“Tattoo?” he asked, stepping onto the porch. “For the challenge?”

“Yes. It’s the only reason. I’m not really the tattoo type.”

“You’re going to be the type now.” He smiled teasingly. “Once you get one, you can’t stop doing it.”

“I doubt that.”

“Do you know what you’re going to get?”

She smiled “A peace symbol. For my parents.”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

He waited while she locked the front door, then put his hand on the small of her back as they walked to the car. She was aware of the light pressure and the heat from his skin. There was only her thin T-shirt between flesh-on-flesh contact.

It wasn’t awful, she thought, but it wasn’t comfortable. Not in a don’t-touch-me way, but more because no one ever did that. And that entire chain of thought was exactly the reason she needed the challenge, she admitted to herself.

“I forgot to ask Ellen if it’s going to hurt,” she said as he pulled away from the curb.

“It’s going to hurt.”

She glanced at him. “You don’t have to sound so cheerful about it.”

He smiled. “I don’t think the news comes as a shock to you.”

“No, but you could have pretended it would be fine. Do you have any tattoos?”

“No.”

“But everybody’s doing it.”

He glanced at her. “Everybody isn’t and I was never interested. Still, I will be your tattoo wingman for the evening.”

They arrived far more quickly than Unity would have liked. After going inside, she explained what she wanted. The young man at the counter showed her several different peace symbols.

“I didn’t think there would be a choice,” she said, flipping through the pages before picking a simple design. “That one.”

“Where do you want it?” the guy asked.

“By my shoulder blade.”

That question she’d planned for. While waiting for Thaddeus, she’d put on a plain, modest sports bra with a T back, giving the artist plenty of room to work.

She filled out the forms, handed over her credit card, then signed the receipt.

“Give me about ten minutes,” the guy said. “You can have a seat over there, or wait outside. We have a table and chairs right in front.”

“Thank you.” Unity turned to Thaddeus. “Can we wait outside? I’m a little nervous and I’d like to pace.”

He held open the door.

She stepped into the warm afternoon and sucked in a breath. “I feel sick.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “It’s going to be okay, isn’t it?”

He smiled. “You’ll be fine.”

“You don’t actually know that.”

“You didn’t like it when I said it was going to hurt and now you don’t like me saying you’ll do great. I don’t see a win here for me.”

“Sorry. I don’t mean to be difficult. Maybe we should change the subject.” She sank into one of the chairs at the small metal table, then sprang to her feet. “So, you went to see Dagmar. How is she?”