren’t you going to eat?”
              “Aren’t you going to eat?”
              We laughed; him out of pure amusement and me out of mild confusion.  Hesitantly, deciding on my waffle, I took my first bite. It was heaven in the form of golden brown perfection and sweet maple syrup. I closed my eyes and ignored the unladylike moan that escaped my lips. It melted in my mouth and I quickly indulged in another bite.
              “My, God, Asher. Where did you learn to cook like this?” I managed between bites. I glanced up at him to see him smiling from ear to ear.
              “My mother, to be exact.” He answered simply. He stood up and walked over to the stove, grabbing a piece of sausage and popping the whole link into his mouth.
              ‘It’s her waffle and syrup recipes.” He added. I paused mid-chew and embarrassed myself by talking with my mouth full.
              “You made those from scratch?” I demanded, at least remembering to cover my mouth. He nodded, clearly pleased that I was enjoying his cooking so much. I thought back to the last time he had cooked for me and was shocked to realize that he hadn’t before this time. In the six months that we had been together, I had always taken the lead in the kitchen and Asher had only helped.
              “Why haven’t you said anything before this?” I questioned softly, placing my fork on the table. A frown replaced his smile.
              ”What do you mean?”
              “The cooking! You can cook this amazingly, yet you’ve dealt with eating my half-assed concoctions! Why didn’t you say anything before? I would have gladly handed you the wooden spoon and let you have at it.” I finished with a pout as I slouched in my seat. For some idiotic reason, I was feeling embarrassed. I couldn’t cook nearly as well as him, yet this whole time he’s been eating my meals without complaint.
              “It would seem that you’re starting to forget…”  I glanced up to see him walking towards me, a frown evident on his face. He knelt down onto both knees and took my left hand in his.
              “This string...I gave it to you so you wouldn’t forget.” He said, his voice tainted with sadness. I frowned and felt my forehead furrow as I looked down at him.
              “Asher, what do you mean?” I asked feeling slightly annoyed at the moment. Why was he being so mysterious? With a sigh, he shifted and reached into his pocket. He pulled something out and held it for me to see.
              “Maybe this will help as well.” Holding my hand, he slipped the small ring onto my finger, along with the string. It was one of those quarter machine rings. It was slightly bent from being in his pocket, but it still fit my finger. I realized, after looking at it, that the place where the stone was supposed to be was a flat piece of plastic with a sticker of a red heart in the middle.
              “Don’t forget, okay?” He asked, kissing the ring and smiling up at me. “Now, you’d better get going. You’re going to be late for work.”
              I gasped and pulled my hand from his to look at my watch. He was right. I had twenty minutes before I had to be at the café. Careful not to knock Asher off balance, I jumped to my feet and bent down to kiss him good-bye.
              “I’ll see you later!” I said, running for the door, grabbing my bag before opening it.
              “I love you!” He shouted after me. I turned and blew him a kiss.
              “I love you, too.”

