In Your Dreams // phan

f o r t y o n e

I reviewed my sloppily written list as I checked the items in my hands. Dandelions, check. Picnic basket, check. Chocolates. Music. Speaker. Table cloth. Check, check, check, check. One last thing. I swallowed, and pushed the glass door open, the bell above it tinkling sweetly.

I walked up to the woman at the counter and grinned at her, setting my bags down in order to examine the glass case better. I saw quite a few I liked, but I needed her professional opinion. I also had taken out all the money I had been saving for a car to get these, even though it wasn't much. Dan needed to understand.

"Interested in proposing?" She asked, eyeing me up and down. I could hear her thoughts as her sentence lingered. So young?

"Not exactly," I responded, glancing around in the case. Rings of all shapes and sizes glittered up at me, in gold and silver and brown and rose. I was overwhelmed. This had to be perfect. "Do you have any promise rings?" The woman seemed to relax as she lead me over to another, less-expensive looking case, sweeping her hand over it in presentation.

"Engravings on these are a lot less expensive," she explained. "Which is always important on promise rings. Of course, the standards are cheap; Always is about a hundred. Forever and Promise both are around one fifty. Other than that, it's about twenty-five a letter." I felt my breath hitch in my throat. I suddenly forgot how much money I had brought.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I asked the woman for a second. She smiled, genuinely, and asked me to take as much time as I needed. I glanced down at the caller ID. I should have known.

"Hey, Dandelion." I said after sliding the answer button and holding my phone to my ear. I heard him giggle.

"Is that my name now?" He asked, his voice challenging. I raised my eyebrows even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"Do you have a problem with that?" I asked. He sighed.

"No, I love it. I love you."

"You seem to be in a better mood." I responded, turning back to the case. I wanted to pick the ring while I was listening to him; I wanted one that reminded me of him.

"I am. I had a nice day at school. How come you didn't drive me home?" I swallowed, contemplating what I could get away with saying. I knew he would be able to tell if I was lying.

"I had to do something." I said simply, examining one gold ring that shone in the light brighter than any other one. I think I've chosen our rings.

"Something without me?" He pouted. I heard him shift his phone to the other ear. "I had to take the bus. The stinky old bus." I suddenly felt very bad for leaving so soon and without letting him know, even though I knew he was joking. I was just very happy to hear him so happy.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'll make it up to you." I held up a finger at the woman behind the counter, and she came back over to me. I pointed to the ring I had chosen and held up two fingers, and she raised her eyebrows with a smile, nodding.

I heard Dan get closer to the phone. "How, exactly, are you going to do that?" He mumbled. I shivered with the sound, imagining his breath on my ear and warm skin pressed against mine. I glanced at the woman, who was doing something with her back turned to me, but I knew she was listening, so I decided to tone down the sweet talk.

"I don't know. I have to go, Dan, I love you." He hmphed, his breath tickling my ear even though he wasn't even there.

"Maybe I could come over." I shut my eyes tight. I had to start lying if this was going to be a surprise.

"I, uh, you can't. I made plans with Adam," I said the first name that came into mind, then cringed as I remembered the way Dan had always regarded my old friend. I could tell he wasn't too happy about it the second I said it, because he hmphed again.

"Oh. That guy." I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, that guy. But I want to see you later tonight." I pulled my phone away to glance at the time quickly. "Pick you up at eight?" I asked quietly. Dan hummed in thought, though I knew he was just messing with me.

"I don't know, Phil, I might have made plans with Matt."

"Matt?" I asked, chuckling.

"Yeah. My new best friend." I just sighed, thinking about what he was doing just then, squinting his face, brushing his hair out of his eyes, grinning at the sound of my voice. Just imagining him made my heart tighten in my chest and made me smile. I loved him so much. And I knew I'd love him regardless of the soulmate thing, because I couldn't forget the first time we met, bumping into each other. The way he avoided my eye. The way he smiled, awkwardly, but warmly. The way he left happier than when he had came, and the way it made me smile to think that he was that way because of me.

"I love you," I said again, the woman turning to me, holding up a tape measurer pointedly. I grinned awkwardly, and held up a finger, asking for one more moment.

"I love you too. See you tonight." He whispered the last bit, suggestively. I chuckled, but my brain started whirring with the possibilities. I smiled and hung up, turning to the woman.

"Soulmate?" She asked, easily. I nodded, unable to lower the corners of my mouth. She held up the tape measurer again. "Do you have measurements?" I froze. Oh yeah. That might be important. I closed my eyes softly, imagining myself wrapping my hand around Dan's fingers as I had done so many times. I held up a circle that I had made by touching my index and thumb together. She rolled her eyes but chuckled, measuring the circle, and then my own finger.

"And what would you like to engrave on the inside?" She asked, scrawling numbers on a pad of paper. I told her and she chuckled, writing it below the measurements.

She assured me that they would be ready by seven, and I paid, and left, picking up my bags. Now, I had to chose the location.