“You deserve something nice for once.”
“For once? You bought me a vacuum, sweetheart.”
He laughed, and for one brief second it sounded like the old laugh, the one from before. Then it disappeared too fast, the way it always did whenever the thought drifted too close to Emily.
I put the bracelet on. It was slightly loose, but I wore it the whole night anyway.
I had no idea the voucher in my purse was about to pull apart something I was not prepared to know.
The small bell above the shop door rang when I walked in, and the saleswoman behind the counter lifted her head with a gentle, polished smile.
“Can I help you?”
“I just need this resized,” I said, placing the bracelet on the glass. “My husband bought it for our anniversary.”
Her expression brightened as soon as she saw it.
“Oh, this one! I remember your husband. He bought two of these last week. I remember clearly because he spent forever choosing between two identical ones.”
My heart seemed to skip.
“Two identical ones?”
She blinked, her smile wavering. “Yes, Ma’am. Two identical bracelets.”
I held the edge of the counter to keep myself steady.
“Did he say who the second one was for?”
“No, Ma’am. I’m sorry. He didn’t mention.”
