Inky Hair Strands

Prologue | Inky Hair Strands

Prologue | Inky Hair Strands

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"If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will look lovely." -Roald Dahl

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          "ADOPTED?" I clutched my heart with my right hand and looked at my parents with furrowed brows. "You're joking, right?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie." My dad leaned forward and placed his hand on my knee. "We're not kidding."

"Wow." I took a deep breath and looked down at the carpet to avoid their eyes. Wow. "And you--" deep breath, "you're telling me now because. . ?" I looked up again the same time my dad took his hand away from my knee.

I'm almost eighteen years old--tomorrow, actually--and they're telling me now? After all these years? My dad glanced over at my mom, letting her know that it was her turn to speak.

"Your birth mom wants to see you on your eighteenth birthday." She explained. It was weird to hear her say mom and have it be a completely different person than herself. "So, we decided we'd tell you the day before. . ." She drew out her sentence into the silence.

I took a few more deep breaths before examining the two adults sitting across from me on the leather couch. How could I not have figured this out on my own?

My mom has beautiful brown hair that was so light it could almost pass as blonde, while my dad has dark brown hair with somewhat of a red tint. Both of them were blessed with blue eyes and passed it on to my little sister, Moe. I was always the odd one out with stick-straight black hair and practically black eyes. No wonder I'm adopted--like, what the hell? How could I be so blind?

"Well, shit." I gazed into my lap out of disbelief. So much information had been thrown at me, but at the same time it was only two words: you're adopted. "Best birthday present ever." I was trying to be funny. Mom and dad didn't think it was.

"Josephine--um, your mother--left a note for us to give you when you turn eighteen." My mom spoke with a softer voice than usual.

My eyes slowly dropped to her hand and saw the small piece of crumpled white paper.

"I haven't read it." She said before handing it over to me. I took it gently; careful not to destroy the unknown note.

I didn't want to wait until I was alone, so I quickly unfolded the rough edges and saw blue pen scribbled on one-fourth of a regular piece of paper. My eyes scanned the horrible handwriting as I tried to comprehend what the note said.

And I hope she'll be a fool--
that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool

I read the note a few more times before letting out a subtle sigh of disappointment and tucking the piece of paper into my pocket. I was caught under my parents' glares and immediately I knew they wanted to hear the words they've been secretly holding for me for eighteen years straight.

"She just wrote down a stupid quote." My heart felt heavy for a millisecond before returning to normal. I don't know what I was expecting, but I knew for certain that I was hoping for something else.

My parents looked at me with warm, loving eyes. All big and blue. I couldn't help but smile at the two of them.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." My mom apologized for the note she never wrote. "If you want, you can meet her for coffee tomorrow."

"But, of course, you're not obligated to go." My dad quickly added.

"Mm." I hummed in response as my eyes fixated on the curve of my fathers chair. I didn't snap out of it while answering, "I'll go."

And I'll show her that I'm not a beautiful little fool.

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Ahhh!

I'm really excited for this story. I was planning on posting a road trip book right after Girls but this came out of nowhere and I knew I had to act upon it.