The Rings
"Here are the rings you ordered, Nick!" Harry announced, placing the box on the desk.
Nick hesitated, eyes narrowing. "Are you sure Amelia will like them?"
Harry smirked, confident. "I had someone from the jewelry boutique pose as a surveyor and ask her opinion. She picked this design herself."
Nick glanced at the simple but elegant platinum bands, the diamond catching the light perfectly. He sighed, closing the red velvet box, still feeling uncertain despite Harry's reassurance.
"What am I even doing?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "Why am I trying so hard for someone who doesn't even want to be with me?" The thought gnawed at him. He couldn't shake the image of the twins—Amelia and Aiden's kids, not his. "They'd want to be with him, right?" he thought bitterly. Yet, every now and then, Amelia's voice from that drunken night echoed in his head. That sweet, tipsy confession, the way she said she needed him too.
Nick rubbed his temples and raked a hand through his already messy hair, his mind spinning in circles. The rings, the marriage, Amelia—it was all becoming too much. He could feel the weight of it all pressing down on him, making it hard to focus. Across the room, Harry had been silently watching, his expression growing more and more impatient.
With a loud sigh, Harry finally spoke up, snapping Nick out of his thoughts. "Nick, come on, man," Harry said, stepping into the doorway, arms crossed. "You're overthinking this like you always do. The rings aren't some huge mystery. Your dad wants you and Amelia to wear them, end of story. Just... stop turning it into this big thing in your head."
Nick grumbled, his eyes dropping to the paperwork in front of him, though none of it seemed to make sense right now. "Yeah, I get that," he muttered, flipping through pages without really seeing them. "But it's not that simple, Harry. It's not just about the rings... it's about everything."
Harry groaned, leaning on the doorframe. "You know what complicates everything? You. You're tying yourself in knots over this. Just make a decision and stick to it."
"Thank you, Harry!" Nick sighed bitterly.
Later, during the drive home, Nick's thoughts raced as Amelia sat quietly beside him, scrolling on her phone. His fingers fidgeted with the small velvet box in his pocket, tracing the smooth edges as he tried to summon the courage to give it to her. His heart pounded louder with each passing second.
"Amelia, I've been wanting to—" he began, voice shaky with nerves.
"Oh my God, I forgot my wallet!" Amelia interrupted, suddenly sitting upright with wide eyes. "Can you wait here for a sec?" She didn't even seem to notice Nick's faltering words or the anxious thudding of his heart. Before he could respond, she was already out of the car, rushing back toward the building.
Nick let out a long, heavy sigh, slumping back in his seat. He ran a hand over his face, feeling the tension in his shoulders. "Guess now's not the time," he muttered, the weight of the moment dissipating as quickly as it had built up. He stared out the window, frustrated that his chance had slipped away.
The rest of the evening wasn't much better. After dinner with the kids and getting them tucked into bed, Nick noticed Amelia slipping away toward her bedroom. His pulse quickened. "It's now or never," he thought, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Amelia, can we talk for a minute?" he called out, his voice tinged with more urgency than he'd planned.
She paused at the door, glancing back at him mid-yawn. "Nick, I'm exhausted. Is it really important?"
His mind raced, the words he'd rehearsed suddenly tangled up. 'Tell her now. Just give her the damn ring'. But instead, all he managed to say was, "Uh, no... it's not urgent."
"Great," she replied, stifling another yawn. "We'll talk later." With that, she stretched, turned, and disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door softly behind her.
Nick stood there, staring at the closed door, frustration gnawing at him. His fingers clenched and unclenched at his sides, his mind spiraling. "How am I supposed to give her the ring if she keeps dodging me?" he muttered under his breath, raking his fingers through his hair in irritation. "Do I just slip it on her finger while we're at the office tomorrow? Like... what am I even doing?"
He paced the hallway, the weight of the small box in his pocket feeling heavier with each passing minute. His head throbbed with the tension, the day's stress catching up with him. This ring, this gesture—it was supposed to mean something. But everything felt off. 'Why does it always have to be so complicated?' he thought bitterly.
He sighed deeply, the frustration easing just a bit. "Tomorrow," he whispered to himself, turning toward the guest room. "I'll try again tomorrow."
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Amelia lay wide awake, her mind spinning. She tossed and turned, frustration bubbling inside her. Grabbing a pillow, she smacked it against the bed with a huff. "What the hell is wrong with me?" she muttered, burying her flushed face into the pillow. The memories of that drunken night rushed back—how she'd been tipsy, draped all over Nick, kissing and caressing his abs like she had no self-control.
Her face burned hotter as she groaned into the pillow. "Oh God, what was I even thinking?" The embarrassment twisted in her stomach. "I never should've had that much to drink. Now he's probably just waiting to tease me about it, make me feel like an idiot." She rolled onto her side, yanking the covers over her head as if hiding from the memory would make it go away.
"Just pretend you don't remember," she whispered to herself, almost like a mantra. "That's all I can do. Act like it never happened."
***
Poor Nick. The rings would have to wait.
***
NOTE:
I'm starting to feel sorry for Nick. But I still don't think he's done enough to convince Amelia to want to live with him again. Nick has made a lot of sacrifices for his family issues—he gave up on his dreams early to save his marriage with Amelia so he wouldn't be forced to marry Maia. Even so, I feel like his sacrifices weren't as heavy as Amelia's when she was pregnant and raising the twins. What do you guys think?
***