Legacies Crossing

Chapter 1: Are You Ready?

"Wow. You look just like your mother, Zani." She said to me, her eyes watery and her smile beginning to slip into a slight frown. I knew that if I held eye contact with her for even a second too long, I'd start bawling. I pretended that I wasn't finished getting ready for my dreadful departure, touching up my seemingly perfect 'messy' bun for the fourth time.

I was fully packed, but I had to make sure I didn't forget anything. If I didn't, my obsessive thoughts would pester me for hours. I glanced around my bathroom a few times and mentally checked off the things I remembered stuffing in my suitcase. Seconds later, my ears perked up at the sound of a suppressed sniffle.

"Nana, please, I'll cry too." I coaxed, as I rustled through a few of my dresser drawers.

I've lived with my grandparents all my life, and now I was heading off to a school on the other side of the world. I know this experience will bring many opportunities, all of which are unknown. And that made me greatly anxious. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't spamming positive affirmations both mentally and aloud in front of the mirror before my nana came in.

"Z." She stopped me and gestured for me to sit beside her on the edge of my bed. I could feel myself losing the battle to hold back tears, and I can count the times I've won on a single hand. So, according to probability, I was bound to fail. She took my hands in hers and turned to face me. "She'd be so proud of you, sweetheart. I'm—so proud of you." She expressed, crying.
I lost. The tears commenced, streaming down my cheeks. She brought her hands up and wiped my tears with her thumbs.

One conversation, just one. I yearned for any explanation from my parents. Why did they leave? Were they forced? Was there a supernatural law they couldn't afford to break? Or did they simply not care about me? I asked myself these questions time and time again. My grandparents never directly addressed the conundrums of my upbringing.
My grandparents always spoke using quotes with little to no explanation. Most of the time, I didn't quite grasp what they meant or why they were telling me these stupid sayings. While it was annoying at times, I knew it was never merely chatter.

"Ain't nothing new under the sun." - Grandpa

"Salt and sugar look the same." - Nana

"A lie don't care who tell it." - Grandpa

"A leopard never changes its spots." - Nana

"What's done in the dark will come to light."

They also never repeated themselves. If an adage were voiced, I simply hoped I heard properly.

I reached to wipe her rain with my thumbs, as she did mine; we grinned at each other with flooded, puffy eyes before breaking into much-needed laughter.

"I'm going to miss you so much." I sobbed, my lungs spasming uncontrollably.

"Girl, I'll be one hologram call away. No need to miss me; I'm right here. I'll always be here." She wrapped her right arm around my shoulder, rested her hand on my head, and left a kiss on the side of my forehead. My head naturally fell onto her shoulder, and that very moment, every worry I had withered away.

"And I'll be here, too, baby," Grandpa blurted, leaning against the entryway.

He waltzed over and filled the remaining space. Inhaling and exhaling deeply before uttering, "Every step of the way," he paused, gaze bouncing back and forth. "Now stop y'all crying before the waterworks get me too—crying like we moved her in already."