Tis the Season

Louis & Grace

Snow was falling on the sidewalks, covering up the footprints of the people who had walked before them. It was the first snowstorm of the year, but the couple was determined to not let it ruin their day of Christmas shopping.

Louis’s arm rested across Grace’s shoulders, as the pair walked along one of London’s many sidewalks. Louis’s hands held three separate shopping bags, each of them filled with a different present for Grace’s younger brother. Louis had picked out two different Lego sets, while Grace had grabbed him a copy of The Avengers.

The two were passing Butterfield’s Jewelers, when something inside the shop caught Grace’s eye. She turned to Louis, with a smile on her face, and he nodded, shooting her a smile back. His hand moved the door, propping it open, and Grace stepped quickly into the warm shop.

The moment they walked in, a young girl stepped from behind the counter. Smiling at the pair, she held out her hand. Louis and Grace took turns shaking the girl’s hand, as she introduced herself.

“I’m Jamie,” the girl said, looking between the two of them. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Grace looked at the girl, then up at Louis. “I think we’re just looking.”

“Let me know if you need any help.” Jamie shook their hands once more. “I’ll be behind the counter.”

After the girl stepped away, Louis took Grace’s hand and immediately pulled her over to the necklaces. In the far corner of one of the glass boxes, Grace spotted the necklace Louis had bought her last Christmas.

“There it is.” Grace smiled, pointing at the silver chain. Her eyes flicked to the heart shaped pendant around her neck, then back at the matching one in front of her.

Nodding his head, Louis smirked. “It looks better on you.”

Grace nudged his side, before moving her eyes back over the glass case. Her gaze moved back and forth, trying to find a necklace better than the one Louis had gotten her, but failed, just as she always did. Louis knew her too well, and he always managed to pick out the perfect gifts for her.

The pair kept walking down the line, as Grace admired the beautiful jewels in front of her. Louis’s eyes were locked on Grace’s face the entire time. He paid close attention to when her eyes lit up and when they faltered, so he could be sure to pick out the perfect gift for her.

When they reached the rings, Grace stopped in her tracks. Her gaze was stuck on a silver ring littered with diamonds. Each of the gems glistened in the light, and Louis was sure the jewelry shop at set up the lighting to make each ring shine perfectly.

Grace bit her lip as she admired the ring, and Louis couldn’t help but smile at her. He hadn’t seen her face light up at the sight of jewelry since he had given her the necklace last December. At that moment, Louis knew which ring he would be getting.

With a smile on her face, Jamie approached the pair. “I see your admiring our Gleeson. That piece has caught the eye of quite a few customers. There’s a bit of a competition for it.”

Grace chuckled, looking up at Louis. “Can you imagine people fighting over something as simple as a ring?”

“Never,” Louis said, as he imagined himself punching someone in the face for the ring.

“It’s pretty expensive,” Jamie said. “Not many people could afford it. I know I couldn’t.”

Shaking her head, Grace laughed. “It’s a good thing we’re not looking.”

The couple had reached the end of the jewelry shop’s merchandise, signaling it was time to head back out into the cold. Jamie wished them well, as they exited the shop and were hit by the frigid wind.

Louis looked to Grace and began patting his hands against his pockets. “I think I left my wallet inside. I’ll go grab it real fast. Wait here.”

Before Grace could respond, Louis stepped inside the jewelry store and headed straight to where Jamie stood. The girl looked at him, a smile on her face. “You want the ring, don’t you?”

Nodding his head, Louis pulled his wallet from his pocket. He laid it on top of the counter, while Jamie pulled the ring from the case.

“I should warn you,” Jamie said, looking at him sweetly. “This ring is over 3,000 pounds.”

Louis took a deep breath, before passing Jamie his wallet. “Put it on whichever card doesn’t get declined.”

Jamie flashed him a smile, before pressing her fingers against her register. She grabbed the first card from Louis’s wallet and swiped it. When the register beeped to signal that the card went through, Louis breathed a sigh of relief.

No matter how much money it took, Louis was determined to bring that look back to Grace’s face. When he proposed to her, he wanted to make her just as happy as she made him. If spending 3,000 pounds on a ring brought him closer to that goal, he was willing to do it.
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Louis is such a sweetheart! Just one of the many reasons why I love him.