Masquerade

We’re not perfect, though none of us are. We’re works in progress and what matters is we’re moving forward and we’re doing it together. In love.

Epilogue

~Maddox~

July, eight months later

“We’re putting all the food and shit on that table on the right.” I point the caterer to the corner, as Laney smacks my arm.

“Food and shit?” Laney asks as I shake my head before looking over at Leila, who smiles and winks at me.

It was about two months after Mom died that she told me she wanted to start going by her real name. I’d seen it coming before that. The more time we spent with her family, the more comfortable she became with them. The more she wanted to fight for her life back.

“Remember how I told you it felt good to be Bee because I chose it? She was who I wanted to be?”

“Yeah.” I kissed her neck as we’d lain in bed, then kept traveling down. I’d gotten to her stomach before she continued.

“It feels even better to tell you I’m choosing to be Leila again.”

I’d stopped, kept my lips to her skin before I looked up at her. “It’s a sexy fucking name.”

That had been the end of the conversation and she’d been Leila ever since. Leila who is still a tattoo artist and is learning to ride a motorcycle and is the same person I’ve always known. It’s not that none of us ever slips up and calls her Bee, but it’s like a nickname now.

I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her to me. She comes easily, her arms going around my waist as she looks up at me.

“Is it bad to say shit in front of a caterer?” In the background, I hear my sister chuckle before walking away.

“Fuck if I know.” Leila pushes up on her toes to kiss me.

For a second I let myself forget we’re in a room full of people. That Laney, Adrian, Colt, and Cheye

Mine and Leila’s. Masquerade hadn’t been big enough for us to both have our own workstation plus… that’s not really our lives anymore, living like we’re in some masquerade, hiding behind our hardened exteriors. We both wanted a clean slate.

“That’s why I love you so much. You don’t care about my mouth.”

“Oh, I care about your mouth very much, just what you do with it, not how dirty it is.”

I laugh as Colt and Cheye

Colt shrugs. “It was good enough to make you mine.”

He’d proposed on his mom’s birthday. They’re taking their time, though, finishing school first from what Leila said. Hanging out with him and Adrian more, I heard about how he lost his mom and how important she was to him. It’s crazy because it helped me make peace with my own mom’s memory. Colt would have done anything for his mom and it made me wish I would have fought harder to help save mine… or maybe not save her, only make sure she knew she wasn’t alone. Who knows, maybe it would have helped. Maybe not. I try not to dwell on it.

Everyone laughs, making me notice that my sister and Adrian stepped back up.

“When you open the doors, I was thinking you could do a piece for me,” Adrian says. Today we’re having a pre-celebration or some shit. Leila’s mom pla

“Hell yeah. What do you want?”

Adrian pauses for a second, his eyes hitting mine. Laney wraps her arm through his and I notice he relaxes into her a little, letting her support him. “Ash.”

The five of us all stare at him.

My body stiffens. “You’re not talking a name here, are you?” Faces are hard as hell, but I know that’s what he wants.

He shakes his head.

“It would be an honor, man. I’d love to do it for you, but it should be Leila. She has more experience and I can’t fuck something like that up.”

“You won’t. We’ll talk later.”

Christ he’s a good fucking guy. I’m so lucky my sister has him. Honored to call him my brother even though there’s no ring on Laney’s finger yet. I know one day there will be and even without it, he would be a brother to me. “We’ll talk.”

There’s a chiming sound and without looking, I know it’s Leila’s mom. Everyone quiets and we look over at her as she stands by the desk. “I know everyone isn’t here yet and we’re not officially starting but I wanted to take a minute to…” She pauses before her eyes land on my girlfriend. “Leila, come over here for a second.”

She doesn’t hesitate to go and then her mom looks at me. “You, too, Maddox.” Since the first day I’ve met them, they’ve treated me like family. They’ve showed us both love.

Leila and I stand on each side of her before she continues talking. “I wanted to thank you guys for coming to Leila and Maddox’s pre-opening. This shop isn’t only important to my kids.”

My stomach bottoms out as I look at her, and she smiles. “Both of my kids.”

A breath leaves my lungs. I’ve lost both my parents—one to death and one I can’t find it in myself to forgive. I’ve gained so much, though. It’s fucked up but it’s at this moment I realize everything is good. We’re all going to be good. I have regrets with my mom and I wish things had been different. But I’ll be okay. Leila has her family, who she loves. Things aren’t perfect with them, but they work hard to understand each other and they love each other regardless.

She has me too. Always, like I have her. Laney and Adrian have each other and Colt and Cheye

Leila looks at me and smiles before she grabs her mom’s hand, and I take the other.

“Reality Tattoo is important to all of us. It’s brought so many of us together. My daughter is so talented and I love that she can share her art with the world and with Maddox.”

Everyone claps and I smile, feeling like I never thought I would.

“I think it’s time to crack a bottle of wine!” Leila’s mom says.

“Or beer!” Leila adds, because I’m pretty sure most of us will be drinking that.

Everyone starts moving, grabbing what they want and going for the food but instead I go for Leila. She’s what I want. Her arms wrap around my neck; her hands thread through my hair as I tighten my fingers around her hips.

“Reality Tattoo. I like the sound of that… and the fact that it’s ours.”

“I love you. Even without this place, I’d have everything I want, because I have you.”

She grins. “Mmm. You make me want you when you talk sweet like that.” Her face goes serious now. “I love you too. You taught me love is worth it. I can’t wait to keep showing you how much of it I have for you.”

For the first time in so long I have a future to look forward to. One that I will fight like hell for, no matter what because that’s what you have to do in life.

Reality. It’s not living a lie like so many of the people we know have done. It’s not treating life like a game of charades or living behind any type of façade. Life is fucked up, it hurts, and it’s not always pretty, but damned if it can’t be beautiful too.