ONCE UPON A WISH
On a cool winter morning, under the Carolina blue sky, I walked with her through the University gardens. It was graduation weekend. She was a Tarheel, and I a Blue Devil, but somehow we made a perfect match. We strolled past the flowers to the wishing well. I whispered, “What did you wish for last time?” She said, “I can't say, or it won't come true.” I said, “Maybe it's time our wishes came true.”

I pulled the shimmering round diamond solitaire ring from my pocket and slipped it on her finger, the wrong finger. She didn't mind. We held each other forever.