It was the last remnants of her time that seemed long ago. A time of a woman in a relationship that seemed so foreign to her, yet she felt a loyalty and love for that woman even months past. The puzzle piece charm was fastened to a silver bracelet that was home to a plethora of other beautiful charms; each representing a piece of who she was and where she had been. A small silver monkey with its hands raised above its head as if flying from branch to branch from a time spent in Costa Rica. A tiny graduation cap given to her from her mother after graduating from the university. A sombrero she had haggled down to 2 pesos in Mexico City where she was studying the native language. An edelweiss flower brought from Germany to remind her of her very first performance piece on the violin. A basketball given to her by a dear friend and teammate that held all her passion and athletic spirit in its shine. An Eiffel Tower and a cardinal red cross from her adventures in Europe. And finally a small puzzle piece, engraved on one side with the initials MTD and on the other, RRU. This piece, ironically, did not fit. It never did fit with the rest.
As they drove through the mountains traveling from the deep south to the wintry north at Christmas time, the two seemed equally enchanted, highly unsure what it was about the other that enraptured their hearts so.
There was a traffic jam due to a large accident on a deadly blind curve ahead. As the cars began to pile one on top of the other, he put the car in park.
"Let's open our Christmas gifts to one another now!" he said with the enthusiasm of a 5 year old boy waiting anxiously for the magical day to begin.
She remarked in her heart that it was an odd gift to be given to the woman she was, from the moment she unwrapped the tissue paper. A conversation quickly flashed into her mind about the idea of an incomplete woman being 'completed' by a man. She never felt as though he was 'completing' her. She hated that idea, the aphorism, the notion, and the ideologies that perversely invade the minds of men and women from that tiny seemingly romantic phrase. They had discussed this in detail, and she thought he listened. She was not a un-whole entity; neither was he. She had worked hard to become the woman she was, and felt in her soul a life mate should simply elevate and strengthen her already complete being.
"It is because you are my missing puzzle piece, and I am your missing puzzle piece" he smiled and leaned in for a passionate kiss.
Was this any different? The unfortunate thing was that she did not have the gumption to let him know the disappointment she felt in her heart at his obvious disregard for her beliefs. Maybe this is what love is supposed to be, an actual missing piece of who you are being found, she thought as she moved her hands over the engraved initials on either side of the charm. It was, after all, a highly romantic gesture.
She had the charm added to her bracelet. It always felt odd to explain this charm to others, yet she wore it each and every day. It was a beautifully shiny and light charm bracelet and she was proud of her accomplishments represented by each tinkling charm.
Years later, after the heartache, the consuming pain and emptiness had subsided, leaving her with even more light shining through her soul, she found the charm bracelet at the bottom of her antiquated cherry wood jewelry box. Fingering through all of the tiny silver charms dangling and tinkling amongst one another, she realized this last remnant of a time so life consuming, must go. She snipped the puzzle piece charm with her kitchen sheers. It fell to the ground with a small clink and lay there, with her initials up. She never felt once that he completed her, or that he was her missing puzzle piece. Instead she waited, perhaps a few months too long, for him to inspire her soul and enhance the whole woman she already was. She walked slowly with this small silver piece in her hand towards the old fashioned rubbish shoot at the end of her hallway. With a small gasp, she let the charm drop down the shoot; to where she does not know.
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