To be taken back to younger days

Nice Holystone had children on her mind.

As she leaned against a tree and watched a group of seven-year-olds clambering over the park's jungle gym, she thought back on her own childhood, acting as the cool older sister to most of the people who currently constituted her and Jacuzzi's "gang" (despite their extensive criminal record, Nice still had a hard time thinking of them as anything but the dirty-knuckled kids they used to be). It had been tough filling that role. Jacuzzi had a certain charisma, and he could muster his courage when he needed it, but the gang depended on Nice being level-headed the other ninety-five percent of the time. She had given up half of her childhood to be the "boss" that everyone respected, leaned on; she would never regret it, but sometimes she just wanted to shed her stoic, strong façade and act like a little kid again: laugh, play (with something besides explosives, anyway), maybe even throw a tantrum…

Nice had closed her eyes, allowing the summer sun to soothe her restless thoughts, when she heard an uncertain, "Umm…"

Nice blinked. One of the seven-year-olds, a fair-haired girl wearing a frilly dress, stood a few feet in front of Nice, pointing to a striped ball that had rolled to the woman's feet. "Umm, can I… uh…"

The girl's cheeks turned pink, reminding the scarred bomb-maker of a younger Jacuzzi. Nice bent down and picked up the toy. She smiled reassuringly as she held it out to the girl. "Here you go."

The girl hesitated, looked up, and then whimpered in fright. "I—I'm sorry!" she yelled, and then she turned and ran away.

Nice frowned, brushing a hand against the scars on her arm. It surprised her that the girl's fright actually disturbed her. Nice had grown used to people's stares, but scaring a child was another matter entirely. For a moment, she allowed the pain wash over her. Would she ever be able to befriend a child, looking like she did?

That's when she heard the sniffling behind her.

"Jacuzzi?" Nice asked, turning to see tears streaming down her best friend's face. What had happened now?

"I—I think I frightened her, Nice!" he said, swallowing his sobs. "I'm not that scary, am I?"

Nice laughed. Jacuzzi's tears stopped as the boy stared at her, wondering what he had said. Nice shook her head as she continued to giggle. What was she worrying about? She had enough children to take care of! Wrapping one arm around Jacuzzi, she thought, This one especially.

"What were you sneaking up on me for, anyway?" Nice asked, and Jacuzzi nodded as he dug in his pocket for a folded envelope.

"Ah, here it is. I, uh, wanted to—oh no!" Jacuzzi gasped as his shaking fingers dropped the paper onto the ground. Nice sighed as its corner absorbed the mud, turning the paper shoelace brown. Both delinquents dropped to their knees, grabbing for the paper, but Nice picked it up first, emptying the envelope into her palm.

"What… is this…?" Nice pinched the ring between her thumb and forefinger, examining the silver and slightly mucky ring. It was completely plain except for a thin sliver of inlaid turquoise. Glancing up from the tiny jewel, Nice almost laughed at Jacuzzi's horror-struck face.

"I—I—uh…" Nice bit back a laugh as Jacuzzi's face darkened to a crimson red.

"Where'd you find it?" Nice asked, placing the ring in Jacuzzi's palm.

"It's—it's for you," Jacuzzi mumbled, looking down. "Nick told me that girls l—l—like jewelry, so I figured… for your anniversary…"

"Anniversary? Of what?" Nice asked.

"Well, erm… I guess it's more mine than yours, but…" Jacuzzi scratched his left cheek with a finger, touching his tattoo, and Nice understood. This was the eleventh anniversary of the night when Nice opened her window and saw her eight-year-old best friend straddling her roof with a new, fearsome tattoo that did not match his personality at all. It had been the first time the pair had considered themselves a "couple."

"Nick put you up to this?"

"No!" Jacuzzi frantically waved his arms in front of him. "No, I thought of it! I mean, I asked him for advice about which gift. I was going to buy you copper wire…"

Nice smirked. "But Nick suggested a ring? Come on, Jacuzzi, you know he was messing with you, right?"

Jacuzzi's face froze in position for a moment as he considered the possibility. Nice made a mental note to punch Nick later. Sighing, she opened Jacuzzi's palm again and slipped her ring onto her right ring finger. "There."

Nice began to walk toward the street, and Jacuzzi trailed after her. "Uh, Nice, I think you put it on the wrong hand."

"No, I didn't. I need my left hand for another ring." Nice winked, and Jacuzzi froze up again. He had to jog to catch up with her a moment later.

"Wait! So you like it, right? You don't have to wear it. I can still take it back and buy you something else if you want."

"Why turquoise?"

"Well, turquoise is called the 'holy stone,' right? I mean, I don't think they make rings with bomb decorations on them…."

Nice burst out laughing. Jacuzzi knew her too well.