Rings

Maya is Going to Kill Me

Carina repeatedly checked the clock as she scoured the apartment. Somehow she lost Maya's ring, but she didn't know how or when it happened. The knowledge that Maya was set to be home any minute hung over her as she gave up.

"Maya is going to kill me," Carina thought out loud, standing over the couch fixing the cushions.

"Why?"

"Amore! You're home," Carina gave the best smile she could fake, running up to Maya and pulling her into a tight embrace. Anything she could do to buy her some time to come up with something before Maya asked the inevitable.

"Why am I going to kill you?"

"Uh, nothing... I just didn't..." Carina's mind raced, trying to develop anything that held less weight than losing Maya's most prized possession. "I know you have been planning our trip for so long and have been really looking forward to it, and I have too-"

"You can't? Babe, we have been planning this for weeks. Is it work?"

With dodgy eye contact and lips pressed tight together, Carina nodded her head yes, silently praying her wife wouldn't ask any more questions. Though, Maya wasn't buying it one bit.

"I was starting to think you were an excellent liar because I've ner caught you in anything. But now I realize you never lie because, what is this? You are a terrible liar. You don't want to go anymore?"

"No! I want our getaway weekend date. It- I- I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me why I have to call the hotel, the spa, and the restaurants to cancel?"

Thinking about all their plans, Carina didn't know why she even thought about sacrificing the one weekend they both had off. What was she thinking giving three nights in a four-star hotel in Miami and the all-day couples spa treatment suitable for even celebrities?

"I can go," Carina gave in. "I can't tell you why you are going to kill me."

"So we are going on our weekend date? I am so confused."

"Me too."

"Wait. What's going on."

"We are still going away," Carina smiled, pulling Maya close again.

"And why am I upset with you?"

Carina's mind stalled. She couldn't tell Maya the truth, or their weekend getaway might actually get canceled, but now that she made such a big deal about her hiding something, Maya wouldn't let it go.

"I can't even think of another lie."

"Then tell me the truth." Maya was surprisingly calm and sweet, wrapping her arms around Carina's waist and waiting for Carina to hold her tighter.

"Oh my god, never mind!" Carina said, a little too excited as she slipped her wedding band onto her right hand behind Maya's back. They were identical, so it would have to work until she found Maya's real one. "I thought I messed something up, but I just remembered... Everything is fine."

"I'm still confused about what's going on, so I'm just going to go along with everything is fine." Maya gave Carina a sweet kiss. She was still lost and didn't have the energy to solve the puzzle that was Carina's thoughts. "Oh, can I have my ring please?" Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Carina.

"Of course," she distracted Maya with another kiss as she slipped the ring on Maya's hand, not giving her the chance to examine or question the authenticity of the gold.

"Freaking butterflies."

"I should get you something butterfly related for your birthday; you are always talking about them."

Since Maya seemed preoccupied enough, Carina pulled out of the embrace and went back to straightening up the living room before Maya noticed it had been destroyed in the search.

"You make me feel them in my stomach."

"I still don't really get that saying, but butterflies are also symbolic of shedding an old life and growing into something new and beautiful."

"Wow, I didn't even think about that. I would love something butterfly related for my birthday. It's coming up, you know."

"Si, three weeks and four days. I've been counting down."

"Really? I didn't even know that."

"I might be a little more excited than you."

~~~ a random amount of time later ~~~

"Carina, I can't say your middle name, DeLuca-Bishop!" Maya called as she stormed into her home.

"What's wrong?" Carina asked, running out of the kitchen with dirty utensils in hand.

"How long has my ring not been my ring?"

"Huh?" Carina's eyes widened, hoping she misheard her wife.

"My ring is scratched from when I tried to open the beer with it. This ring," Maya held her hand up and pointed to the ring for effect, "no scratch."

"That scratch was so small I forgot." Carina threw down the utensils and quickly turned off all the burners, sensing a long conversation.

"So you knew this wasn't my ring?"

"It's mine. I lost yours a while ago, I thought it would show up before you noticed, and I could switch it back."

"You lost my ring?" Maya's fiery eyes suddenly cooled down as they filled with water. Carina expected Maya to be mad when she found out, but she did not expect her to go soft and cry over it.

She wrapped Maya up in her arms, trying to console her and silently praying a wave of anger didn't come back suddenly.

"I'm so sorry, Bambina, I don't know what happened to it. It just disappeared. I didn't know how to tell you, so I have been giving you my ring every time."

"You haven't been wearing a ring?" Maya pulled back to look down at Carina's hand; there was still a gold band on her ring finger. She looked back up, confused.

"I bought this one the day after I lost yours."

"Why didn't you give me that one?"

"Because you are always talking about how you love that your ring was at our wedding and holds all the love from that day. I wanted to make sure that was still true."

"I want to be mad at you, but I really appreciate that." Maya looked down at her hand again, feeling better, knowing it still held the same significance as hers did. "You are okay with me having your ring?"

"It's yours now. And seeing how your face lit up when I said it was still there on our big day makes it worth sharing with you. To me, our love is between us. I don't need a piece of metal to tell me how much I love you. I know the ring is kind of like a baby blanket to you, so I don't mind if you have the real thing. As long as I still get you, then I'm happy."

"A baby blanket?"

"I know there is another saying, you are not a baby. But it is a comfort thing, no?"

"It is..." Maya rolled her eyes, not being able to come up with a defense. "You are so fucking lucky I love you, or I would still be pissed at you for losing my ring."

"Si, I am so lucky you love me."