winter of our disconnect

I was in the shower today and recalled a early 90s winter childhood memory from a strange time in my little family's existence. my mother was attending the university of michigan dearborn for a master's degree in art history. her wedding and engagement rings had been stolen a few years earlier by our outlaw cousin louis (who is now doing time in an upper peninsula prison for the 15th time for theft. but strangely, although he always gets sent to the great white north to do time, he has a harsh, loud deeply southern accent now). So my hometown is a small place - there's no one who doesn't at least know your name, who you are married to, related to, or what golf club swimming pool you can utilize. my point here is that there was no reason for my mother to expedite the replacement of her symbols of marriage.

Now, today in the shower i remembered my mom coming home from class, all flushed and giddy and happier than i had seen her in a long time. "I got asked on a date!" she said. We all stared. "A guy asked me out!" her face fell when she realized she was sharing this bit of news with her husband and two young children. I heard them really yell at each other that night.

My dad took my mom to the jeweler the next week.