Heavenly Blood

14 - Alice

I blinked in the dim light, sun crept in slightly around the blind. I was confused at first what felt so wrong until I realised I was laying on a mattress, not Alec. I reached over to see if he was on the other side only to find cold sheet. My hand then touched something raised and velvety. I blinked and turned to see a small blue box and an envelope. I picked up the envelope first and pulled out a card.

Alice. Inside the box, as you have probably guessed, is a ring. As I wrote this I planned something poetic but now I'm just praying the ring still fits. No, don't worry it's not from some previous lover who died or any of that shit....actually in a way it is. What I'm trying to say is that this is the ring you were supposed to wear nearly 500 years go. It's not much, I didn't have much back then. The painting that you saw in the second room, by Max, was painted after I proposed to you in 1560. Here is to hoping try number two goes a little more smoothly.
Love Alec
Ps. If I'm not there when you wake up it's because I've heard back from a friend. I'll be home soon.

I gingerly picked up the box. I slowly pulled the lid up. I gasped, my breath caught in my throat as the tears glazed my eyes. Inside was tarnished silver coloured ring. The metal had been somewhat crudely twisted from two metal wire. I touched the ring and something inside me unlocked. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I slide the perfectly fitted ring on my finger. Alec had made this. It was one of the first items of jewellery he ever made as a blacksmith. He had shown it to me and asked me if I would wear his ring. I can still remember the tears of joy as I kissed him. Nothing had changed since then. The tarnished metal still meant everything to me. I played with it on my finger, feeling the weight of it on my hand. I harshly wiped the tears, mesmerised by the rings and it's history.

"You like it then?"

I jumped, breaking from my trance, to see Alec in the doorway. He was leaning there with his arms crossed across his chest, his shoulders on the frame. I smiled as I remembered him doing the same before, in 1560, as I sat there spinning and anticipating his arrival.

I nodded, swallowing my tears, "I can't believe you made this for me."

He uncrossed his arms, staring in shock, "You remember?"

I nodded quickly before wiping my tears again, "Yeah. You were a blacksmith. The first time I came to you was because the lock on my truck had broken." I sniffed, "You came home with me that day to look at it which turned out to just be one of my needles had fallen into the lock..."

He came and sat on the bed opposite me. His hands cupped my cheeks, gently wiping the tears. I knew he couldn't cry but if he could he would be joining me in my tear fest. He kissed my tear stained cheeks before kissing my left and and my ring.

"How much do you remember?" He chocked.

"All fifteen years," I whimpered, "We were together fifteen years." My lips quivered, "We took in two children. Samual and Edith. Edith was getting married the next day..."

Alec nodded quickly, "I was there. James and Edith were so happy... Rose was with Sam and so was little Mark...." He swallowed, "I left Sam the business. I could never face finding out what happened to them..."

I nodded, "I know. I can't." I sniffed, diverting my gaze, "I can't believe that was five hundred years ago."

He smiled weakly, "I know." He laughed humourlessly, "The hardest part about raising kids is trying to get people to ignore that eventually they look older than you." He bite his lip, "Which is why I left...before more questions were raised."

I nodded, "I know."

He sniffed. He bit his lip before smiling at me, "God all these tears when you should be celebrating." I laughed as I wiped my tears, "There was something I wanted to show you."