“Thank you.” I kissed his nose. “Can we go?”

He stood rooted. “Teresa, I don’t want you there as a whore. I don’t want you there as arm candy. I want you there as my wife.” I didn’t say anything. “I know that’s an issue right now, but it’s an issue that can be fixed.” He reached in his pocket and threw three rings on the bed. “Take your pick.”

I regarded his eyes, then walked over to examine the jewelry. One was a solitary round diamond, one was a cushion-cut diamond surrounded by little diamonds, and the last one was two round diamonds—one with an arc of tiny pavé diamonds above it and the other with an arc of pavé diamonds below. I said, “Is this making up for past neglect, or is this moving forward?”

“What do you think?” When I didn’t answer, he said, “I don’t know your taste in jewelry since I never bought you gifts.”

“That’s not totally true.”

“I’m not counting the earrings I bought you when you were sixteen.”

“I still have them.”

“I saw when I unpacked your stuff.” He paused. “Why’d you keep them?”

I shrugged. “I guess I’m a sentimentalist. That and your mother’s cross were the only things I had left from you … other than Gabe.”

“I saw the necklace as well.” His eyes grew far away. “It took me back some.”

“I’m sure.” I nodded. “I was going to give it to Gabe—like an heirloom—but then he converted to Judaism. My other two children are Hindu. You want it back?”

“No, no. You keep it.” Chris was quiet. “My sum total of presents: a cheap pair of pearl earrings and my mother’s silver cross. And a wedding band, which I didn’t see anywhere.”

I was quiet.

He said, “I could have done better.”

“You took me out of penury. Gabe and I couldn’t have made it without your support.”

“You don’t get a medal for supporting your family.” His eyes returned to the rings on the bed. “Which one do you like?” A pause. “You can have all three if you want.”

I had to make a move. There would be plenty of time to throw it back in his face in the future. To hesitate now would be bad strategy, since he was the only one helping me with Sanjay. I was willing to do anything to get my boy back. I didn’t know if Chris would come through, but I did know that it was always better to have Chris on your side. I picked up the ring with the double diamonds. “This one.”