The Other Ring
Emma had a mountain of urgent work and decided to skip lunch. Then her phone rangher mum.
«What is it, Mum? Make it quick, Im swamped,» Emma answered briskly.
«Love» Her mothers voice was faint, as if from far away. «I dont feel well»
Emma waited, thinking the line had cut out, but all she heard was a groan.
«Mum? I can hardly hear youMum! Im coming now!» She snatched her coat from the rack.
«Cover for me,» she told her colleague before rushing out.
Only outside did she realise she was still in her office heels. No time to go backshe dashed to the car park. Her mums spare keys were in the glovebox. Every red light felt like an eternity. Shed pay the fine latershe had to hurry.
When she burst into the flat, her mother was curled on the sofa, clutching her chest.
«Is it your heart?» Emma asked.
Her mum winced but didnt answer. Emma called an ambulance.
Waiting, she smoothed her mums shoulder, murmuring reassurances. The paramedics arrived, took vitals, and loaded her onto a stretcher. Emma wanted to ride with them, but they insisted shed only be in the way.
Back at work, her boss glared.
«Emma, lunch ended an hour ago. One more slip-up, and its a formal warning.»
Emma exhaled.
Her best mate, Sarah, worked at the hospital. She called back half an hour laterher mum was stable, no heart attack, just observation.
«Rough day?» Sarah asked.
«Boss on my case, punctured tyre, and Daniel wont pick up,» Emma sighed.
Daniel was still on his laptop when she got home.
«Where were you? I called a hundred times!»
«At work. Meetings. Phone was on silent. Whats wrong?»
«Mum had a heart scare. Ambulance took her. And my tyre blew out!»
«Shouldve driven carefully. Hows your mum?»
They made up, but unease lingered.
***
Emma and Daniel had met at a café two years ago. Sarah had nudged her»That blokes staring holes into you.»
Hed approached, all charm, and theyd talked for hours. Emma fell hard. Two weeks later, he moved in.
She waited for a proposal. Daniel always said living together was one thing, but marriage required a flat of his own. Two years passed.
One weekend, while tidying, she found a velvet box in his jacket. Insidea diamond ring. Her heart soared. She slid it on, admiring the sparkle, then put it back.
The next day, it was gone.
Her birthday came. Daniel handed her a boxearrings, not the ring. His face fell at her disappointment.
Later, she confronted him.
«Whose ring was it?»
«A mates. His girlfriend wouldve found it.»
She didnt believe him.
«Fine. Pick any ring tomorrow,» he said.
At the jewellers, the assistant slipped»Didnt she like the one you bought?»
Emma fled. Daniel called, but she ignored him.
Parked on the roadside, she cried until a knock startled herthe man whod changed her tyre weeks ago.
Over coffee, she spilled everything.
«Maybe it was his mates?» he offered.
«Doesnt matter now.»
He bought her ice cream. «Always helped me as a kid.»
***
She left Daniel. The tyre-changer, James, kept «accidentally» bumping into her. Films, weekends in York, Bath Slowly, she trusted again. Four months later, he proposeda modest ring, but given with his whole heart.
Emma never took it off.
Sometimes she wonderedhow long would Daniel have lied if she hadnt found that ring?
Maybe some cupboards are best left unopened. And pocketsbest left unsearched.
