Page 43 of Ash
“Sorry,” I grumble as I toss the pencil on the station and sit forward, resting my head in my hands. “Has Janie or Ren said anything yet?” I ask for probably the hundredth time in the last two hours. Sunday is having her surgery today, and no one is keeping me in the loop. Because according to my sister:
“You didn’t want to be her boyfriend, so you don’t get to ask boyfriend things.”
Knowing how her surgery is progressing is not a boyfriend thing, it’s completely platonic and neighborly. At least, that is what I’ve decided to believe.
“I told you,” Fox groans while looking up from placing a stencil on Mari’s bicep. “Janie will call once they are done and once she gets her home.”
Mari decides to chime in. “If you have such a hard on for her, why not be in the waiting room?” I roll my eyes at the woman. Mari is Neil’s daughter. She was unable to make it to the wedding due to her job as a fucking superhero, seriously. Mari is part of Doctors Without Borders and has spent the last two years in Guinea-Bissau working in both women’s health and pediatrics. There are not many humans alive that would willingly leave and go into what looks like a literal nightmare and then stay there. But she did. She got back a couple days ago and came here to give me a hard time and to talk with Fox about a tattoo she wants.
“I don’t have a hard on for her,” I say defensively while standing up to look over the floral stencil on her dark arm. “What are these flowers again?”
“This one is the Vernonia Djalonensis,” she states simply. “It’s the national flower of Guinea and will be purple. And this one is a Violet, for yours truly.” She smiles brightly and I roll my eyes. “And this little tufted guy is the Izote, the national flower of El Salvador. My plan is to get a tattoo for each country I visit.”
“When are you headed out again?” Atlas asks as he wheels over to us.
“Three days,” she breathes out. “I leave here to head up to see my dad and Celeste after this and then they are taking me to the airport. Can one of you boys be useful and help a girl out? My braids are flopping into my face.”
Fox stands up. “There’s a hair tie in my front pants pocket.” Atlas, Derek, and I look at each other. “Well, come on!” Fox huffs. “I don’t want to change my gloves.
“Yeah, well, we don’t want to touch your dick,” I state firmly.
“Yeah,” Atlas nods. “We’ve heard the stories.”
Mari rolls her chestnut eyes and reaches into Fox’s pocket retrieving the tie and handing it to Atlas.
“Jesus, you all are children.”
Atlas walks over and looks at the hair tie and then Mari’s long braids. “Hmmm…”
I huff and grab the hair tie, breaking it so I can wrap the band around her braids easier.
“Don’t huff at me,” Atlas says, acting offended. “I would’ve figured– my Princess!” He grins widely as Ren and Wade walk in from the back. Atlas walks over and kisses Ren softly before falling to his knees and kissing her stomach. It warms my heart to see how in love he is with Ren and their unborn child. It’s something I find myself growing more and more envious of.
“How are you both?” he asks while standing.
“Nauseous, I don’t recommend kissing me again after I go to the bathroom. Janie called.” My head snaps to Ren as she speaks. “Everything went fine, I’m going to... Ugh... I’m going to vomit like seven times and then I’m taking Wade to go get… Oh God!” Ren runs towards the bathroom while gagging.
“I feel so bad,” Atlas sighs after his wife. “I wish I could vomit for her.”
Derek furrows his brows. “I guess that’s romantic, in the most disgusting way possible.”
“At, I can take Wade and pick up Sunday,” I say, earning anuh huhlookfrom Mari.
Atlas looks from me to the bathroom and shrugs. “Yeah okay, sometimes Ren gets on a roll puking, and it just doesn’t stop.”
“Lemons,” Mari says while watching Fox tattoo a line. “And peppermint tea. We give it out a lot for pregnant women, it won’t cure it, but it helps.”
“Come on, Wade,” I say while motioning for him to follow me.
* * *
“Absolutely not,”Janie states firmly, her short body blocking the door to Sunday’s room. “I will drive her and Wade home myself.” I deflate as I clasp my hands together.
“Please? Please? Please? Janie, I will be the perfect gentleman.”
“Please, Janie,” Wade says, having my back. “He was a paramedic, and he’s strong, I would feel better if he helped get her home.” Janie narrows her blue eyes at Wade before looking at me and poking my chest.
“Try something, and I’ll burn your kingdom to the ground, Johnson.” I was unaware that I had a kingdom, but nevertheless, I fear her burning it.
