April's Glow (28 page)

As for her dad, he had moved into an assisted living facility and had easy access to help when he needed it, while still having the freedom to live life on his terms; in other words, to keep drinking.

‘Patience, patience,' said Zac. ‘Almost there.'

April felt unsteady, but Zac's supportive arms helped her. ‘You must look like a real meanie, you know, blindfolding your amputee girlfriend. It's hard enough to walk normally, let alone when I can't see!'

‘Oh stop it, you. You can walk perfectly fine. And look, here we are. Oh wait, you can't.' He laughed, and she nudged him with her elbow.

The temperature cooled when she stepped inside a building of some kind. Or was it a room? There was faint chatter but it stopped when Zac led her to a chair.

‘Okay, you ready?' Zac asked.

‘Yes! Now can I take this thing off?'

Zac kissed her cheek. ‘Here we go.'

She squinted as light rushed into her eyes. Then as she blinked and took in her surroundings, she covered her mouth with a gasp. There was art on the walls, and chairs, and a table, and equipment. Tattoo equipment. ‘Oh my God!' she cried, looking around.

‘Welcome to Inkling!' a heavily inked man said, a smiling woman with a single rose tattoo on her arm beside him.

‘You're getting me a tattoo?' she asked Zac. ‘I'm getting a tattoo?' She didn't know whether to be scared or excited. She knew what it felt like, but was she ready for another?

‘I thought today was as good a day as any,' said Zac. ‘You've been saying for a while how you want to get a new one.'

‘Yes. Yes I have! And I do!' Her head was spinning. ‘But I haven't decided what to get yet, um, oh gosh, what should I get?'

‘I took the liberty of coming up with some options,' Zac said, showing her some pictures. ‘Or, you can choose something completely different. Whatever you like.'

April's mind ran through the possibilities. She didn't want another one like the one she'd lost on her leg. It had to be something different. Something to acknowledge this new life she was living, show how she'd grown and matured and met the love of her life. She clasped her hands together. ‘I want skin poetry!' she said.

Zac grinned. ‘Really? You sure?'

‘Yes. I'm sure. Poetry, or a saying, or words of some kind.' It would be a great tribute to him and the words that made him who he was. ‘On my back!' She pointed behind with her thumb.

‘Rightio then,' said the man. ‘When you're ready, let me know what words you want and I'll show you some fonts.'

April tapped her chin. She thought about how her life had taken such an unexpected turn. Twice. When she'd lost her leg and Kyle, and then when she'd gained Zac. Life was unpredictable, but somehow, it always led her in the right direction. She wanted to honour that beautiful unpredictability, by doing something completely crazy. ‘I want you to choose,' she said to Zac. ‘You choose my tattoo.'

His eyes widened and his mouth opened. ‘You want
me
to choose something for you?'

‘Yes,' she said, taking hold of his hand. ‘I trust you,' she whispered. ‘You're the word expert, pick something meaningful for me.'

He asked if she was absolutely sure about a hundred times and then raised his hands with a smile and said, ‘okay then'.

Zac disappeared behind a curtain to chat with the tattoo artist, while April covered her ears and sang ‘la-la-la'.

He emerged with a big grin. ‘One surprise tattoo coming right up!'

April took off her top and kept her bra and cami on, then got comfortable on a forward facing chair so the tattoo artist could prepare her upper back. Zac sat next to her and held her hand.

The sound of the needle brought back memories of her first tattoo, and then, the scratching and slightly burning sensation.

‘Doing okay?' Zac asked.

‘It's nothing,' she said, then faked a huge grimace.

Zac laughed and got out his phone. He took a few photos as the artist worked.

They chatted about random things, and before she knew it, the guy said he was all done.

‘It looks so good,' said Zac.

‘Show me, show me!' April said, trying to turn her head over her shoulder.

‘One sec.' He snapped a couple of photos, one up close, and sat next to April again. ‘You ready?'

She bit her lip and nodded. ‘If it says “Zac is the best boyfriend in the whole world”, I'm so getting you back on your birthday.'

He laughed. ‘Actually, it says Zac is the best lover in the whole world.'

She shot him a glare. ‘Just show me,' she said.

Zac held the phone in front of her, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. Then a smile. A big, satisfied smile.

Words that she'd seen before had been inked onto her back. Words that had also been inked onto Zac's back:

As my heart beats, so too does yours.

‘I'm speechless.' She clamped her lips together. ‘It looks so nice, I love the script font,' her finger hovered over the screen. ‘And the words … it's perfect,' she said, looking up at Zac.

She'd loved it when she'd first seen Zac's tattoo, but now it held even more meaning for her, after reading those same words in the soulmate letter. He'd not only meant the quote to signify that all people were the same on the inside, but that somewhere out there, his soulmate's heart was beating. Hers.

She flicked to the wider shot of her back, then when she flicked through the other photos, she found the selfie he'd taken in the car with her blindfold on. Her tongue was protruding, and he had a big goofy, hopeful grin on his face, his eyes wide open, and something in his hand.

