Page 159 of That First Flight

“This is not funny. Are you okay? What happened?”

I take a step back and slowly unwrap the tape from the top right corner. It pulls some of my baby chest hairs and I hiss until it’s completely off of me, exposing the art work I spent all day getting done.

It was only supposed to take an hour, but I learned that needles are not my friend. I sat in the chair for almost three hours.

Her hands cover her mouth, and she just stares.

Her eyes bore a hole into me and my body heats up.

I don’t even know what she’s thinking right now.

“You got a tattoo.” She sucks in a sharp breath. “But it’s not an olive tree.”

This girl remembers everything.

I shake my head. “It’s not but this means more to me than an olive tree. Looking back, there's no better first tattoo for me than this. Honestly, it might be my last too because I’m quite the little bitch with needles,” I joke.

“It’s…” Macey’s fingertips reach up to my chest. A feather like touch skims across the raised outline. “Stunning. What does it mean?”

“The cherry blossom is for you.” The minute the words leave my lips, her eyes snap up to meet mine. Her cheeks flame and her eyes start to glisten with emotion. “I had Mackenzie draw me her favorite flower on a piece of paper. The artist was able to take her exact drawing and put it with the cherry blossom, intertwining them together as one. The compass faded into the background is for me. A reminder that all of my travels have led me home where I belong.”

“You got a tattoo for us?”

I reach my hand behind her, cupping the back of her neck with my palm as I bring my other hand up to brush away the tear with the back of my knuckle that escapes from her eye. “I did.”

“But why?”

“Don’t you see? You’re everything to me. I don’t care if this seems too fast to ink you on my body for the rest of my life. I never want to let you go.”

“You want to keep me? You want to keep us?”

“I do.”

And I mean it with everything in me.

The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I have plans for the first time I tell her because I need it to be the most special moment of her life.

I know that’s reserved for proposals and shit but Macey is going to be the first woman I’ve ever said those words to, and I swear with everything inside of me, she’s going to be the last too.

If I thought the first few days moving to the city were crazy, then this is complete chaos. The last two weeks have been the wildest ride I’ve ever been on.

Last week, Mackenzie was off for spring break and we were in a constant state of doing things—more sightseeing that we hadn’t been able to do, and we also spent a full day outside the city at Peyton’s house with everyone for an early Easter dinner.

I felt on top of the world being out in the open with Oliver to everyone we loved. I hated hiding it from Mackenzie, but the fact that she loves him as much as I do has made this so easy.

My parents stayed true to their word and left the city after I told them that enough was enough.

Our last conversation was surprisingly civil. Maybe it was because I threatened them with a restraining order so if they came near the two of us, they would end up locked up.

I hated saying that. They’re still my parents at the end of the day, but blood makes you related, it doesn’t make you family.

For my own peace, I had to cut the ties with them.

I hope someday they can understand me, support me and treat me like a human. But until then, I'm going to keep doing what I’ve been doing.

It was the hardest and easiest thing I’ve ever done.

My newfound strength helped me stand up for myself, which was easy, but my heart breaks for Mackenzie because they are her grandparents—her only grandparents, which is what made it so hard.

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