The dragonfly tattoo artist

25

Camila and Lauren walked quietly to the painter's car.

Camila couldn't know exactly, for it only illuminated the light from the street lamps, but she thought she saw that there were no dents or faults in it.

Lauren didn't open the door for her, but Camila slipped in without claiming anything.

She was surprised to see that the interior of the car was completely clean, with no traces of paint or junk food wrappers scattered on the floor. Camila swore she'd never seen such a flawless car.

"Is the car new?" Camila asked the owner of all her sighs cautiously.

Lauren only looked at her with the most fake smile in the world and slowly shook her head. The tattoo artist said nothing. She didn't know if there were adequate words for that moment.

In silence they went to the sushi restaurant where they'd shared many special moments. Once there they occupied the back table, the one that everyone ignored, and Lauren didn't seem to want to use the place to do bad things.

"I'm sorry. I can't stand being looked at."

And Camila's already broken heart was shattered, because her shameless painter would never have said anything like that.

They asked for the same food as always, but not to Jake the waiter. It wasn't him who took care of the forgotten part of the restaurant.

The tattoo artist sighed sadly. Lauren no longer chewed slowly or swallowed as if the food had been made by the gods themselves. Now she chewed very fast and swallowed the same way, and she didn't even finish a third of what she asked for.

"Eat a little more" Camila begged, but Lauren crossed her arms and refused at such a request.

And although Camila asked her several more times, the painter refused to touch her plate again. Camila decided to imitate her, asked for the bill and they left.

"You should have eaten that... you'll get sick, Camila."

"You too."

"I don't matter anymore."

And Camila would've shouted to her in the middle of that street illuminated only by the street lamps that she did mattered, she couldn't imagine a world without the painter, that there were still reasons to fight, but she couldn't.

Lauren had given up. So had she.

Camila was tired of it.

****

As Camila had agreed to spend the rest of the night with her, Lauren decided to take her to her apartment.

During the journey, which was longer than usual, they allowed themselves to speak.

"Were there others?" Lauren asked gently as she stopped in front of a red light.

"No."

But, although Camila expected a smile, a strange disappointment appeared in the saddened eyes of her ex.

"You deserve to be happy, Camila" Lauren said sadly "Forget me forever, please. Look for someone else."

"Why do you ask for the impossible, Lauren Jauregui?"

The task of forgetting her could never be accomplished, as she would continue to appear in Camila's mind, in her heart and in art exhibitions.

"Because they told me it would be impossible to find the love of my life, but suddenly you showed up" Lauren answered gently "...Nothing is impossible, except the impossible."