‘Oh my God,' April said. ‘Oh my God.'

For the second time that day she covered her mouth with a gasp.

In the photo, Zac was holding up piece of paper with the words:

Marry me, dammit!

She turned to face him, and he had the same goofy, hopeful grin on his face.

‘For real?' she asked.

‘For real,' he said, taking her hands in his, her heart melting at his touch and his request.

‘Yes, dammit!' she said, laughing and crying in equal measure. ‘Abso-bloody-lutely!'

He held her face close to his, they gazed into each other's eyes, and he kissed her mouth with the promise of another new beginning yet to come. ‘I was going to wait until after the tattoo to ask you, but when you suggested the selfie it seemed like the perfect opportunity! And I didn't get a ring, because I thought you might want to choose your own.'

She smiled. ‘I don't want a ring,' she said, glancing around. ‘I have a better idea.' She matched his goofy, hopeful expression. ‘Will you agree to it? Do you trust me?'

‘You want me to agree to something before I know what it is?'

‘Uh-huh,' she nodded. ‘You like taking risks?'

‘Hmm, I just so happen to like them quite a bit,' he said. ‘What's the deal?'

‘Oooh!' she said, rubbing her hands together. ‘Let's get tattoo rings. Both of us, the same design, on our ring fingers. Instead of gold and diamonds.'

‘Cheaper too.' He shrugged and nodded. ‘Nice thinking, fiancée!'

He held out his hand and she high-fived him.

The tattoo guy came over and shook both their hands. ‘Congrats to the lucky couple. So, tattoo rings you say?'

And the next photo Zac took on his phone not long after, was of his left hand and April's side by side, a simple, thin, relaxed line tattooed around their ring fingers, curving around into a figure-eight infinity symbol.

Bonded by ink, and bonded by love, they walked hand in hand together down the urban street in the small city of Welston, Zac breathing normally for the first time as crowds of people walked past.

‘I'm so proud of you,' she said. ‘Step by step, you did it. Faced your fears.'

‘I had some help from a certain woman,' he replied. ‘And I still like hanging at home, as you know. But this,' he glanced around the busy street, ‘this feels okay … I can manage it. It's all good.' He smiled and slid on his sunglasses.

‘So,' said April, excitement bubbling in her belly. ‘It appears we have a wedding to plan.' The idea of choosing the perfect candles to decorate the reception may have made her slightly more excited than the fact that she was getting married. Just for one brief moment.

‘It appears we do,' he said. ‘So, I'm thinking … backyard wedding, yours, mine, or both.' They had not moved in together, but stayed at each other's houses as the mood arose. ‘Maybe the celebrant could stand in my yard with me, and you stand in yours, and when he or she pronounces us husband and wife I have to leap over the fence—'

‘In your undies!'

‘In my undies, yes, and then kiss my bride.'

April laughed, then recalled their first dance when she'd felt the strength of their attraction and they'd almost kissed. ‘And I know the perfect song for our wedding.'

Zac looked at her, and they both said it at the same time with a knowing smile:

‘“All of Me”.'

They walked closely together in blissful silence, and April heard the meaningful lyrics in her mind as memories surfaced.

She thought about the first time they'd met. ‘And what about Romeo and Juliet? Perhaps a double wedding?'

‘Not a bad idea. I think they're already going steady.'

‘Oh!' April blurted. ‘And the celebrant can say to them, “you may now hiss at the bride”!'

Zac chuckled, then said, ‘Don't give up your day job for stand-up comedy.'

‘Not a chance,' she replied. ‘I love my day job too much.' She removed her hand from his and slid her arm around his waist. ‘And I love you.'

‘I love you too.' He slid his arm around her back.

‘Ouch! My tattoo!'

‘Oops!' Zac lowered his arm to her waist, then leaned in and kissed her temple.

They walked along the street, and Zac stopped when they came to a pub.

‘You okay?' she asked.

He stayed silent for a moment, looking through the window of the establishment. ‘You know, I just don't feel any desire to go in. None at all. It feels foreign to me now, it's weird.'

‘Good weird,' she said.

‘Very good weird.'

After a moment, they continued walking, and April knew that she would continue loving him, supporting him, and standing by him no matter what.

And though nothing in life was one hundred per cent certain, she had a feeling, an
inkling
, that Zac would be able to stay sober for good.

Some things were stronger than addiction, and he had found that strength within himself. Not only that, he had found love, and helped her find love. And April knew that love,
their
love, was stronger than anything.

Thanks for reading
April's Glow
. I hope you enjoyed it.

If you'd like to know more about me, my books, or to connect with me online, you can visit my webpage
www.julietmadison.com
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, or like my
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You've just read a book in my Tarrin's Bay series. The other books in this series are
The January Wish
,
February or Forever
and
Miracle in March.

This book was published by Escape Publishing. If you'd like to sample some more great books from my fellow Escape Artists, please turn the page.

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