Three generations ago, my grandmother came to Del Sol Valley, trying to make it big as a movie star. I’m the same as she was when she first started now, and from my new home in the desert, it’s hard not to think about what she went through as I embark on my own journey.
Justice Meeks wanted to be an actress. She ended up being one of the biggest stars of her generation, only retiring after her husband died. Some called her a moocher, leeching off of the more famous people around her. Others called her a princess, prone to emotional outbursts on set when people weren’t taking her craft seriously. I never met her—she had children late, and died before I was born. One thing I know for sure, because her daughter, my mother, told me, was that as soon as she got to Del Sol Valley she caught the eye of the famous musician Thorne Bailey.
He had a bad reputation. The paparazzi stalked him wherever he went, and he’d egg them on, vamping for the camera. He was also cheating on his wife, Olivia Moon, with every starlet he could get his hands on. I guess with my grandma, it was different. They ended up going legit, getting married at the Plumbob Pictures Museum. The paparazzi showed up there, too.
Despite his reputation, Thorne was a good husband to Justice. They moved out to Del Sol Valley soon after my mom, Kala, was born, and he stayed in contact with his kid, Orange, though not so much with Orange’s mom, Olivia. They both wanted to stay out of the spotlight while raising my mom, though the paparazzi still dogged Thorne wherever he went. Justice and my mom were very close, and she always encouraged her interest in art. From the way she tells it, their house was always full of music and joy and creativity.
My mom’s family moved back to Del Sol Valley eventually. They missed the city where they met. After my grandparents died, my mom didn’t have it in her heart to leave. My mom is more sentimental than I am, I guess. It’s where she had me, Arabella Meeks, and where she intended for me to stay and raise my own family. I don’t want, to, though. Mom grew up into a famous painter, and it’s hard to see that house full of her work, so full of memories.
That’s why I struck out on my own, leaving my mom’s house and her family fortune behind. She’s still there in that big old house, and calls often. I know she misses me, but I had to do something for myself, somewhere where my family name didn’t follow me around. Right now, I’m a Style Influencer, but my real passion is in archaeology. My parents took me on a trip to Selvadorada when I was a kid, and after we saw the museum and local market, we ended up exploring the jungle. I even found a fossil or two—the kids in my grade school were definitely impressed. That’s how I met Daichi, actually. We were close all throughout our childhood, and into our teens, and well, he’s my boyfriend now. Thing are getting pretty serious, actually. We’re planning our own trip to Selvadorada soon and, well, I think he’s shopping for a ring.
I’m a Young Adult and it feels like the entire world is at the tip of my fingers. All I have to do is reach out there and grab it. Soon I’ll raise another generation of the Meeks family. I can’t wait to see what they get up to.