Page 45 of Love You Madly

Callie:

Haha! I like getting tattooed. It’s like therapy for me.

Seven tattoos. I can’t help but smile. There’s something undeniably sexy about a woman with tattoos—like every piece of ink tells a story. And the fact that she’s got one dedicated to her daughter? That hits different. It’s not just a tattoo. It’s part of her, part of who she is.

My mind wanders, picturing the cherry blossom tree flowing along her arm, imagining how it looks, how it feels. God, I really can’t get enough of this girl. It’s like every little thing I learn about her makes me want to know more.

Callie:

So, what year did you graduate high school?

Me:

1999.

Callie:

Wait a second…

You are from Cedar Bluff originally, right? Did you play football?

Me:

I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. Do you even have to ask that? And what happened to no double-up questions? Because you just asked me three in a row.

Callie:

Fair point. Oh my god, you’re not going to believe this…

My mom was the cheerleading coach in Hawkridge back then. When I was a kid, we had a home game against Cedar Bluff and a bunch of the football players stole the cheerleading shirts from the girls’ locker room because that’s the locker room guest teams used!

I sit up, the memory coming back to me. Holy shit. That was us. I type back quickly, laughing.

Me:

No way! That was me and my buddies! We thought it would be hilarious. Was she pissed?

Callie:

Yes! She was irate! The next day, she called the Cedar Bluff superintendent and everything. He swore to her that you guys were going to be in huge trouble, possibly even suspended from the football team.

Me:

Haha! That’s hilarious. Especially because no one ever said anything to us about it. Apparently, that superintendent was full of shit and didn’t want his football players getting in trouble when we were headed for a state championship.

Callie:

Wow, what a small world. I’ll have to tell her I met one of the culprits.

Me:

Is there a statute of limitations in Iowa for stealing cheerleading t-shirts?

This conversation feels like a ride I didn’t even know I’d gotten on, each twist drawing me closer to her, each turn revealing something new. It’s unpredictable, but in the best way—like there’s no telling where we’ll end up, and I’m not ready to let go. Not when every moment with her feels like something I’ve been searching for without even realizing it.

I stretch again, feeling a pleasant ache from laughing so much. I walk over to the window, looking out at the quiet street below, feeling a sense of peace I haven’t felt in a while.

We move on to other topics, and I tell her about my love for fishing and cooking. When she confesses she’s a terrible cook, I can’t resist offering to cook for her someday. It’s a small thing, but it makes the idea of meeting her in person seem all the more real.

---