Chapter 57

"Focus Michael," I smile as he snaps out of his dancing reverie. He's listening to a demo he's made for his pending album.

It's sounds great, but we've been brainstorming baby names!

I sigh dreamily. He looks so cute while dancing.

He skips over to my chair in the studio and elevates my healing leg. It's been changed to a mobile cast (leg boot), same with my arm.

Ah, these two months back at Neverland have refreshed my soul. My man treats me so well.

He smiles at me. "Sorry sweetheart. Okay, I'm listening, what did you say? Brian?"

I shake my head. "No, Benjamin Michael Jackson. That's cute, isn't it?"

He taps his chin in thought. "It is, but let's think of more. What about August?"

"That's special, it's your birthday month... what would his middle name then be? Isaac?"

"August Isaac Jackson," I roll it off my tongue. "I like that one."

Michael puffs out his chest in pride and I smirk.

"We ain't done here boy," I giggle.

"I know," he gives me a boyish grin, "but you liked my suggestion."

"That I did. Okay, first names that come to you, throw them out, first and middle. We'll bounce them off of each other."

"Sounds like a plan, I'll start. Daniel James."

"Daryl Josh."

"Jeremiah Justin."

We keep doing this until we run out of ideas.

"Baby, my mind keeps going back to August. I just don't like the Isaac with it."

He nods, glancing up at the ceiling in thought.

"August Daryl Jackson." He snaps his fingers, coming up with, what I think, the perfect name.

"Bingo!" I point at him and he smiles while rubbing my leg.

"I can picture him now. He's gonna look just like you."

Michael pouts before leaning over to kiss me.

"I want him to look like my future wife." Wife. My heart sped up when he said that.

And boy, I would not mind being that.

"Sweetheart?"

"Oh, yeah?" I ask with a soft smile, just an inch away from his lips.

"All we've thought about are boy names. We haven't thought about girl names," he says.

"You're right," I reply and adjust my seating on the chair.

"Do you want a girl?" He questions

curiously.

"Well, I thought I did."

"What do you mean?"

"When my pregnancy had just begun, I didn't want a boy for... some reasons. I only wanted a girl. But somebody told me that I should be grateful with whatever the heavens give us."

"As long as it's with you. We'll be having a precious young Jackson, girl or boy."

"Right you are. Now, time to start in girl names?"

"Okay, let's see. Ariel? Olive? Adeline? Brenna?"

"Whoa, slow down baby, one at a time!"

He blushes lightly. "Sorrrry," he drawls. "If you somehow haven't noticed, I'm really excited about this."

It's true. Michael has really expressed his excitement.

"I mean, look! I got you these. The Baby Book, the Dos and Dont's of Pregnancy.." He grabs a stack of books from the ground next to us. All pregnancy and baby books.

"Goodness, Michael. That's a bible!"

He blushes again, looking at How to Be A Good Husband to Your Pregnant Wife.

I feel a little light-headed. He got that book, and we're not even married.

My conscience rolls her eyes at my thought. You might as well be married, after all you've been through with him.

But, when is it gonna happen? I glance at him, and he's skimming through the book with genuine interest. Aww!

I still haven't started showing yet, although my stomach isn't flat anymore, it's getting pudgy. Just wait until I can't see my toes.

Closing the book suddenly, Michael glances up at me. "You know what I want to do?"

"What?"

"Let's make a nursery for our child!"

I frown slightly. "Don't you think that it's too soon? Maybe we should wait until we know the gender of the baby."

He makes an indecisive face. "How long until we find out?"

"Three months more, approximately." I answer.

He groans and hangs his head. "That's way too long. I want to start now."

"But baby..."

"Come on, it'll be fun! Let's get your cute pregnant behind out! Come on!" He pulls me up to my feet, still supporting me, as I stand with the boot strapped on my leg.

"You call me cute now. When I start to show, you won't even want to touch me." I pout.

He kisses me sweetly. "Nonsense. You're irresistible and you always will be, pregnant or not," He assures me.

"We'll see about that." I mutter.

"Ready to go?"

I shrug on my outer jacket after putting on my sweater.

"We haven't come up with girl names, yet," I remind him.

"Don't worry," he says, buttoning up his shirt again, "we'll do that on the way."

Michael carries me down the stairs and sets me down, letting me walk, slightly unsteady, to the door.

"James!" He calls.

"Yes, Mike?" James emerges from the library.

"Can you drive us to Giggle?"

James smiles. "Baby plans?"

"Uh huh. Michael's excited, to say the very least."

"Don't blame him at all ma'am. Your driver, at your service."

With that, he leads us outside, Michael and I walking (me, hobbling) hand in hand.

--

Tatiana's POV

"Yeah, I 'apologized' to them." I say, rolling my eyes.

"Good. They took it? The believed you?"

"Yes, they looked like they did. I made it so heartfelt, even Michael took it. Well, I'm pretty sure he did. Like, 80 percent sure. I don't know if he knows about my deceitful ways." I smile, flipping my hair over my shoulder.

"He'll find out, in time. Because it looks like he and Alondra won't be breaking apart in a long time."

"She's pregnant." I roll my eyes a second time.

"What?!"

"Yeah, she's pregnant," I state again. "How do you think I feel? Michael was supposed to get me pregnant, not some homeless chick."

"Forget that! He doesn't even deserve her, let alone start a family with her," he says.

"And you deserve that?" I quiz.

The line is silent.

"Do everything to break them apart. I don't want them together," he snaps before hanging up the phone with force.

I sigh and put the phone down. "You and me both."

--

Alondra's POV

"Baby, Michael look! Isn't this cute?" I hold up the green paint palette. It ranges from light-yellow green to forest green. "I like the one in the middle."

Michael saunters over in the aisle to me, and when he gets close he scrunches his nose. "Green?"

"Yeah? What's wrong with it?"

"We could be having a girl too, my love."

"I know that. Girls like green too, right?"

"Well yes. But I was thinking this." He holds up two palettes, blue and yellow.

My eyes widen at the soft colors and their perfect correspondence. "Michael. That would be absolutely beautiful. I can picture it now."

"Really? I'm so happy I'm pleasing you, and myself," his replies while kissing my temple lightly.

I smile as Michael grabs five buckets of paint for each shade, placing them in the shopping cart along with some other cute nursery decorations we found.

"Can't wait to paint the nursery." I say as we walk to another aisle.

Michael smirks. "I'm not letting you paint it. You're not doing anything. You're pregnant, honey. You're not doing any work."

"But why not? I want to Michael."

He answers as he looks at the cribs. "I don't care. And why not? Because I said so."

I frown at his sudden change in mood? What's up with him?

"Michael, why are you being-"

Right in the middle of my sentence, he takes my hand and starts walking to the exit. "We need to go."

"Now? We were just looking at cribs!" I exclaim with confusion.

"And now we're leaving." He calls James to take care of checkout while we walk to the car.

"What is going on with you Michael?" I ask. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need something back at home," He says.

I scoff. "You need something? Can't it wait?"

"No!" Michael snaps on me. Then he sighs. "No, it can't wait. We have to go now."

Stopping all thoughts of protest, I enter the car with Michael's help and James comes to drive us back to Neverland not long after.

That shocked me. What was the rush?

--

Chapter 57

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~Joy ✌️