Chapter 15
Beth
Today’s my little sister’s twenty-first birthday.
Kailey has always wanted to get a tattoo, one that she wouldn’t regret having on her body later in life.
For my present this year, I wanted to give her that, to make her birthday extra special.
I’m driving us to Let It Bloom, the tattoo parlor that did our belly button piercings, and I tell her that we’ll be getting matching tattoos today.
“So you’re telling me… That I get to choose the tat and where it will be going on our bodies?
Without any backlash from you?! Sis, you must really trust me.
” Kailey sing-songs the last bit of her statement while she puts the passenger window down.
The weather outside is perfect: the sun is shining, a few clouds are in the sky, and a light breeze carrying the scent of honeysuckle has consumed the air.
“Actually, lil sis, I really do trust you. So, yeah, whatever and wherever you tell me, it’s going to go.
” One hand is on the steering wheel, while my other hand starts pushing buttons on my Mustang’s stereo, skimming through songs, trying to find our next one to jam out to.
“Genie In a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera comes on.
“Hey, leave it!” Kailey swats my hand away from the stereo. She starts singing along to the tune, her hand doing the wave motion outside the rolled-down passenger window. I love her so much.
The radiant smile currently plastered to her face causes me to have memory flashbacks.
I was five years old and had just started learning how to read, so while Mama was pregnant with Kailey, I’d sit next to her on the couch and read to her belly, making up the words I didn’t know.
When a nine-pound, eleven-ounce baby was carried into our living room, swaddled in a light purple blanket, Dad introduced us for the first time.
My new little sister. I kissed those chubby cheeks of hers that night, promising I’d always be the best big sis in the whole world.
“What are you smiling about over there?” Kailey questions me as her elbow knocks into mine on the arm rest between us.
“Oh, nothing really, just remembering how chubby those cheekies used to be!” I give the cheek closest to me a playful squeeze.
“Stop it.” Kailey laughs while pulling my hand away from her slightly reddened cheek.
“I mean, at least you kept those beautiful dimples of yours…”
Her eyes light up. “Think I should add a dimple piercing to today’s agenda?”
“No way, you are too beautiful for this.” I lightly tap my diamond-pierced right dimple.
Kailey’s voice is soft, drizzled in concern. “You’ve always been just as beautiful, Beth. Before that piercing and after it.” She grabs my hand, placing a kiss to the top of it, lightly squeezing it before letting go.
“Buttons” by The Pussycat Dolls is playing through my stereo, inadvertently ending that conversation. The tone was starting to get a little too serious for this outing.
Even though I’m the big sister, the older one, Kailey is who I personally look up to.
She’s a workaholic, smart, beautiful inside and out, and people have always flocked to her.
When that fucker Brandon cheated on her, I wanted to cut his brake lines while he was sleeping.
With tears streaming down her face, Kailey was the one to talk me out of it.
We spent that next week being inseparable.
I called out from work. Every night, we would drive to vacant haunted houses in our town or surrounding towns.
During the daytime hours, we spent our time giving one another facials or pedicures.
All of this while listening to “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce on a constant loop.
After putting the car into park, I look over at Kailey, and her excitement is palpable. “Are you ready for the best birthday present ever?!”
“Hell yes!!!” Her door flies open, and once her feet hit the pavement, she runs towards the entrance of Let It Bloom.
Once I step out of the car, I notice an older gentleman sitting on the sidewalk, holding up a sign.
Turning my head more to get a better look, I quietly read the sign out loud, “Homeless vet, need money for food please.” My heart sinks.
Poor guy. I slowly pull out my wallet from my purse while walking toward where he’s sitting.
Grabbing two twenties, I hand him both, telling him to get some hot food in his belly.
He whispers, “Thank you so much, lady, God bless you.”
I’m running to catch up with Kailey, and I barely catch up to her in time as she pushes in the door to the small tattoo shop.
A dainty chime sounds as we both walk in.
Randy, the owner, walks toward us, and gives me a tight bear hug.
He’s about the same height as me, has the whitest smile I’ve ever seen, and the most beautiful rich mahogany skin.
Instantly, our noses are hit with the scent of cherry incense.
The floor is shiny, with black and white checkered squares, surrounded by black walls covered with random strings of lights, and pieces of art designed by their tattoo artists.
There are multiple stations set up for tattooing or piercing.
A tattoo gun to our right is currently buzzing, and the lady receiving the tattoo is grimacing while squeezing the table’s edge.
“Long time no see, beautiful!”
“Yeah, Randy, I guess it has been a minute. Today’s my little sister’s birthday. She’s officially twenty-one and picking us out matching tats.”
