“Honey, I’m home,” I yelled, walking toward the work area.

“Michael?” Izzy’s voice echoed. “Get your ass back here, man.”

Her face lit up as soon as she saw me. She snapped off her gloves and kissed me on the cheek. “Hasn’t been the same without you here, driving us crazy and keeping our asses organized.” She squeezed me, smashing her face in my chest.

I loved my little sister. Why?

Because of moments like these, but definitely not her mouth.

“Thanks, Izzy. Sometimes you can be sweet… sometimes.”

“Don’t get too used to it,” she said sitting back down, putting on a new pair of gloves.

“Hey, how are ya?” I said to her client whom I’d seen before but couldn’t remember his name.

“Trying to survive your sister here. She’s not as smooth as Joe with the needle.” He winced, closing one eye.

“No one’s as smooth as he is. He’ll be back soon, though. You should’ve waited.”

“I can hear you both,” she said as she rubbed salve into his skin. “I can do this dry if you’d prefer.” She snickered.

“No, no,” he replied. “Please, you’re doing beautiful work.”

I laughed and turned my attention toward Anthony. “How you holding up being here with her by yourself, Anth?”

He smiled as he leaned back in his chair and stretched. “She’s been pretty good without you and Joe here.” His bones cracked and he sighed.

I could never tattoo and sit in the same crippling position for hours. I didn’t have the patience to deal with customers for extended periods of time and I certainly couldn’t handle working on the same design for six hours like they sometimes did.

Piercing was quick with little time for chatting.

“They’re the ones that make me the way I am,” she shrugged, talking to the man in her chair. “Anthony is my partner in crime. Isn’t that right, Anth?” She laughed.

“Oh, how I know that shit. You two give me a headache most days,” I said, shaking my head.

“You speak the truth, Izzy.” Anthony laughed as he worked on the design. “What brings you by to visit us working people?” Anthony asked as he shaded in a rose.

I cringed because I knew her ass would be so ecstatic to hear the words. “Well, I need Izzy.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “What? Are you feeling okay?” She asked as she looked up.

I rolled my eyes, sitting down in Joe’s chair. “Yes, I need you to unblock that number you got rid of for me the other day.”

“That girl with the damn scrapbook?”  Her eyebrows drew together and a small crease formed between them.

“Yes, Tammy. I need you to unblock her number.”

She sat back, tilting her head and leveled me with her stare. “Why in the fuck would I do that?”

“Please, I just need you to. For me, Izzy, please,” I said, pulling the phone from my pocket.

“You need to explain it to me first. I’m thinking you’re the one that bumped your head and not Joe. I can believe you’re asking me to do this shit.”

“Everything has turned into a mess. Mia won’t see me or talking to me and it’s all Tammy’s fault.”

“Still not giving me enough detail here, Mikey.” She went back to working not finding my request important enough to stop. “If she fucked everything up, why in the hell do you want to talk to her?”

“She’s claiming I asked her to marry me and that she’s pregnant with my baby.” There it was, out in the open. I might as well have put that shit on a billboard now. Izzy never kept a secret.

“Wait, what?” She stood suddenly. “You drop that shit on me like it’s nothing while I have a needle in someone’s skin?”

“You asked for details and those are the details.”

“Give me fifteen minutes to finish this and we’re going to have a talk before I do what you’re asking me to. I want to know what the fuck happened with the doctor too.”

“Fine, I’ll wait.” I sighed and kicked my feet up on the customer chair. “How’s Joe?” I asked. “Anyone see him lately?”

“He’s well. You should go see him. He’s been home for two days,” Anthony said.

“Kind of had other things on my mind,” I muttered.

“I know, but I’m sure Suzy is smothering him to death at this point,” Izzy said, laughing.

“Joe loves that shit. He’s probably milking it for all it’s worth,” Anthony stated mimicking a blowjob.

I missed being here every day. I missed the four of us as it had been weeks ago.

Everything had changed in my life in the last week – the highest high to the lowest low.

I wanted so badly to talk to Mia. I wondered if she knew how to block someone like Izzy had done on my phone. I hope she didn’t block me. She hadn’t read a damn message I sent her. I couldn’t help myself. I had to keep trying.

Me: Mia, please talk to me. Tammy’s lying and insane. You have to believe me! I miss you, Doc.

I stared at the screen hoping my message would show read but nothing. It just sat there delivered and unread.

I opened Facebook and searched for her page. She posted something yesterday. I shouldn’t have looked because it made me feel more rejected than I already did.

She posted a quote from Cicero. - Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity. Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind.

I sat there, stunned into silence by her words, as I waited for Izzy to finish.

I still caught myself thinking of Izzy as a little girl. I pictured her with her pigtails flopping, playing hopscotch in the front yard or begging us to play football. She always felt left out because we worried she’d get hurt. She turned into a tomboy in her teenage years before she realized the power of being a female.

Izzy was a tag along and we hated it when she was a little girl, but as she grew older, we used it to our advantage. We scared away more men than she’d ever know.

She was ours to protect… no matter the cost.

I had been lost in thought when she walked back into the work area after her client left. “Alright, let’s go outside and you can tell me what happened.”

“Thanks, Izzy,” I said, following her out back.

We walked into the Florida evening sun and my skin felt like it was being burned. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, just a brilliant blue color and the sun shining brightly.

“Why do you want to talk to that pyscho?” She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against the building in the shade.

“I want to catch her in her lies,” I said, as I ran my fingers through my hair. “It’s the only way I can do it quick.”

“Why not just go to the police? I’m sure they can speed shit along if you tell them you’re Thomas’ brother.”

“I will if I have to, but I need to prove to Mia that she’s full of shit, Izzy. I can’t have this hanging over my head with the fight coming up either.” I moved my neck from side to side, trying to crack it. I gave it a push before hearing the bones crack to relieve some of the pressure.

“What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to pretend I give a flying fuck and ask to take her take me to the doctor with her. I want to be the proud daddy. I’m hoping they can confirm that she isn’t pregnant and that it will at least win some favor with Mia. Hopefully it will get Tammy out of my life once and for all.” I kicked a stone, watching it skip across the back parking lot.

“Could backfire in your face, brother.”

“It’s not my kid even if she is pregnant.”

“It only takes once.” She rolled her eyes like I was a fucking idiot.

“No shit, Sherlock. I used protection every time. She’s grasping at straws.”

“Fine, but when this shit blows up in your face, just remember I told you so.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll remind me every day, baby sister.” I laughed.

“Give it to me,” she said, holding out her hand.

Giving her my phone, I watched as she tapped the screen and within seconds handed it back.

“You really have to show me how to do that,” I said, scrolling through my contacts and stopping on Tammy’s name.