by Cat Mann
****
A few days after No. 7 was defeated, August had come over and surprised me.
“Come on, I have something for you; let’s go,” he said as he walked in through the back door.
“I can’t leave, August; I have Max.”
“No, you don’t. Ari will watch him, so hurry the hell up or I’m leaving without you.”
“What’s this about? Ari’s at work.”
At that moment, Ari came in through the garage door and smiled at me.
“You better get a move on it, Ava; August is serious – he’s gonna leave without you.”
August yanked me by the arm through the door Ari just came from and out into my car. I didn’t even get to question why Ari was home early or kiss him hello or goodbye. August shoved me in the passenger side seat and drove my car towards L.A.
He pulled up to the best tattoo place in the city and handed me a gift certificate. I gawked at him in surprise.
“What’s this for?”
“It’s for you. You’re my best friend, Ava. I love you. I am so proud of everything you have done and all that you have become. You are a hero and a mom and I think you are an astounding person. I knew that you’d never get your wrist finished if I didn’t drag you down here and I think you owe it to yourself. You finished the job, did something no one else was capable of and I think your tattoos need to reflect that.”
I sniffled.
“Don’t freaking cry on me, Avie; let’s do this.”
Thanks to August, I finished my wrist. I officially had six black two-inch tally marks and one fleshy, pink, slightly longer, jagged one. The assembled tattoos were awesome and the seventh one hurt like hell. I was too happy in life for the pain to be therapeutic.