Rings

How it Started

Carina had the luxury of an extra day off after coming home from her honeymoon; Maya did not. She was almost going from the flight home to the station, which she didn't mind much, aside from having to leave Carina alone so soon.

Maya unpacked and got ready for work all at the same time. She emptied her suitcase while simultaneously getting changed and fixing her hair. It was the most unorganized Carina had ever seen her wife. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Maya run back and forth around the apartment, putting everything back in its specific place. Each lap having something added to her outfit.

"Maybe I should have left myself more time between coming home and going back to work," Maya admitted while she put on her shoes.

"I told you I could unpack while you are gone. I don't have anything to do anyways."

"I know, but I want you to be able to relax. You took such great care of me in Italy; I hardly had to do anything. You deserve a break."

"Amore, it wasn't as much work as you think it was. I think you forget I lived there. I just took you to all my favorite spots I used to go to. You were definitely more stressed than me. I know you were nervous about meeting Papa, though."

"Okay, you are probably right. But I still want you to relax. " Maya said as she made her way over to her wife. Her wife! She still couldn't believe she got to call Carina that. "I'm gonna miss you," she pouted, "We haven't been apart at all in two weeks. This forty-eight-hour shift is going to be hard."

"I'll visit, don't worry." Carina pulled Maya down for a quick kiss that escalated into a more heated one when Maya fell into her lap.

As they started to get carried away, Maya's alarm went off, announcing it was time to leave.

"Oh, wait!" Carina said as she jumped up and ran to their bedroom, then returned with something small and black. "Give me your ring."

"What, why?" Maya sounded a bit offended as she held onto her left hand.

"Bambina, having a partner who fights fires for a living, I do a lot of reading on how to keep you safe. So many preventable injuries happen from wearing wedding bands on the job, so I got you this silicone one to wear at work. It will keep your beautiful hands safe and still let people know you are mine. And you are left-handed! You don't want to hurt your dominant hand."

"I don't want to mess up my dominant hand, or you don't want me to mess up my dominant hand?"

"We both know who lives in the pillows in this relationship. Do you want to play this game, mia principessa?"

Maya's eyes widened after slowly translating and got what Carina insinuating. Though she couldn't deny it and settled for pretending she didn't understand and changed the topic.

"I don't want to lose this one, though. We are matching. I like that." Maya looked down at her ringer finger and admired the gold band. It wasn't anything fancy or outrageous, but she liked that. "I feel like if I take it off I'm never going to find it again."

"Here," Carina said, pulling the gold off her wife's finger. "Your ring finger is the same size as my right ring finger. I'll hold on to it for you, so you don't have to worry."

Carina replaced the metal with the silicone ring and slipped the gold band on her own hand. She took a second to admire the way the added gold sparkled with her other jewelry.

"There, it is like I always have a piece of you are away from me."

"I like that," Maya said with tears in her eyes. "Then it shows that I really do choose you every day when I ask for it back."

"Who knew getting married would turn you into such a softy?" Carina laughed as she pulled her wife into a tight hug. Maya instinctively inhaled the scent of Carina's shampoo and tangled her fingers in the ends of the long brown locks.

"I just love you so much."

"I know, Bambina. I love you too. I was just teasing."

A second alarm went off.

"Shit! I'm going to be late on my first day back."

"I'll drive you. Then we get to spend a little more time together."

"Wait. Now that we are married, can I drive the Porsche?" Maya's face lit up at the thought.

"How can I say no to that smile?"

"Where are the keys? I've been waiting for this moment for so long!" Maya did yet another lap around the apartment, skipping along the way as she was unable to contain her excitement.

"Bambina, they are right here," Carina laughed as she dangled the keys up with her index finger.

"Okay, let's go!" Maya said, running up to her wife. She peppered her face with kisses as she took the keys, then quickly grabbed her backpack and dragged Carina out of the apartment.

Maya slowly approached the grey vehicle, taking in its beauty and how good she and her wife were about to look in the front seat when they pulled up to the station. She gently ran her fingers over the car's exterior, appreciating how well Carina took care of it.

"You act like you've never seen it before. We just drove home in it an hour ago."

"But everything was different then."

"You are such a dork sometimes. C'mon, you are going to be late."

Maya obeyed her wife and jumped into the driver seat. "I can't believe this is the first time I am driving your car." she said, running her hands along the steering wheel.

"I probably would have let you drive it sooner, but you never asked." Carina replied nonchalantly as she fastened her seatbelt.

"Seriously? Wow, I don't know why I thought you'd be so protective of it."

"Probably because if this was your car, you would never let me drive it. You are too protective and particular about all your things."

"No, I'm not."

"Amore, you just unpacked everything yourself to make sure everything went back exactly where it is supposed to go. You can't deny it."

"Thank you for letting me drive your car," Maya said, fluttering her eyes at Carina as they pulled up to a red light.

"See, you know I'm right."

"I love you."

"Trying so hard to change the subject, si? I love you too."

Carina took Maya's right hand off the steering wheel and placed it in her lap. Smiling with Maya intertwined their fingers.