Find Your Own Way

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Brian asked his daughter.

Looking at her Dad she smiled and nodded. “I told you, this is what I was born for,” she said. “Now lets go ‘cause I want that tattoo.”

Laughing Brian just nodded and opened the door for her. An entire year had passed since she got home and she had worked so hard to get to this moment.

Tomorrow her first record would be released. He remembered when she was laying down vocals he had, more than once, left the room. The lyrics broke his heart and then mended it back together.

Driving them down the road towards the tattoo shop he wondered absent mindedly if she would be okay on the road.

The record release party was going to be crazy. And then she’d be touring for… no one really knew how long.

Going into the shop Ari jumped up and down excitedly. She had told Brian she was getting a couple stars tattooed on her wrist but she was actually getting his deathbat.

“You ready kid?” Greg, the tattoo artist, asked.

“Totally,” Ari grinned following him to his station. She could see her dad watching from the waiting room. He looked more nervous than her.

“He doesn’t know, does he?” Greg asked putting the stencil on her wrist.

“No idea,” she laughed. “He’s going to love it though.”

“Of course he is,” Greg stated getting started.



“I still can’t believe you did that,” Brian said his voice full of pride and joy. “Stars my ass.”

Laughing Ari hugged him tight. “I wanted it to be a surprise!”

“Yeah, it was,” he told her. “Your mom and James should be home soon. He’s going to want a tattoo now too.”

The father and daughter laughed loudly. James was now a year old and whenever Ari did something, he wanted to do it too.

“In seventeen years, I’ll totally let him get one,” Ari said plopping onto the couch with a soda. “Hell if you croak before then I’ll let him get one!”

“Fuck you,” Brian laughed. “Your mom would kill you.”

“And why would I do that?” Michelle asked setting James down on the floor.

“If I died she’d let James get a tattoo before he’s old enough,” Brian stated rolling his eyes. “She’s delusional.”

Picking up her little brother she smiled and tickled his belly. “How are you, little bean?”

“I’m good!” he exclaimed in his child like voice. “You good too?”

“Of course! Want to see my new tat?” she asked pulling the bandage away from her wrist.

Nodding excitedly James scrunched up his face. “It looks gross,” he muttered turning to his dad. “Yours don’t look gross Daddy!”

Laughing Brian nodded, “That’s because all mine are healed.” Scooping him up Brian threw him over his head and pretended that he was an airplane.

“Careful there Honey,” Michelle said going and sitting down with her daughter. “Let me see!”

Showing her mom she grinned. “He was totally surprised too. You should’ve seen his face!”

Smiling she looked to her husband and just nodded. “Why didn’t you take a picture then?”

Ari shrugged and hugged her mom. “So what’s for dinner? I’m starving!”

Rolling her eyes Michelle got up off the couch and made her way towards the kitchen.



“You ready Sweets?” Brian asked. They were all backstage off to the side were Ari would be performing her album in full. There was only six songs so it wouldn’t be a long set, but she had a trick up her sleeve.

“Always,” she smiled. “You going to watch from back here or the crowd?”

Smiling Brian gave her a tight hug. “Back here is safer. Go kill them Sweets.”

Nodding Ari ran onto the small stage and waved happily at everyone.

Halfway through her set she looked over to the side stage and grinned. Waving Dan onto the stage she turned to the crowd.

“I’m going to change things up a bit and have my friend Dan out here and help me with this song,” she told them. “A hundred years ago a group of old men wrote this song,” she laughed and shook her head. “Not really but they are old now. This song is called Dear God.”

Getting ready to end the set she ran her hand through her hair. She would definitely need a shower after this.

“All right, this is my last song, it isn’t on the record,” she breathed. “This one goes out to my friend in the crowd, yeah I see you, this one’s called What Sarah Said.”



Embracing Sarah in a hug Ari turned to her family and friends all gathered around. No, they weren’t a couple, but they were best friends.

“That song was so amazing, I didn’t expect that, I didn’t even know you wrote that,” Sarah said staring at her friend. “You’re so amazing Ares.”

Laughing she just gave Sarah another hug. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“I loved it!” she exclaimed throwing her hands in the air. “I want it. Why isn’t it on the record?”

Ari shrugged. “I didn’t want to put it on there, but I do have it recorded so I’ll send it to you.”

Nodding Sarah saw one of her other friends and ran off.

Taking her place Dan gave Ari one of his own hugs. “You did great. You ready for our tour?”

Looking up at her friend she nodded. “It’s going to be amazing!”

Dan nodded and smiled at everyone. This moment, the journey to come, he was so glad she could experience it.

Nothing would bring her down. She was on top of the world.