“Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” Her words felt like venom poisoning me with a single touch but she’s the one hurting. My lies are the real venom poisoning her. This ends now.

I nodded acknowledging her fair question and pulled my shirt over my head exposing my inked chested. Designs I created flowed and intertwined with other designs painting my body as its canvas. Faint designs could resemble animals but others looked abstract. Only I know what they mean.

I looked her in her eyes and noticed a slight shock but full of determination. She came to this world by chance but never stopped fighting for her survival. She is the most amazing woman that I love through and through but will she accept me? Gently one of my tattoos began to glow and move with a life of its own. It merged and formed into an elegant outline drawing of a 3D animal with pointy ears. The determination morphed into shock and then … elation?

She smiled and squeaked, “what a cute kitten!” She got on her knees putting a hand out, “here kitty kitty. Meow!”

Now it was my turn to be shocked. A cat? What is a cat?