Love Letter: The Pearls She’ll Never Wear

She bought the necklace when she was desperate. She lost them when she wasn't.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story July 8, 2022 By Miya Lee Eliza Smith was only 18 when she found herself back with her ex-boyfriend and, then, unintentionally pregnant. Having graduated high school early and with a full scholarship to a private college, Ms. Smith had to adjust her plans. She married her ex and remained in her hometown, Joplin, Mo., finding work as a sales associate at Macy's. It was during a late shift in that sleepy department store that she first saw the pearls. In this week's Modern Love essay, "Losing the Pregnancy, the Marriage and the Pearls," Ms. Smith describes the pain of losing an imagined future and the power of forging a new path forward. MODERN LOVE "No longer interested in the domestic sphere, I moved to jewelry, where I could admire cases of superfluous, pretty things." Brian Rea Modern Love Losing the Pregnancy, the Marriage and the Pearls At 18, I didn't want to be the captain of my own fate. Fourteen years later, I do, and am. By Eliza Smith Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MORE MODERN LOVE Some advice on how to flirt with a stranger (based on one author's experience) and new episode of the Modern Love podcast which is about the best "Manny" (male nanny) in New York City. Brian Rea Modern Love Tiny Love Stories: 'If You Decide to Flirt With a Stranger' Modern Love in miniature, featuring reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words. Brian Rea 'Do It, I Dare You.' Step inside the secret, beautiful world of a nanny in New York City and his tiny companion. LOVE AND MARRIAGE "When he asked for her phone number, she instead handed him her business card with an email address." Anthony Petrozza at Ricky Restiano Photography MINI-VOWS A Bronx Tale of Persistence Tara Cannistraci and Michael Mondrone, both natives of the borough, met five years ago at a Mexican restaurant in Scarsdale, N.Y. He asked her to stay. She said no. Twenty minutes later, he emailed. She returned. By Hilary Sheinbaum Alana Paterson for The New York Times Vows A Fresh Start on the Mountain That Changed Her Life Reggie Clark and Jamie MoCrazy met in 2017, two years after she suffered a traumatic brain injury during a skiing competition on Whistler Mountain. In May, they returned to marry. By Jenny Block Sofía González Noriega mini-vows The First Date That Lasted a Week Before even leaving Jean Paul Broc Gomez's Los Angeles apartment for dinner, Charlie Kelly knew he had met the one. By Kristen Bayrakdarian Pharris Photos + Films mini-vows A Compatible Phone Charger Led to a Strong Connection Amina Colter and Jason Jones became long-distance pals after he lent her his phone charger during a teen weekend. They began dating 12 years later. By Rosalie R. Radomsky Jim Trice of Jim Trice Photography mini-vows Love, but Certainly Not at First Bite Tyler Fox shocked Madelyn Krebs by helping himself to some of her lunch during their first meeting as high school students. They went on to become close friends and college roommates anyway. By Nina Reyes Continue reading the main story ADVERTISMENT ASK THE EXPERTS "Would you really feel better if your friend handed you a check as she waltzed out to dinner — leaving you at home?" Miguel Porlan Social Q's How Do We Get Rid of Our Teenage Daughter's Gun Safe? A reader wonders what to do after her daughter responds to a breach of privacy by investing in a locker meant for weaponry, not diaries. By Philip Galanes Illustration by Tomi Um The Ethicist My Wife and I Lied About Our Son's Death. Can I Come Clean if She Won't? The magazine's Ethicist columnist on revealing a family secret, complaining about a tour guide and more. By Kwame Anthony Appiah LOVE IN THE NEWS "Catherine, who died of natural causes in 1536, never stopped insisting she was Henry's sole wife and queen." Tom Jamieson for The New York Times Decoding the Defiance of Henry VIII's First Wife Using a process she called "early modern Wordle," a scholar claims to have uncovered a hidden message from Catherine of Aragon in a book of jewelry designs. By Jennifer Schuessler Akhtar Soomro/Reuters Match Group suspends some political donations after abortion ruling. The operator of Tinder, Hinge and other dating sites said it would no longer give money to groups representing Republican and Democratic attorneys general. By Emma Goldberg Kristine Potter for The New York Times What Happens When a Rock Star Proposes Onstage? Olivia Jean married the celebrated musician Jack White mid-performance, but she has a plan all her own. By Madeleine Aggeler Jimena Peck for The New York Times Jobs Aplenty, but a Shortage of Care Keeps Many Women From Benefiting A lack of child care and elder care options has forced some women to limit their hours or sidelined them altogether, hurting their career prospects. By Lydia DePillis, Jeanna Smialek and Ben Casselman Pool photo by Patrick Pleul How Many Children Does Elon Musk Have? Name-change documents filed in Texas show that the outspoken entrepreneur recently fathered twins with Shivon Zilis, a director at one of his companies. By Valeriya Safronova Schaun Champion for The New York Times No Guns, No Dragons: Her Video Games Capture Private Moments Nina Freeman, a leading indie game designer, infuses her work with a poetic sensibility far from the tone of mainstream shoot-'em-ups. By Steven Kurutz We want to hear your stories. Here's how to submit a Modern Love essay or an Unhitched column. Don't feel like writing more than two tweets, an Instagram caption or a Facebook post? Consider submitting to Tiny Love Stories, which are no more than 100 words. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Love Letter from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018