“So I can’t promise you that I’ll always remember.”
He drew a shaking breath.
“But I can promise you something else.”
He reached into his pocket and removed a small velvet box.
Inside were two wedding bands.
One was delicate gold with a narrow silver stripe.
The other was wider, with the same design and a tiny hinge.
He lifted the smaller ring.
“This one’s yours.”
He placed it in my palm.
“Read the inscription.”
I tilted it toward the afternoon light.
Inside, in tiny engraved letters, were the words:
EVEN IF I FORGET — I CHOSE YOU.
I covered my mouth.
Mark gently slipped the ring onto my finger beside my original wedding band.
Then he lifted the wider ring.
“Mine says something a little different.”
He turned it so I could see.
EVEN IF I FORGET — SHE CHOSE ME.
His voice trembled.
“If I ever look down at this ring and can’t remember why I’m wearing it, maybe those words will remind me that someone loved me enough to stay.”
