“Let’s see if I barf all over this poor guy first.”

“Are you nervous?” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Terrified. I’ve never chosen pain before.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and laid his lips on her knuckles. “It’s different when you choose it.”

“So, I’m not crazy for doing this?” Her eyes, wide and amber, pleaded.

“Not even close.” He nodded to the exposed ink on his forearm where his shirt sleeve was rolled up. “Of course, I might be biased.”

“I like your tattoos,” Gloria confessed.

“And you’re going to like yours, too.”

“Okay, Gloria,” Curtis said stepping into the room. “I’ve got your stencil here. Let’s get started.”

* * *

She held his hand in a tight grip but kept her eyes on the ink going on her skin. A tiny flock of birds in flight.

Simple. Classy. Meaningful.

She didn’t have to tell Aldo what it represented. He knew. Freedom. Soaring. As Curtis worked his way up the sliver of scar, Gloria’s smile got wider. As predicted, the pain was minimal compared to what she’d already endured.

Pride rose up in his chest, swift and fierce.

Aldo couldn’t help it. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She dragged her gaze away from the work and focused on him. “Do you like it?” she asked shyly.

“Do you?” he countered.

She glanced back down at where the needle pressed into her skin. “Yeah. I love it.”

“It’s perfect,” he told her. “I kind of want it.”

Gloria laughed.

“I’ve got time,” Curtis said without lifting his head from the subtle shading he was adding to a bird wing.

“You’re not serious,” Gloria said.

“Would it be weird for you? I’ve got the space…”

“We could do a variation on the design,” Curtis suggested, reloading the tip in the ink cap. “If Gloria’s okay with that.”

She glanced back down at her arm and then up again at him. The connection he felt between them was solid, real.

“As long as he’s not doing something stupid and putting my name on his body,” she decided.

Little did she know how much of her was already indelibly etched into his skin.

48

“I can’t believe we got matching tattoos on our first date,” Gloria marveled, looking out the truck window. He’d gotten two of her birds tattooed on his chest, soaring above an existing piece that said Serenity, Courage, Wisdom.

“Think of how much fun it will be to tell our grandkids that story,” Aldo suggested, reaching across the console and squeezing her hand.