After nine years of being attached at the hip, Lyric and Prince finally split. Now, on the road to recovery, she learns a new way to view life as Prince is forced to face the music of a song he never wanted to played aloud. Join them as they learn a...
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May 26, 1993 Chicago, Illinois
"The focus isn't on me! The focus should be on the baby!" I laugh, waving off Grandma Coretta's questions.
I had them off my trail for a second but Aaliyah's pregnancy sent me right back to the trenches. I'm screwed.
The women of my family are back to asking things they have no business asking me. When I'll get a man, why I'm single, how come I haven't gone back to Jason. A bunch of silly questions that don't matter. I am content with life. I believe it has finally began to spin again. Jason and I are getting closer by the minute, but I stood on what I said about wanting to be single. He'll always be a dear friend, at the least. All of the music coming for this album is great too. DeVante and I have some crazy things coming. I'm doing well.
Grandma Coretta gives me the evil eye for trying to maneuver around her questions. "You say you thinking about moving to New York?"
"It's just a thought, Granny," I preface before she can get carried away. "New York is really nice. I'll fly you out so you can see it yourself."
"What's in New York that's so special?"
I notice Alexis' smirk from the other side of my grandmother, immediately taking the risk of being slain by the rapiers in my stare. "It's what's in Jersey," she covertly teases. She's reaching for the stars these days. Everyone knows I love New York and have loved it since the first time stint I did on Broadway. It's the second best experience of that year, I'd say, besides going to France to shoot a film.
Aaliyah waves me over to the center of the backyard. "Nelly," she calls. "Can you come help—" Her question is silenced by the distinct laughter of Jerome and Prince, the two slapping palms.
I find it particularly interesting that Prince is here. Dating back to my earliest days of knowing him, he's never been the one to jump at the chance to join in on familial festivities. The times he spent holidays in the presence of my family were rooted in a desperation for a compassionate surrounding as he ran from his life's problems. He wanted peace and he found it in the family he'd developed through a telephone. Aaliyah's wedding was part of his gift to her, something she openly dreamt of after Dez's wedding story was told.
Truth is, I had to drag Prince to his own family functions. Christmas Eve dinner with Mattie and Hayward? I suggested it after one of the many seldom moments he expressed how much he missed his mother. Around that same time period, Thaila was born and Prince wasn't at any of those events. He took a detour to stop and see her once or twice but that's it. His sudden showing up at family events after our amicable distancing looks like a bad case of desperation. Luckily, I know him well enough to know exactly what to do.
Ignore it.
"You're late," I scream to him from where I stand. He laughs as he subtly greets the closest bodies to him before sitting by my grandmother, the place I originally sat. Recognizing it is only Prince, the excitement falls from its peak as I turn my attention back to my sister and her husband. "You were saying, Liyah..." I fold my arms behind my back, awaiting her words.
