Tattoos & Scars [1] | Jasper Hale

-01-

At her home, there were three other members there. All of them uniquely different as Joanna and her sister, Kinsley, were adopted. Her mother, Callie Hodgson, was a rather tall, African-American woman who adopted Joanna when she barely struck the age of twenty-six. The woman was blindingly beautiful, holding shiny, clear skin that only wrinkled when she smiled, showing her pearly whites. Her hair was always thrown into a ponytail on top of her head, which she would tend to twirl when she was distracted. Her eyes were a light brown color that she inherited from her parents and her body was stunning, though she never had kids. A gift Joanna knew she always wanted, but she was glad there was such a thing as adoption.

Then you had Kinsley Hodgson, rowdy and annoying younger sister. The sixteen-year-old was always yapping on about school or her boyfriend of the week, ranting nonstop to her family. Her mouth only snapped shut when she was told to be quiet or when she was sleeping. Those were the times Joanna found herself surrounded by silence. Yet, if you pushed away her mouth, Kinsley was a beautiful soul. Just like her mother, her skin was shiny and beautodul, holding a light, almost caramel color as she was from another part of the world like her older sister. Her hair was twisted into different styles, but she was around the house, it was held low where it landed a bit over her shoulders in it's natural, dark brown waves.

Lastly, you had Brick, her father. He was around almost every room. On the wall, above the fireplace, on the refrigerator; he was everywhere you looked. The man who had equally colored skin as her mother died a few years ago due to horrible and traumatic accident he had with Kinsley. One day he was teaching her how to ride a bike, and the next day he was in a hospital bed with the doctor holding a sorrowful look. But his soul, his presence, was still around the house. Joanna could even feel a kiss linger on her temple every night. Brick did that always when she was younger and until the day he closed his eyes forever.

"Hey!"

The voice startled Joanna awake, making her shoot out of her bed and onto her cream-colored floors. Soft and short carpet hairs tickled her skin and it took her a moment to finally look up and into the eyes of Kinsley. The younger sister's hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. "Get up, woman," she sang, dashing over to her windows to yank her blinds up to let the hint of light outside into her room. From her spot on the floor Joanna watched with an unamused look.

"What time is it?" Joanna questioned mostly to herself, standing up to peer at her clock to only sigh. It was barely ten o'clock. She pulled her purple and white striped pajama pants up before glaring at the youngest person in the room. "Get your nonexistent ass out of my room, Kins." Hazel eyes met grey before she huffed and whisked her way out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Alone to herself, Joanna tossed her blankets over her bed to make it look decent enough before she slipped out of her room, slipping her hair out and letting her hair that stood just on her shoulders free. Her dark, black locks jiggled slightly as she swiftly made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. The smell of oatmeal hitting her nose harshly. But the smell, to her, was divine. Entering the room, her body growing goosebumps as her bare feet made contact with the white tile floors below her, she let her eyes fall on her mother who was busying herself with a cup of ice tea. However, noticing her daughter, she placed her cup down and greeted her with a soft smile.

"Morning, baby," she said, her voice light like the morning was beginning to produce. "Kinsley just left with her breakfast. Want me to make somethin'?" She gestured towards the kitchen she was perched in.

Joanna rolled her eyes before stating, "I'm twenty, mama. I love the offer since your cooking is everything, but I bet a Poptart or even jelly toast I can make myself." Callie's faced morphed into annoyance before she went on about how her daughter shouldn't be twenty already and how Poptarts weren't a healthy breakfast choice. "Mama, I'll be fine. I know you worry as all moms do, but it'll be fine."