Chapter 14 Dreams of Forever
Dreams of Forever
Tan bought the ring on a Tuesday.
There was nothing especially romantic about the day itself.
No anniversary.
No holiday.
No elaborate plan.
Just a regular Los Angeles afternoon squeezed between SWAT training, a grocery run, and a family group chat that had somehow become an argument over whether Harold needed a new grill.
Tan had passed the jewelry store dozens of times before.
That day, he stopped.
Maybe because the thought of marrying Amari had stopped feeling like a possibility and started feeling like a decision.
Not impulsive.
Not dreamy.
Certain.
He parked across the street and sat inside his SUV for nearly five minutes.
Then he laughed at himself.
"You're nervous about buying jewelry?"
He had entered buildings with armed suspects.
Handled hostage calls.
Kicked in doors.
Stood between violent people and innocent families.
Yet walking into a jewelry store to buy a ring for the woman he loved suddenly made his palms sweat.
He shook his head, got out, and crossed the street.
The jeweler, a woman named Celeste, greeted him with the kind of smile that suggested she'd seen his exact expression hundreds of times.
"Engagement?"
Tan looked at her.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Very."
He laughed.
"Yeah."
She motioned toward the display cases.
"Tell me about her."
Tan frowned.
"Her ring size?"
"No."
Celeste smiled.
"Her."
Something about the question caught him off guard.
Tan glanced down at rows of diamonds and gemstones sparkling beneath soft lighting.
"She's..."
He smiled without meaning to.
Celeste noticed.
"That's usually a good start."
Tan laughed softly.
"She's strong."
"Funny."
"Stubborn."
"Smart."
"She works harder than anybody I know."
"She's beautiful, but she doesn't always realize how beautiful she is."
He paused.
"And she's been through enough that I don't want to give her something just because it's expensive."
Celeste listened.
"I want it to feel like her."
"What does that mean?"
Tan thought about it.
"Elegant."
"Not flashy for attention."
"But when you look at it, you know it's special."
Celeste smiled.
"I think I know where to start."
She showed him several rings.
Round-cut diamonds.
Oval.
Emerald.
Halo settings.
Solitaire.
Tan studied each one.
Nothing felt right.
Then Celeste placed a ring onto a black velvet tray.
An oval-cut diamond rested in a delicate platinum setting, framed by two smaller tapered stones. Beneath the center diamond was a subtle hidden halo that could only be seen when the ring was turned slightly.
Tan stared.
Celeste smiled.
"That face means we're close."
He picked it up.
Simple from a distance.
Detailed when you paid attention.
Strong.
Elegant.
Beautiful without needing to announce itself.
Amari.
"That's it."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
He didn't hesitate.
"That's hers."
The first person Tan told was Terrence.
Mostly by accident.
Tan arrived at his parents' house later that evening carrying groceries Eva had asked him to pick up.
Terrence sat on the back porch with Harold discussing the grill issue from the family chat as though national security depended on the outcome.
"The burners are going bad," Harold argued.
"The grill is four years old."
"It works."
"It cooks uneven."
"You cook uneven."
Harold looked offended.
"I taught you how to barbecue."
Terrence laughed.
"You taught me how to burn ribs and call them smoked."
Tan walked through the back door.
"Y'all still talking about this?"
Harold pointed toward him.
"Stay out of grown folks' business."
Tan set the grocery bags down.
"I'm thirty."
"You're still a child to me."
Terrence noticed the small jewelry-store bag peeking from Tan's jacket pocket.
His eyes narrowed.
Tan saw it too late.
Terrence leaned forward.
"What is that?"
Tan immediately tucked the bag deeper.
"Nothing."
Harold looked over.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Terrence stood.
"That's a jewelry bag."
Tan sighed.
"Why do you notice everything?"
"Occupational hazard."
Harold's eyes widened.
"Jewelry?"
Terrence smiled slowly.
"No."
Tan pointed toward him.
"Don't."
"You bought a ring."
Harold gasped.
"Lord have mercy."
Tan closed his eyes.
"You two are worse than women."
Terrence was already grinning.
"Let me see it."
"No."
"I'm your father."
"Not relevant."
Harold stood.
"I'm your grandfather."
"Also not relevant."
Terrence reached for him.
Tan stepped backward.
"Don't touch me."
Harold laughed.
"Boy, show us the ring."
Tan looked toward the house.
"Where's Mama?"
"Work."
"Grandma?"
"Church committee."
Tan relaxed slightly.
"Good."
Terrence laughed.
"You know they're going to find out."
"They can find out after I propose."
Terrence folded his arms.
"So it's official."
Tan looked at him.
"Yeah."
The humor faded.
Something softened in Terrence's face.
"You sure?"
Tan nodded.
"Completely."
Terrence stared at his son for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Come here."
Tan sighed.
"We're not doing emotional stuff."
Terrence hugged him anyway.
Tan hugged him back.
Harold wrapped both of them in his arms.
Tan immediately protested.
"Grandpa."
"Family moment."
"I'm being crushed."
