Free Tattoo by Katlin Stack, Russell Barber Page B

created a family, which was true, but I had found a family. Maybe getting pregnant had been a blessing, a way to tie us together forever or maybe it was a huge mistake that just happened to be going ok for us, luckily. But whatever it was, whatever the reason, it felt so right. It felt, for the first time, that even off the mound, I had something to wake up for. To make me smile every day. Something to make my heart beat every day. And I was unwilling to give that up.
     
    "Well, we have lots to choose from right here." She pulled out some trays of rings. They were sparking and beautiful. I could easily see why girls got so obsessed with those rings. But none of those were what I was looking for.
     
    "Actually, I saw a ring in your front window, a diamond one. Could I see that one?"
     
    "Ah, yes that ring is very special." She shuffled away to the front window and picked up the ring. "Now in an antique store, almost every piece that comes into my store has a story. This one is a very special story."
     
    She shuffled back to me and handed the ring over. I turned it in my fingers letting the diamond play with the light. The gold shone brightly against it. "What's the story?"
     
    "Well, this ring was given as an engagement ring back in the 1940s. The boy and the girl had been dating for a year. They were young and completely in love. He proposed to her and she said yes. But when she went home to tell her parents, they were less than thrilled. They told her she couldn't marry him. See, back then, it was unacceptable to marry someone of a different faith. Well, he was Jewish and her family was very devout Catholic. So she broke it off, but he had her keep the ring."
     
    I stopped twisting it and looked up at her. "What happened to them?" I asked her.
     
    "Well, I don't exactly know what happened to him, but she never married. She stayed in love with him until the day she passed away. I suppose she would have wanted to be buried with the ring, but no one found it until they were cleaning out her apartment. Her nieces decided to bring it into my shop so that maybe someday it would be in a wedding. That ring is full of so much love, it's painfully beautiful."
     
    I nodded. It really was. "How much is it?" I knew I had a limited budget and I probably wouldn't be able to afford something this nice.
     
    "You look young, how old are you?" she asked kindly. 
     
    "I'm 18, I just graduated."
     
    "Ah, young and in love." she nodded. "Are you sure you are ready for this?"
     
    I looked down at the ring again. I pictured losing Lauren from my life just like the other guy had. "Yes, I'm sure." I almost told her that Lauren was pregnant and we were already becoming more ready for most things than others our age but I stopped myself. Pregnancy or not, I knew that one day I'd be proposing to Lauren.  And I knew this ring needed to be the one. I smiled at her.
     
    She looked me up and down, appraising me as she would one of her pieces of jewelry. "Yes, I do think you know what you are doing. Tell you what, I will sell you the ring for $500."
     
    My mouth gaped open. That was it? $500? "Ma’am, please. This ring must be worth way more than that."
     
    "Oh, I'm sure it is," she nodded sadly. "But I'm one of her nieces. I want this ring to go to someone special. It deserves it."
     
    I paid for part of the ring that day, and spent the next few weeks paying it off. I had already figured out the perfect plan to propose, the day that our baby would be born. But I still had one obstacle left to tackle. I knew I had to ask her dad for his permission. 
     
    I called him one day, asking if he would come over to the apartment. I was nervous as hell, because, who wouldn't be? I had already knocked her up, now I was asking to take her away. I hadn't imagined doing this so young, but I had no doubts that Lauren and I would make it through. I just hoped her dad had the same visions for our future as I did. 
     
    Her dad walked through the door