Rings: A short story

There is no doubt about it, I like jewelry. Although I do not wear a lot of it, I like to make it and receive it as gifts. This works out well since I make costume jewelry, usually the jewelry I get as a gift is fine jewelry! I especially like rings. Over the years, a ring I often wear was what is believed to be my great grandmother’s wedding ring. It is gold with a deep pink stone – a pink topaz. The stone is not faceted but flush with the setting. It is very eye-catching and dear to me.

A couple of weeks ago, my mother-in-law passed away. My husband and his sister gave me some of her jewelry. They are very nice pieces and I was pleased to be thought of as the recipient for these sentimental momentos. One of the pieces is a ring, gold with a blue stone – I think it is a zircon, which is one of the December birthstones. Bordering the stone are two cut-out hearts with diamond chips. Lovely. And, I love that it was a family member’s. I knew I would wear it.

About a week ago, I went to Target in late morning, wearing four rings – my wedding rings, the pink topaz and the blue zircon – all on my left hand. While shopping, I saw a dress and a shirt that I liked but knew I needed to try on.  I did so. On about my shopping I went. Next stop was Michael’s Craft Store and then I headed home. While driving, I looked at my hands on the steering wheel and the blue ring was gone! What?! Oh, no! I couldn’t have lost it. I must have lost it! Many expletives were said, as I was alone in the car. Racking my brain, I thought about where this could have happened.  I know it was there when I had coffee and did some school work at Caribou Coffee before I went to Target. Ah….Target. The dressing room. Turning the car around, I headed back to the store immediately!  It must have been when I tried on the clothes. The ring must have slipped off and fell on the dressing room floor,  Thinking my chances were pretty slim of recovering the ring, I knew I must go back and do it quick! Could it still be there? I would just go back to the dressing area and check.  I rushed into the store and almost ran back to the dressing rooms.  Another employee was there, different from the one I with whom I had checked my clothes.  Gushing, I said breathlessly,  “I was here less than an hour ago; I think I lost a ring in the dressing room. It’s gold with a blue stone and two hearts”. The employee was smiling. Smiling? I couldn’t process, I was so upset.  “I just need to go into the dressing room to see if the ring is there. It must have slipped off my finger! I just got it. It’s a family heirloom!” Smiling, the employee said, “It’s up at the service desk in the lost and found. Someone turned it in!” Gushing some more, I thanked her profusely and headed quickly to the service desk. There, the scene of the dressing room conversation replayed, with much of the same breathlessness and urgency on my part.  I gave the detailed description of my mother-in- law’s ring. Soon, it was retrieved from lost and found. Placing it back on my finger, I breathed a sigh of relief and drove home.

The ring is going to the jeweler’s to be re-sized, first chance I get! It will stay in the box until then. Safe and cherished. Thank you to the kind strangers who allowed me to keep it.