It was in the evening that Robert wander along the riverbank in the park, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. When he was a child the river had been clean and clear of debris; however, as the city started to grow and modernize, trash had begun to pile up on the banks, so Robert had taken it upon himself to keep it clean. He’d walk with a garbage bag in hand, picking up chip packages and styrofoam cups, even though he knew they’d all just come back in a week or so.

On one of these walks he bent down to pick up a dirty water bottle, his back straining with age. As his shaky hand moved to place the trash in his bag, he felt something rattle inside of it. Curious, he brushed away some of the dirt and peered through the cloudy plastic, and was surprised to find a small roll of paper within.

After trudging up the bank, Robert sat himself down on a bench and placed his half full garbage bag to the side. He studied the bottle for a moment before attempting to twist off the cap. It was stubbornly stuck shut with caked on mud, but he managed to break it free and tipped out its contents.

He carefully unrolled the paper, expecting to find some hidden message or cry for help, but instead two objects tumbled out on to his lap.

The first was a note from a fortune cookie, which was worn and faded around the edges, like it had been handled frequently, yet still in a pristine enough condition for him to know that it had been cared for and cherished.

It read: “It is your time to take a risk. Love is surely around the corner if you’re brave enough to look for it.”

The second was a wedding ring.

-----------------

Robert sat in his empty apartment dining room. Outside the last bit of daylight was fading over the treetops, casting a glow across his clutter free table.

He fumbled the ring in his long fingers, turning it over and over, but didn’t dare put it on. He simply stared at it, observing it from every angle. It appeared relatively new, with only a couple nicks and scratches in the metal. The diamond shone in the dying sunlight, casting beautiful geometric flashes of gold and orange across its expertly cut surface, while the band almost seemed to glow in an otherworldly sort of way.

He wondered who it once belonged to, who would feel the need to cast it into the river. It was obviously no accident; it was thrown away with a purpose. Like they wanted it gone forever, but didn’t feel that simply dropping it directly into the dark waters was the proper sendoff. It still remained an act of disposal -- it was unlikely they’d ever see it again -- and the vessel it was placed in was still nothing more than a piece garbage. However the fact that it was given a vessel at all seemed to show that whoever it was, they weren’t ready to surrender it to the total abyss, yet still held enough damage in their heart to want to see it gone forever, out of sight and mind.

Perhaps they meant it to be found. Not by a specific individual, just someone. Someone like him.

Robert stared across the sterile dead zone of his table to the empty chair on the other side. Unlike the one he sat in, it showed no sign of wear and tear, no scratches or worn spots, no cracks patched with tape or glue. Just dust.

He decided to go to bed early that night.

-----------------

The moon had taken the sun’s place in the sky, throwing cold slits of light through Robert’s window shades and onto his sheets. The untouched glass of water on his nightstand shone like mercury in the glow. He gazed at it from across his queen sized mattress, and felt small in his vast sea of blankets that swirled and twisted like ocean waves.
He couldn’t sleep. He could still feel the ring burning a hole in his kitchen table.

When it became too much, and he was sure that there was no hope in waiting for sleep to arrive, he shakily got out of bed and shuffled back into the dining room. The ring was still there, waiting for him patiently. It looked lonely on the vast emptiness of the tabletop, so he picked it up and held it tightly in his hand. It felt cold and heavy in his palm, like a frozen stone.

He looked at the clock on the wall. 4:30 am.

He quietly slipped the ring into his pocket and threw on his coat.

-----------------

The cold morning air pressed against Robert’s skin like a damp blanket. The river was practically still, only the slight currents preventing it from creating a perfect reflection of the dark cloudy sky above. Mud squelched under his shoes as he stood on the bank, staring out at the silent scene.

He breathed a sigh and frosty mist clouded around his face. He pulled the ring back out of his pocket and studied it for the hundredth time, turning it over and over. The diamond glinted at him icily.

A sudden jolt of rage stung him in the ribs. His face tightened, and a tremor fell over him. His stomach rolled like a storm.

Summoning what little strength he had, he swung back his arm and launched the ring through the air with a furious cry. It sailed through the mist and landed with a small, anticlimactic plunk in the river and disappeared, no bottle to keep it afloat. As it sunk down under the silver surface and joined its place among all the other forgotten items and bits of trash drifting with the current, Robert turned and walked off, submissively allowing the immediate and inevitable wave of guilt to wash over and carry him away.