If there was a single word that Destiny was forced to use to describe Karma it was a whirlwind. That’s how she’d entered her life and how the pair of them lived. Her presence brought with her chaos and color, light and love and an energy that could not be contained. Though sometimes this energy brought with it strife and stress the fact remained that her lover was the ray of light in her life that she’d never known she was missing. After all, she had a tendency to be grumpy and too serious – a strictly by the numbers person. Karma forced her to be adaptive and open. She never knew what the other woman was going to throw at her but often she didn’t care.

Which was why she was browsing the ring display at an engagement jeweler. They’d been together for too long and overcome too much to treat this relationship as anything less than serious. It wasn’t that she felt she owed her this thing, she owed herself. She liked it and was going to put a ring on it, simple as that. There were too many styles to choose from and she wasn’t sure if Karma was a diamond type of girl or she should go with something non-traditional. Surely non-traditional would be best, considering nothing about them was normal. They were lovers for one and members of the Negaverse for another. They owned a bar and pretty much spent every moment of every day together. She’d been warned that eventually she’d get tired of such constant contact after a while but a while had yet to happen, even eight years later.

Sure, they’d had their hardships. She knew she wasn’t always a picnic to be around but they tried to find their joy where they could. It was usually a pretty easy thing to do, especially when they could go out as members of the Negaverse and cause their own brand of havoc. That was some sort of freedom and she knew she enjoyed it. But, still, none of it would have happened except by fate. She hadn’t believed in that force actively working in her life but after that night she did, she had to.

It was such a simple, chance meeting. She’d been studying for her business degree at DCU when out of nowhere a younger art student bumped into her. Everything about her had been wrong and sloppy and yet for a second Destiny forgot her name, let alone words. She tried to smile as the other girl addressed her and only managed to nod dumbly. They exchanged named and smiled. That was it.

Karma took her hand and tugged her away from the cubicle she’d been studying at. They went to get burgers first and then talked over coffee and then ended up dancing at some on campus party she didn’t remember hearing about but somehow her companion knew about. They danced together under the colored lights of the party and even though they hardly knew each other Destiny knew that this was what she wanted, had always wanted, even if she had never known. There was something about Karma that made the room shine brighter, made her smile wider. All of her tension and the seriousness melted away and with her she was something more like the woman she wanted to be.

When they parted at the cubicle, all of her things were still there which was strange and awesome, she’d been kissed and hardly realized it until she saw the other woman walking away. It was a whirlwind: as strange, violent, turbulent, and beautiful as one. She wasn’t sure how she’d managed it but it seemed someone up there was smiling down at her and had decided that she was someone that needed in her life.

It wasn’t long before she was seeking her out, asking without words for them to be together. By some miracle she agreed and Destiny never questioned that luck. Now here they were pursuing their lives together.

“Would you like help, Miss?”

“Can I see that one? What stone is that, the black one?”

The setting was simple, a diamond bordered on both sides by black stones. The metal was black, neutral, and would match near anything Karma owned, which varied in shades of rainbow. She was pleased to have spotted it, alone and unique among the rows of yellow gold and platinum. It wasn’t the most expensive ring, but that hardly mattered. The intention was what counted when it came to something like this and for that she wanted everything to be perfect. The clerk brought the ring out and set it down for her to look at.

“It’s an onyx stone. They’re very beautiful, but not that valuable.”

“I disagree.” She smiled to herself. “They’re perfect.”

“Is this the one you want?”

“Not quite. Instead of the diamond, can I get it set with an Opal?”

“We could custom make that for you. It’ll take some time.”

“Time I have.”

“Well, it’s less expensive than a diamond, though those are traditional.”

“I’m not worried about tradition. I’m worried about what she’d like.”
“She sounds like a lucky young woman.”

“We both are.”

He got the size and rung up the purchase, getting her information so that she could pick up the ring when the order came in. He promised to have it perfect, because no matter how calm she tried to appear the nerves couldn’t help but show on the outsides. She nodded and thanked him and tucked the receipt away where Karma wouldn’t see it. She didn’t do the finances so that was lucky but she did sometimes do the laundry and might have found something like this in her pocket. If she had, the cat would be out of the bag before she could plan the perfect night to give it to its intended owner the right way.

That would take time and planning as well, but, as she said, time she had. Soon…soon she would make it official.

Length: 1009 words