The Prince called it “crystal” because it shimmered, but she knew they were full fledged diamonds straight from the mines of Africa. She liked the way the bangle fit snugly around her wrist.
The “head” made a fine clasp at the tail of the figure of the fox. Prince Carlos of the small country of Marianna was sincere in his efforts to pursue her “love and attention’, as he called it.
She, on the other hand, was a Federal Agent for the United States. A pretty young woman of twenty four, she wore her dark hair in a tight pony tail. Once in a while she liked to wear a “diamond” studded hairband. That one was “pretend gems”, as her friend liked to call them.
The plane circled one last time over San Antonio,Texas at noon. The airport was as busy as ever but she was happy to be home. Working at The Pentagon in Washington DC was grueling. She had made many friends but she still missed the range land of Texas. Her sister called it “homesick” Not very becoming Nyda thought, for a Federal Agent!
She threw her half-eaten blue-berry bagel wrapped in cellophane into her carry on bag. As she loosened her seat belt, she wondered how the meaning of “carry on” bags on the plane had changed. A lady had one that reminded her of the round bales of hay her grandfather gave the cattle during Winter- huge!
She missed barely getting hit on the head by the guy behind her trying to get his “carry on” out of the overhead bin. It weighed a ton because the lady attendant could not even lift the bag to get it out!
Cell phones on after landing, she got the text , her family was waiting for her; “keeping her dinner warm” as her mother called it.
She smiled as she thought of Catherine or “Cati”, her younger sister by seven years. She had no tatoos and no body piercings.
Nyda marveled once when Cati sent her a picture on Facebook and only two of the seven young women had clear clean skin;no pictures or any writing marring their lovely skin color. Her young sister was one of the two.
By now Nyda had finally reached her car left at the same parking space she usually reserved when she was gone for long periods at time.
She reached into her jacket for an instant as she was trained to respond because two burly men were waiting at her black BMW.
Relieved to see the two burly guys were friendly, she waved at them! They were the” welcome wagon”, as home folks liked to say, sent by Aaron. She used to be “engaged” to Aaron
That was in high school, when they dreamed that he would be the Veterinarian for the county and she could be his assistant! Then, he went off to the university in Austin Texas and she went to San Antonio to study law.
Well now, he really was the veterinarian doing state research and she was an FBI Agent. After September 11, and the tragedy in New York City she became “fiercely” American as her grandfather called it. “It’s old-fashioned, ordinary patriotism!”he would add disgusted if no one else recognized it.
The young men sent to get her to her grandparents ranch were Aaron’s ranch hands. She was rather happy to see Aaron again especially after the whirlwind romance with the Prince from Marianna in Washington DC. She needed a breather from all the events in her romantic life
Somehow, she was not quiet ready to give up everything to move to another country.
Well, she had two weeks to rest and rethink her “priorities”- her family, her home and her work.
She saw the dust pick up the caliche road as she followed in her BMW the young ranchers’ truck into her grandfather’s homestead. The white stone house sat high on a hill, though actually it was a mansion. It was shining brilliantly in the two o’clock Texan sun. The oak trees moved gently in the San Antonio breeze. The Winters were usually mild and she missed the fresh air.
As she got out of her car, she threw her bag down and ran to hug her mother, then Cati and Grandpa. There were always tears in her mom’s eyes. She cried when she saw you coming and cried when you left. She was forever teased about it.
Then she saw Aaron. He was as handsome as ever. Tall, quiet, and unassuming. He was the only son of Dr. Garcia and Ms. Jones. The towns founding families had quiet a surprise and caused some raised eye-brows when Dr Jose Garcia married Miss Selma Jones back in the 1950’s. His parents had since passed away, so he was really the only surviving Jones- Garcia heir.
She liked that he was still single. Nyda was looking forward to a nice supper with the family and Aaron and sitting out in the wide, white porch with the arched Spanish columns. And it so happened, as she stepped out into the cool air of the porch after supper, Aaron was already there.
“Beautiful night’ called Nyda as she stood next to Aaron, looking down into the small valley. He placed his glass down on the small table beside them, and looking straight at her, said “Yes, a lovely sight”.
Nyda, startled, turned away quickly.
“Are you happy Nyda, I mean really happy with your work and all?” he asked rather quietly.
“What’s happy?” If you mean do I like my work? Yes.” she answered cautiously.
” Well, I guess I meant,” he stammered for a bit. ” I heard about a prince?”
“Oh yea, that”, she looked at the lovely Snow Fox bangle on her wrist and it seemed to glitter more so than ever.
“Could you really leave all this?”, as he gestured out to the ranch. ” I mean really and not look back?” he asked rather sadly, she thought.
“I don’t know, not if I had something or someone to keep me here,” she looked at him shyly.
Aaron. smiled and seemed like a weight had been lifted off his shoulder. ” Come with me tomorrow, I want to show you the calves from last Spring. they’re beautiful”!
“I’d like that” Nyda added. Just then her mom came in and called them to look overhead at the lovely meteorite shower! It was a clear, crisp Texan night. She reached out for Aaron’s hand and together they watched “diamonds’ fall from the sky for them!
Later,as she prepared to sleep in her own familiar bedroom, she knew what she would do. She carefully wrapped the Crystal Snow Fox bangle back in it’s exquisite red,velvet pouch and for the last time, she put it away in the original box it had come in.