Page 19 of Eight Steps to Alpha

With each word she spoke, she got a little more relaxed, and eventually she melted back in her seat. “I don’t know what possessed me, if it was boredom, or something else, but I put on my hand-me-down alligator rain boots, a bright yellow poncho, and went outside. I heard my dad’s voice in the back of my head, but somehow, I convinced myself it was more a rule for my brothers than it was for me, since they were always the ones getting in trouble, and Dad always called me his little angel. Well, when I got out there, it was still sprinkling, but it felt so good against my skin having not been outside in a week. Plus, I always loved the smell of rain. I loved the taste of it, too, and stuck out my tongue to try and catch some rain drops on the tip, and that’s when I saw the toad hop right on by again.

“He was huge. Like the size of both of my fists pushed together. I followed after him, stalking him as quietly as I could, and when he stopped hopping, I pounced! The ground was incredibly slippery, and when I pushed off the ground with my feet, they slipped out from under me, and I face planted in the middle of the pile of mud. The toad hopped away, and to this day, I could swear I heard him taunting me.”

Elliot laughed, but urged her to continue. “Go on.”

“Well, I’ve always had a little bit of a temper…”

“You don’t say…”

“So, when the toad hopped away smiling, I decided to set a trap. I went back in the house, tracking mud and rainwater with me, and came out with my brother’s yellow Tonka truck, green army men, and a sling shot.”

“Oh no!” Elliot laughed.

“Oh yes,” she said grinning. “Eventually, my brothers came home from school and found me covered in mud with all their toys in the back yard. At first, they were mad, but when I explained to them about the toad, they all agreed to help me catch it.”

“And did they?”

“No.” She laughed. “My dad came home, and I swear his face was so red, I thought he was going to kill us. But he didn’t get mad at me.” She cringed. “He got mad at my brothers.”

“No,” Elliot said, appalled.

“Yes,” she said, opening her eyes for the first time since beginning the story. “You see, all the mud I tracked through the house led straight into their rooms. All the toys were theirs, and by the time he came home, I had already given up and taken a bath.”

Elliot shook his head in disbelief, “And you threw them under the bus, didn’t you?”

“No.” Her eyes widened. “I tried to confess, but my brothers wouldn’t let me. Every time I opened my mouth, they interrupted. I talked to them about it years later, and they said it was because if it wasn’t for me, they would’ve never had that epic mud fight in the backyard. That it was worth all the extra chores my Dad made them do to make up for it.” She lifted one shoulder. “I knew it was because they didn’t want me to get in trouble. They’ve always been protective of me. I guess it sorta makes up for all the guys they chased away in high school.”

Tattoo guy popped up his head and rolled back in his seat. “Done.”

They both looked down to Fe’s hipbone where the small red heart sat no larger than a dime.

“You did it,” Elliot said, with an overwhelming sense of pride. As though they’d had a child together…as though...

The corner of her mouth lifted for the first time, and she eased her fingers away from his, gingerly touching the tender flesh at her side. “Thank you.” She turned her face up to Elliot. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

He shook his head, pushing away all the intimate things that had overcome him in that moment. “You had it the whole time.”

She bit her bottom lip, lowered her t-shirt back over her hip without zipping her jeans, and rose to her feet. She wobbled slightly at first, but tattoo guy handed her a bottle of apple juice and indicated she should sit back down.

He turned to Elliot “Ready, bro?”

Fe shook her head violently, swallowing a gulp of apple juice. “No Elliot, seriously.”

He hopped in the tattoo chair, and pulled off his t-shirt, ignoring her request. “A promise is a promise. You got yours. Now I’m gonna get mine.”

Her lips turned in a frown, and she leaned forward to grab his arm. “Elliot, I’ve wanted one for years. You—.”

“Who said I didn’t want one?”

“You did,” she said blinking.

“Well, I guess I was wrong.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he covered her lips with one finger. “Distract me, Fe. Tell me another story.”

She pulled in a breath, making him regret the simple touch, but then her cheeks softened, and a smile began to slowly transform her whole face. Truthfully, he hadn’t wanted a tattoo until an hour ago. When Fe had stood in that barber shop and made him realize that if he didn’t do this with her, he would regret it his entire life.

Fe took hold of his hand then, and the tattoo artist placed the outline of the design onto Elliot shoulder. She took a deep breath, then another, looking as though his very existence gave her strength, and began telling a story.

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