Now that my book has hit the big time (it's in the Top 100!), it's time for me to put on my big girl panties and indulge in some shameless plugging.
Please read my book. It's good!!
How was that? No?
OK. Here's an excerpt:
Finally, everyone had left except for me. Paul insisted I open my Christmas present. I objected, mainly because I didn’t have his with me, but he said he wanted to do it alone and we weren’t likely to be alone again during the break. He held out a small box.
“You mean the world to me,” he said.
Inside the box I found my charm bracelet. I would have been confused, but my parents played this game every year, so I hadn’t been suspicious when I couldn’t find it this evening. I imagined it was at a jewelry store having an addition welded on. I would have never imagined that Paul was behind it. I noticed the newcomer right away: a dull gold charm in the shape of a globe. A heavy and dull gold charm. I guessed it was very old.
He took it from me and opened the fastener. “I remembered that my grandma had a charm bracelet. She split the charms between her two daughters before she died. When I told my mom you had a charm bracelet she wanted to give me one.”
“This is too generous,” I tried to protest.
He shook his head.
“I can’t accept this.”
He ignored me, fastened the bracelet to my wrist in silence, and then met my astonished gaze.
“It’s an heirloom.” I was particularly sensitive about that; when I said my parents lost everything I meant it. We had no heirlooms. No pictures, no silver, no jewelry. Nothing. I couldn’t take one of his.
“If you ever break up with me, you can give it back. But I’m going to add more charms before then.” He examined the other charms. “It’s like your totem pole: you’ve got a cross. Here’s Rainbow Row in Charleston. Here’s a dachshund like your dog, a Scottish bagpiper for your dad, and a German beer stein for your mom. And a sand dollar and a palm tree because you like warm places. A sewing machine because you make your clothes. A book because you enjoy reading. And now my grandma’s globe.” He looked directly into my eyes. “Because you do mean the world to me,” he whispered, just before he kissed me one last time.
Aaaah, how lovely!