Page 27 of My Shining Stepbrother

“I am. I called this morning and scheduled a visit for Thursday.” She smiles with a proud look in her eyes.

“I am proud of you, mom. This is a huge step to the next part of our lives.” I Hug her tight before leading her down the small hallway to my booth. I let her inside and closed the door behind us.

She takes a seat, and I follow suit sitting in front of her. “What are you wanting and where?”

“I want a small rose on my shoulder.” She says as she looks down at her hands, twisting her fingers nervously.

“Are you sure about this, mom?” I ask hesitantly

“Yes, this is a small way of showing my acceptance of your life. I am proud of you, sweetheart, and I want you to see that.” She looks up with a hopeful gaze.

I stand from my seat and gather up everything I need. I let her look through my redrawn Rose tattoos until she finds one she loves. I prep her skin and lay the stencil flat against her shoulder.

Halfway through her tattoo, she breaks the silence. “So you and Reese? Is there anything there?”

“Mom…” I start to get an uneasy feeling. Just yesterday, she was against the entire thought of us, and now she wants to know more.

“I want to be in your life no matter what it is, Rose,” a sad look fills her eyes.

I take a deep breath and try to relax my body. “I think it can become something more serious. The more we learn, the more we like one another. He calls me his Goddess and I wish I could see why.” She smiles the most genuine smile I've ever seen from her as she listens.

“I'm happy for you, sweetheart. You are a fantastic woman, and I'm glad he sees that.” She turns her head to the side, looking into my eyes. “I've been a terrible mother, Rose. I'm sorry I have said the things I have in your life. I never wanted to make you feel worthless or unloved. I hope one day you can forgive me.”

I finish her tattoo holding my tears back until I am finished. I set down my machine, and as she sits up, I take her hands in mine. “I forgave you a long time ago, mom. Although you were hurting, it doesn’t excuse your actions. I still forgave you.” A tear falls from my eye and slides down my cheek. “Reese only helped me to see I never deserved it. I deserved to be treated better, and I had to push you away for you to see it.”

“When will you be coming home?” She wipes away the fallen tears as she asks.

“That is going to take time. I am safe right now, and that is what matters.” I grab her hands, holding them tight.

“I can give you time, honey. I just want you to feel safe and cherished.” She hugs me before standing up and looking in the mirror. Tears fall from her face as she looks at the tattoo. I added a little extra to it just to show her this was also something significant to me.

“I love it, honey.” She says while she smiles. “I have to get back to work, but just know I love you more than life. I can’t wait to show this to everyone.”

“I love you too, mom.” I tell her as she gives me a hug and turns to leave.

I clean up the mess around me and put my things away for the day. I look down at my books and remember I have one more client. No name is written, but I don’t have time to think about it before a knock at my door. I turn around, and my smile grows wide.

“Shouldn’t you get the consultation before I give you my best work?” I say teasingly.

“Who says I get more amazing work from you?” He steps in, closing the door behind him. “Come here, beautiful.” I walk into his arms for a tight, warm, affectionate hug.

“How was your day?” he asks with curiosity.

I tell him about Hector coming by for a consultation and learning more about him. I also told him about my mom and the tattoo she got. He looked away when I told him about Hector talking to me. It was like there was a secret between them. When I told him about my mom, though, he lit up. Just talking to him about everything today is what I needed, and I didn’t even know.

The conversation changes to what he is looking for in the new tattoo. He again wants me to surprise him, but this time with planning. He wants me to design a raw piece that shows what I see when I think of him. It's a little weird, but he is pushing me out of my comfort zone, and I like it. He also doesn’t want to see it until the day I give him the tattoo, which is a bit nerve-wracking.

I already have his tattoo swirling around in my mind. Would he like it? Would it be too much? We will find out when we get there, but I know it's the only piece I could create to reflect the moment he wants.

Chapter 13

- Rose -

It’s been one week with Reese, and it's been the best of my life. He makes sure to see me every day at the shop and comes by the club every night I am working. He started driving me to and from work at night, due to him worrying for my safety that late.

Today he is meeting me at the shop to get his new tattoo. I drew what he asked me to, but without him seeing it until now, I have no idea if he will like it. The thought of him hating it is terrifying.

The bell on the front door rings, and I look up to see him. He doesn’t waste a single second pulling me into his arms before ravishing my lips with his. We pull apart breathless, staring into one another's eyes.

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