The sales associate glanced at me, visibly uncertain of how to proceed. Elara, however, acted as if she hadn't noticed and ultimately chose a rather plain ring.
"Serafina, let's settle for this one for now. It'll work for the ceremony. I'll design a better one for you later," she said.
The sales associate, clearly uncomfortable, awkwardly praised Elara for her "exceptional" taste.
Elara, with a hint of pride, thrust her hand in front of me. "It has to be beautiful. It's custom-designed by my blood-promised."
Ansel stood quietly beside her, watching her flaunt the ring without stopping her or showing any sign of discomfort. His smile, however, seemed to bloom with the spring breeze.
"Then we'll go with the one Elara picked!" he said.
Skipping even the try-on process, Ansel paid for the ring immediately. He took out the ring and, with a blank expression, slid it onto my finger.
There was no kneeling, no roses, no declaration.
This time, the ring was small, barely fitting.
I knew, without a doubt, that Elara had done this on purpose. As the artisan of the atelier, Elara could accurately gauge ring size at a glance. Such a significant mistake was impossible. In this world, a ring that doesn't fit is an omen everyone reads. She knew exactly what she was doing.
I didn't bother pointing it out and simply removed the ring.
The sales associate kindly suggested that I choose a different style, but I declined.
"Let's just buy this one and get it over with. No need to make it more complicated."
Ansel, hearing this, was clearly displeased with my tone.
"If you're not happy with it, we don't have to buy it. Elara can help you get a custom one later," he offered.
I shook my head and refused. "No, this one is fine."
Elara, however, looked deeply remorseful, her eyes brimming with tears once again. She tilted her head slightly to the right, her smile softening into something that looked like compassion.
"Serafina, I'm going straight to the studio to work on the design. I'll make sure you have a perfect Union!"
With that, she quickly left. No matter how much Ansel called after her, she didn't stop.
"Serafina, what's the matter with you? It's just a ring. Why are you making such a fuss?"
I was taken aback. "What am I making a fuss about?"
He pressed his lips tightly together and pulled me out of the store.
"I have business to attend to. We can take the Union portraits later."
"Or, you could take your solo photos first and I'll have the designers put my image alongside yours for the ceremony."
"Okay."
Ansel's explanations got caught in his throat. He looked at me for a long moment before gently embracing me.
"Serafina, once I'm done with business, I'll take you on a trip and we can do the portraits properly."
To me, his dismissive promise felt like an insult. He had no time to visit me in Palermo, but he had plenty of time to accompany Elara to the coast to watch the sunset and to the northern territories to see the lights.
Seeing his location and profile picture hurrying towards Elara's studio, I went back into the store and returned the ring to the sales associate.
As I expected, Ansel didn't come home for two days. He was accompanying Elara to the seaside for their Union portraits. And indeed, he had someone put our faces onto their pictures.
Determined to avoid the ceremony, he'd probably only come back for my parents' memorial.
I went to the cemetery with two bouquets to visit them. I also gave my contact information to the caretaker so he could reach me directly from now on.
"I'll cover the upkeep for my parents from now on. Just refuse any payments from Mr. Montecaro."
The caretaker was taken aback after checking his records. "Miss, the fees for your parents' plots have been overdue for six months. We've tried contacting the family, but the number on file has been unreachable."
Realizing that I had changed my number after leaving for Palermo, I couldn't help but feel frustrated with myself. Ansel no longer cared about me. How could he remember my deceased parents?
I paid the outstanding fees and also prepaid for ten years, then left feeling dejected.
But just as I was walking out of the cemetery, I heard a voice I'd never forget in this lifetime.
"Ansel, it's impressive that you remember today is Elara's real dad's memorial day! If the old man knew you came to keep him company for a drink, he'd probably be floating up from the grave."
I turned around stiffly and saw Ansel, flanked by Elara and Vittoria, climbing the stone steps.
"Vittoria, this is what I should be doing."
"Don't be silly, call me 'Mom' in a few days!"
Ansel chuckled heartily and, without hesitation, called her "Mom."
With tears in my eyes, I quietly went to meet my friends.
I got straight to the point and told them that the Union was canceled.
They exchanged glances and then cautiously asked me, "Serafina, you already know?"
I was puzzled why they also knew.
In a fit of indignation, they pulled out photos of Ansel and Elara together at the hospital for their pre-ceremony medical clearance.
"Serafina, we support your decision to walk out. I'd love to see what a Blood-Bound Union without a bride looks like. Elara showing up to steal the ceremony will be a joke that follows them through every family in Clearmont Harbor!"
Their words made me somewhat look forward to it.
The day before the Union, Ansel came home with a brand-new pair of running shoes. I asked him calmly, "Aren't you the one who hates running shoes?"
He paused for a moment, then patted my head. "Tomorrow, I'll need to run fast with the bride on my back!"
The bride he mentioned isn't me.
The smile that suddenly appeared on his face wasn't because of me either.
It seems that making me the center of a public Union theft to prove his love for Elara made him quite happy.
The next day, I had walked around the ceremony venue. Gigantic posters had magnified every trace of photo-editing on the Union portraits.
I had pulled out a pair of scissors, cut out my youthful, radiant face and then took a cab to the airport.
My breathing slowed until it was almost imperceptible. The decision was made. There was nothing left to argue with.
When the flight attendant reminded me to turn off my phone, Ansel's calls had started flooding in.
