Jackson looked between the picture Aaliyah handed him and her face. He looked as freaked out as she expected him he would be, as his eyes flickered back and forth between the picture of her grandpa and her face. Finally he spoke.
"What the fu-"
"Shhhh!" Aaliyah hushed as she reached across the kitchen counter to cover his mouth. "Don't! Say anything!" She warned him. "I'm still processing this myself." She pulled her hand back and sat down in her chair again with a sigh. "Listen, there's only one person we can talk to about this," she tells him.
Jackson looks up from the photo once again. "Then let's go," he says.
Aaliyah and Jackson made it to the front steps of her grandmother's house when she rang the doorbell for her to answer. Her grandmother opened the door a few seconds later and smiled at her granddaughter. "Aaliyah! What-" Her grandmother stopped when she noticed Jackson standing next to her, and screamed.
"Grandma, please calm down-"
Her grandmother slammed the door shut in their faces, making her jump back in shock. Both teens looked at each other, confused. Aaliyah knocked on the door again, pressing her face slightly against it so she could talk clearly through the door. "Grandma? It's okay, he's just...my friend," she says hesitantly, looking back up at him before continuing, "his name's Jackson. We're doing a project together about our family history and...we need your help."
Silence.
Aaliyah took a step back and waited a couple more minutes in silence next to Jackson. She looked up at him a couple times and wondered what he was thinking. Despite his initial reaction, he seemed to have been taking this well. But that was just all on the outside.
On the inside, Jackson was freaking out as bad as her grandmother was. He had no idea what the hell was going on and he wanted to get to the bottom on it. There was some sort of legend or myth that there was about seven people in the world that looked like you. He didn't know how much of that applied to the past and/or present but he was almost hoping that was the case and that nothing weird was going on.
"Maybe we should just go," Jackson suggested, making her look up at him.
"What? No!" She objected. "We have to find out what happened! And figure out what's going on!" She protested.
Jackson turned to face her. "Aaliyah, honestly even I️ don't want to know what's going on," he tells her. "Let's just, forget this whole thing happened and just write on your report that your grandfather died during Vietnam."
That was when the door flew opened, catching both of their attention. Her grandmother stood there, and look between them both with sad longing. She doesn't say anything but instead steps aside and gestures for them to come in. They both walk in and take a seat on the couch while she disappears for a moment. Both took a seat on her loveseat while they waited for her grandma to return.
"What do you think she's doing?" Jackson whispered to her.
"I'm not sure..." she shakes her head.
Finally they catch sight of her grandma as she came back with a couple of things in her hands, mostly flat envelopes and things that looked like pictures. Her grandma sat on the couch across from them both and leaned over and placed everything on the coffee table for them to see. Jackson nervously looked over at Aaliyah as she picked up the first couple of photos. The resemblance was crazy uncanny.
"You look so much like him," her grandma finally spoke, catching their attention. "Shorter hair but same eyes, same face," she adds.
Now it was Jackson's turn to speak. "What happened to him?" He curiously asked.
"Jackson," Aaliyah hissed, indicating that he was being insensitive. She then turns towards her grandmother. "Grandma, it's kind of important to us you tell us what happened," she says in a gentler tone. "We just wanna get to the bottom of...whatever this is," she explains.
Her grandmother looks between them. "Back in 1972...Or was it '73? I don't remember, all I know was that it was the 70's," she waves off the details, "I met and fell in love with a boy. But crazy things happened that summer of...'72. I️ think. And we ended up separated. The Vietnam war was still going on and although he managed to avoid the draft because his father was wealthy-"
"Wait, he's rich?" Aaliyah's jaw dropped. "How rich we talking here?"
"That doesn't matter. His family disowned him," her grandma frowned.
"Damn it," she sighs. "Okay, continue."
"Anyways, he couldn't avoid the draft a second time and ended up going to Vietnam. But before that, I️ got pregnant with your mom. He didn't know until the day he shipped out," she tells them. "Now they did allow me to see him for graduation..."
winter of 1972
Jessica squealed in excitement and ran into the arms of her soldier, who picked her up and spun her around in a kiss. "Oh my god," she suddenly exclaims, "put me down! I'm gonna hurl!"
Nathan quickly puts her down and wraps his arm around her to steady her as she puts a hand over her stomach, which was now protruding significantly. He rubbed his nose against hers before pressing another kiss to her lips. "I missed you so much," he whispers, making her tear up.
