“Bruno? The dude that left you the first chance he had. That’s your type?” Life replies.
“I need your help to cover these scars.” I explained.
“Okay, is this your first time getting a tattoo?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool. It’s a pretty simple procedure–”
“I don’t need the specifics,” I said.
“Right, I was just going to say that pain is not something we can measure since it varies with every customer. You might feel a little bit of pressure or outright pain. Either way, don’t move away, just tell me to stop, and I’ll stop.”
“Sounds good.”
“So, what were you thinking on having done?”
A new life?Out loud I said, “I’ll be honest, covering my scars is as far as I’ve planned with this.” That was the honest truth right there.
“That’s a pretty short plan, isn’t it? Let’s start with the basics. How big do you want them to be?”
“How big can you make them? Also, I’ll need several. I need to cover both my arms and my back. Is that doable?”
“That’s a lot! I would say since this is your first one, just do the one this time, remember that we also need them to heal properly.” He looked concerned.
“All right, you’re the expert.”
“Thanks. Let’s go back to the design. I can show you a few and see if you like any of them.”
“Okay. Let’s see them, I just have two requests.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to try the needles first to see if I can handle them. And I’ll give you a quote for a specific part of my back.”
“You got it! See? You did have something in mind. Anything else?”
“Nope, let’s see those designs.”
Today is the last session. We’ve spent so many hours together, and Jonathan isn’t the curious type, so he hasn’t pushed the envelope with questions about my scars. His company feels more familiar day by day.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say it, but we’re done!” Jonathan spins on his stool, turning his back on me while he starts to sterilize his tools.
I stand up and go to a nearby mirror.
The process has been painful, long and therapeutic. He started drawing the outer lines of my new friends, then after they healed, he filled them with colors. The detailing was the last thing Jonathan did.
He has held his side of the bargain. Which I appreciate.
I try to turn my body around to see my back but it’s difficult while holding a T-shirt over my chest. Contorting like this isn’t something one should do with a fresh tattoo.
“Sarah… here.” Jonathan hands me a small mirror. “I don’t want you to break your neck after all the hours we’ve put into this.”
“Thanks.” I chuckle. I’m now officially in a relationship with my back, so colorful, so full of… life. “I can’t thank you enough for all you did, they are beautiful.” This is one of the few happy moments I’ve felt since Bruno’s disappearance.
“Thanks, but you don’t have to use words, just numbers.”
“Numbers? Oh, is what I’ve paid already not enough?” I frown.
