Needles are pricking my skin at a breakneck pace, permanently marking my skin with ink. It should hurt, from what I’ve heard, but it really doesn’t. I strain my neck to peer down at the constellation that is slowly forming just a few inches away from the side of my breast. The man holding the tattoo gun, Enis, is sporting a furrowed brow. Absentmindedly, he chews his lower lip as the the gun hums steadily. I lay my head back on the chair and stare at the speckled ceiling, feeling much more relaxed than I had just an hour before. I finally grasp that this tattoo will be the only thing that is completely mine. It is my little secret and one of the few things my parents don’t have control over. The realization brings me a sense of giddiness and adrenaline.

    The peace doesn’t last long. My phone vibrates and rings, startling me. I look at the screen and see my mother’s contact flashing and I begin to panic. I break out in a cold sweat for the second time that day and show Ece my screen.

“What do I do?! Do I answer?” I ask her anxiously.

    Ece quickly turns to Enis, who is looking at the both of us in confusion. She quickly explains that my parents are away for the weekend and expect me to be at work right now, not miles away from home getting a tattoo. He nods in understanding and motions for the other workers to stay silent. The loud rock music stops playing over the speakers and I take a deep breath before picking up the phone.

    “Hi mom.”

    “Aydan, why did it take so long for you to answer? Where are you?”

    “Mom, I’m at work.” I look to the side and see Enis and the other tattoo artists trying not to laugh. “I can’t really talk right now.”

    “I just want to know how you’re doing without us. We’ll be back tomorrow.”

    “I’m fine, really. I have to get back to work. I’ll call you later, okay?”

    I hang up and immediately burst out in laughter. Enis shakes his head and chuckles.

    I turn my head to the left, focusing on Ece’s dark hair, streaked with bright purple. I am lucky to have someone like her, someone so patient and caring, with all the qualities a good friend should have. I beam at her, expressing the gratitude I cannot put into words and she smiles back at me, understanding that this is exactly what I needed.    

    Enis completes my tattoo relatively quickly, and I find that I quite liked the feeling of the needles on my skin. The slight tingling sensation from the needle coupled with the coolness of the air against my exposed skin felt like a light mist on a rainy day. It gave me a sense of peace that I hadn’t felt in months.

    “Do you like it?” Enis asks as he sits up.

    I study the pattern of the constellation that is now set in my skin forever and admire Enis’ handiwork. It’s not a complicated tattoo by any means, but the beauty is in its simplicity. Three stars connected by dotted lines and dots form the Virgo constellation, my zodiac sign. My name, Aydan, literally translates to “from the moon”. When I was a child, the other kids in my class would poke fun at my name, saying that I was an alien from space. I used to feel embarrassed from their teasing, but I know now to be proud of the name my parents gave me, even if our relationship isn’t on the best of terms at the moment. I am Aydan, the girl from the moon, and it seems fitting to have the stars close to my heart.

    “I do,” I reply. “It’s perfect.”