Tattooed On You

Prologue

"All done." I smile while I wipe the foamy substance off her back, revealing the freshly tattoed reddened skin.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Ciara smiles, clearly looking relieved.

I hand her the small mirror and direct her to the floor-to-ceiling mirror that hangs on the wall. "Have a look!"

Ciara stands from the bank, stretches her long limbs above her head, and then walks to the mirror, turning her back to it before holding the smaller one in front of her. "Oh, Jo, you outdid yourself on this one," she gasps, her tone full of wonder.

I smile and look at her back in the mirror. I have to admit, I'm quite proud of the design. It's a simple dream catcher, but all the shades make it vibrant and very realistic. I haven't used any colors -as per Ciara's request- and it honestly makes the tattoo even better. The black and white draws attention to the fine lines even more, and the longer you look at it, the more the feathers that dangle below seem to blow in the wind.

"I'm glad you like it," I tell her while standing as well. "Mind if I take a picture for my Instagram?"

Ciara immediately shakes her head. "Of course! If you send it to me, I'll post it on mine too!"

I nod in agreement and then hold up my phone, centering her back so the tattoo is positioned in the middle of the frame.

"Perfect," I state when I have snapped a couple of shots. "So, I'll put on the bandage, and after an hour or two, you can rinse it with warm water for about a minute. No soap for twelve hours at least, and make sure you keep the tattoo hydrated. Do you have some Bepanthen left at home?"

"Yep, still got some from last time," she responds while sitting on the bench again so I can wrap her tattoo.

"Great. After eight weeks you can come back for a check-up. I'd like to see if it needs a touch-up by then." I carefully cover her tattoo up, making sure to put as little pressure on her sore skin. When I'm done, I stand once again.

"Thank you so much, Jo. You're the best." She hugs me, her arms squeezing me tightly. It's honestly the best compliment she can give me.

I've tattooed Ciara four times now. The first time I did so, it was her first tattoo as well. It was a small one, and every time she came back, she went a little bigger.

Right now, almost her whole back is covered, and I take pride in the faith she has in me.

Honestly, that's what makes this job as awesome. The faith people have to let you mark them forever. I've only had that faith once, and the one tattoo that I have, is prove of that.

Unfortunately, even that kind of faith can be broken.

"I'll see you in eight weeks," Ciara promises when she's dressed once again. "You're done for today?"

"All done," I answer. "Just have to clean up before I head home. It was a long day."

It's almost nine-thirty now, and I started this morning at eleven. Normally, I make sure I don't have more than one detailed design on one day, but today one slipped through.

It's because the owner of the shop and my boss Densel is on vacation. He left the shop in my charge, and since I have to be here the entire day, I figured I can might as well tattoo a few extra people.

But as motivated I am and as much as I love my job; I'm so done for today. All I need is a warm meal, a cup of tea, and my bed. And I need it fast.

***

A soft knock on my door stops me from falling asleep completely, and although I am deadly tired, I am happy for the wake-up call since my plate is still resting on my legs on top of the sheet while Netflix is asking me if I'm still watching on my TV.