Page 34 of Because of Blake
Once inside Home Depot, Blake walks me around to gather everything he needs. He tells me stories of repairs he’s done to his home and some horror stories from his friend’s experiences. At the checkout, Blake reaches for his wallet, but I stop him. I insist on paying since it’s my house, and he doesn’t argue much. We walk across the parking lot and back to my car, silence taking over once more. When neither of us starts a conversation, I turn the stereo back up so there’s a bit more background noise.
“What’s the tattoo on your foot for?” Blake’s voice cuts through the music.
“What?” I glance over at him, then back at the road.
He reaches over and turns down the stereo. “The tattoo, on your foot. It’s a guitar, right? I remember seeing it last year, then I saw again it at the pool last week, but I didn’t get a chance to ask you about it. I noticed it again in Home Depot. So, what’s it about? Any special meaning?”
Tears well in my eyes. My throat closes up. My stomach flips, but not from the euphoria of sitting with Blake. I bite my lip and tighten my grip on the steering wheel. Instead of wiggling, my toes curl in on themselves.
“I got it last year for my husband’s thirty-fifth birthday. He used to play guitar in high school and through college, but gave it up as he got older. He was a big music guy. Our kids are named after his influences.”
“You’ve never talked about him to me. Where is he now?” Blake asks, innocently.
“He… died,” my voice cracks. “Three years ago, in a plane crash with my father-in-law.” The tears stream down my cheeks, and I feel the drops on my leg, but I don’t wipe them from my face. “It was a birthday present from my father-in-law to my husband. Charlie had always wanted to fly a plane, but wasn’t disciplined enough to go to flight school or anything. So, my father-in-law pulled some strings and probably spent a pretty penny to get Charlie a chance to do it. There was an experienced co-pilot, of course, but even he couldn’t stop the plane from crashing.”
“Why? What happened?”
I sniffle, running my hand over my cheeks and wiping my palm on my pants. “They said it was a mechanical failure in one of the engines. It wouldn’t have mattered if there were two top-notch pilots. The plane would’ve crashed anyway.”
“I’m… I’m so sorry, Maggie. I had no idea. That’s awful.” Blake’s immediate remorse shines through in his shaky voice.
“It’s okay. Thank you, though.”
“Your poor kids. That had to be tough for them.”
“Which is why we moved. We couldn’t live in our house anymore. Too many memories. We were all sad all the time. It wasn’t a good life.”
“I can imagine...” Blake’s voice trails off. “So, who are your kids named after?”
“What?” I sniffle and swipe at my nose.
“You said your kids are named after your husband’s influences. Who are they?”
“Well, BobDylanshould be the obvious one.”
Blake smacks himself on the forehead. “Duh. Okay, and Sydney?”
“That one’s a little harder.” I roll my lips between my teeth. “Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols.” The smile spreads and something resembling a laugh creeps through my lips. “I never understood why Charlie loved that band, but he did.
“Wait, didn’t we just listen to a Sex Pistols song?”
“Yes. I put it on my playlist after Charlie…”
Blake’s hand twitches, like he’s going to reach for me, but rests his elbow on the armrest instead.
I swallow. “Since I was vehemently against the name Sid, we compromised on Sydney, and I got to pick the spelling.”
“So, it was a win-win. Awesome.”
“We always worked things out.”
“Well, it’s beautiful.” Blake’s tone is soft, caring, and it envelops me in comfort.
“What is?”
“All of it. The name origin story. The tattoo. Not just the image, but the meaning behind it. I’m sure your husband would be happy to know how you honored his memory.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “He’d probably scold me for wasting my money on such a frivolous thing.”