Page 217 of Share with Me

“Promise me you’ll live on a budget the rest of your life.”

What in the world? I’m trying to get engaged and she wants me to do what?

“I’m below the poverty line.”

“So what, Ivan? Everybody needs a budget. As you earn more, your budget gets bigger. Do you want me to help you with it?”

“No. No. My friend Matt is pretty good at these things. I’ll ask him.”

“Fair enough. You promise?”

“All right. I promise to budget and live on it, so help me God. Marry me?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?” Ivan couldn’t believe his ears.

“It has been yes, but you knew that.” Brinley lifted her lips to find his.

Ivan didn’t want to let go, but the rumbling in his stomach was a wake-up call.

Brinley pulled back from the embrace. “Let’s eat before you die of starvation.”

Ivan dug into the brown bag next to him and pulled out a sandwich with the letter ‘R’ on the wrapper. “Your Reuben. Shall we say grace?”

Brinley nodded and they bowed their heads.

“Dear Lord, thank You for this food You have provided for the nourishment of our bodies,” Ivan prayed. “Thank You for not letting us go hungry. Thank You for Brinley, who can share this lunch hour with me. May our conversation bring glory to You and edify us both. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

“Amen.” Brinley started eating her Reuben.

Next to him, Ivan dug into his Cuban sandwich. “Want some of this?”

“No, thanks.” Brinley wiped her lips with a paper napkin.

“Oh, I forgot something.” Ivan put down his sandwich, wiped his hands carefully, and dug around in his pocket for the ring. At first he couldn’t find it, and then he touched it at the bottom of the pocket.

Thank God.

Boy, was he glad he had patched up that hole in there.

Fingers tremulous, Ivan nervously placed the sapphire ring on Brinley’s ring finger. He had bought it for a rock-bottom price at the thrift shop. A natural blue sapphire cabochon set on a silver ring. It looked like the work of a hobbyist, someone with a lapidary wheel. Maybe a rockhound, maybe a gem collector. Only God knew. The history of it was lost since it had arrived in a box of old things anonymously at the thrift shop drop-off door.

“A bit loose. We can get it adjusted,” Ivan said.

“No worries. I love it.” Brinley stretched her fingers in the sun. The noonday sunlight bounced off the sapphire. “In the eighteenth century, they used sapphires and emeralds more than diamonds for engagement rings.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“This is very pretty. Love the sapphire. Love this blue.”

“I do too.” Ivan thought the ring looked understated on Brinley’s finger, but then it wouldn’t draw attention. He waited to see if Brinley would ask where he had gotten it. He’d tell her if she did. Well, she didn’t.

“If you must know, I paid cash for it out of my first paycheck today.” Those words seemed to carry away his burden. He didn’t want Brinley to think that he had gotten into debt to buy her an antique engagement ring.

“I like debt-free purchases.”

“It’s natural sapphire.”

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