[Epilogue]

2 Months Later...

"This is...the last...one!" My husband grunts has he manages to maneuver the last of the boxes through the door to my apartment, before placing it down and catching his breath.

Moving is such a pain, but it was well worth it. My apartment's no penthouse, but it's practically a 5 star hotel compared to what Jeremy had to deal with before. I still remember the look of shame he gave me when he showed me his 'abode' for the first time. Immediately, I made the decision that he was to move in with me, effective ASAP.

Fortunately, my parents were in agreement. They were a little skeptical when I told them that I was getting married (I lied, and said it like I hadn't already), but when they met Jeremy and I showed them the ring he gave me, they immediately fell in love with him as they would their own son. Dad even helped Jeremy out by lending him his truck for a while.

"Jeremy, you're straining yourself! You need to be more careful." I scold him as I squat and lift the large box.

I carefully weave around the apartment, avoiding smacking into walls or other items as I go, and manage to finally get the box to the area we've sectioned off as the "storage area" to sort through Jeremy's stuff after moving. Just as I go to place the box down, I lose my balance, slamming into piles of other items and knocking a few of the smaller ones down.

"Oh no!" I gasp, as I quickly start inspecting the items for any damage. Jeremy comes over, worried, but as he sees me kneeling there, whimpering like a child who had knocked over her doll house, he started laughing.

That bastard, how am I supposed to be sorry for myself after that?

After we calm down, I notice something glinting out of the corner of my eye. It came from a felt box; it must of opened partially in the fall, and something inside caught the light. Curiously, I take it and open it fully to see what's inside. I can't help but gasp as I realise what I'm looking at.

Rings.

Not just any rings, but wedding rings; each adorned with a clear, heart shaped gemstone. Just like mine. Except, my ring has a ruby on it, the ones in the box have different stones. I count six of them; a sapphire, emerald, diamond, topaz, peridot, and an aquamarine. With my ring in the mix, that makes seven rings total.

Jeremy watches me as I open the box, and a wistful smile adorns his face.

"Oh, yeah...that. Um, I was experimenting around with different gemstones to see if I was able to work them into rings. I ended up giving you the ruby one since I thought red would suit you best."

"So you also made these?" I ask.

"Yeah," he nods. "With the same amount of love that I made yours with. Thinking about it though...it almost feels like a waste just leaving them in a box like this."

With all the love mine was made with...? Staring at the rings, an idea dawns on me.

"Hey, why don't you try giving these rings to other women? I'm sure they'll love them just as much as I do!"

A strange look comes over Jeremy. I can't quite tell what it is, but it almost looks...hesitant?

"Ahah...hahah...that's a...nice joke there, dear," Jeremy laughs weakly. "But you know...giving a ring to another woman is kinda...well, if they do end up loving it, they might...uh..."

"They will love it," I say as I stand up. I walk in close to him, and interlock my left hand's fingers with his right, our wedding rings touching again. "And they'll love you for them."

Jeremy's hesitation grows into a look of pure conflict. It's a while before he says anything else.

"So then...you're OK with me giving other women these rings...even if they end up loving me too? Even if...they'll become my wives as well?"

"Of course I don't mind," I say as I pull him into a hug. "Because I've seen the man who makes those rings, and I know that if there is anyone in the world who has enough love to spread to seven wives, it's him. Well, just as long as you don't forget about my love in the mix."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Jeremy replies as he pulls me into a loving kiss.

After we have our moment, as we go back to sorting out items, Jeremy asks me to think about other women whom I think should deserve a ring. While I'm certain that every girl will love their rings just like I did, I felt that should still pick candidates that will compliment the person Jeremy is.

Several ideas stream through my head, some pure, some...not so much. There was Ella, a Chinese international student who always ranked top of her class, and could help Jeremy a bit with academics. Mia, a bombshell Latina who I hear cooks great food. Jessica, head of the cheerleading squad, and rumored to be in College only to access a wealthy inheritance...

But before I consider all that, there's one girl in particular I think about receiving a ring. One who not only deserves it, but one whom I would want to find true love most of all.

"Wow, so you really did get hitched, huh?" My friend, Stephanie says with a bright smile.

Once we had Jeremy's stuff settled in, I told him it'd be nice to have Steph over for dinner together; we'd done it plenty of times before, but not since Jeremy and I were wed.

"Yeah, but on paper only," I replied, showing her a picture of our issued wedding documents on my phone. "Jeremy doesn't want to have a big wedding in the middle of the college year!"

"Soooo truueeee!" Steph laughs. "But really girl, I'm happy for you. Jeremy seems like a great guy."

"So Louise keeps telling me, but for some reason I can't get it through to this numbskull." Jeremy points at his own skull with an exaggerated gesture, causing the two of us to laugh. But as the laughter dies down, I see a hint of sadness in Stephanie's eyes.

"Yeah...really happy," Stephanie says slower. "I hope you guys have fun. I don't think I'll ever get married, myself."

Both Jeremy and I side-eye each other. I hadn't told Jeremy the full extent of it, but truth is that Stephanie's been with a few rough exes in her past, some whom had been abusive both physically and emotionally. She seemed to have recovered a lot in the past few months, but who knows what she's hiding underneath her facade?

Jeremy looks at me for confirmation. I nod.

"Well, um...do you want to maybe try the ring, at least?" Jeremy asks as he pulls the sapphire ring out of his pocket.

Steph stares at the ring in shock, trying to process what it means. She looks between it, and the ring on my finger, then back again.

"T-That's..."

"The same as my ring, yes. Jeremy's...well, he's sort of a hobbyist jeweler, and he made both that ring and mine." I answer, filling in her silence.

Stephanie doesn't move for a bit. I guessed that she's trying to figure out what to say next.

"And you're...OK with him giving this to me?" She asks me.

"Actually..." Jeremy says, scratching the back of his neck. "Louise was the one who suggested I give it to you in the first place."

Steph takes the ring from Jeremy, but only to look at it closer. Her face still betrays her hesitation.

"It's really just a ring," I quickly add. "Just because he's giving it to you doesn't mean he's asking you to marry him!"

Steph meets my gaze. Her hesitation seems to have morphed into something else. It looked...like fear. Heartbreak. I could see the same woman in those eyes who had spent hours with me crying hiding from the previous jerk who thought he deserved more than he did.

"Just...put on the ring," I tell her soothingly, as I place my left hand, my ring hand, on hers. "And then...figure out how you feel from there."

For a moment, she doesn't say anything. But then, a smile, one just slightly too wide to be natural, spreads over her face.

"Well, if you're sure then, Louise!" She chirps, sounding just a little ****. "Even though I doubt I'll change my mind."

"You might be surprised," I smile at her as she slips the ring onto her left hand's ring finger. "Love can be a powerful feeling, after all."