Everyday HERO

Aisle four – chips, chocolate and biscuits.

Nina always went to the supermarket when she was upset. Browsing the shelves and comparing prices usually distracted her from any worries.

Then she glanced at her bare nger where her wedding ring used to be. Nope, still upset.

‘Nina Henderson?’ said a man’s hesitant voice as she turned into aisle ve.

She stared at a face she hadn’t seen for 20 years – not that the decades seemed to have touched him at all.

‘Dan Riley?’ she gasped. ‘I can’t believe it.’

Dan was handsome, athletic and smart. But Jane Bradley had been his lucky girlfriend in school. Nina had heard they’d tied the knot a few years later.

‘How are you?’ he asked. ‘Good, thanks.’ She did wonder if her eyes were still red-rimmed. ‘And you?’

‘Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned,’ he said. ‘Jane and I broke up a year ago.’ ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ She really was. Nina knew it wasn’t easy keeping a relationship healthy. Challenges often came along to test even the strongest bonds. Sometimes unexpected challenges.

‘Thanks,’ said Dan. ‘You were one of the kindest people at school. I always had a soft spot for you.’ ‘You did?’ ‘I did,’ he nodded.

‘And I still do. Would you like to go out for coffee sometime?’

It took Nina a moment to remember this wasn’t school, and she wasn’t 17.

Plus, there was one other small detail.

‘I’m married actually,’ she said, noticing him glance down at her bare hand resting on the trolley. ‘Happily married?’

The look in his green eyes made her remember doodling Mrs Nina Riley over and over in class.

‘It’s not what you think,’ Nina said, tears welling again. ‘I’ve lost weight so stopped wearing my engagement ring until I could get it re-sized. But I kept wearing my wedding band. But this morning, it went down the shower drain. Ryan was pretty unhappy when I told him.’

‘I hope he wasn’t upset with you,’ said Dan. ‘Accidents happen.’

Ryan had been under a lot of strain at work lately. The last thing he needed was her ring mishap.

Nina couldn’t blame him if he was annoyed with her. She was certainly very annoyed with herself.

‘Nina!’ a voice called.

She turned and saw Ryan coming down the aisle. His hair was messy and he had damp patches on his T-shirt. The two men couldn’t have looked more different.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked her hubby. ‘I found it!’ he said.

‘My ring? Really? But you had important work to do.’

‘Nina, nothing is more important than you.’

He opened his hand and there it was, shining under the uorescent lights.

‘I thought it was gone forever,’ she whispered.

‘I refused to let that happen,’ Ryan said.

Ryan may not have model looks or dress sense, but he had what mattered most – a loyal, loving heart. Dan Riley may have been her teenage crush, but Ryan Brown was her everyday hero.

‘You okay now?’ Ryan asked, as he slipped the gold band onto her nger.

‘I’m perfect,’ Nina smiled. ‘You know why?’

‘Because I found the ring?’ ‘No,’ she said, inging her arms around his neck. ‘Because I found what I wanted in aisle ve.’ ●

It took Nina a moment to remember she wasn’t 17