Helen asked Richard about what had happened to the shiny blue rock she’d given him before, and he said he’d put it somewhere safe.
Helen had to remind Richard to button his shirt before they left the room, and his face flushed as she had to point it out.
“I um…have another scar actually,” Richard said, and he turned around, lifting his shirt up a little.
On his back, there was a white scar that looked like a stab wound.
“I um…may have made somebody mad one time,” Richard smiled, and pulled his shirt back down, buttoning it up.
“Gee, that’s a total surprise,” Helen laughed. Sarcasm was new to her, but she heard the others use it quite a bit and knew Richard would understand.
They walked out of the room together, with Richard’s face still red and his buttons were buttoned crooked. Alice stood in the hallway, just leaving her room across from them, and saw them together, Richard’s blushing face, his buttons buttoned crooked, and Helen standing there with him.
Alice gave Helen a look, then looked at Richard, then Helen, then Richard’s shirt, then Helen again. Alice gave Helen another look, then walked away from them.
“What happened? Why did she look at us like that?” Helen asked, completely oblivious to why Alice would look at them like that.
“Um….” Richard said, his face turning red again, “I’ll…tell you later.”
Richard then cleared his throat, and said, “I’ll…see you tomorrow then, I have a surprise for you.”
“Really?” Helen had never had a surprise gift before, so she really was excited about it.
“Goodnight, Richard,” Helen said, and she walked over to her room, excited for the morning.
…
“Helen?” Richard asked the next morning, knocking on her door.
Helen jumped out of bed, running for the door. She opened it to see Richard smiling.
“So?” Helen asked, curious.
“Close your eyes,” Richard said, and she did. She heard him move around her and put something around her neck.
“Okay, now open.”
Helen walked over to the mirror in her bathroom and saw the necklace.
“Wait…the caeruleum? You made me a necklace out of it?” Helen asked, feeling the blue material around her neck. It was a simple rope necklace, but the gem matched the color of her eyes, and it was beautiful.
“Do you…like it?” Richard asked, tentatively.
“Yes…” Helen said and began to smile as she realized something.
“What?” Richard asked.
“It’s funny,” she mused, “I gave you the caeruleum as a gift, and you gave it back to me as a gift.”
“I…I don’t know, I just thought you’d like it. It matches your eyes.”
Helen turned around, hugging Richard. “I love it. Thanks, Richard, I’ve never had anyone give me something as a gift before.”
Richard tentatively returned the hug, still becoming surprised at times when Helen would show affection towards him.
Despite this, Richard had displayed some sort of affection by making her a necklace, and Helen was grateful for that...
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