My mom only wears a diamond ring

on her ring finger

and tiny, gold earrings,

spirals like ones that I make in the sand

but more prettier

‘cause it has something shiny

in the middle.

My mom thinks it’s a butterfly

and a flower.

But sometimes,

when we go to a restaurant

to celebrate something,

my mom always changes

her earrings to make herself pretty.

Pink and yellow butterfly earrings,

flower earrings,

one petal purple,

one petal pink,

one light blue,

and one light green.

They make me feel happy

because I like watching

my mom get dressed up.

My mom’s favorite color is red

like rubies,

ruby apples, ruby lights in Chinatown,

and ruby envelopes with gold lanterns

and money inside.

They make me feel safe

because my mom makes me feel safe

and my favorite color is ruby red too.