              Noelle! Your man is here!” Rachel shouted. I turned around to see Asher standing in the doorway of the café. I smiled and waved to let him know that I saw him. I glanced at my watch to see that it was quitting time. I went into the break room and took off my apron and placed it into my cubbyhole. Checking myself in the mirror, I exited the room and went to greet Asher.
              “What brings you here?” I asked, stretching up to give him a quick peck on the lips. A small girl giggled from the table beside us and I smiled over at her. Asher cleared his throat.
              “I made reservations for us.” He said quickly. My eyes flicked to meet his.
              “What? Asher, you know we don’t have�"" I was silenced by his finger on my lips.
              “It’s all right. Now, come on, it isn’t far from here,” he said, hooking his arm under mine. I frowned slightly, but let him lead me out of the door and into the busy street.
              The walk was silent. Well, silent except for Asher’s erratic humming. I stared at the sidewalk, not wanting Asher to see my face. I couldn’t help the grimace that had replaced the smile that I normally had around him. He had made reservations? Where? We couldn’t afford to eat anywhere fancy. I mean, it isn’t like we’re broke, but we couldn’t afford to throw money around where it didn’t need thrown.
              “We’re here!” Asher exclaimed, pulling me from my brooding thoughts. I looked up and instantly became confused.
              “We’re back where we started…” I retorted. I stared at the bold yellow letters spelling out the café’s name, Smooth Brew.  Had we simply walked all the way around the block to come back here?
              “Exactly!” He said, pulling me forward. He held the door open for me and I stepped in, my confusion obvious. I saw Rachel smile and wave, as if it were completely normal to see me so soon after having just clocked out ten minutes ago.
              “This way, milady,” Asher said, holding out a hand to escort me to our table. I sighed and followed along with the charade. We reached a booth in the far corner of the café. It was normally reserved for business meetings. Taking the seat presented to me, I sat down and leaned back, resting my head on the back of the seat.
              “What would you like to eat?” Asher asked, his mood apparently not affected by my sourness.
              “I’m not hungry.” I replied bluntly. I lifted my head to see Asher staring at me with a slightly surprised expression.
              “What can I get ya two?” Rachel asked in her slight southern drawl. Asher held up a hand.
              “Can you come back in a moment or two? We haven’t decided yet.” He answered, his voice low and simple . Rachel blinked in surprise.
              “Well, can I at least get ya a drink or somethin’?” She asked uncertainly. Asher smiled softly and nodded.
              “Just make it two waters, but, like I said, wait a moment or two, okay?” Rachel nodded, jotting down the order in her notepad.
              “Gotcha, sir.”  She said, turning and hustling away to another table containing a customer that I knew to be a regular.
              “Noelle?” I turned to look back at Asher and was startled to see he was right beside me. He knelt down, like he had this morning. However, it was only on one knee instead of both. I felt my breath hitch in my throat.
              “Ash"“
              “Noelle, I know you’re probably confused and maybe even annoyed with me at this point, but hear me out.” He began. He took my left hand and held it up so that I could see. I felt my eyes grow moist and knew the tears were coming.
              “This string was meant to represent my promise to you. I will always love you, no matter what. Your fault and your strengths; they are who you are. Nothing will change that…” He kissed my hand and continued before I could say anything.
              “This ring is a sign that our love is continuous, like a circle. While it may not be perfectly smooth, it keeps on going. It also shows that, while we may not be the richest of couples, we manage and are still happy with what we have.
              “I was taught by my mother that when it comes to asking the one you love to marry you that it isn’t the ring that matters most. It is the promises behind it.” He smiled up at me, reaching up to wipe away my tears that had been falling without notice. I hiccupped, trying to hold in the sob I felt in my tightened throat. His eyes widened slightly and he began to ramble.
              “I understand that you might really want a ring, so I’ve been saving up my past few paychecks to buy one for you. I want you to pick it out though, because you know I’m not that well at pickin"“
              My lips met his in a small plea for his silence.
              “Yes.” I said between kisses. He pulled back, a look of confusion on his face. I smiled and placed a finger on his nose.
              “You didn’t even wait for my answer, silly. I said yes. I will marry you…” His eyes lit up and suddenly a deep blush blossomed across his face.
              “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I had been practicing that speech in my head all day. I was worried I’d screw it up. And afraid that you’d be upset if I didn’t propose properly with a ring and everything.”
              His eyes looked back and forth between mine, looking for some sort of sign of approval. I couldn’t help myself. The sob escaped me and I fell forward to wrap my arms around his neck.
              “I love you, Asher Michaels. And, for the record, your mother was a smart woman. I don’t need a fancy engagement ring to have proof as to how much we love each other. These two are perfect...” I added, holding up my hand to show him my quarter machine ring and green string of my favorite shade.

Author's Note

This short story was written with my personal views and opinions in mind. I do not want a fancy ring as proof of love. I do not wish to be bought with shiny objects (as shiny and eye-catching as they may be). I want to be loved, pure and simple. Make me laugh and smile. Keep the butterflies in my stomach churning in a never-ending cycle that leaves me giddy and breathless. That, is all I wish for in a relationship, for that is all that should be needed.

Critique encouraged!