“Oh, is that right? Happy Birthday! Jordan will hook y’all up. I’m on my way out.” Before he leaves, Randy turns around, yelling to another guy in the back, who I assume is Jordan. “Give them the friends’ discount!” Then, he’s gone.
A long-haired burly man is walking toward us. “Jordan, I presume?” My hand is held out to shake his.
Grabbing my hand in his softly, he uses his other thumb and points to his chest. “Yep, that’s me. What are you ladies wanting done today?”
“Kailey?” I turn around, noticing she’s already browsing books on a table to my left.
“Can we have a few minutes to look in these books for some ideas, please?” Looking at her in more depth, I realize she’s already halfway through one.
“Sure thing. I’ll start setting my stuff up. Whoever’s going first, just plop down in my chair when you’re ready.”
Kailey is holding a book while walking toward me.
“Beth, what do you think about sunflower tattoos?”
Smiling at her, I grab her shoulders. “I mean, I do notice you wear a lot of stuff that has sunflowers on it…”
“Sunflowers represent happiness and joy along with loyalty, adoration, and love. All these descriptions come to mind when I think about us together.” The book is open to the end, her finger pointing to a beautiful, unique sunflower.
“Ohhh, I like it! Where are you wanting them to go?”
Looking in the tall stand-up mirror next to us, Kailey slides her hair over to her left shoulder, showcasing the right side of her neck.
“Why don’t we be unique and get them behind our ears?
I could do the right side, and you could do the left.
So when we stand side by side, the sunflowers are facing each other, always and forever. ”
I faintly touch behind my left ear, trailing my finger down my neck. “Well, I’m not going to lie, I’ve heard this specific area on the body is pretty painful to get artwork.”
Turning around, she takes the book, and as she walks toward Jordan, she yells over her shoulder, “Good thing you’re going first!”
After twenty minutes, Jordan has both tattoos sketched up and put on the thermographic transfer paper.
Since I’m first, I do as he said and plop my body down into his chair, letting him know it’s time to get started.
I roll my body to lay on my right side, so the left side of my neck is on display for him.
Once the tattoo gun presses down against my neck, my hand instantly grabs the arm rest tightly. “Shit, this stings, Kailey.”
Her reply is quick, never missing a beat. “Oh, stop being a baby. You’re the big sister. You have to act like it doesn’t hurt so I’ll still want to get it done next.” She’s laughing so hard that tears fill her eyes.
I squeeze her palm into mine. She squeezes back instantly. “Yeah, yeah, happy birthday, little sister. Who knew the neck was so fucking sensitive?!”
“Mmm… I bet Joey will kiss it and make it all better for you later.”
“I do love my neck being kissed...” I can’t hide the heat that takes over my face. Anytime I think about this thing between Joey and me, it brings the blush out of me. He has become one of my favorite guys to hang out with. We just get each other.
“It’s definitely a sensitive spot for me. I love when Jared nips my neck or gives it a long lick.” From where I’m lying, I’m barely able to notice a red tint coating her cheeks now.
“Why are you looking at me like that?!” Kailey asks me.
“I’m just so happy for you, Kailey.” I hope she can hear the sincerity in my voice. “I mean it. Jared is good for you, and you deserve the best of everything life has to offer.”
Now that my tattoo is finished, Kailey’s up next.
I can tell she’s putting up a front of being a tough girl, but her hazel eyes give away that she’s scared as they linger on the empty chair.
Before Jordan places the transfer paper on her neck, he instructs her to lay on her left side.
Kailey hears the buzz of the tattoo gun starting up, and her right hand shoots out.
She waves her small hand up and down. “Well, come on, Beth, get your ass over here and hold my hand.” I bite back my laughter and grab her hand into mine.
Kailey’s eyes snap shut, and her hand squeezes mine, hard, once the ink tip starts going behind her ear.
Biting her lip, she grunts, “Holy shit, you weren’t kidding about the pain.”
I rub her shoulder in soothing patterns, back and forth, and clutch her hand. I lean down and whisper into her ear. “It’ll be worth it. Matching tattoos, baby!!!” I seal my statement with a kiss to her cheek.
After all is said and done, we walk out of Let It Bloom after an hour and a half.
Walking toward my Mustang, I see that same gentleman from earlier, the one who I gave forty bucks to; he’s carrying a bag of fast food to a bench with a new blanket over his shoulder.
I’m happy knowing he’ll be warm and have a belly full, at least for tonight.
Our parents always taught us to give kindness if you want to receive kindness; what goes around comes around.
Holding Kailey’s hand in mine, our necks sore and shiny from the Tegaderm covering, I realize this is the happiest I’ve felt in a very long time.
Kailey’s shriek pierces through the air, and she stops me by grabbing my elbow, “Ohmygod, Beth, I can’t keep it in any longer… I have to tell you about what happened with Jared at the rural fire station!”