Amélia had been his partner in every sense — in business, in dreams, and in love. They had built their first vineyard together, shared the backbreaking labor of the fields, and imagined a future full of laughter and children. Then, one rainy night, it was all torn away in a single phone call.
The Ring That Held a Lifetime
As Gael sat at the corner table that night, he absentmindedly turned the wedding band on his right hand — an heirloom passed down through generations. The ring was old, crafted from white gold, set with a flawless Colombian emerald surrounded by diamonds. His grandfather once told him only three such rings existed in the world. Two had vanished decades ago, and the third was now his — the same ring with which he had proposed to Amélia.
He had thought about burying it with her but decided instead to wear it always — a small, silent promise that he would never forget.
At fifty-four, Gael had made peace with solitude. He had no wife, no children, and no one who knew the real man behind his success. Only the vineyards, the endless rows of grapevines, and that ring reminded him of who he once was.
