His Parents' Rings
It was the calm after the storm. After everything was settled, and after everyone was truly and completely asleep. Except for Caesar, who couldn't sleep. He lied there on his bed, wide awake.
There were many things that could have been on his mind--so much had happened in the last month, even the last 48 hours. Despite that, his mind was focused on something exceedingly simple: a chain that held three rings of precious metal.
He rolled over onto his side and reached for them on his nightstand. Caesar sat up, turned on his lamp, and opened his palm to look at them critically.
They were exactly as Caesar remembered them. Most of his memories were of the rings being warm. They had almost always been on his parents' hands. One or both of his parents had held his hand when he was little and needed guidance to remain safe. The one time when the prongs holding his mother's diamond had snagged a few strands of his hair while she was soothing him. His father's ring resting against the back of one hand as he showed him how to hold the newborn Rex, to keep him nestled against his chest.
The first time he slipped his fingers through his father's ring. He had been much younger then, only five or six, long before Rex was born. It had hung so loose on his finger. Then he had realized he could probably fit two fingers through it, and had done so to test his hypothesis, only for his fingers to get stuck. He still had issues judging spatial inequalities back then, and it has taken mother's hand lotion to get them loose again.
His parents had found it funny. Father had told him that he shouldn't rush to be an adult, that he had plenty of time to grow up and find his own wife, then have his own kids. There was still plenty of time.
But now that time was starting to tick away. Caesar glanced up slightly at that thought, then truncated it, and turned his gaze back to the rings resting in his hand. His heart ached, his throat tightened, but no tears would come. He couldn't cry about it; exhaustion destroyed an ability for a full on meltdown.
Caesar closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. He brought the chain over his head, the now warmer metal resting against his chest. Caesar laid back down, settling his sheets over his shoulders once more. There was a risk that Rex would see the rings before he was ready to show him, but Caesar would take that risk.
They just needed to be there now, against his skin, so that they would be warm.
It was another hour before Caesar finally slept.
There were many things that could have been on his mind--so much had happened in the last month, even the last 48 hours. Despite that, his mind was focused on something exceedingly simple: a chain that held three rings of precious metal.
He rolled over onto his side and reached for them on his nightstand. Caesar sat up, turned on his lamp, and opened his palm to look at them critically.
They were exactly as Caesar remembered them. Most of his memories were of the rings being warm. They had almost always been on his parents' hands. One or both of his parents had held his hand when he was little and needed guidance to remain safe. The one time when the prongs holding his mother's diamond had snagged a few strands of his hair while she was soothing him. His father's ring resting against the back of one hand as he showed him how to hold the newborn Rex, to keep him nestled against his chest.
The first time he slipped his fingers through his father's ring. He had been much younger then, only five or six, long before Rex was born. It had hung so loose on his finger. Then he had realized he could probably fit two fingers through it, and had done so to test his hypothesis, only for his fingers to get stuck. He still had issues judging spatial inequalities back then, and it has taken mother's hand lotion to get them loose again.
His parents had found it funny. Father had told him that he shouldn't rush to be an adult, that he had plenty of time to grow up and find his own wife, then have his own kids. There was still plenty of time.
But now that time was starting to tick away. Caesar glanced up slightly at that thought, then truncated it, and turned his gaze back to the rings resting in his hand. His heart ached, his throat tightened, but no tears would come. He couldn't cry about it; exhaustion destroyed an ability for a full on meltdown.
Caesar closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. He brought the chain over his head, the now warmer metal resting against his chest. Caesar laid back down, settling his sheets over his shoulders once more. There was a risk that Rex would see the rings before he was ready to show him, but Caesar would take that risk.
They just needed to be there now, against his skin, so that they would be warm.
It was another hour before Caesar finally slept.