Dangerous Difficult and Complicated (Challenge 112) PG-13

[cassysj]

mitzie -Thanks for reading. I always love to see your smilies

grace - Thanks. I love to bring my OC Charles whereever I can and the jewelry just spoke to me.

jen - Thanks for the bump. Jewelry can say a lot and Mick and Beth do have pasts that make them the people the are in the present.

[jen]

And I just had to come back and read this again.

Talk about difficult, dangerous and complicated. That is gify buying, but Mick has a handle on it here. I have been wondering, what about Beth? Shopping for a 58 year old vampire can't be simple.

Just a thought.

Jenna

[cassysj]

Thanks for the bump. True Mick can't be easy to shop for.

[Moonlighter]

This was lovely, Carol. I really loved you describing Mick's two women as being as different as the jewelry they wear. Just like the same piece would look different on each of them, it's their personalities that make the pieces stand out. And both Mick and Beth remembering Valentine's Days past and realizing what a special gift they each have now was a bittersweet twist. I love it -- and you did MickBeth proud.

[cassysj]

Thanks. I don't do too much Mick/Beth. I'm glad to hear it played out belivably

[cassysj]

Shameless bump. Mick is the hardest character for me to do anything with and I was so pleased by all the kind comments I received on this story

[Marigold]

I really like how this gift made both the giver and the recipient reflect on previous Valentine's Days spent with other lovers. The contrast between the two sets of earrings is very well thought out.

They toasted to their future, enjoyed the present and remembered the past.

Lovely sentence, and so very true of Mick and Beth.

Thank you!

[allegrita]

I love the 3 different sets of earrings in this story. Coraline's were hard, square diamonds, like ice crystals. Beth's were warm, round sapphires, as blue as her eyes. And the ones from Josh are a mystery. I wonder what Josh would have bought for her...? Pearls, maybe? Pearls are living jewels, in a way... they might be apropos for a human-human relationship. (Plus they're kind of conservative, which fits Josh's personality! )

I'm so glad I found this story again. There's so much to it! Mick and Beth thinking about their very different pasts with other lovers, their present relationship together, and the possibilities for the future. Will Beth want to be turned, or stay human? Will they be together forever, or grow apart over the years? So many things to think about, all from this short story.

[Ella713]

Oh, this was so good!! I loved the comparisons of both Beth and Coraline. And Mick was right, whether vampire or mortal, all relationships can be hard and very trying at times, but what he and Beth share is true love.

[cassysj]

Thanks so much for the bump and kind words. I haven't read this one for a long time

[MickLifeCrisis]

I hadn't read this before... it was amazing!

Earrings, relationships both human and vampire, what if their paths had been different - all seamlessly woven together. And I love the line about the warm blue lake.

So glad this got bumped. A wonderful story, Cassy!

[cassysj]

MLC Thanks so much.

[allegrita]

This story is seemingly simple, but it isn't really simple at all. The earrings are metaphors for three very different relationships. I love this story.

[cassysj]

Thanks for giving this a bump. After re-reading it I wonder if Josh happened to walk into Riley Jewelers for Beth's gift. I mean if he has a store front he can't keep the public...i.e humans out of his store, he just wouldn't get as involved with their purchases.

[allegrita]

Ooh, that would be ironic, wouldn't it?!