She dropped the knife and jumped away from the counter. She couldn’t believe it.

Growing their food wasn’t a chore for Minni and Joel. Instead, it was a pleasant, relaxing hobby that allowed them to spend quality time with their kids and each other. 

But on this particular day, they caught something that changed everything. 

Bowfin or Mudpike Trashfish isn’t always a welcome catch for fishermen. But if you know how to cook them properly, they can make quite a tasty meal. 

They took the extra fish home and put it in the freezer, leaving two to prepare for dinner. Mini put the fish in the sink and started to clean it. She had cleaned fish many times before, but never one like this. 

Fish can sometimes eat strange things. So, she opened up the fish and carefully took out the insides. She had no idea what she might find. But when something shiny appeared, she was shocked.

Mini stared at her hands, still not believing what she was holding.

The gold links had formed a necklace with an anchor pendant on the end. She couldn’t believe it! How did this little swimmer eat such a thing? Then, suddenly, the amazed wife felt something strange along the fish again.

The necklace had already raised many questions, but the little fish still had more to offer.

She grabbed it again and took out the rest of the insides. She traced the inside of the fish until she found the bump. But as soon as she dug her fingers in, something terrifying happened.

When Minni returned to the fish, her husband saw the necklace and asked her about it. When she told him what had happened, he was shocked. Then he felt exactly what she had done.

Mini uncovered a handful of tiny shiny balls. She and Joel took one between them to see what it was. “Is it a bead?” Minni asked. 

Joel realized that they were pearls. They were genuine, pure pearls. Mini was amazed. “Wow! Are you sure?” He grabbed the pearl and rubbed it against his teeth. 

Luckily, the jewelry in the fish was in perfect condition, and the pearls were in perfect condition, too! One of those pearls could sell for between $300 and $1,500!

The couple then uploaded their video of the moving fish and posted about their incredible find on social media.

You would think that this was the end of their amazing discovery. But over the next few weeks, something nagged at Minni—they had also put some fish in the freezer. Would anything be engaging in those as well?

Mini might have felt silly rummaging around in the freezer like a child on a treasure hunt. But the first discovery was already excellent. So, why not have a look?

She opened the vacuum-sealed pack, put the frozen fish in a bowl, and waited for them to defrost. 

But it was on the fifth fish that her knife hit something solid. Joel was amazed when Minni took out another piece of gold, but this wasn’t a necklace. It was a thick gold ring, like something a man would wear.

As Minni wiped away the dirt, the inside revealed an engraving of two names and a date. This was the breakthrough they needed! The adventure wasn’t over.

“James and Madeline Jeffords!” Joel exclaimed. His excitement nearly made her fall out of her seat.

They had stumbled across the ring, but could the person or people on the other end describe it accurately? They wouldn’t give someone else’s wedding souvenir to a stranger. 

They described it perfectly – to “Jimmy” instead of James. They had found the owner of the ring! But the best part was yet to come.

The family got into their minivan and drove for three hours north to where the couple was waiting. As they arrived, Minni could feel the tears start to well up. 

An old man and woman stood on the porch, holding hands. Their faces showed how excited they were.

The couple had been taking a walk along a pier one day. Madeline wasn’t sure how, but a small jewelry pouch had fallen out of her handbag. It contained things she had wanted to take to the jeweler to get cleaned. The waves must have taken it and washed it away.

Mini and Joel looked very surprised when the couple showed them photos of the wedding rings and a gold necklace with an anchor pendant.

Both sides were unfortunate. It was fate. But the old couple was about to do something extra-special.

“We want you to keep the necklace,” they said – as a thank you for reuniting them with the long-lost ring and to have something as a memory for this unbelievable meeting.

Even after a cup of tea and then going home, Minni and Joel’s smiles didn’t fade. But this wasn’t the first time a fish had been found wearing a wedding ring…