Star of my eye

Jess and I had just begun dating, many months ago.  We were sitting on the couch, sharing a computer screen while we exchanged funny YouTube videos. It graduated into him showing me various videos he'd taken while he was on tour in Afghan with the military.  He then hauled out of a velvet jewellery case two cat eye gems he'd purchased while overseas.  He told me he, someday, planned on getting the two gems made into two rings - one for him and one for a special girl.  He told me that once he eventually met the right girl, he would do that.

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Jesse's flight was a couple of hours ago.  I still have another hour to wait before I board my plane to Frankfurt where I transfer onto another flight to London.  Jess was flying to Ottawa and then transferring over onto his flight to London.

It'd been a short, disgusting and stressful jaunt through check-in where I apparently packed too much in my carry-on luggage.  I was forced to unpack my luggage and disperse the weight.  My hair stuck to my sweat-soaked forehead when I finally made my way to Jesse's gate with my, now, two-pound lighter bag around my shoulder.  I plunked myself next to him, sharing his seat while I draped my arm over his shoulder and planted a kiss on his cheek.

It seemed almost instantly that the announcement interrupted our fixed gaze, stating they were beginning boarding for his flight.  We stood up.  I kissed him goodbye, "I'll see you across the pond."

He made his way closer to the gate.  The crowd was hurrying through.  "Babe, as soon as I walk through those doors I want you to look into your bag, pull out my camera case and look inside.  Then, I want you to open that letter I gave you earlier."  I watched him cross over to the other side and I found a seat, dropping my carry-on bag on the seat next to me.  Jess stood, standing on the other side of the glass doors, watching and smiling.

I, once upon a time, told Jess all I ever wanted from him was a 25cent ring from a candy machine, with the plastic bubble case of course.  I'm not one of those girls who ever wants expensive frivolous jewellery.

I opened up the camera case, pulling out a plastic bubble case, which looked like the ones I'd often jokingly point to anytime we passed by a toy and candy vending machine.  Tears pooled in my eyes while I broke open the plastic case, revealing a ring with diamonds and the cateye, star sapphire, gem he'd told me about months ago.

I looked back up at him, telling him I loved him.  He blew me a kiss and walked away to his plane.  I pulled open a beautiful card he'd written explaining the meaning of the ring and stating it was a reflection of his promise to one day marry me.

When you look at the ring in the light, a star illuminates in it: "This way," Jesse said, "when we look at the rings in the light while there are no stars out, we can picture each other while looking at the star we hold close to us."