“So, what brings you here tonight?”
“Alayah wants to her first tattoo,” I answered.
“Ahhh!An ink virgin. What were you thinking? Small, big, medium?”
Alayah thought for a moment. “Um…probably something small. I don’t know how much pain I can tolerate. Maybe a few words?”
“Did you have an idea?”
“Something that celebrates freedom. I,um…I recently came home from prison.”
Micah’s eyes widened. “Oh! Well, that’s certainly something to celebrate. I won’t get in your business, but this seems like a personal tattoo, so I want it to really mean something. Most people I know that went to prison did something that was their last resort. What pushed you?”
Alayah swallowed hard. “Fear.”
Micah nodded. “I got you, beautiful. Come on over here.”
He led us to his workstation and settled at his desk. While he sketched out something, Alayah and I looked around at his work. My boy was talented. He was a few years older than me, and I met him one summer when I came home for break. My sister and I randomly decided to get tattoos and came to his shop. We hit it off, and he’s been my go-to guy ever since.
“All right. What do you think?”
Alayah and I turned to look at the sketch he’d drawn. It was a quote that read,Beyond fear is freedomwith a few butterflies.She smiled and reached out to touch it.
“It’s perfect,” she said softly.
“Where do you want it?”
She looked down, contemplating a spot for a moment before holding out her arm and pointing to the inside.
“Right here.”
“I got you. Just let me trace this onto the transfer paper, and we can get started. You can have a seat. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
She took a seat on the bench and got comfortable.
“You need me to hold your hand?” I jested.
She playfully smacked my arm. “No, I don’t, but be on standby.”
I grinned. “I got you, love.”
“You’re gonna get this too, right?”
“I’m gonna pass on the butterflies—”
“Aht aht!You said matching. That includes the butterflies.”
I chuckled. “Fine, man. I’ll go let Micah know.”
I was happy to see her smile. I had far too many memories of her doing anything but that. If there was any way I could make that happen for her, I would.
Chapter 15
Alayah
I woke up this morning with a little extra pep in my step, and that was new for me. I smiled as I looked down at my tattoo. It wasn’t as painful as I thought given that Micah had used numbing cream on my arm. The tattoo was beautiful and reminded me that I was free. I was no longer a prisoner, and there was nothing on the outside left to fear.
