“So … is it okay?”

When I gaze up at the man I love, he’s leaning away from me, hand scratching the back of his neck.

How could he doubt, even for a moment, that I would be in awe of his talent?

“There is nothing more perfect in the world than this picture. I love it almost as much as I love you.” I’m tickled to observe a slight reddening of his cheeks as he smiles at me.

I want to run my fingers over the tattoo, but I know I’ll just hurt myself if I do. So, instead, I stare down at the picture, taking in every detail. In the delicate work, I see Ben’s love for me.

He’s inspecting me when I raise my head. Making sure not to jostle my arm, I slide off the chair and settle myself in his lap.

“I love you, Ben Gerhard.”

When he opens his mouth to respond, I cut him off with a kiss. I don’t need to hear him say the words when I have them displayed on my wrist.

BEN

Holly peels back the gauze I loosely taped over her wrist earlier. Marcus swore, she was playing a joke on him when she called to tell him about the tattoo. He showed up at the shop just a minute ago, demanding proof.

“Isn’t it the most precious thing you’ve ever seen?”

“The perspective and structure are all formatted correctly. But that’s not how smoke works.”

His analytical review of my piece makes me laugh, but Holly shoves her brother’s shoulder, scowling at him.

“Of course not, you dummy. Ben knows that! It’s a heart because we love each other.”

“Yeah. I got that. I still can’t believe you willingly had a needle touch you.”

We talked about that exact concern back when Holly brought up the idea of purchasing a shop together. She had a fantastic business plan laid out that addressed all the logistics; she’d even talked to two other artists about joining the team. But none of that addressed how a girl who was terrified of needles would be able to work around them all day.

When I brought it up, she explained that her mind didn’t see medical needles and tattoo needles in the same way. Holly even picked up my tattoo gun, easily holding it in her palm, to demonstrate the lack of a panicked reaction in her body. Once I was sure of how calm and at ease she was, I stopped doubting. After two years as an apprentice and two more working in other people’s shops, I was ready to create my own space with Holly.

Combining the rest of Grandpa Ben’s money with a small business loan, we bought this place. Holly adores the red brick walls, and I’m a fan of the giant storefront window that lets in plenty of natural light. Pops was a huge help with refurbishing the place. Two months in, and business has been steady.