For two decades, one question sat quietly between a husband and wife: who was the woman tattooed over his heart?
Richard always had an easy answer. He said the portrait on his chest was nothing serious, just the imagined work of a young man who liked art and ink. His wife accepted that explanation because she wanted to. In a long marriage, not every old story needs to be reopened.
But one afternoon in the garage changed everything. While sorting through Richard’s toolbox, she found a loose panel and a faded photograph that had been hidden for years. The woman in the picture was younger than the tattooed face, but the resemblance was undeniable.
There was also a small rose tucked behind the woman’s left ear.