Today's the day (Will be rewritten soon)

Chapter 5

- 4 days later

Our plane is starting to descend. We're gonna arrive in Paris any moment now and I'm so excited! I'm gonna get a tattoo, which is gonna hurt like a m*****f****r, but I'm gonna be very happy with it. I'm also gonna taste macarons! I really want the tiny ones and of course the surprise. I don't know what to expect from it but knowing Megan it'll be something I won't see coming. 

- At the apartment

"I'm claiming this room!" is being screamed from the other side of the by Megan. I just calmly walked to the remaining room, put my suitcase on the ground and lay down on the bed. I closed my eyes and just lay there. Thinking of everything that's gonna happen these next months. I hope we're gonna be able to finish the list. I'm either gonna die at home or the hospital. My friends and family will have to plan my funeral and say goodbye. I don't want them to have to do that. I don't want to die, but that's just how it is and I've accepted that I'm gonna go sooner then I wanted to. At least, I know my end is coming closer, so I can give everybody I love a proper goodbye. 

Okay, enough being depressed. Let's have a great time here in Paris.

I walk out of the room and meet everyone in the living room but before I reach the living room a wave of nausea hits me. I take a minute to compose myself before I join the others. 

"Ah, there she is," says James smiling when he sees me walking into the room but his smile falls when he sees my face, "Jane, are you okay? Do you need to lay down?" I raise my hand and say: "No, it's just some nausea but the worst has already passed. So what are we gonna do today?" Megan and Kate eye me for a second before Megan starts: "Today, you are gonna get a tattoo. I've already mailed our ideas to her. So... are you ready to go?" "Let's go." I grab my bag and walk to the door, I open the door and call to the people behind me: "The last one at the car is a rotten egg!" and I run away and seconds later hear loud footsteps behind me. I look over my shoulder to find Ben and James right behind me and Megan is just running out the door. I reach the elevator and, luckily, one is about to go down. I jump into the elevator right before the doors close. Leaving the guys on our floor. Three minutes later I reach the parking lot, no one in sight, but when I turn the corner I see Ben and James hanging against the car. When they see me they both start smiling and James calls: "At least you're not last. Megan and Kate are walking over here. So, we're gonna have to wait for at least five minutes before they get here." I reach the car and sink to the ground. I place my head against the car and slow down my heartbeat and breathing. Otherwise, I might pass out. 

- 30 minutes later in the heart of Paris

We're standing at the entrance of the tattoo shop and I'm getting very nervous. My hands start shaking but then I feel someone grab my left hand, I look up to find Ben. He squeezes my hand and pulls me inside. When we're all inside Megan walks up to one of the tattoo artists, the rest of us take a seat on a very big couch near the door. After a couple of minutes, Megan returns with a tattoo artist, one that is completely covered in tattoos but looks very friendly. She extends her hand and says: "Welcome, you must be Jane", I stand up and take her hand, "my name is Isabelle. You're getting your first tattoo today, right?" "Yes." "Well, when you're ready you can follow me to the back." She turns on her heels and starts walking to the end of the shop, all of us follow her. 

I take place on the chair, Isabelle sits beside me on a stool and the rest hangs against the wall. "So Jane, you're here for your first tattoo. I've made a sketch, I'm gonna show it to you and then we'll look together what you want to change or not." She grabs her sketchbook and shows me an amazing drawing of a pair of wings with behind each wing around 5 flowers. All kinds of flowers. I stare at it for a whole minute before I manage to bring out: "It is perfect." "We could already figure that out by the look on your face," Kate says while holding back a laugh, "but I really do think this is the perfect tattoo for you." 

About half an hour later I lay down in the chair, Isabelle sits beside me while preparing the tattoo machine and we have thrown the rest of the gang out of the room for some peace and quiet during the tattooing. Then Isabelle turns around. "Are you ready for this?" "Yes, let's get started."

She starts on the first line and I have to bite down on my knuckles to keep quiet. It hurts like a bitch but I know it'll be worth it when she's finished. "What made you decide to get a tattoo?" Isabelle suddenly asks, waking me from my daydream. "Do you want the whole story? Or the short version?" "How long is long because we're gonna be here for a while anyway." 

I tell her everything that happened from the day I was diagnosed until now. She stays quiet for a couple of minutes after I finish. Then she takes a deep breath: "I'm so sorry sweetie. No one should go through what you are going through. I hope I can make you very happy with this tattoo, you deserve it." "Thank you, and I'm very certain I'm gonna be happy with this tattoo." 

- 6 painful hours later

 "And..... done", she puts down the tattoo machine and wipes over the tattoo, "you can look in the mirror over there." I stand up and walk over to the mirror. I look into the mirror and see the beautiful piece on my upper arm. A beautiful composition of wings and flowers. Exactly what I wanted. I feel tears welling up, I turn around and give Isabelle a hug. "Thank you so much. You can't imagine how much this means to me." I say to her. She answers: "I can see in your eyes how much this means to you. I hope you can enjoy it as long as possible", she breaks the hug and looks me in the eyes, "don't exert yourself, take care of yourself so you can be there for them as long as possible." 

"I will."