Her Hamartia

Prologue

If you love somebody, let them go.

"If someone can walk away from you, let them walk."

Jalissa was heartbroken, with almost no time to second guess herself she went to the first person that came to mind. In the depths of heartbreak, without a moment for self-doubt. Seeking solace, she turned to the woman with bright eyes and the human embodiment of all things maternal and encouraging, her Nana. This person, always available for Jalissa to pour her heart out to, had just witnessed its shattering.

"Hey," Jalissa's Nana paused as she heard her precious granddaughter's sniffle on the other end of the phone. "Boys, love, relationships, they come-they go and that's okay."

"But Nana, I love him. Like I really, really, love him. He said-" Jalissa was cut off abruptly by a sob that trapped her thought in her throat. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried so intensely. If she had even felt capable of breaking apart like this before. No. She hadn't. The feelings that were overtaking her now had begun rising above sea level over the past few months. When her boyfriend had- Ex-boyfriend, Aaron had grown distant.

She had known deep down what was coming for a while now, unfortunately. Knowing and having to face the man she loved as he told her she wasn't worth waiting for; were two completely different painful battles. Jalissa had spoken to her Nana about the space that only seemed to go larger between the pair both literally and mentally, several times since the fall semester started. Jalissa knew her Nana, her compassionate grandmother, always sought to offer comforting words, wanting the best for both of them.

Unknowingly, Jalissa paced and neared hyperventilation."He said he wasn't 'feeling it' anymore, and tried to justify it by reminding me that he never wanted to do long distance, to begin with, but the plan was for him to transfer to KSU in the spring. Suddenly, he doesn't want that. More precisely, he doesn't want me." Uncertain whether she was on the verge of more tears, Jalissa felt an overwhelming urge to release her frustration. "If I would have known we couldn't do long-distance work, or that he wasn't interested in moving to Kentucky then I would have stayed closer to home!"

That sentence seemed to call for an immediate response as her Nana cut in on the beginnings of her rant to say, "Wait, hold on now. You love Kentucky! I know this is hard, but the way your face brightened up when you stepped foot on that campus—I'm old enough to tell you it's rare to find places that can make you as happy, if not happier, than being home. Would you really have given up this new chapter if you knew what might happen?" She posed the question with a hint of distress.

Jalissa hesitated, aware of the answer, and reluctant to admit it aloud to her Abuela, a woman she admired for her strength. The two differed in their views on relationships, Jalissa having idealized the loving marriage between her parents while her Nana navigated a modern life partnership with her grandfather. Despite these differences, Jalissa had always looked up to her grandmother, unintentionally mirroring her choices in life. She was opinionated, caring, kind, hard-working, and creative.

Everyone in their family knew just how much Jalissa wanted to be like the older woman, even unintentionally. From studying the same degree in university, developing similar hobbies, and sharing common mindsets. Jalissa felt almost small in comparison though she knew it had nothing to do with her Nana causing her to feel that way.

The silence was loud as her Nana seemed to find her answer within it. "Don't let anyone make you feel bad for a second, ever, for choosing yourself. This upcoming chapter in your life is the best time to explore. Find out who Jalissa Ross is and fall in love with, her. Cherish and nurture, her. And I promise, you won't regret it."

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