She held that certificate like a trophy, standing there like a doll in a department store window.
I recognized the bracelet on her wrist. Last month, Julian and I had gone to an auction together. He'd won the bid and told me it was my fifteenth anniversary gift.
Then, the day before our anniversary, Julian came to me in a panic and said the bracelet was gone.
His eyes were full of guilt. So full that they turned red as he spoke.
"Babe, I'll get you something even better. I promise."
He ran his thumb across the calluses on my hands, and tears actually fell.
"You've had it so rough all these years, sticking with me through everything. Once the company goes public, let's get married. What do you say?"
"Babe." He pulled me into his arms. "I want to marry you. I want to build a real home with you."
And I believed him.
I thought we were finally going to take that step.
I told myself that all those years by Julian's side, building something from nothing, had been worth it. That I could look back on my life with no regrets and settle into something quiet and steady.
Now.