“Yep. But I will say nothing more, because Ryleigh is going to interrupt me, anyway.”
She busted out laughing and was a bit bummed out she couldn’t see his little face.
After some time, Ryleigh had no clue how long; Keenan parked the truck and led her outside. Tommy followed them and kept chattering about how he couldn’t wait to reveal their surprise.
They entered a shop of some kind, because when she’d walked over a threshold, the sound of an antique shopkeeper's bell rang.
“Ah, you’re here!” A warm woman’s voice said.
Keenan still guided Ryleigh, and they weaved left and right before they stepped into another room, since she’d heard a door shut behind them.
“Okay, son. You can lift the mask now.”
“Yes!”
Bright neon lights pained Ryleigh’s eyes, and she blinked vehemently. With teary eyes, she peered through her lashes to take the room in.
“Huh? Mia?”
“Hi, girl. Surprise!”
Ryleigh turned around and noticed Keenan sitting on a dentist chair. Her gaze fluttered over dozens of colorful drawings hanging on the walls. She spotted a folder with pictures of work of art on various bodies.
“Oh! Are we at your work? Are we about to get a tattoo?”
She wasn’t so sure about marking her body permanently. But she also felt bad to decline straight away with Tommy’s excited eyes flittering over her. She searched for any signs in the room that he already had a design for them. She came up empty.
Her cousin wasn’t very helpful when she said, “I’m going to let Keenan tell you. Sorry.”
She noticed Mia standing with her arm around Tommy’s shoulder and blurted, “Is it even legal that Tommy’s here?”
Mia laughed and said, “You’re seriously asking me that? Girl. Keep your eyes on your man. We know what we’re doing. Tommy knows that he’s only allowed in this separate room. He’s not seeing any piercing and other stuff. Rest assured, mama bear.”
Keenan held out his hand for Ryleigh, and when she took it, he directed her closer to him.
“I like the sound of that; mama bear. It’s exactly what you are.”
“Keen…” She urged him not to say anything else on the matter since Tommy stood in the same room.
“Okay, I have something to show you.”
He opened his arm and a plastic wrap covered the spot where the capitalized E used to be. His fingers plucked at the edge and when he had an ear, he pulled the wrap from the tattoo underneath. It didn’t dawn on her what it was until he’d fully unwrapped his arm.
A beautiful portrait of Tommy had covered the E of his mother.
“It’s beautiful, boys.” She sniffed and squeezed Keenan’s hand in thanks. She hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted him to get rid of the permanent reminder of his ex until it had been done.
And to place such a vivid portrait of his smiling son was extra special in her eyes.
“I… I’m speechless.”
“Wait till you see the rest!” Tommy shouted.
She stood glued to the ground, her gaze ping ponged from Tommy to Keenan. What could he have done? A portrait of her?
Keenan used his special dad voice to admonish his son, “Tommy Aiden Mills…”
Ryleigh rolled her eyes and laughed. She leaned in and brought her lips down on Keenan’s. “Thank you, even though you may not have done it for me, I’m still glad you did it. And it’s beautiful.”