Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, but this year I don’t have anything going on because of the move. I’ve spent Christmas alone before; it’s nothing unusual, and I don’t mind taking the day to myself, maybe going down to the beach and getting some drawing time in, too. I usually find a small Christmas tree to put up in my apartment, but because I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had the time.
“No problem,” I tell him as I place the stencil I did earlier on his skin. It’s a semi-closed rose that I’m going to doin light pink, per his request. It’s the size of an actual rose and is going vertically up his ribs.
Once he approves of the placement in the floor-length mirror, I have him lie on his side, facing away from me.
“Where are you from?” he asks as I get started on the tattoo.
“Santa Barbara, originally. I moved around a bit and spent the last five years in Newport Beach.”
“How do you like Daybreak so far?”
“It’s cool. Not as pretentious.”
“I’m from L.A. and am fairly new here, too. It’s definitely a lot more relaxed.”
We go in and out of easy conversation while I tattoo him, but he throws me a curveball when he asks, “How did you meet Penny?”
I pull back from his skin and wipe away the extra ink. Do I lie to him? No. I can’t because he already knows something is up between her and me.
“On a dating app.”
He barks out a laugh. “I have a feeling I know what app. Jordan, my girlfriend, tried using it too. It didn’t work out so well for her.”
He doesn’t elaborate, but for some reason, I have the urge to tell him, “Yeah, Penny and I decided to be just friends because I was moving, and she lived an hour away.”
“Hmm…” he hums but doesn’t say anything else.
I take the next little bit to finish up his tattoo, and he beams when he sees it in the mirror. “It’s perfect. It looks so real. Jordan is gonna freak,” he says as he checks it out.
I dress the fresh wound and lead him up to the register. “You want to get a beer sometime?” I ask after he pays. “I don’t have any friends here yet and wouldn’t mind a little guy time.”
“Yeah. That sounds good. Maybe after the holidays?” he suggests.
“Perfect. I’ll text you.”
We fist bump, and he heads out the door. I have one more appointment today, and then I’ll be off for the next two days. I take a moment to look around the shop and can’t help but be proud of myself. I should have opened my own shop years ago, but was content to booth rent. Now that I have my own space, I feel like I’ve truly made it.
It’s also a huge “fuck you” to my parents, who once told me my dreams of drawing were stupid and I would never make a career out of art. So that, in and of itself, makes me proud.
Chapter 7
Penny
The coffee shop was busier than ever today, and I know it’s going to be the same tomorrow because of all the last-minute Christmas shopping.
I’m beat but motherhood doesn’t stop.
“All I want for Christmas is youuuuu!” Autumn sings at the top of her lungs.
We’re elbows deep in making Christmas cookies and have the music turned up to a ten on the volume scale. Autumn is singing while putting red and green sprinkles allover the frosting-covered sweet treats, and for every sprinkle that lands on the cookies, she puts a pinch in her mouth.
I pull out our third batch of snowman sugar cookies and set them on the stovetop to cool down.
“Can we bring Dec some cookies, mommy?”
I’m in the middle of rolling balls of chocolate chip cookies and falter at her question.
“Please, mommy,” she repeats, giving me her signature puppy dog eyes.
