Beyond the Divorce

My father thought for a moment. "Your mother did have a family crest-a brooch. Your mother carried it to commemorate her time in the Avila family."

"Oh? Do you know where it ended up?" I couldn't wait to ask, thrilled that this family crest actually existed.

My father shook his head and sighed, "I don't know. I never saw it again after your mother and I parted ways."

His voice choked up as he spoke about it.

Coming back home, he mainly reminisced about my mother. I suppose that was his greatest emotional wound. He returned, but his beloved was no longer with him.

That kind of pain must have been unbearable. So, every time my mother was mentioned, he would tear up slightly.

I pressed further. "So, where did Mom usually keep her jewelry? I mean, when you were together?"

knew I was struggling financially, so she rarely wore jewelry. That

saw that brooch once or twice. When my business with Louis did well, and we made some money, I bought her a few decent pieces of jewelry. She kept them all in her jewelry box on

of any of it.

safe. She laughed and said, 'In this house, with its doors open at night, why bother locking anything?"" My father's face lit up with

little, and I teared

my father couldn't stand up anymore, I was sure my mother would still

thought what she said made sense so I never brought it up again. That

it look like? I mean, like the color or the design?" I asked,

rubies, which was their national flower. It symbolizes strength, dood fortune, peace, and enlightenment. The lotus

picturing it in

you were little, asking everyone, 'Do I look pretty?" My father remembered, looking at me with

wore it?" I asked in surprise, then sighed quietly, "I don't remember it at