1985 (h.s.)

Chapter Forty One

Harry

Leaving was the hardest thing I've had to do. It's like I left a piece of my heart back in Ashland. To my mom and sister, I was coping well, but in reality, I was bursting at the seams. As soon as we moved, I was on the lookout for a job. Thankfully, there was a kid's tutoring company down the road from our apartment. It was a five-minute walk. I figured there would be a lot of childcare services since we are close to a college campus.

Speaking of, the only place I could think of to move us to is somewhere close to Gemma. Mum was reluctant to come with me until I told her where we were going. She quickly quit her job and is currently in search of another one. When she was younger she went through nursing school so I believe she's looking for a position as a hospital nurse.

The apartment I found was just enough for the two of us. Two bedrooms and one bathroom. It was on the first floor of a large apartment complex. We'd already met our neighbors and they appeared to be very kind. The town itself was nice as well. Everything was within walking distance from where we lived. We kept our car nonetheless. Just in case we ever had to go anywhere.

Sadly, everything in this town was reminding me of Elaine. They had a cute bakery, like the one we worked at. I've gone there almost every day after work and got her favorite order. Chai tea and a blueberry muffin. It was the closest I could get to her without going back. They also had a butterfly sanctuary. It reminded me of the time we went to the mall together. We both got those henna tattoos and she got this beautiful butterfly. Now, thanks to that, every time I see a butterfly, I think of her.

That's why, today, I'm heading to the tattoo shop to get right under my chest. Thankfully, I kept the picture of both of our tattoos so I could show the artist exactly what I wanted. I hated myself for not spending more time with her. I really did. Hopefully, I could feel better once I had something that was a constant reminder of her beauty. 

Not only was she the most beautiful girl on the outside, but her personality and morals were so attractive.  She could be so gentle one moment and be fierce the next. Her weakness, as was mine, was kids. I almost melted right on the spot the day I saw her communicating with the little deaf boy. The smile on her face was pure and heart-warming. Not to mention how she was beyond selfless. She'd do absolutely anything for the people she loved.

I could go on and on about how much I adored her. That was the only feeling I was one-hundred percent sure of. Expressing myself has been something I've always sucked at. Elaine knew pretty much everything about me, except the fact that I've written a couple of songs about her. It silly, I know. It's the only place I can let my feelings and my love for music cross over. It was just me, my guitar, and the way she makes me feel. I could let my mind roam free. When my fingers plucked over the string of the guitar it was almost as if it was muscle memory. I hoped that one day I'd grow the balls to play for her. Now, I don't think I ever could.

The air outside was crisp and leaves rustled along the empty streets. I pulled my beanie closer over my ears. It was early in the morning so the only thing occupying the outside was chirping birds. I saw the sign for the tattoo parlor I was heading towards. The name of it was Inkwell. As I was walking up, a petite woman unlocked the door and propped it open. I sped up my pace and clenched the photo in my hand.

The same woman was sat at the front desk. Her hair was bright red and her lipstick matched it. A nose ring hung from the middle of her nose and her arms were littered with intricate designs, "Can I help you with something today?"  Her voice was crackled.

I nodded hesitantly and showed her the picture of what I wanted, "Can I, uh, get this under my chest. Right here?" I gestured to the area I wanted. She ripped the photo from my fingers and started writing some stuff down.