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The girl disappears around the corner, and I can feel Theo’s eyes burning into the back of my head. I turn around and he has the biggest grin on his face.
“What?” I ask.
“You’re really doing this.”
“Ye-es.” I nod, eyes bulging. “I’m really doing this.”
Theo slips his hand in mine. A silent comfort.
The girl returns with a warm smile. “The Professor will see you now.” She motions for us to follow her toward the back of the shop.
We turn the corner and see a man with a white beard that extends to his mid chest. His bushy eyebrows and protruding belly make him look like a tattooed Santa Claus and I grin. For some reason unknown to me, I feel like I am seeing an old friend.
He extends his hand to me, then Theo. “Trudy tells me you’re wanting to get a tattoo. What are you looking to get, Catalina?”
I sit in the leather chair he pats and fold my hands in my lap. “This is my first tattoo and I’m afraid of needles so I’m looking to get something small.”
“No worries. I’ve got thirty years of tattoo experience, so we’ll make sure you’re comfortable. You won’t even be worried about the needle once I start.” He flashes a toothy grin at me. Between him and Theo, I am ready to do this.
I point to my collarbone. “I would like to get a quote here.”
The Professor nods, scratching his bald head. “Write the quote on this,” he hands me a pen and a piece of paper, “exactly how you want it tattooed.”
I take the pen and paper and scribble quickly, making sure it is legible, and hand it back to him.
He looks it over and bobs his head, placing a toothpick between his teeth to chew. “Alright, let me get this stenciled up and we’ll get started.” He pats my knee and walks behind a curtain into another room.
I wring my hands together. I am really doing this. I have thought about getting this tattoo for awhile but with my fear of needles standing in my way, I never thought I would actually do it.
Hell. Meeting Theo has changed me. And I like me.
“What’s the quote?” Theo pulls up a chair and sits next to me.
“It’s fromPersuasion.”
“The book you were reading when we first met.” Theo smiles.
“It was one of the books my mother would read during the winter months. I asked her to read it aloud to me, it was a bonding experience, but it also helped her with her English.” I can see my mother’s sweet face; her sitting in her favorite armchair near the window that looked out on our humble garden.
Theo reaches over and rubs his thumb over my hand.
“‘When pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure.’” I recite my favorite quote from my mother’s favorite Jane Austen book.
“Since my mother’s passing, I have thought about that book often. A second chance at love.” I wrap my arms around my torso, giving myself a hug. “Once I aged out of foster care and finished my training as a flight attendant, I used some of my first paycheck to buy a copy ofPersuasion. I have made a point to read it once a year around the same time she used to. I feel like if I still read it…”
“You can keep her memory alive.” Theo finishes my thought and wipes a tear from my cheek. “I think that’s beautiful. And I’m sure she would be so proud of who you are.”
I throw my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. Theo gently rubs circles on my back, letting me take all the time I need before he releases me.
“I’m glad you’re here with me.” I kiss his cheek. “She would have liked you.”
“You think?” That wicked grin of his.
“Oh, yeah.” I nod my head, patting around my eyes to make sure my make up didn’t smear. “She would love your green eyes.”
“Well then I would say she has great taste.” His eyebrows wiggles and draws a laugh from me.
The Professor comes back with a few different font styles for me to pick from. I choose a simple, fine tip cursive.
