Page 9 of Then You Came Along

“Oh wow!”

“Yeah, I had to have surgery and now have a metal plate in my back. My doctors highly advised that I not return to hockey, as the wrong hit could cause more damage. I was devastated, to say the least, and very angry about that, at first. I felt like my entire life had been ripped from my hands, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.”

“That would be hard to handle.”

“It took me awhile to not be mad at the world. But with time, lots of PT, and therapy, I’ve moved on, and realized my doctors that wouldn’t sign off on me returning to the game, were just looking out for me.”

We continue small talk as I finish up. I set my gun down, grabbing a clean cloth to wipe down her fresh ink. I grab the mirror and hold it up so that she can see the reflection.

I watch Cam’s face, the emotions as she sees the tattoo on her skin for the first time. Tears fill her eyes and before I know what I’m doing, I’ve set the mirror down and pulled her into my arms. I guide Cam’s head onto my chest and run a hand over her hair, whispering softly in her ear. “Shhh, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

I hold her as she lets her tears fall. Cam’s fisting my shirt as her tears soak into the fabric. A few minutes later, she takes some calming breaths and the tears dry up.

“I’m so sorry about that. The emotions just overtook me.”

“Nothing to apologize for, I’ve got you,” I tell her, before fully releasing her from my arms. “Would you like me to take a picture of it before I wrap it up for the night?”

“Yes, please, if you don’t mind. I promised Holly that I’d send her a picture of it once it was done.”

Cam hands me her phone and I snap the pictures for her, then I cover her tattoo and pull out the aftercare instruction sheet to give her. “You’ll want to leave this covered for about four to six hours. After that, keep it uncovered. When you wash, do so gently, and pat it dry. You’ll need to apply a thin layer of salve to it daily, until it fully heals. Do your best not to scratch at it, as that can cause scarring on it.”

“Thanks, Ethan. It’s perfect,” she tells me again, slipping her shirt over her head.

I finish cleaning up my station, before turning back to Cam.

“$250, correct?” she asks, reaching into her purse and pulling out her wallet.

“Yes,” I reply, and she hands me the cash.

“Thank you again, Ethan. It turned out so much better than I could have ever dreamed of.”

“Anytime. Now that your tattoo is finished, have any fun plans for the rest of the evening?”

“If you consider a marathon on TV and a pint of ice cream as fun plans, then yes,” she says, laughing.

“Care to go grab a drink with me somewhere?”

She ponders my invite for a few moments before answering. “Sure, I’d love to.”

“Let me just close up, and we can head out.”

“Anything I can help you do?”

“Nope, I just need to turn out all the lights and lock up. I’ll take out my trash when we leave, as we’ll need to go out the back door, so I can set the shop’s alarm system.”

I head out to the reception area and lock up the front, turning off all the lights before heading back to my area. I grab my stuff and escort Cam to the back door. After setting the alarm, I lock up the shop and quickly stop at the dumpster to drop the bag of trash off before we head toward the bars.

Almost as an afterthought, I reach for Cam’s hand, which she gives to me freely, and I link our fingers together. “What kind of place are you in the mood for tonight?”

“I’m up for anything, really. I haven’t been to many of the places down here yet.”

“Let’s head to The Tap House. It’s a little more laidback there, compared to the other places down in this area.”

“Sounds good to me. Lead the way,” she says, smiling.

We walk, hand in hand, down the busy sidewalk. This area of town seems to always be bustling with people most nights each week. It’s a Thursday night, around 9:15, and it could rival some places on a Friday or Saturday night. Walking with Cam like this just feels right. She fits nicely at my side, and I want to get to know everything there is to know about her.

We walk into the bar, and I scope out a small booth along the back wall. We head to it, and Cam takes a seat. “Can I get you something from the bar?” I ask.

---