Fingerprints In Lemonade

See You Later (Maybe) In Heaven

Hello, Melly. I love you so much. Mommy's gonna go now.

Shhhh. I know you don't want Mommy to go but Mommy's very sick and she needs to go to a special place to be well again, okay.

When you go back home to Daddy Grey, tell him that Mommy loves him so so so so very much. And give him this letter, Melly. I'm making you in charge of it, okay Melly. If you don't, Mommy will be very very angry with you. And you don't want that, right Melly.

Mommy loves you so so so much, my Melly. Do you know what your name means, Melly?

Hehe, Melly! It doesn't mean watermelon. I mean your real name, Elle. Elle means beautiful in French, my beauty. You are so beautiful, my Melly. Never forget who you are, my Melly. When you remember who you are, the game changes, the entire fucking world changes. Remember that, okay.

I want you to say that you're smart enough, successful enough, talented enough, beautiful enough, pretty enough and good enough.

Just know you are good enough, Melly, you're too good for anyone to take your light and hide it away.

Melly, when you wake up, Mommy will be gone but Aunty Laura and Daddy Greyson will be there for you.

I'm sorry, my love. I'm so sorry that I won't be there for you, Melly. I'm so sorry that Mommy won't be able to see you grow up into a big beautiful woman.

Nchoo, like me? Melly, you're so sweet. I love you so much. I'm so sorry that I won't be there for you in good times and in bad times.

But just remember that I love you. I will always be alive in your heart. Take this, this is a pinky ring that your gran never ever ever took off. I wore it as a necklace that I wore day and night. So this is yours, Melly. Keep it and never forget me, Ellie Melly.

Can I tell you story, my beautiful girl?

When I was in grade school, I remember in the first grade, everyone made fun of me because of my name.

Do you know Mommy's name? Okay, lemme tell you. Mommy's name is Lemonade Cartier-Johnson. But when I was little like you, it was just Lemonade Cartier.

Don't laugh at Mommy, Melly baby. It's not funny. So I was made fun of and my teacher, Ms Goyns, she was nice to me and said that my name was the best name in the class.

The whole class was confused. Why? They asked Ms Goyns. She said it was because we all drink lemonade and we all love it. So everyone began to like me.

Later on, in third grade, people got tired of calling me Lemonade. They said it was too long. Le. Mo. Nade. So they cut my name and called me Lemon.

So I don't want people to change your name. Your name is who you are. I allowed others to alter and change me, my name.

Only Mommy can give you a nickname because it's only me who can see your fire, your future. And it's so bright, my baby girl. I want you to burn really brightly for me.

Ahhhh, look at the time! It's very late now. It's almost sleepytime for Ellie Melly. So you know your way home from here, right?

Now run.

Melly, no matter what you hear, no matter what you feel, no matter what you smell, no matter what you see, you are not allowed to turn back.

I'll watch you. Go. Run. I'm watching. Mommy is watching you, Melly. Elle, Mommy loves you always.

Now run.

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