ASHEVILLE - As Maddie Barondeau spoke recently in front of the region’s transportation planning board, the engagement ring she picked out with her fiancé rested on her finger, her hands shaking with emotion.

Her grandmother’s diamonds adorn the ring. A band loops into infinity symbols around Barondeau’s finger. That shape now carries a heavier meaning. It’s a remembrance, rather than a promise for the future, said Barondeau, 25, of Asheville.

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