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Mirana enters the bar, her jacket draped over her arm and she spots Aaron waving for her at a booth in the corner.
"Hey!" Mirana smiles as she slides into the seat.
"I got us pitchers of cocktails," Aaron says. "Figured me staying in the corner out of sight works better"
"So, you sounded upset over the phone," Mirana says, sticking two straws into one of the pitchers and pulling it in front of her. "What's up?"
"It's Detective Harper, I know she's your friend but-"
"It's fine," Mirana shakes her head. "Whatever is said to me ira conmigo a mi tumba"
"Okay," Aaron nods. "She told me that tomorrow I should go to Sergeant Grey and quit"
"Why?" Mirana asks. "Did you do something wrong?"
"I worked the front desk the other day," Aaron says. "Nine people asked me if I was a murderer and TMZ showed up"
"I see," Mirana nods, taking a large sip from her drink. "Well, let me ask you this. Do you think your past is going to stop you from doing this job?"
"No," Aaron shakes his head.
"Then ignore Nyla," Mirana shrugs. "If you truly believe you can do this job and be the change you want to see then fuck everything else. People will always have opinions about other people without truly knowing their historia. Don't waste your energy trying to individually change opinions, you need to focus on yourself. Make sure that you don't start believing what they say"
"You sound like you have some experience," Aaron says and Mirana nods, quirking an eyebrow.
"I'm an immigrant with dyslexia who still struggles with her English," Mirana says. "Add on that my father was one of the biggest drug lords in Cuba. Oh, I also had my T.O.'s child and got engaged to my T.O. while still a rookie. People definitely have a lot opinions about me"
"What about your mother?" Aaron asks.
"Dead,"
"Oh sorry," Aaron winces and Mirana shrugs.
"It was a long time ago," Mirana says. "Loss and grief, they stay with you. But it's up to you whether you let it drag you under or you let it ayudarte a levantarte. Take it from me, you let it pull you under it's hard to claw your way back out"
"After your mom died?" Aaron asks and Mirana takes a big mouthful from the pitcher before answering.
"My baby and my best friend in the span of less than two hours," Mirana sighs.
"How are you still on your feet?" Aaron asks.
"I let it consume me," Mirana says. "The pain and the grief. But they're not tangible so I held on to other things. I held onto my anger and now I can't even speak to one of the women who was once one of my closest friends. But I also held on to the hopelessness I felt because I found it makes me better at my job"
