Dedicated Ink by Ranae Rose

Author:Ranae Rose [Rose, Ranae]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2013-07-24T14:00:00+00:00

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Abby wove her fingers through the party favor’s silver fringe, holding the plastic mouthpiece in her palm. The sparkling noisemaker was part of a glittering bounty she’d brought home from Jed and Karen’s place in Allegheny West; she also had a plastic purple top hat and some kind of wand that flashed red, blue and yellow when waved. She was saving all the party favors – which Jed assured everyone Karen had selected – for Ava. She’d bring them along next time she met with Natalie.

Hopefully, that would be soon. She was almost done with her artwork for Book 2. Really, she only had one last illustration to complete, for the final scene. She sat in the recliner – Sam’s favorite chair, though he always insisted she take it – with her sketchbook in her lap and a pencil in hand. In a few minutes, she transferred an outline from her imagination to paper, a silhouette of a fox surrounded by his animal friends.

She’d finish the drawing the next day; the important thing was that she had the basics down. For now, she didn’t have the energy to make her best illustrative efforts, and the recliner wasn’t exactly the best place to work from, even if it was the most comfortable seat in the house. Besides, it was almost midnight – the ball was about to drop.

She paused to stare at the TV screen and watch the scene in Times Square, knowing that the others were probably watching it too, back at Jed and Karen’s place. She’d originally planned to watch it with them but had tired after a couple hours there and worried that if she hung around until after midnight, she’d be too exhausted to drive home safely.

If only Sam knew that she’d come home before midnight. He’d warned her to be cautious driving that night, and she’d sensed his worry, though all he’d said was, “Be careful. There’ll be all kinds of drunks leaving parties and bars by the time you’ll be ready to head home.” He would’ve been relieved to know she’d come in early, though she knew he’d be too busy for her to interrupt with a phone call.

Guilt crept over her as she glanced down at her sketch book, then at the TV screen, where thousands of people were packed like sardines in Times Square, cheering. Sam didn’t get to enjoy the holiday like others did; for him, it just meant extra work.

Since moving in with him, she’d realized just how hard the rotating shifts could be. Tonight, he was working overtime. Thinking about it made the plush arm chair seem uncomfortable. Since moving in, she’d also been taking less and less appointments, tattooing mostly for her regular clients and doing her best to make time for anyone who was in need of her specialty – cover-up tattoos.

She was six months along now and her belly made it look like she was farther. The strain on her joints and body made it feel like it, too.

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