The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

"My friends told me I should always have gifts ready and plan surprises often,"

Zane said.

I felt like I was about to cry when I finally understood what he meant.

When I was with Steven, I put so much into our relationship, but he never seemed

to care. But with Zane, I didn't think about those things as much-yet he noticed

everything.

Tears filled my eyes. I blinked them away, then met Zane's gaze and said slowly,

choosing my words carefully, "Thank you for putting so much effort into keeping

our relationship strong."

Zane pulled me into his arms and gently wiped away my tears. "Why are you

crying?"

I moved back from his embrace and met his eyes. "Because I can tell we're on the

same page about this relationship. But giving gifts too often might cause

misunderstandings, especially if we start expecting surprises all the time.

"There's only so much you can give and only so many surprises to come up with.

I'll be sitting at home waiting for something new, and once you run out of ideas,

won't that just turn into us arguing?"

Everyone had their own views on marriage.

Some people were all about romance and loved it when their partners planned

surprises for them. Others believed that real devotion was about steady

companionship.

I was in the second group.

I believed a strong relationship was built on two people getting along, talking

things through when issues popped up, and working together on a reasonable

solution.

A gift every now and then could add a little spark and keep things from getting

stale. But at the end of the day, that wasn't what marriage was really about.

Zane finally got it after hearing what I said.

He remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "You're right."

"So, giving a gift every now and then is fine. Just don't overdo it," I said, stressing

each word.

"Got it," Zane replied seriously.

It was only then that I pulled the

bouquet closer and took in its scent.

The fragrance of roses filled my

nose, spreading warmth through my

chest.

Zane went along with my suggestion. He could tell I really liked his gift, which

reassured him that all the effort had been worth it.

Without even realizing it, his voice softened. "There's something else inside. Open

it."

I had been absentmindedly fiddling with the rose petals when he said that, and my

hands froze. I turned to him.

"Why would you spend so much money?" I asked.

A bouquet of roses wasn't cheap, let alone another gift on top of it. Zane grinned

at my frustration.

"Relax. I can afford it. Besides, it's just a little surprise every once in a while. Go

on, open it!" he urged.

I pulled out a greeting card with a

small box dangling beneath it. After

setting the flowers aside, I opened

the box, and inside was a massivenoveldrama

diamond.

My heart pounded, and I froze for a long moment.

I remembered the last time I got a piece of jewelry like this. Back then, I was still

married to Steven, and I already knew he was seeing Jessica.

I was getting ready to divorce him,

but out of nowhere, I found out I was

pregnant with his child. For the

baby's sake, I decided to give Steven

another chance. That was when he

gave me a pair of earrings.