Something Borrowed: The Bench (by nybble)

[DollSpace]

The park was a favorite place for them. It was where they met, where they had their first date, where they shared their first kiss, and, since they moved into their new apartment just a block away, where they spent many evenings together.

As they sat on one of the many secluded benches that night, Terry scooted a tad closer to Danny, tucking her arm under his and laying her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for another wonderful evening." she said with a wispy sigh.

"Anything for you," he replied. They sat together in silence for a few minutes, listening to the natural sounds the park provided, searching for stars in the city's cloudless sky.

Eventually, Terry lifted her head and looked at Danny. Her expression showed her concern. "Are you OK? You feel a little hot."

Danny laughed quietly. "Well, I guess I would be. You would be too."

Sitting up fully, she turned and looked at him. "What?"

Danny slowly got up from the bench, standing with purpose. He looked off into the distance for a brief moment, steeling his nerves, flexing his hands and forcing his arms to relax.

Terry's expression turned from concern to interest; Danny was clearly very, very nervous about what he is about to do, but she was still oblivious to what was coming next.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He knelt down in front of Terry, who then knew exactly what was coming next. Her hands shot up to her face in expectation.

"Terry, you are the most amazing woman I have ever met."

"Oh my god oh my god oh my god" Terry was whispering through her fingers. Danny paused and opened the box, being careful not to show her the contents just yet, and took her hands from her face and placed them into her lap, revealing her beaming smile. He gently held her hands while he continued.

"I would be honored if you would choose to be my wife, to spend the rest of you r life with me, to be with me, to marry me." He then turned the box around to show it's contents. It was a simple ring, a small stone, very modest in its presentation.

Terry didn't seem to care. "Yes, yes, oh my god yes!" She took the box and gently removed the ring. It was a truly simple ring, a thicker than average band with a very sturdy looking mount for the average sized stone. It looked to be colorless, but in the limited light of the park it showed no inclination to sparkle or shine. Although she tried to hide her disappointment, it was clear to Danny that she was hoping for better.

"Try it on. Please?" Danny urged, still down on one knee.

Terry nodded, trying to hold back her tears as the ring wouldn't even make it past her first knuckle. It looked to be the right size for the base of her ring finger, but her knuckles were too thick to allow the ring to pass.

Danny, now quite uncomfortable, moved to sit next to Terry on the bench. "I measured the base of your finger while you were recharging; it will fit, but you won't be able to get it on that way."

Terry didn't look up at him. She understood what he meant. Even though she knew there was no one close enough to see, she glanced left and right before she removed her left ring finger with a forceful twist. It broke away just before where the finger met the third knuckle and the palm of her hand, exposing an electrical socket base and a single mechanical metallic cable. Deftly, she disconnected the cable and the finger went limp.

"Allow me?" Danny asked as he took the ring back from Terry. She offered up her disembodied finger to him, pointing the socketed end towards him. Ceremoniously, he slid the ring onto the base of her finger, about halfway from the socketed end to the nearest mechanical joint. She quickly took the finger back from him, reattached the mechanical cable and twisted the digit back into place. The skin covering resealed itself as it should have, and she flexed her whole hand to ensure everything was in working order.

It was then that she noticed it; she thought she saw the ring was now shining in the dim light, making the stone look larger and more impressive than it did before.

Danny could see the confusion on her face and smiled. "It has a built-in inductive coil tuned to your system's operating voltage, which then powers a micro-LED under the stone's mount."

She looked up at him, not sure what he was saying.

"It will sparkle, but only when on your hand. It is your ring."

She took a closer look at the ring and then up at her fiance. He was looking directly into her eyes, hopeful that his efforts would be appreciated. She smiled warmly then excitedly, her opinion of Danny's taste in jewelry completely reversed, as she reached out and met his instinctive embrace.

"I love you Danny."

"I love you, too, Terry."

A woman jogged past them on the path in front of what they now both thought of as their bench.

They never noticed.