Ariella had always been practical. Fairy tales were for dreamers, not someone like her. But that all changed the day she wandered into a tiny, forgotten antique shop on a quiet street. There, beneath the glass of a dusty jewelry case, lay a ring that seemed to call her name.
It wasn't just any ring-it was an emerald-cut diamond, set in a delicate rose gold band. The diamond sparkled with an almost mystical light, as if it held stories of its own. Ariella's heart raced as she picked it up, feeling a strange pull toward the ring, as though it belonged to her.
The shopkeeper, an old man with kind eyes, saw her fascination. "That's the Emerald Dream," he said quietly. "Legend says it's more than just a ring. It promises a love that never fades, as eternal as the diamond's glow."
Ariella laughed, brushing off the legend as a sweet tale. After all, she was already engaged to Daniel, her steady and reliable partner. They'd picked out a ring together-something practical, just like their relationship. But the Emerald Dream lingered in her mind, its story weaving its way into her heart.
A few days later, unable to shake the feeling, she told Daniel about the ring. To her surprise, he didn't laugh. Instead, he grinned and said, "Let's get it. Maybe there's some magic in it for us."
On their wedding day, as Ariella slipped the Emerald Dream onto her finger, a warmth spread through her. The diamond's sparkle seemed to shimmer with promises-of love, of forever, of something more than the ordinary. She realized that sometimes, the most practical thing you can do is follow your heart.
And as she stood with Daniel, her hand in his, the ring's legend felt true. Their love, like the emerald-cut diamond, would endure-bright, beautiful, and forever.
What is happening!? My life couldn't have been a dream it was so real! I had kids and a husband!
Tears burn my eyes.
I had a home. It can't just be a dream.
I reach up to wipe the tears from my face when I see it.
My ring.
My infinity-shaped ring with a sapphire diamond.
I let out a gasp.
It wasn't a dream.
But I'm sitting back in class.
What. The. Heck.