~Michael's POV

"Chop it all off!" I say, gesturing around my hair. "Wait. Not all of it.. Just make it short." I recanted.  I was focused on changing my image, making a new name for myself. After that whole child molestation case, I wanted out with the old and in with the new.

"Are you sure?" Karen asks, "you haven't had short hair since your twenties... This is a big change."

"Less talking, more snipping before I change my mind." I chuckle. Karen began cutting and cutting, I started getting nervous as I saw long pieces of hair fall to the floor. But, there was no turning back now. "Rayne and Camille are gonna be surprised. I can just see her face now. 'Oh my god Michael. Your hair.." I mocked Rayne's voice.

"Alright, I'm just about done Mike." Karen says flashing a mirror in front of me. I ran my fingers through my freshly cut hair.

"I like it. I look kind of different. I feel different too!" I smile. I thanked Karen and headed back home to show my girls the new look. I'm so interested to see how Rayne will react.

***

"Daddy? You look different!" Camille yells, as I walk inside my living room.

"Shh, where's mommy?" I ask, my finger placed over my mouth. She points upstairs. "Wanna come surprise mommy with me?" I ask. She nods with a giggle as I pick her up and toss her over my back.

I walk in on her in Camille's room putting away her clothes. "Boo!" Camille giggles.

"You think I couldn't hear little giggles coming from around the corner?" She laughs before spotting the difference in my hair. "Michael." She gasps, "your hair... I can't believe you cut it."

"You like it?" I grin.

She pauses, "it'll take some getting used to. It's different." She runs her fingers through it.

"I like it daddy!" Camille blurts in my ear, reminding me why I haven't carried her on my back since she's learned how to form sentences.

"I like it too Millie." I wince

"What caused this.. Compulsive decision?" Rayne asked, her arms crossed and her brows furrowed.

"It actually wasn't compulsive." I chuckle, placing Camille on the floor. "I've been thinking of it for a while. I finally gave in. This will give me my new image that I've been wanting. I'm going back in the studio starting tomorrow. I owe the label an album."

"Oh.. Did it have to be your hair?" Rayne asks, I couldn't help but laugh, she's been obsessed with my hair since we were kids.

"You hate it?" I ask.

"No.. I've just gotta get used to it." She says pushing out a smile through her tightened lips.

I shake my head and grin, pecking her lips causing her to giggle. Of course we were interrupted by our daughter, grossed out by her parents kissing in front of her.

***

The next morning was the first morning for me to go back to the studio. I know it won't be too hard because I only owed a greatest hits album with a few new songs on it. So I didn't have to do much. It was a perfect start to a come back album.

I wrote down all of the different songs I've sang over the years debating which songs I wanna put on the album. "There's so much to go through." I groan. My list grows shorter and shorter as I continue my process of elimination, keeping my basics. "Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller" I mumble. I grab my lyric book and look into new songs, trying to figure out how I'd arrange the instrumental.

"Sorry to interrupt, I brought you some tea. You woke up pretty early." I hear Rayne's early morning voice behind me with a yawn.

"Thank you." I smile, sitting it on the small speaker box.

Rayne wraps her robe tighter around her and sits in the chair next to me. "So how's it going? Anything?" She asks, leaning her bed head on my shoulder.

"Not really. I'm having trouble matching the music with my words." I sigh. "It's been 3 hours and nothing."

"I'm sure you'll have something by the end of the day." She looks at the board lit up with buttons and lights. "So in all the time we've been together, you have never tried to teach me how any of this stuff works."

"It's hard to explain. Plus you never asked." I shrug. "I'll show you." I assure. I play an old track I had saved from when I recorded dangerous called "She Got It"

"Ok my voice was a little shaky so don't judge." I explain. I pointed out the different buttons and knobs, showing her what each button does. After a while she gave up trying to understand. I'm not the best teacher, so I'm pretty sure she was confused.

"Well. I'll leave you to your work. I'm sure Camille is awake and probably destroyed the kitchen trying to make herself a bowl of cereal." She sighs heading towards the door.

"If she did, come get me. I'll clean it. I know you're exhausted." I smile. She nods before closing the door behind her.

I continued to work on the music.

***

~Rayne's POV

While Michael worked, Camille and I cleaned her mess that I knew she made in the kitchen. Afterwards she and I sat in the living room watching her favorite cartoons. My life has become just this, ever since she's been born. But I couldn't care less. I could hold her in my lap forever.

"Buggy, are you ready to start school? You'll be going in a few months." I ask.