"I've missed you so much too. More than you know," she starts to cry. "It's these damn hormones!" She starts to sob now. "I️ hate being pregnant!" She exclaims. "And why did they make you cut your hair?!"
Nathan lets out a gentle laugh and pulls her in for a hug, when something between them...moves? He takes a step back while Jessica gasps, her hand moving down to her belly. "The baby's kicking!" She claims excitedly. She takes ahold of Nathan's hair and moves it over to where their baby was kicking. They both look up at each other in happiness, and almost leaned in to kiss again when someone interrupted them.
"Nathan!" Jessica's mother screams in happiness at the sight of her son-in-law. They quickly embrace and her mother catches the looks in their eye and figure something was going on. "What's happening?" She asks.
"The baby kicked for the first time!" Jessica states excitedly, making her mother squeal in delight. "Oh Nate! They know! They know you're here!" She cheers. Nathan smiles and presses a kiss in her forehead before getting down on one knee and kissing her belly.
Present Day
"That was the last time I️ saw him before he shipped out," she says. "We has exchanged a couple letters," She now hands then a couple letters that he sent back. Aaliyah looked up at Jackson before opening the first one, reading its contents.
Dear Jess,
Hey, babe. I️ just got your letter and you don't know how excited I️ was to read it. I️ damn near ripped it in half trying to open the envelope. I'm honestly just so glad to hear from you, I️ honestly can't even be mad at you for not telling me. You have no idea how excited I️ am to have a baby with you off all people. And yes, Andy and Kim are definitely our baby's god parents. Wouldn't trust them with anyone else.
Sadly, I️ can't tell you much about what I'm doing here, much less tell you where I️ am. Just know I'm alive and well and constantly thinking of you.
Love you too,
Nate
Dear Jess,
Is my head honestly that big?
You have no idea how happy I am to hear that you and Fiona are getting along. What I️ hate, is that my parents remain as stubborn as ever. I'm sorry about that. I️ can only hope they come around some day.
And I️ wish I️ was there for you too. It really kills me that I️ can't be there for you. With you. But I️ knowing you have a village to help you, makes me feel a whole lot better. I️ know you're in great care. I️ love you and miss you a lot too. Damn, now I'm starting to cry while I️ write this to you. The guys will definitely call me out on it but I️ don't care.
We'll see each other again. Promise.
Love always,
Nate
Aaliyah opened another one and as soon as she read it, she quickly shut the letter. "Woah," she looks at her grandma, wide eyed in surprise.
Her grandma quickly snatches that letter out of her hands. "Whoops, you weren't supposed to see that one."
Aaliyah hesitatingly opens the next note.
Dear Jess,
I can't say much, because they screen our letters, but just know that I️ love you. Very much. And I️ love our little girl too. Please let her know, every day, that I love her. Whether she realizes it or not, I️ want it to be known.
I️ wanted to make a suggestion, cause this is possibly the last letter I'll write in a long while. But how about Elisa? It was Jimena's mother's name.
I️ know it's weird to name your daughter after your maid's mother. But Jimena was more of a mother to me than my own mother was. Her and her mother worked my family for a long time before I️ was born, and...I️ don't know honey, I️ just thought it would be a good name. You definitely don't have to name her that. Totally your choice, I️ know I️ don't have much say on that.
I️ love you two very much. Send my love to everyone else as well. This will be my last letter for a while. Don't be scared like I️ know will be. I'll be fine.
Love always,
Nate
"Is that it?" Jackson asks. And their grandmother nods silently.
"You took his suggestion," Aaliyah noticed. "Why?"
"Cause it's possibly the only thing from your father your mother has," her grandma opens up. "After that letter, a couple months go by and it was silent. At first I️ did what he told me to do and didn't panic. I️ figured it was fine, and that he was okay. But after not hearing from him for over a year? That's when I️ started to grow antsy," she recalls. "And then the, Marines came knocking on my door and everyone knows when they come knocking...well you can imagine I️ feared the worst."
"Oh. He died?" Jackson said disappointedly.
"I️ ain't say that," her grandmother shook her head, throwing them both in for a loop.
"What?" Aaliyah sounded beyond confused.
