After a while, Anders pulls into a parking lot and has jumped out of the car by the time we pull into the spot next to him. He nods his head towards a row of shops before we all start off towards them. As we get closer to the bright white storefront I am almost blinded by the shimmering jewels behind the glass. Through the windows I can see case upon case of every type of jewellery I could imagine. Before we walk into the shop, aptly called Shimmering Elegance, Rook pulls us into a huddle. Before anyone speaks I drop down on to my knees in front of Jack.

“Okay bud, we’re here to buy your mom a ring but I want to ask you something…?” I cough slightly, unsure of how to ask him for his blessing.

“You can marry her.” He interrupts me.

“What?” I laugh. This kid shocks me at every turn.

“That’s what a ring is for right? To get married? I want you to marry her because then you will be my dad for real,” he tells me, my heart breaks and mends itself in one as he looks up at me with love and hope in his eyes.

“You are already my son, come here.” I pull him into my arms, resting my head on top of his. Out the corner of my eye I see Lyndsey wipe a tear.

“Here’s a plan: just buy her the biggest rock in there. You’re rich after all, that’s what I’d want.” Lyndsey laughs trying to change the subject to hide her growing emotions, clearly joking about the huge diamond, but Jack misses the humour in her tone.

“No! Don’t do that!” Jack yells as the door to the shop opens making everyone in the store swing their attention to him. When none of us reply he continues, “When Mum is sore her hands swell, she can’t have something heavy or that would make it worse.”

“Damn, I didn’t even think of that, bud, it’s a good job you’re here.” I ruffle his hair with my hand in approval as Lyndsey winks at him. And to think I wasn’t planning on bringing him. I never planned on just buying her the biggest one anyway, but it didn’t even cross my mind how her fibromyalgia might affect her jewellery.

“Also, you should buy two,” he tells me matter of fact.

“Why?” Anders laughs but not at Jack, more at the fact a bunch of grown adults are being outsmarted by him.