The dragonflies tattoist - Freenbecky ☆𝆬

Chapter 20

In the fifth month, someone else died.

Christmas was coming, and the holiday shopping was already in full swing. The tattoo shop was decked out with strings of lights, fake snowflakes, and a little tree with skulls hanging from the branches and a tattoo machine on top instead of a star.

That day, Freen tattooed a beautiful rose on the chest of a cancer survivor, then went to chat with Chanon since business was slow.

"Did Jan send you to keep an eye on me again?"

Let's just say that Jan, now eight months pregnant, had become a bit... possessive.

"No... but you should watch out for Meena. She's been given orders to kick your you-know-what if you look away from this counter."

The tall guy laughed.

"It's a girl," Chanon said with a huge grin.

"Really?" Freen looked surprised. "I thought Jan didn't want to know the baby's sex."

"Well, yesterday she asked the doctor... and then when we got home, she started hitting me for letting the doctor tell us."

"Her mood swings again?"

"Seems like it," Chanon replied with a smile. "You have no idea how bad my back is! I never thought a single shoe could cause this much pain!"

Freen burst out laughing.

"Do you guys know what her name will be?" she asked, curious.

"We have no idea, but..."

"But?"

"Nothing, just... Jan thinks she has the perfect name for her and..."

"What is it?" Freen asked excitedly.

"Nina. Don't ask me where she got it; I have no clue, but she really wants to call her that and... the thing is, I'm scared of her mood swings. I might name her Nina, and then she'll cry her eyes out because she actually wanted to call her Emily."

"Just a reminder, you're talking about my sister," Freen said teasingly.

"It's not that I don't love her or that I'm tired of her, Freen... It's just that I have the weirdest girlfriend in the world."

Freen laughed at his remark.

"Are you calling Jan strange?" She was laughing so hard she was almost in tears. "Have you even met Becky?"

_____

Becky didn't show up at her usual time, but Freen wasn't too worried. She hadn't been showing up right on time for days now because she was finishing up a painting of a model with scars. Plus... let's just say Becky wasn't a big fan of the Christmas season or anything that came with it.

Around two in the afternoon, Chanon brought a young woman over to her station. She introduced herself as Heidi.

She had blue eyes, tanned skin, and wavy brown hair. Freen thought she was pretty. But thinking so didn't mean some love triangle would suddenly break up their relationship; Freen was simply noting that, she was attractive.

Heidi told her she wanted a tattoo of her grandfather's name on her wrist. She shared stories about his life as a fisherman and explained why he was her biggest inspiration. Freen listened closely, offering kind smiles here and there. Heidi smiled back.

The tattoo artist was just putting on her black latex gloves when Chanon showed up again.

"Becky's here," he announced, and he seemed... worried.