Her grandmother cleared her throat before continuing. "He was pronounced "missing in action," She air quoted. "I️ don't know where that man is now. Well, except sitting in front of me apparently," she gives Jackson another once over. But then she lets out a gasp, as if she's suddenly realizing something. "It all makes sense now," she mutters to herself.
"What?" Jackson was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"Nathan and I️ never got a chance to be together. So you two will be the ones to finally complete our happy ending!" Her grandmother now enthusiastically says. "Oh that's why you look so much like me when I️ was younger!" She excitedly pinches Aaliyah's cheeks like she used to do when she was younger.
Both teens look at each other like she was crazy. "What are you talking about grandma?" Aaliyah spat.
"It's like...being reborn," she said.
"You mean, reincarnation?" Jackson corrected.
"Yes! That's it!" Her grandmother points at him.
Aaliyah was speechless. Has she lost her mind? She was five seconds from calling her mother and asking if she was suffering from some form of dementia. "What?! That's not real. We're not even Hindu! We're Christians!" She argued.
Jackson noticed how irritable she was and tried to calm her down. "Aaliyah...maybe she has a point."
Aaliyah looked at him in disbelief. "Seriously? You believe this?"
That's when her grandmother stood up. "I️ see y'all two got a lot to talk about and that's fine. I️ got some snacks in the pantry if you get hungry. Just don't eat my chocolate covered pretzels. That's for when my blood sugar gets too low," she says as she walks out the room. "Imma go take a nap. Don't be too loud now."
Aaliyah scoffs, picks up her bag and walks out the door. Jackson rushes behind her, trying to catch up. "Hold on now, are we not going to talk bout this?"
"What is there to talk about? My grandmother's...still grieving over my grandfather's death and that's all to it. She probably made up this story to rationalize her loss, I️ don't blame her. I'm just upset cause this didn't explain anything," she said as she reached out to open the car door.
"I️ think it explained everything pretty clearly," Jackson spoke from behind her, making her turn around to face him.
"You really believe this reincarnation bullshit?!" She hisses. "Jackson, you're smarter than that."
Jackson sighed. "Just because we can't explain something, doesn't mean-"
"What? That it's not true?" She scoffs off.
Both fall silent for a short while before she speaks up again. "I️ wanna believe this-"
"Then why don't you?"
"Cause it's bullshit!" She snaps.
"Is it cause it's bullshit or is it cause you're scared?" Jackson accused.
"Scared of what?" She asks him.
"That we have something between us!" He admits. "I️ know, and you know it too!" Jackson points accusingly at her.
"What happened to "Don't talk to me, we're just doing a project together?" His change in attitude was giving her whiplash.
"That was before we found out we were married in another life!" He lifts her grandmother's wedding photos in the air to show her.
Aaliyah lets out a huff. "We were not married! That's my grandmother and grandfather. Plus, you're not my grandfather. That'd be...really fucking weird," she shakes her head.
Jackson sighs and looks up before looking back at her. "Think about it Aaliyah," he urged.
Aaliyah thought about it for a moment, and just as she was about to speak again, her phone went off. She looked down at her and saw that her boyfriend was calling her. Jackson noticed as well and rolled his eyes. Giving up, he opened the car door and got in while Aaliyah took the call.
A couple minutes later, she slides in beside him and he drives. They were both silent the entire way back home, not even sure what to make of this entire situation. He drops her off in front of her house and before she shuts the door behind her, she faces him. "I'll see later?" She asks him.
"Yeah...goodnight," he lets her go.
"Goodnight," She says somberly, shutting the door behind her.
When she enters her home, her mom was expectantly waiting for her by the door. "So? How was it?" She asked enthusiastically.
Aaliyah simply hands her mother the photos her grandmother gave her. "His name was Nathan Carter," she tells her, making her mom look up at her. She had so many emotions running through her, the only thing she could do was cry. "He was pronounced MIA during the war. He loved you very much," she tells her before tiredly heading up to her room.
_______________________________
I️ know what y'all thinking.
This shit is DRAGGING.
Well dear not because the moment we're all waiting for...is coming up.
Well not really. There's like two climaxes-
Anyways just know from here on out it's like
"BOOM. Drama. BOOM. Drama. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Draammmaaa!"
Anyways thanks for still reading lmfao holy shit. There's finals going on rn so, yeah.
And yes I️ did shade myself in this chapter 😭😂