When we walked out of that gym, I’d never felt better.
***
By the time we walked out of the tattoo parlor, I was flying high. I ended up getting angel wings on my right shoulder in honor of our little girl. I couldn’t wait to show Jeff. The belly-button piercing was perfect. I looked over at Ellie and let out a giggle. She still looked like she was about to throw up.
She asked, “What the fuck did we just do?”
Ellie ended up getting a phoenix tattoo on the right side of her back, and I was damn happy she did. If anyone had been reborn, it was this girl.
Now, the nose piercing, yeah, I’m pretty sure that I was not going to Ells live that one down. I’d never heard Ellie say fuck so many times or use the names she’d called the poor guy who had pierced her nose. I let out another giggle.
“What the hell do you find so funny, Ari? You barely flinched when he pierced your stomach. I thought I was going to die when he put that damn needle through my nose. My nose, Ari. I just pierced my nose and got a tattoo on my back. Gunner is going to freak. ”
“No, he’s not. Shit, he has two tattoos himself. He’s gonna think it’s sexy as hell, and you know it. ”
Ellie shook her head as she got into her car. “I sure as hell hope this thing doesn’t get infected. ” Ellie looked in the rearview mirror. “Oh. My. God. ”
When she looked back at me with her smile, I grinned right back at her because I knew what was coming.
“It looks so damn cute!” she said.
I laughed and agreed. “Let’s head home. I want to get me some Jeff. ”
“Oh god, Ari. Come on, I don’t need that visual. He’s my brother for shit’s sake. ”
***
The drive back to Mason was filled with laughter and tears.
Ellie was starting to get down because she hadn’t gotten pregnant yet, and she was getting worried.
“What if I can’t have kids, Ari? What if I’m never meant to be a mother? I know how much Gunner wants kids. What if. ”
“Just stop. First off, you have plenty of time to have a baby, and you will have a baby, Ells. Maybe you’re just so worried about trying that you’re too stressed to get pregnant. You know, my mom and dad didn’t think they were ever going to have kids. They ended up going on vacation, and nine months later, I made my grand entrance in the world. ”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve already talked to Gunner about maybe not trying so hard for now. I mean, if it’s meant to happen, it will happen. Right?”
“Right!”
“Ari, are you really okay, sweets?”
I looked out the window and felt the tears building for the first time since this morning. Taking a deep breath in, I thought about Jeff with his arms wrapped around me so tightly, his whispers of love in my ear, and the way he just made me feel so safe.
I smiled and turned back to Ellie.
“Yeah, I’m really okay, Ells. For once, I truly feel like Jeff and I are finally on the road we are meant to travel on. I don’t think you can get to where you’re truly meant to go until you travel that one road…the one that’s filled with sharp turns, steep hills, and nothing but pot-holes that you have to try and get around. After you make it off that road, you find the one that is straight, smooth, and filled with nothing but happiness. ”
Ellie pulled over on the side of the road and stared at me.
“What’s wrong? Why the hell did you pull over?”
She reached over and put the back of her hand on my forehead. I just looked at her.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“I’m just making sure you’re not getting a fever or something from that piercing and tattoo. Holy hell, that was some serious shit. ”
I let out a laugh and pushed away her hand.