章節 63: Cranberry Season (December) Part 10
"I wanted you both to see these," Fatima said, and opened the box. Lisa gasped. The box held two of the most beautiful gold rings she'd ever seen. There was a man's ring with carved birds in several different colors of gold, similar to the design of the gold painted birds on the walls of Fabian's vardo. The woman's ring was carved flowers, also in several shades of gold.
"Fatima, those are gorgeous!" Lisa said. "Where did they come from?"
"They look familiar," Fabian frowned. "You're right, Lisa. They are stunning."
"There were goldsmiths in my family," Fatima told them. "You have seen these before, Fabian. Your grandparents wore them. Every other generation has worn them since they were made. Since you are the first to get married, Fabian, I am offering them to you and Lisa. On the condition that they be passed on to your children's children."
"Franco's the oldest, Mom," Fabian said, reluctantly.
"But he's not the first to get married. You are. Those are the conditions I agreed to. They would go to the first of my children who marry. You do not need to feel obliged to take them. It isn't a curse -- just a request. If you don't feel comfortable or want something more modern, it's all right."
Fabian looked at Lisa, then smiled.
"We'll take them, Mom," he said. "I think Lisa would be highly disappointed if we didn't."
"They are so beautiful!" Lisa sighed. "What if they don't fit?"
"I'm sure they could be resized," Fatima shrugged. "Try it on and see." Lisa put her engagement ring over onto her right hand and took the woman's ring from the box. To her surprise, it fit as though it had been made for her. Fabian tried on the man's ring and found it a little too large.
"I'll take care of having that resized," Lisa said. "I'm supposed to buy your ring, so that will be my way of doing that." Fabian smiled, then kissed the side of her head. He inspected his left hand and really liked seeing a gold band there. Lisa reluctantly put the woman's ring back into the box and shifted her engagement ring back. She held out her hand and Fabian returned the man's ring to her to put away.
"Thank you so much, Mom," Fabian said, giving Fatima a hug.
"It's tradition," she said, "and I'm very glad you both like them! You can't imagine how disappointed I was that I would be passing them on and not the generation that got to wear them! I love the rings that Larry and I exchanged, but ...."
"These are special," Lisa finished, and handed Fatima the box. Fatima gently pushed it back to Lisa.
"You keep them now, dear," she said. "You need to have Fabian's adjusted."
"Oh yes," Lisa said. "I think that with all that's been happening ... I'd better keep these in my box at the bank."
"That's an excellent idea," Fabian nodded. "I have a key to your lockbox, so I'll be able to get your ring before the wedding. We can see a jeweler and get mine adjusted and then put them both away."
"For today, though, can we put them under the tree here?" Lisa asked. "Since I have deliveries, I'd rather know where they are. Sometimes things go astray on Christmas."
"That's a good point," Fabian agreed. "Mom?" Fatima nodded and took the box back.
"I'll put these under the tree with the presents for you two," she said.
"And thank you again." Lisa gave her a hug, which Fatima returned.
The Kreider farmhouse was pandemonium. The little boys were seemingly everywhere, fueled by Santa, presents, and candy. Fabian smiled, imagining that in a few years he and Lisa would be adding to that rowdy crew of cousins. Hal was trying to keep up with picking up torn paper and ribbon, but the boisterous boys were making the job difficult, if not impossible.
"Believe it or not," Felicia smiled, carrying presents over to Fabian and Lisa, who were sitting on the couch, "Nancy is actually sleeping through this." She indicated the baby seat on the coffee table, where Nancy was indeed sound asleep. "Fabian, you first." She handed him the larger of the two boxes she held and gave Lisa the other one.
"Not as heavy as the one Lisa gave me," he smiled, hefting the present a little bit. Felicia smiled back as he started to open the gift.
"And you look wonderful in that coat, Fabian DiSanti. I hope you look just as wonderful in this." He finished taking off the paper and opened the box. It was a beige fisherman knit sweater.
"Oh, Felicia, this is wonderful!" Fabian smiled. "I'll go try it on."
"Wait until Lisa opens her present," she said. Lisa had a slightly smaller box, which she opened. It contained Christmas stockings. One said "Fabian" and the other "Lisa". Lisa recognized the green as the yarn Felicia had been working with on Thanksgiving.
"When did you have time for all of this?" Lisa wanted to know. Felicia laughed.
"The stockings I started when you announced your engagement," she said. "I finished them on Thanksgiving. The sweater I knit right after I had Fabian's measurements. I had plenty of time."
Lisa's mother came in with a tray of mugs of eggnog, whipped cream, and a shaker of ground nutmeg. Steve immediately set to trying to calm the boys, and finally sent them out to the barn to play in the straw bale maze.
"It isn't spiked," Maude said. "It's way too early for that. But it's a particularly good eggnog this year."
"It's always a particularly good eggnog," Lisa laughed, taking a mug and sprinkling nutmeg over the top.
"No whipped cream?" Fabian looked at her, adding a dollop of whipped cream to his own mug and taking a sip. Lisa shook her head.
"Too distracting," she said. "I just like the eggnog. Weren't you going to try on a sweater?"
"I'm sorry, Felicia," Fabian said, realizing that he had forgotten that. He put his mug down on a coaster on the coffee table. "I'll just go do that now."
"Honey, wipe your moustache," Lisa reminded him. He gave her a look and she laughed, but he grabbed a tissue and wiped the whipped cream and eggnog from his moustache. Then he took the sweater to the downstairs bathroom. He emerged wearing it, to the appreciative whoops and cheers of the Kreider family. Then he sat down with Lisa and picked up his eggnog again. He looked around. This living room looked familiar to him. The fire in the fireplace; the way the light came into the room. It wasn't from when he'd been here before -- that was summertime. And for some reason this room looked larger to him. He chalked it up to deja vu.
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