Sunday. June 7th. 

My Twitter has been booming lately. Now that I work at Apollo, I’m able to promote their club. I didn’t keep up with the dancing community until October told me to follow her. Before, I would just post my looks and pictures from the club. After October tagged me in a recording of our performance, people were interested in knowing who I was. They’re fascinated by my eyes, always wondering if it hurt or if I could see. I’ve gained five hundred followers within the last week, totaling my count at an even three thousand. 

“You ready?” Willow pops into my doorway. “You can totally take your time.”

“I’m ready.” I put my MacBook aside and stand from the mattress. Grabbing my purse, we leave upstairs. Eloise is on the porch playing puzzles. She smiles at us. “Hello, Eloise.”

“Hello, girls. Where are you heading?” 

I turn and smile. “We’re actually going to see Granny.” 

Her face lights up. “You are? That’s fantastic! Please, tell me how she’s doing when you get back.” 

“I will. See ya, Eloise.” She waves us by as we head to the car. Forty minutes on the freeway, there was traffic near Metro Airport. Heaven Point is a tall, square, and brick building sitting in a spacious neighborhood. Behind is a patch of huge dead grass, we pass by and park in the lot across from the building. Getting out felt eerie, something just seemed off. No, I haven’t seen my granny in a while. From how Axcelis sounded, she may not be doing too good. “Wait in the car.” I tell Willow. 

She frowns. “I wanna see Granny Aimee, too.” 

“I know… but I don’t know her condition. I’ll call you if she’s okay.” 

“Alright. Let me know.” Willow gets back in the Tarus and I break away. Across the desolate street, I go up to the locked doors and buzz my way in. At the receptionist, I ask for, “Aimee Jackson? Is she here?” 

The woman calls for someone. She nods her head and hangs up. “One moment, please.” She raises her hand towards the couch. “Take a seat.” I do, plopping on the cushion and staring at the light blue double doors. She’s locked in here like a prisoner. I take another deep breath and lower my head. 

“Your family really misses you.” The cop said in the front seat. “Especially your Granny.” I don’t dare to look up at the metal bars. No cuffs are on my hands. The seat is comfortable, the officer is nice. I’m not under arrest. “I’m not judging you at all, Neveah. In fact, I believe you’re a victim.” 

I play with my jaw. “I left on my on record.”

“I believe that.” Officer Nial Horn glances in the rearview mirror. “I don’t believe you wanted to stay as long as you did.” My swollen eyes toss out the window. Hope Academy passes by in a blur, we’re close to home. When I don’t respond, he continues, “We’d like to talk to you more about your time in Florida.” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Your granny made a report. We have to investigate.” 

“There’s nothing to investigate. I went there for a tattoo and I had to heal. People go out of town for surgeries all the time.” 

“Not to get their eyes blackened.” He watches for passing traffic as he turns onto Stoefer Street. “That was a very drastic choice on your end.”

“I’ve always wanted it the moment I saw Cobra Luna.”

“Whose that?”

“He’s the creator of the scleral tattoo. That’s what I got. I love his look. One day, I’ll be covered in tattoos.”

“You’ve already got a head start. Do each tattoo have meaning?”

“Some of them do. I got ‘Ability’ written on my throat because I have the ability to do whatever I want. There’s a cross on my heart to remember where I came from.” 

“I think tattoos are cool.” We pass by Reagan’s old house on the corner. Just one more street. “I have a few myself but they’re covered.”

“Awesome.” 

He slows down. “I think your eye tattoo is cool, too.” Finally, I look through the metal at the back of his afro. He stops in front of Granny’s duplex. I fall back in the seat and undo my belt. Officer Horn gets out, coming around to open my door. I hop out and stare up to him. 

“Thank you.” 

“How is your sight?”

“I can see. It’s a little blurry, but it’s getting better by the day.” 

He looks at the house. “Are you ready?”

“No.” I eye the ground. “But they miss me, right?” 

“Yeah, they do.” 

“Let’s go.” I head up the stairs behind Officer Horn. He knocks on the screen door three times and waits. Mom opens the door, staring at me through the screen. 

“What the fuck happened to your eyes?!” She yells. 

“I got a tattoo.” I don’t look away from her. 