"That's love."
Tan laughed.
Terrence released him.
"When?"
"I haven't decided."
"Where?"
"Also haven't decided."
"You buying a ring before having a plan?"
Tan smiled.
"I know the answer I want."
"That's the important part."
Harold nodded.
"Ask her somewhere that means something."
Tan looked at him.
"You mean besides the grocery-store avocado section?"
Harold laughed so hard he started coughing.
Terrence shook his head.
"Actually..."
Tan looked over.
"No."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Tan studied him.
"Don't turn avocado produce into a proposal."
Terrence smiled.
"I was only thinking."
"Stop."
Unfortunately, secrecy lasted less than twenty-four hours.
Gloria found out.
Nobody ever proved how.
Tan suspected Harold.
Harold blamed Terrence.
Terrence blamed "divine revelation."
Eva said all three men were terrible liars.
Wednesday morning, Tan woke to eleven messages.
Grandma: I heard some wonderful news.
Grandma: I won't say anything.
Grandma: What kind of ring?
Grandma: Send me a picture.
Grandma: I said I won't tell Amari. Not that you can't tell me.
Mama: Your grandmother called me at 5:48 this morning.
Mama: I am pretending I'm not upset that your father knew first.
Mama: I want to see the ring.
Ella: YOU ARE PROPOSING?!?!?!
Travis: Finally.
Travis: Call me before you do anything stupid.
Tan stared at the phone.
Then typed into the family group chat:
Tan: All of you are blocked.
Within seconds—
Gloria: You better not block your grandmother.
Tan laughed.
Amari had no idea.
That part amazed him.
She noticed almost everything.
But over the next several weeks, Tan somehow kept the ring hidden.
He stored it inside a locked box at his apartment rather than carrying it around like a nervous teenager.
Still, every time Amari looked at him too closely, he became suspicious.
One evening they sat on her couch watching a crime documentary when Amari paused the television.
Tan looked over.
"What?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"What are you hiding?"
His heartbeat changed.
"Nothing."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You've been weird."
"How?"
"You smile randomly."
"I smile."
"No."
She pointed.
"You do that face."
"What face?"
"That secret face."
Tan frowned.
"I don't have a secret face."
Amari folded her arms.
"You're terrible at undercover work."
"I'm not undercover."
"Exactly."
She leaned closer.
"Is it about work?"
"No."
"Family?"
"No."
"Me?"
Tan hesitated for half a second.
Amari's eyes widened.
"It is me!"
"It's not bad."
"I didn't ask if it was bad."
"Then stop investigating."
She stared.
Tan stared back.
Finally Amari narrowed her eyes.
"Birthday surprise?"
"Your birthday is five months away."
"Trip?"
"No."
"Did you buy me something?"
Tan smiled.
"Maybe."
Amari gasped.
"I knew it."
"You don't know anything."
"Is it a purse?"
"No."
"Shoes?"
"No."
"Jewelry?"
Tan froze for exactly one second.
Amari screamed.
"JEWELRY!"
Tan stood.
"I'm going home."
She jumped up and grabbed his arm.
"No!"
"You're impossible."
"What jewelry?"
"None now."
"T!"
He laughed and pulled her against him.
"You are ruining your own surprises."
She wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Fine."
"Fine?"
"I'll stop."
"Thank you."
She looked up.
"Diamond?"
Tan groaned.
"Amari."
She laughed and kissed him.
He kissed her back.
When he held her afterward, he imagined the ring on her hand.
Soon.
Very soon.
While Tan planned forever, work became increasingly intense.
Golden Meridian Imports had remained in the background of several investigations.
The name appeared nowhere directly tied to violent crime, yet warehouses associated with the company repeatedly surfaced near suspicious activity.
Missing persons.
Illegal labor.
Smuggling.
Fraudulent shipping documents.
Then a confidential informant gave detectives something more disturbing.
People.
Families.
Women and children transported through warehouses under false employment arrangements.
Trafficking.
The information moved quickly through federal task forces, local investigators, and specialized units.
Tan's team received briefings but little operational detail.
The case was sensitive.
Compartmentalized.
Need-to-know.
One Friday morning, Tan arrived at the SWAT facility before sunrise.
His team commander, Captain Robert Hayes, stood near the briefing board.
"David."
"Captain."
"You're staying after training."
Tan nodded.
"Problem?"
"Maybe an opportunity."
That answer meant something.
After everyone else cleared out, Hayes motioned him toward the office.
"Sit."
Tan sat.
Hayes opened a file.
"Your evaluations are excellent."
"Thank you."
"Judgment under pressure is strong."
Tan remained quiet.
"You've handled leadership duties well."
Hayes pushed the folder toward him.
"There's an opening for a senior tactical team lead."
Tan stared.
The position represented another step.
Not merely advancement.
Responsibility.
Command.
"You interested?"
"Yes, sir."
Hayes smiled faintly.
"I assumed."
"What's the process?"
"Panel."
"Advanced leadership evaluation."
"Scenario command."
"Psych review."