Scars
[National Magazine Awards Finalist] [Fiction] A tattoo artist meets a middle-aged mom:
“The woman stood in the doorway, twisting her head at odd angles like a goddamn owl to see our designs on the walls, before walking up to the counter.
“‘Sure you’re in the right place?,’ I asked. ‘This ain’t no nail salon.’
“‘Is Nate here?’
“‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘what’s up?’
“‘Marion,’ she said, reaching her hand over the counter. I took it and shook. ‘You came highly recommended by my niece, Janice. You tattooed a rose on her hip.’
“She looked at me like she expected me to remember. Shit, if I could remember every rose I tattooed on some girl’s hip, I’d be in the Guinness World Records for the best fuckin’ memory.”
Author:
Source:
The Atlantic
Published: Aug 1, 2011
Length: 19 minutes (4,759 words)