“Are you fucking insane?!” She opens the screen door to examine me further. “Mom!” Her hollers bellow through the house. Mom zooms inside, going up the stairs. We follow her in normal speed. Upstairs, Granny is trying to consol Mom, but once she sees me, the light in her eyes diminish. 

“Neveah.” Granny Aimee comes to me. She wraps her arms around me and pats my back. “You’re home.” 

“You’re not mad at me?” I pull away from her. 

Granny stares into my eyes with a sad look. “I’m not happy. Are you?”

I weakly smile. “Very.” 

“No.” Mom shakes her head. Honey comes into the room, running to give me a hug. She stops midway upon seeing my eyes. 

“Woah.” 

“You’re not staying here.” Mom comes to me. “Something is wrong with you.” 

“Isla!” Granny gasps. “She’s finally home.” 

“Look at her, Mom! Her beautiful eyes are ruined.” Her voice cracks. She turns to the officer. “Take her.” 

“I can’t do that.” Officer Horn answers straight. “She’s not a threat to herself.” 

“What about her fucking eyes!”

“It’s not illegal in Michigan to tattoo your eyes.” 

Mom inhales sharply. I do the same, eyeing the wood. Being here feels strange. There’s a dark cloud hanging over me, I can’t see the light that illuminates the room. I turn to the officer, “Maybe I should go to a hospital.” 

He tilts his head. “Why’s that, Neveah?” 

I close my eyes. “Because I went to Florida to end my life.” I open them to Granny. “I’m not stable enough to take care of myself right now.” 

“You we’re trying to commit suicide?”

I face him. “Yes. If the surgery didn’t go well, I would’ve jumped off a bridge or something.” 

“Neveah…” Granny’s jaw was on the floor. 

“If you feel like you need to be baker acted, I can take you to the hospital.” 

I nod my head, not removing my ruined eyes from Granny. “Yeah, I’d like that.” Granny gives me another hug, this one longer than before. I allow her warmth to get rid of the coldness in my body. My fingers gently scratch her back, a smile spreads on my face. Mom stares at me in disbelief, tears fall down her cheeks. Honey is unable to form an opinion, she doesn’t look me in the eyes. We break apart and I tell Granny, “I love you.” 

“I love you, baby girl.” She runs her hand down my cheek. “You’re beautiful, Neveah. I don’t like what you did, but you’re beautiful no matter what you do.” 

I allow a tear to fall. “Thank you.” My hand wipes it away. I turn to Officer Horn, hearing him speak into his radio about a baker act. “I’m ready.” 

“Neveah?” A nurse pops her head through the light blue double doors. She brings her body through as I stand from the couch. “Hi, I’m Nurse Abagail.” We shake hands. 

“I’m just here to see my granny. Is she okay?” 

Abagail opens her mouth, then closes it. “I’m sorry, Neveah. She passed this morning.” 

My eyes widened, body tensing up. “No.” I open my own my, lips starting to shake. “She’s dead?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry you had to find out this way.” 

I take a step back and look anywhere but at her. “I was visiting her for the first time in eight months. We had an argument.” 

“Neveah, I’m so sorry.” 

The tears are heavy in my ducts, they fall in a fury down my hot cheeks. “She’s gone...” I whisper and turn around. Not another word from the nurse nor me, I leave the building in a hurry. I’m near running towards Willow’s car. Inside, I quickly put my seatbelt on, but I pause in place. 

“Everything okay?” Willow asks. 

My hand rubs up my neck. It’s like there’s something crawling inside me. “She’s dead.” I whimper, leaning over almost knocking my head on the dashboard. “She’s fucking dead!” 

“Oh my God.” Willow touches me, but I throw her hand off. I clutch my chest, balling my fists. The pain, it grows inside, building and eating me away. My eyes clamp shut. “I’m…”

“Don’t say anything, plea—” My cries cut off my sentence. I let out a holler, a scream, and a belt from my lungs. My fists hit the dashboard in repeat, over and over until Willow stops me. My hand is red and throbbing, but I don’t care. Some of the tension was released, I’m able to settle down a notch enough to speak. 

“I’m sorry.” The words come out in a gasped breath. “I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay, Vaya.”

“It’s not.” I shake my head and pinch my legs into my chest. “I never got to tell her how sorry I am. Never got to show her how much worth I have. I’m so much more than a stripper, she needs to know that.” 

“She does know that. Your granny loved you.” 

