The longer lasting days, and the sudden humidity in the mornings was the first indication of summer approaching. Summer meant more sweating, which also meant more skin showing. You were fine with exposing your cold shoulder. But you had forgotten over time about the permanent labeling all over your arm.

You wore a tank top that day. Exposing your fully tatted-up arm. It wasn’t a hideous tattoo of an old lovers face, it was just flowers. And a few birds. It was really well done. But it covered your whole left arm. Not so unnoticeable.

And before you could tell Ellie about it, she already had started asking questions. “Did it hurt? How long did it take? Does it have meaning?”