Jayce recognized the man right away but couldn’t remember his name. She stared at the billboard where he was posing for a Burberry ad, starry-eyed.
“Did you know he was also a singer?” Jayce asked.
“Have you ever heard him sing?” her mother replied in a soft and measured voice, like someone trying to overcome a stutter.
“Not yet. He must have signed a bunch of NDAs to protect his art. People know him. He even posted a picture of himself next to The Weekend on Instagram,” Jayce said in a breathy explosion of words.
“Wow. Let me guess. He is also a wellness advocate promoting his healthy lifestyle and posting reels of himself at the gym?” her mother asked in a voice that could cut glass.
Jayce nodded, but it took her a moment to find her voice. “Yes, how did you know? Isn’t he amazing? Doesn’t his face remind you of a mix between—”
“—Justin Bieber and a BTS singer?” her mother interrupted belligerently.
Jayce made a muffled squeak. She started speaking in a hoarse whisper. “I sent him money for his Kickstarter campaign. A third of my savings for his new solo album. He is going to credit me as an executive producer, and we might even meet.”
Her mother swallowed a string of profanities. Anger crept into her voice. “Honey, please, tell me you’re joking!” her mother hollered.
“Why are you making such a big deal out of this? It’s my money; I can do whatever I want with it,” Jayce said in a tone that walked the line between bitterness and incredulity.
“His name is Liam Nikuro!” her mother roared.
The name tasted like a mouthful of food gone bad. Jayce sounded confused. “So you do know him?” she asked in a cracked voice.
“I designed him. He is a virtual influencer,” she said in a tone that could have frozen peas.
It was the day Jayce and her mother became strangers to each other.
Grey Sparrow Journal 