“That’s not enough!” I shout. “I need her to be proud! I’ll never have that from her…” 

“Neveah, she will be able to see you grow.”

“How?!”

“In Heaven. You know that.” 

I choke on my gasps. “I’ll never see her again.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Do you really think I’m going to Heaven?” I look at her. She leans back, taking too long to answer. “Exactly.”

“I don’t know if I’m even going to Heaven. Besides, I thought you didn’t want to go.” 

I stare at the dashboard. “My granny is there. She’s the only one who ever took care of me.” I weakly smile. “Grandpa Johnstone is there too. They’re finally together.” 

“They are. They’re happy together in Heaven.” 

More tears fall. “I want to see them again.” 

“You will.” 

“You’re lying.” 

“I’m not. I feel it in my heart you will see them again.” I glance over. “Maybe, it just takes time.” 

“What does?”

“God?” 

I chuckle lightly. “You’re no help.” 

“I’m sorry.” She grins. “I lost my grandparents when I was a baby. Never knew them to love them, yanno?” 

“Yeah. I know.” I wipe the snot away. “Take me to my… my granny’s. I need to see my family.” 

Willow starts the car. “Do you think they know?” 

“I hope so. I don’t want to be the one to tell them.” It’s a ten minute drive to Granny Aimee’s. The dogs bark in the yard, I pay them no mind. The front door is unlocked, I go inside and stare at the bottom door. A few knocks, my eyes gaze over to Willow. 

Axcelis greets me, it’s the first time I’ve seen him in a while. He’s got more tattoos on his body, so have I. He’s an alpha, bulky just like the stereotype, dark-skinned with short twists, and as tall as the door. Immediately, he tilts his head and asks, “You heard about Granny?”

“Yeah.” He lets us inside. “I went to go visit her and they told me she passed this morning.” I flop on the couch. “Was anyone there when she passed?”

Axcelis’ nod soothes my nerves. “Aunt Faith was there. She’s been the one taking care of her, really. It was her idea to put her in there.” 

“Where is Mom?” 

“Fuck if I know.” He shrugs. 

“Is she…”

“I don’t think so. She’s holding her job at the gas station pretty well. Bills are being paid, there’s food in the fridge. I’d say she’s clean still. I think she just went to clear her mind.”

“What about Honey?” 

“She’s upstairs.” 

I stand up. “I should see her. She’s all alone, isn’t she?”

“I said she’s welcome to come down here.” 

“Right.” I look up and sigh. “How are you doing?”

He licks his lips. “I could be better, to be honest. But, I’ll make it.” 

“We will make it.” I head towards the door with Willow behind me. Upstairs, I call for Honey in the living room. I travel through the dining pass the kitchen to the slim hallway of bedrooms. At the end was mine, Honey’s is the one before. I knock on the door. “Honey?” 

“Yeah?” I open the door. She’s on her bed playing with her phone. The TV is on commercials, her room is neat and everything seems normal. “Hey, Neveah. Hi, Willow.”

“How are you?” I sit on Aaliyah’s old bed. 

“I should be asking you that.” Honey sits up, crossing her legs. 

“You’re more important. You’re here alone, aren’t you?” 

“It’s not so bad. It’s like I own the place.” 

“Honey… I hate that you’re alone.” I lick my lips and look at Willow. “Maybe you should stay with me when I move.” 

“You’re moving?” 

“Yeah. I’m coming back to Detroit.”

“Because of Granny?”

I lower my eyes. “No, another reason. If you want, you can stay with me.” 

Honey perches her lips. “I wouldn’t mind that.” 

“Good.” I smile. “It’s settled than. You can live with me. You still work at Wendy’s, right?”

“Unfortunately.” 

“Can you pay half the rent?” 

“I can try.” 

I nod. “Alright.”

“Thanks, Vaya. It is kinda lonely here…” 

“I understand.”

“If you want, you can stay with us!” Willow perks up. “It’s a little cramped in my apartment, but I’m sure we can figure something out.” 

“It’s fine. I can wait until Vaya moves. I like to have space.” 

Willow nods. “Totally understandable.” 

Honey plays with her hands. “Do you still strip?” 

I pinch my lip into my cheek. “Yeah… Is that okay with you?”

“I don’t care. As long as you’re happy.” 

My eyes gaze out of the window, then to the picture of her, Aaliyah, and I together on the dresser. “I am happy.”