I said nothing.
“I was twenty-three.”
His voice was low.
“I barely slept.”Birthdays & Name Days
He swallowed.
“Thomas had asked whoever made it home to do two things.”
I looked at the ring.
Walter nodded.
“Give you the letter.”
“And?”
“Buy you the ring he never got to buy.”
My chest tightened.
Walter continued.
“I didn’t have the money.”
“So you waited?”
“At first.”
“How long?”
“Too long.”
“What happened?”
“I got a job.”
He looked ashamed.
“Then I had enough money.”
“And still didn’t come.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because by then, I was afraid.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Afraid of what?”
“Your grief.”
I stared at him.
“Mine?”
“And mine.”
He rubbed his hands together.
“Every time I thought about knocking on your door, I saw Thomas.”
His voice broke.
“I was alive.”
I went still.Gems & Jewelry
“He wasn’t.”
Walter looked at me.
“That mattered more than I knew how to explain.”
