The Ring and the Rebound
A year later, I was getting married and Tiffany, out of nowhere, flew back into town.
The second she saw my wedding ring, the
one Sarah had picked out, Tiffany, the spoiled
princess, completely lost it.
She forced a smile, all strained and fake.
“Tao,” she said, her voice tight, “You gonna
take that off yourself, or do I have to do it for
you?” She was shaking. “Just tell me what
ring you want, I’ll buy you anything. Please,
just throw that thing away.”
1.
I kept my wedding small, just a dozen close
friends and family for a laid–back dinner. My
wife, Sarah, was amazing, taking care of
everything and making sure I didn’t lift a
<
finger. She was mingling with the guests while
I was catching up with my buddy, Mike.
“Man, I thought you’d be pining over Tiffany
forever,” Mike said, taking a swig of his beer.
I just chuckled, “Yeah, well, I kinda thought so
too.”
“Does Tiffany even know you’re getting
hitched?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Nah. No need for her to
know.”
He paused, looking a bit worried. “I heard she
went ballistic, booked a flight last night, flew
back from the West Coast.”
I didn’t respond, just stirred my drink.
く
Probably another crisis with her golden boy,
Chad. Just like back then, when Chad had a
spat with her and bolted to LA. Tiffany, right
in front of me, booked a flight to chase after
him. I had the flu, shivering even under a
mountain of blankets, watching her fingers
tap out that plane ticket on her phone.
I was trembling and asked, “Tiff, can’t you
just stay?”
She looked at me, a casual smile on her face,
“Just chill, Tao. I’ll bring you back a souvenir.”
She’d tilted my chin up for a light peck.
“Want a watch? Or maybe some new kicks?”
I didn’t say anything. Tiffany always bought
people gifts, loads for me, but never a ring.
But for Chad, it was always a ring.
<
I took a deep breath and, looking at her
slender face, her pale skin, I made one last
attempt. “Can’t you just stay this time?”
Her smile faded a bit and she patted my
head. “You know how it is between us.”
I just stood there, speechless. Tiffany was my
own project, the girl I’d chased after. She had
only one condition, no public appearances,
especially in front of Chad. I was, plain and
simple, a backup. No matter what. Not even
when we lived together or she took me to
family dinners.
Seeing me quiet, Tiffany smiled again and
kissed my forehead. “I’ll get you something
nice. You be good, okay?”
I lowered my head. “When will you be back?”
<
She stood and slowly put on her dress. “A few
days, maybe?” She didn’t realize that Chad
wasn’t just out there to let off some steam,
he was doing a semester abroad. She ended
up spending a year out there with him.
Watching her walk away, I sighed. It felt like
she’d picked up on my unease because she
turned back. “Before I go, is there anything
you want me to do? Name it, I’ll do it.”
I looked her in the eye and thought for a
second, “Can you find someone for me? Her
name is Sarah Lu, and she was a war
correspondent.”
Tiffany’s face hardened. “What’s she to you?
Spill it, or no dice.”
I pursed my lips, “She’s my cousin. From my
<
Tiffany’s face eased a bit, she nodded. “I’ll
look into it.” Then, she turned and left.
I watched her disappear and took a photo
from my wallet. It was a picture of a woman
with a slim build, looking a lot like Tiffany. I
rubbed the photo between my fingers. Tiffany
really was forgetful. I’d told her I grew up in
an orphanage, so no aunt or cousins, I also
told her about my sister from the orphanage,
how she looked out for me. Tiffany must have
just forgotten. She never even questioned
why I was so drawn to her face. Just her face.