"Wherever your soul was before, mine was there too." - Hira
He's Jackson. But he's also:
Daniel.
Theodore.
Nathan.
Nicholas.
Zachary.
She's Aaliyah. But she's also:
Grace.
Kathryn.
Jessica.
Amaya.
Eve.
It's the same story every time. They meet, they...
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"Do you ever think about how differently your life would've went if grandpa didn't go off to fight in Vietnam?"
"Only in quiet moments like these," Jessica answers her granddaughter.
"What do you think could've happened?" Aaliyah wondered.
Jessica sighed and looked at her. "Come here mini-me," she joked, making Aaliyah smile as she moved across the living room to sit to her. Her grandmother took her hands into hers and looked at her. "What is this about?" She asked.
"My...friend, the-"
"...one that looks like Nathan?" She asked. Aaliyah nodded. "What happened child?"
"It's a long story but, in the end, he lied to me. And I️ just don't know if I️ could be with someone who lies to me. Not again grandma," she shakes her head.
Jessica strokes her hair lightly. "Don't cry. We all have our fair share of bad relationships," she tells her. "Everything bad that happens to us is just a lesson in what not to do, okay?"
Aaliyah nodded her head. "I️ don't know what to do anymore," she whispers.
"You want my advice?" Her grandmother asks. Aaliyah nods her head. "My advice is...follow your heart," she says.
Aaliyah rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Jesus grandma, I️ could've just watched an episode of Riverdale for advice like that," she says.
"Don't sass your grandma child," she scolds. "Now I'm serious. The only person that can do right by you, is you. Now I️ could tell you everything under the moon. I️ could tell you to forgive him, I️ could tell you to forget that sucker and quit men forever, I️ could tell you it's time to give the ladies a chance, I️ could tell you to tell that boy to go to hell," her grandma listed out. "But in reality, we both know you're not gonna do a thing I️ say. So, I'm not gonna waste my breath," she shrugged.
Aaliyah groaned. "You gotta give me something-"
"Alright, fine," she huffed. "I'll answer your little question from earlier. You wanna know what would've happened if your grandpa stuck around?" She said, making Aaliyah nod. "Fine. You know what would've happened? Your grandfather would've done twenty-five to life, with a possibility of parole may I add, in prison for murdering a drug dealer," her grandmother revealed, making her eyes widen.
"Grandpa...killed someone?" She gasped. God, is every version of Jackson capable of homicide?
"It's a very long story," her grandma waved off.
"What happened?" Aaliyah wondered.
"I️ was what the men back in the day called "a fine thing"-"
