"It comes with a GIA certificate," the clerk added, noting Elena’s hesitation. "And you can't beat the return policy if you change your mind."

She leaned over the glass, her breath fogging the surface slightly. Behind the pane lay a two-carat round brilliant diamond ring, priced at a fraction of what she’d seen at the boutiques downtown. There were no velvet curtains here, only the distant sound of a forklift beeping and the smell of fresh pizza from the food court.

The employee pulled out a black velvet tray. Amidst the chaos of families stocking up on frozen lasagna, Elena slipped the platinum band onto her finger. The diamond caught a stray beam of industrial lighting and fractured it into a thousand tiny rainbows. It felt heavy, real, and surprisingly right.