you can't help but become the sun / julien baker

chapter forty-one

Maggie's Pov:
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Flying high and proud outside of the store was a pride flag, a small smile appeared on my once somber face as I entered the building. A black car drove slowly past the shop.

I was met with a very friendly environment, they were playing 'Silk Chiffon' by MUNA featuring Phoebe. It was a little weird hearing my friend's voice in a store but also pretty funny.

"Hey! Welcome!" A girl with short, blue hair welcomed me. "What are you looking for today?"

"Hi, I'm looking for engagement rings! I'm planning on proposing to my girlfriend soon!" I grinned, saying that out loud definitely was crazy. I'm really doing that!

"Oh hell yes! Okay, does your girlfriend like more feminine or masculine jewelry?" She asked, moving over to the ring section.

"She's definitely more into masculine things than feminine," I couldn't imagine Julien wearing a big diamond on her finger.

"Okay," Angie, the worker, pulled out rings. "What about the budget? Do you have a price range in mind?"

My eyes widened a bit, I hadn't even thought about the price. "Um, not really. This was kind of a spontaneous thing."

"I get it, the inexpensive rings are to the right, and with each row, they increase in expense. What's your girlfriend's name?"

"Her name is Julien, we're long distance right now but I can't see myself being with anyone else," I started looking at the beautiful rings while I made small talk about my partner.

"That's really sweet," she smiled. About twenty minutes passed, looking at different rings but I couldn't find the one just yet.

My smile widened when I heard the first guitar chord of 'Not Strong Enough' play through the store. Angie's coworker bursts through the door leading to their break room.

"This song is so fucking good! Holy shit!" a guy named Aiden walked up to Angie and I. "You're the girl dating Julien Baker!"

My face turned bright red, shit what do I do? "Hi, I'm Magnolia."

"I'm sorry! That was very rude of me! I just saw a photo of the two of you on Twitter, that's why I recognized you," he apologized.

"It's okay! I appreciate you being nice. Don't tell anyone that I'm here buying an engagement ring, please! I haven't told anyone I'm doing this," I pleaded, I don't even know what I would do if this got out.

"Oh my God we won't tell a soul," Angie promised, putting a case of rings back.

"Have you found the one yet?" asked Aiden, walking over to the cabinet, pulling something out. "Because we just got these, it's an engagement ring set. It's a little more expensive because there's two instead of one but they are stunning! One of a kind, too."

He slid two ring boxes across the table, once opened I was met with perfection. Two rings, how can they be so perfect? One ring, masculine, silver with a white stone and two little blue diamonds on either side. The other, more feminine, a silver band carved into the shape of vines and leaves, with a beautiful, reflective diamond in the middle.

"They're perfect!" I spent way too much money that night, buying the rings that will adorn our fingers forever.

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a/n: I've been writing a deep chapter for the sequel to this book and I'm struggling to find a way to write about hard topics without glorifying them. I've been having awful writers block because I don't want to write it in a shitty way. After all, they are real and serious topics that many people (and myself) have gone through.

-A