𝐆𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆, 𝐉.𝐎

'this too shall pass'

𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩- 𝘫𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦.

word count- 1143

you have finally been able to visit jenna in her current filming location, london england. you were excited as you broke one of the first museum rules, running toward one of the exhibits. but you couldn't help yourself. it was the british museum after all.

you were a history major at Yale. jenna had crossed your path by complete coincidence. the actress had stumbled into you desperately asking for directions to a lecture she was supposed to be giving. you helped her into the theater hall and found yourself sticking around for the actress's entire speech.

you were entranced by her posture and the steady rhythm of her voice. she was well-spoken and direct. you thought that was the end, you would never see the star again. but she came crashing into the library you worked at as well.

you and jenna had been dating for around two years now. she knew you were a significant world history nerd, and she endorsed it. you had wanted to go to the british museum at some point during your trip but it wasn't until the brunette had mentioned it that you found the time. 

"come on! we have to get through millennia of history in the next few hours!" you turned to face your girlfriend. she was grinning wildly at you as she watched your excited steps approach her to drag her to one of the nearing exhibits. 

jenna followed you into the china and south asia exhibit, she giggled at the way your eyes lit up upon seeing the artifacts. she examined your stance, hands laced behind your back, speed walking between the glass cases. every once in a while moving your arm to point at an artifact.

"jenna, look! this one is from the jin dynasty, when the mongols invaded china," you ushered the brunette over to the glass casing. she looked at you in awe, how can one head retain all this information? in the glass was a small ceramic pot that looked just as old as it was dated.

1209? looks like it...

your eyes met hers momentarily before you looked back and took her hand in yours. interlacing your fingers, pulling them up to your chest to bring jenna closer to your frame. staring off at the artifact you began to speak.

"you know, my dad always had a weird fascination with the mongols. but he never told me the reason until he got sick," you started, jennas eyes shot from the pot back to you. but you showed no indications of slowing your story.

the actress knew this was a touchy subject, therefore she wasn't sure why you would bring it up in such a public space. but she never saw the confidence in your eyes dwindle, nor the rhythm in your voice become sporadic.

"he said, when the mongols were crossing israel on their way to invade eastern europe they came across a small village." your eyes glazed over the ceramic before you. examining it for any and all imperfections. but you couldn't find any, it was somehow perfect despite its age.

"they told the people if they didn't receive the most precious item in the village they would be conquered. khan gave them one day to bring him they're most valuable item before he would overtake the village," your lips rolled back into a thin line but ultimately settled in a slight pout. your rolled a small ring between your fingers on your free hand. it felt like a rock, your rock, it provided stability in uncharted waters.

jenna moved impossibly closer to you, pressing her front against your side. she wanted to let you know she was here. to provide any type of comfort. but she couldn't speak knowing you were in the midst of telling her something you held close. 

your dad got sick a few months before jenna came tumbling into your life. cancer, but the graces of all things good were on your side.

he beat it,

he lived.

"the next day the village leader came out to the mongolian army. a small golden ring in hand." you were nearing the end of the small tale. "inside, the words 'this too shall pass' were etched into the metal."

the brunette's gaze dropped down to notice you were fiddling with your own small gold ring in your free hand. the material wrapped around your index finger with a snug fit. she had noticed it before but only now did she question its meaning.

"my dad never told me if the village was conquered or not, but that's a question for another time i guess." you shrugged, eyes finally leaving the pot alone after careful inspection. they wandered over to other parts of the room before they snapped back at the actress beside you.

"what does it mean?" she asked, authenticity laced in her smooth rhythmic voice. " 'this too shall pass,' what does it mean?" she asked again.

your eyes found their way back to the small pot, still sitting the same way in the same place. but this time you looked at it with admiration, no longer with a hunger to unlock all of its secrets.

"i think, it means no matter how bad the situation is, no matter how impossible it all seems there's always some way out. this too shall pass, it might pass like gas and stink, but it'll pass." jenna snickered at your remark, she admired how you managed to make light of the conversation. she watched you intently but didn't miss the way your grip around her hand tightened.

"when my dad got sick, he said the same thing. that there was always a way out. either he would beat the cancer, or... well you know," you trailed off. your free hand coming up and crossing over your neck with your thumb. indicating, death. your gold ring became apparent in the florescent lighting of the museum.

"your ring, does it say?"

with that, you wordlessly released your hand from jennas. pulling your ring off your finger and passing it to her. carved in the golden metal were the words 'this too shall pass'. the brunette's eyes met your somber filled pair. you mustered out a small smile while taking the ring back and slipping it into place on your index finger.

"dad gave it to me when he beat it, served as a reminder. it might suck but there is a way out," you mumbled almost inaudibly, but jenna was standing close enough to hear.

"i think that's a pretty sound rule to live by," jenna commented, her hand moving swiftly to cup your jaw. now you turned the rest of your body to face your girlfriend, as opposed to just your eyes. she stretched forward to lace you into a longing-full chaste kiss. one that spoke all the words she wanted to say, one that transcended language itself.

~~~