The Ring
Luke looked down at the worn and scratched silver ring that Reid had placed in his hand just a few seconds before.
"It was my father's wedding ring," Reid said, lying back down and pulled the covers up to his waist. He looked up at Luke, who was sitting upright next to him. "It's the only thing of sentiment that I own," he continued. "I want you to have it." He placed his hand on the small of Luke's bare back.
"Reid...." Luke said, shaking his head. "I can't accept this." He tried to hand the ring back to his boyfriend, but Reid put it back in Luke's palm and closed Luke's hand around it.
"I was sixteen when my parents died," Reid said softly. Luke nodded his head. He knew about Reid's past. "My mom......she had a hard time accepting that I was gay. She loved me; I know that. But she was disappointed, maybe even ashamed? I'm not sure if that's the right word. She never said so, but you can tell, ya know?" Luke nodded again, feeling tears sting his eyes. "But my dad..........he tried. He didn't understand it, but he tried. He never pointed out pretty girls like my mother did, didn't try to set me up on dates for the homecoming dance."
"I'm sorry," Luke said.
Reid shook his head. "No. Shhh." He sat up and kissed Luke's jaw. "Listen.......my dad. That's what I want to tell you about him.......he............a few weeks before the accident, he took me for a walk, down by the Charles River. Just us. I was a junior in high school. He told me the story of how he met my mother, how she was the love of his life. He talked about the day my brother and I were born. He talked about our family, how lucky we were to have each other. He cried. It's the only time I ever saw him cry. He said that he wanted me to find happiness in life. He was worried about me. He told me to find someone to love, that it was the most important thing. He kept saying things like 'Don't think it can't happen for you because it can' and 'Don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't have.' Things were different than they are now. He was scared for me. I think he thought my life was going to be hard. And for awhile, maybe it was. I mean, I.........I shut down big parts of myself for a few years, after they were gone. I didn't have anybody, and I think I wanted it to stay that way..."
"Reid..." Luke tried to pull Reid to him, but he held him at arms length.
"No, Luke.............No, listen........I........" He took the ring out of Luke's palm and held it. "He wanted me to be happy. Back then....when I was just a teenager..............he hoped for you. You're what he was talking about. This. Us. Of course, I was a stupid fucking kid, and so I didn't think the old man knew what he was talking about. I mean, guys like us, we don't get to have families, right? We don't get to have that." Reid stared down at the ring around the tip of his index finger, rubbing it with his thumb. "And after they were gone, for a long time, I didn't want to love anyone because of the risk. I couldn't do that again." Reid's voice cracked, and Luke leaned forward and kissed the tear that was sliding down Reid's cheek. "I want you to have his ring because you're who he wanted me to find. He believed I could have this, even when I didn't believe it myself. I love you, Luke. Will you wear it?"
"I'd be honored," Luke answered, his voice thick with emotion.
Reid slipped the ring onto Luke's finger. It fit perfectly. He then lifted Luke's hand up to his lips and kissed the ring softly. "We're forever," Reid whispered against the side of Luke's head.
Luke nodded his agreement. "Yes."
"It was my father's wedding ring," Reid said, lying back down and pulled the covers up to his waist. He looked up at Luke, who was sitting upright next to him. "It's the only thing of sentiment that I own," he continued. "I want you to have it." He placed his hand on the small of Luke's bare back.
"Reid...." Luke said, shaking his head. "I can't accept this." He tried to hand the ring back to his boyfriend, but Reid put it back in Luke's palm and closed Luke's hand around it.
"I was sixteen when my parents died," Reid said softly. Luke nodded his head. He knew about Reid's past. "My mom......she had a hard time accepting that I was gay. She loved me; I know that. But she was disappointed, maybe even ashamed? I'm not sure if that's the right word. She never said so, but you can tell, ya know?" Luke nodded again, feeling tears sting his eyes. "But my dad..........he tried. He didn't understand it, but he tried. He never pointed out pretty girls like my mother did, didn't try to set me up on dates for the homecoming dance."
"I'm sorry," Luke said.
Reid shook his head. "No. Shhh." He sat up and kissed Luke's jaw. "Listen.......my dad. That's what I want to tell you about him.......he............a few weeks before the accident, he took me for a walk, down by the Charles River. Just us. I was a junior in high school. He told me the story of how he met my mother, how she was the love of his life. He talked about the day my brother and I were born. He talked about our family, how lucky we were to have each other. He cried. It's the only time I ever saw him cry. He said that he wanted me to find happiness in life. He was worried about me. He told me to find someone to love, that it was the most important thing. He kept saying things like 'Don't think it can't happen for you because it can' and 'Don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't have.' Things were different than they are now. He was scared for me. I think he thought my life was going to be hard. And for awhile, maybe it was. I mean, I.........I shut down big parts of myself for a few years, after they were gone. I didn't have anybody, and I think I wanted it to stay that way..."
"Reid..." Luke tried to pull Reid to him, but he held him at arms length.
"No, Luke.............No, listen........I........" He took the ring out of Luke's palm and held it. "He wanted me to be happy. Back then....when I was just a teenager..............he hoped for you. You're what he was talking about. This. Us. Of course, I was a stupid fucking kid, and so I didn't think the old man knew what he was talking about. I mean, guys like us, we don't get to have families, right? We don't get to have that." Reid stared down at the ring around the tip of his index finger, rubbing it with his thumb. "And after they were gone, for a long time, I didn't want to love anyone because of the risk. I couldn't do that again." Reid's voice cracked, and Luke leaned forward and kissed the tear that was sliding down Reid's cheek. "I want you to have his ring because you're who he wanted me to find. He believed I could have this, even when I didn't believe it myself. I love you, Luke. Will you wear it?"
"I'd be honored," Luke answered, his voice thick with emotion.
Reid slipped the ring onto Luke's finger. It fit perfectly. He then lifted Luke's hand up to his lips and kissed the ring softly. "We're forever," Reid whispered against the side of Luke's head.
Luke nodded his agreement. "Yes."