She curls into my lap, "no." She whines.

I frown, "well why not? It's gonna be a lot of fun."

"I wanna stay with you and daddy. Aren't you guys gonna miss me?" She looks up at me with those big, almost lavender colored, eyes.

"Aww, well of course we are! But it will only be a few hours a day! And you'll be having so much fun you won't even miss us." I pinch her cheek.

"I don't wanna go." She folds her arms.

"Maybe we'll talk to daddy about it a little later ok?" I check the time, "but we need to get you ready, you have a doctors appointment today."

She hated the doctors, and she was gonna hate it more today. Today was the day of her shots.

***

We head into her private doctors office and walked towards the back.

"Camille, you are getting so tall! How old are you now?" Dr. Kelly enthuses.

"Five." Camille grumbles. Her eyes shifting to the side.

"She's not in a good mood today. She found out she has to start school soon." I explain, placing her on the table.

"School is going to be so much fun! You don't wanna go?" Dr. Kelly says, preparing Camille's arm for her first shot. Camille shakes her head. I watched as her eyes shifted from the needle on the table to Dr. Kelly.

"Wanna hold mommy's hand Camille?" I say, my hand outreached toward her. She grabs on to it, Watching Dr. Kelly very closely.

"Is it gonna hurt??" She asks, a small hint of fear in her voice.

"Only a little bit." I admit.

"It's like a little baby bee sting. Stay still ok?" Dr Kelly instructs. As soon as she pierced the needle in her arm, Camille's tears flowed. She practically crawled on my lap, holding on to me tightly. I rub her back sweetly "it's ok baby." I wipe her tears. I sigh, knowing that we had to do one more.

"No." She whines, burying her wet face into my neck. Dr. Kelly holds up a small lollipop, "after I finish you can have this candy ok?"

"No, it hurts. I want mommy." She whines grasping tighter. "I'll buy you a new toy." I bribe. "I promise this is the last one." I sit her on the table again.

She didn't cry as hard as the first time. I think it was more because she didn't wanna do it. She knew this time it was gonna hurt. Dr. Kelly hands her the candy.

"You did good Camille." She smiles. She places two pink band aids on her two incisions. "She's all set for school, you can show them the paperwork showing she has all her shots and she can start right on time." Dr, Kelly smiles, handing me the paperwork.

***

We walk back inside the house, Camille holding her new toy and half eaten lollipop. Michael was cleaning the living room as we walked in.

"Daddy, I got a new toy!" Camille smiles, holding her stuffed puppy up for him to see

"Oh that's so cool. It's nice." He smiles. She grins, "I'm gonna go show it my room!"

He watches her run upstairs, "what's with the band aids?" He asks.

"Doctors appointment. Remember? She had to get the rest of her shots to start school this year." I respond.

He nods, "have you talked to her about that yet?"

"Yes. And she is not happy." I slouch onto the sofa. "I actually want you to talk to her. She might take it better from you."

"Ok. I'll do it now." He stands to go upstairs and I follow.

We walk in on Camille tucking her new toy into a makeshift bed next to hers. "This is where you'll sleep." She says.

"Hey Millie, let's talk for a second." Michael interrupts. He sits on the bed, sitting her on his lap as I stand at the door. "Why don't you wanna go to school?" He asked.

"I don't want to leave you and mommy. I'll miss you." She says twiddling her fingers.

"But we'll always be here when you get back. Besides, do you know why we want you to go to school?" He asked. She shook her head. "Because we want you to be smart."

"But I am smart. You told me I was smart."

"You are very smart. But school is going to make you smarter. Plus, you're going to meet other smart kids your age." He grins.

"I don't wanna be smarter." She pouts.

"Of course you do! You're gonna learn a bunch of new things. You could teach me and mommy some stuff. Don't you wanna do something new?" He asked.

She leaned her head on his chest, "do you do new stuff daddy?"

"All the time! Remember when I cut my hair? I was so nervous, but I tried something new and guess what?.. I liked it. You're going to like school, I promise." He grins. "Will you at least try it? And if you don't like it, we'll take you out?" He says causing me to frown, mouthing the word "what?"

He reassured me with a slight head shake.

"Ok.." She submits.

He pecks her forehead and puts her back on the floor, leaving her to play with her toys.

"You know she's gonna hold you to that." I say.

"I know. But she's gonna like it. Kindergarten is too easy not to like. Finger painting and naps? Sounds like the life for me." He scoffs.