Tj
A few months later...
Over the buzzof the tattoo machine, I heard the phone ringing at the front desk. It was followed by my mate's bright and professional voice saying, "Hello, Heraldry Ink, this is Brady speaking... Yes... One moment please."
Brady wheeled his chair out from behind the front divider. Since his belly had swollen so much in the past few months, he'd grown fond of that chair. It helped him zoom around the shop without actually having to walk and strain his poor back any further.
"You won't believe who it is," Brady said, covering the receiver. "Remember that waitress you did a cover up for?"
"Of course. I'd never forget her, or our date that day."
Brady blushed. "Well, she told her friends. They all want to book matching tattoos together. Five of them! She asked when you're available."
"Well,technicallynot until December..." I grinned. "But I'll make an exception to squeeze her in after hours. Tell her they can all come in next Thursday."
Brady looked excited to tell her the news. He wheeled back behind the divider to deliver the details. I smiled as his adorable voice floated over to my ears. I'd never get tired of it. Before he joined the Heraldry Ink team, it was quiet in the shop. Sometimes too quiet. Now I had his constant company. It settled my shifter instincts, too. If he wasn't around, my tyger soul got restless. It made me want to drop everything to go find him. But since he worked by my side, I didn't have to. It was a win-win for everybody.
I finished up with my client and sent him on his way. When Brady and I were alone, I never wasted a spare moment to grab him and kiss him. He giggled, his face glowing every time I showered him with affection, which was near constant. I couldn't keep my hands off him, especially with his big pregnant belly.
"If only I didn't have another client in the next thirty minutes," I growled, running my hands down his sides.
Brady shivered in pleasure. "I mean... we could get a lot done in thirty minutes."
I raised a teasing brow. "Is that a challenge?"
Brady laughed and kissed my cheek. "It would be if my parents weren't going to drop off Kiara at any second."
I ran my hand along the back of his neck, making him shiver. "True. Then I'll save it for later."
Right on cue, the shop's front door opened. Rapid footsteps rang out in the shop as Kiara bolted towards us with a beaming smile. Behind her came Brady's parents, chuckling at their granddaughter's antics.
"Dad, Daddy!" Kiara cried.
Every time I heard her call meDad, my heart sang with love. Although I wasn't her biological father, I was still her dad in every way that mattered, and she was my daughter.
"Hey, sweetie," I said as she threw herself at us. "How was school today?"
She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a half-crumped paper. "Good. Look what I made."
Brady and I tilted our heads closer to examine it. The paper had a picture of four figures of various sizes. Two big ones, a medium sized one, and a tiny bundled-up baby. Above each figure was a scribbled name.
Brady's face lit up with a smile. "Kiara, this is so sweet. Let's see here... Dad, Daddy, Kiara—" He highlighted that comment with a gentle poke to her cheek, which made her giggle. "And of course, there's baby Daisy."
Brady rubbed his belly, indicating the baby within. We'd picked the name together. It was a total no-brainer. Now, not only did his tattoo represent a fresh start, but his second daughter.
Kiara nodded, happy that her drawing was appreciated. "Uh huh. And that's our house."
I grinned. The big squiggly square in the background wasn't exactly an accurate depiction of our home, but it was perfect in its own way. Once again, it warmed me to see Kiara draw our home, not her old apartment she shared with Brady. She'd loved moving in with me and seeing all the space in her new room.
"And what about us?" Brady's dad teased.
Kiara gasped, then grabbed one of the many markers we kept on the table for her. She quickly amended her drawing to add her grandparents. "There!" she announced, showing it off.
Brady stifled his laughter. The newly added grandparent figures were little more than blobby lines squeezed into the corner with "Grandma" and "Grandpa" written above them.
"Wow, that's better than we've ever looked," Brady's mom said. "Wonderful, Kiara."
Brady managed to swallow his laughter as he hugged his mom. "Thanks for picking her up from school. We'll take it from here."
