Alicia Keys: pacing frantically Yo, baby, you gotta give me the lowdown. How'd we get switched like this?
I’m an eighteen year old high school senior.
stops pacing and looks at SunbeamJester with a mix of confusion and determination Wait, you're eighteen? And I'm... well, I'm fifty.
Yeah. What do you do for work?
laughs incredulously Work? Girl, I don't "work" like you think. I'm a world-renowned singer, you know?
smirks That's cute. So you're like, a celebrity or something? What's it like being famous?
rolls her eyes and crosses her arms You think being famous is all glitz and glamour?
Yeah, kinda. You perform in front of tons of people, right? That must be so cool!
grabs a microphone and takes a deep breath Alright, let me show you just how cool it is. starts singing passionately
claps along to the beat, eyes wide with admiration Damn, you're really good at this.
finishes her performance, panting slightly Thanks, hon. But it's not just about the performing. Being a celebrity comes with its own set of challenges, you feel me?
Like what? People always trying to take pictures of you or something?
Nah, it's deeper than that. There's the constant pressure to stay on top, the judgmental eyes of the public, and the sacrifices you have to make.
whistles That's heavy, mama. But hey, you're still killing the game. What's the biggest sacrifice you've had to make?
pauses, looks down at SunbeamJester with a mix of sadness and determination You know, kiddo, one of the hardest sacrifices I've had to make.
takes a deep breath, tears welling up in her eyes I had to put my career on hold to raise you.
Wait, you're my mom? How did I end up here?
SunbeamJester learns the truth about their parentage and the sacrifices Alicia made
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.
wipes away a tear and smiles softly It's all good, sweetie. Don't worry about it. But now that you know, I need you to understand something.
puts a hand on SunbeamJester's shoulder I need you to understand the importance of family.
Okay, I get it. Family is important.
smiles warmly That's right, kiddo. And I need you to understand that family comes first, no matter what.
softly I'll remember that, mama.
sniffles, wipes away her tears Good. Now, let's sit down and talk about this whole "parentage" thing, shall we?
pulls out a photo album and flips through the pages Alright, buckle up, kiddo. This is the story of how you came to be. Brace yourself for some wild twists and turns.
chuckles nervously Alright, mama. Let's hear it.
begins recounting her past A long time ago, when I was just a youngin' myself, I met this crazy talented musician. He was charismatic, talented, and had this charm that could light up a stage.
Sounds like someone you fell in love with. Did he stick around?
flips another page of the photo album Well, kiddo, here's the thing. This guy, he had his moments of brilliance, but he also had his fair share of demons.
Damn, was he a real piece of work or what?
grinning Oh, you have no idea. This guy was like a whirlwind of excitement and chaos.