Ronan wanted to spend his uncle’s money on me, but I refused. I compromised by letting him design and build the displays for myjewelry and help me with the remodel. Turned out my backyard work shed was only a small example of Ronan’s skills. I would’ve spent a small fortune for the work he did with just as much expert care and precision.
I met his eyes across the room.And he picked the name.
Uncle Rudy clapped his hands together. “Come on, ladies. Let’s roll.”
We stepped out into the late-afternoon twilight. I’d been at the shop all day preparing with the event planner and had come home to change and bring the family early before the crowds came.
Ifthe crowds came.
Ronan’s hand found mine, and he gave it a squeeze. “Hey. It’s going to be perfect.”
“Thank you for saying that. I feel like I’m going to puke.”
He bent his tall frame down to me. “That dress,” he said gruffly. “Is it expensive?”
“No, it only looks that way.”
“Then you won’t care when I tear it off you later.”
“Don’t say stuff like that right now. I can barely think straight as it is.” I laughed. “And only you could think of sex right after I mention puking.”
Ronan got behind the wheel, and Bibi sat beside him in the front seat of the Buick. I sat with Letitia in the back while Uncle Rudy took Bertie and Mama in the black Cadillac they’d rented.
We drove downtown, and my heart tried to climb out of my throat at the sight of the little shop. My shop.
TheRare Earth Jewelrysign was made out of gold-painted bamboo-looking bars set against the clean lines of plain glass with smoked glass edging. I smiled and glanced at Ronan.
“There it is! There it is!” Letitia clapped her hands. “Girl…”
My heart felt ten sizes too big.There it is.
Ronan parked, and my family all congregated at the front of the shop. A local paper had done a write-up of me as one of the city’s youngest entrepreneurs, and Ronan had taped it to the glass on the front door. Bertie and Bibi clung to each other as my aunt read it out loud, both streaming tears, while Rudy rocked back on his heels, handsin his pockets as he took in the shop. “Will you look at that?” he kept saying over and over.
Mama peered into a window, her face unreadable. I tried not to watch her too closely. Tried to tell myself it didn’t matter if her face lit up with pride or not. I’d done it. This shop was for me, not her. But still, when she only smiled faintly and nodded, a little piece of my heart broke off, and I didn’t think I’d ever get it back.
June Seong, my event planner, waved at me from inside, pulling my attention. Her services were a gift from Bertie and Rudy. “To give your shop the send-off it deserves,” they’d said. June beckoned for us to come in.
I heaved a breath and faced everyone. “I just want to thank you all for being here tonight. Each of you has helped make this happen, and I’m so grateful for your love and support.” I cleared my throat. “Before I get too mushy…” I opened the door. “Welcome to my shop.”
They burst into a small round of applause and cheers that threatened to bring me to tears, then filed inside. Ronan lingered behind.
“Whoa,” I whispered to him. “That felt…good.”
He put his mouth by my ear. “I love you.”
I stared up at him, shivers dancing all down my skin, no matter how many times he said it.
“I love you,” I whispered back and kissed him. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For you.”
Inside, my family was oohing and aahing. I had to admit, it turned out well on the stringiest of shoestring budgets. My jewelry glinted on the displays Ronan had made—beige velvet stands in geometric blocks in rectangular and square shapes.
Along the right was the cash register, which sat on a huge display cabinet that I’d found at a yard sale and Ronan had restored. It now housed a hundred rings, the gemstones and turquoise bright under soft light. Behind the register was the door that led to the back room—a tiny storage space and bathroom.
On the walls were colorful prints of women from all over the world—South Africa, Tibet, Brazil—wearing the natural stones and metals of their countries. I couldn’t make enough inventory on my own to fill an entire store but had contracted with another small company that sold ethically sourced jewelry to keep those displays full. Eventually, I planned to partner with local artisans too and share their work in my windows.