sorry it took so long for an update. finals have been kicking by butt lately! shout out to my best girls Lauren and Becca! much love muah!! this chapter is dedicated to u two! :)
Two Hearts. One Dream Ch. 22
"Neveah Michelle Jackson," I whispered as I stared at my big belly in the mirror. I was now 6 months pregnant and I felt as big as ever. I held my shirt up and turned all different ways. I liked the way I looked for once. I remembered when I was pregnant with Will, I felt horrible. Mostly because Brian made me feel that way by calling me fat all the time. This time was different. I had a man whose love for me was genuine.
I smiled and walked to the kitchen. Michael got up early this morning and began work on a new album in the studio. I stretched and greeted Kai.
"Hey, Lola. How are you feeling today?" she asked sweetly.
"Pretty good thank you. How are you?"
"I'm good, but I'm not pregnant," she giggled. "No need to worry about me."
I shrugged. "Old habits die hard I suppose."
I heard a man behind me clear his throat and I turned to see Joseph standing in the doorway leading to the back patio. He had his hands linked in front of him and he nodded his head towards the patio. I eyed him and slowly moved over to him.
"Lola...might I have a word with you?" he asked nicely.
"Uh, sure." I hesitated and watched him closely.
"Come take a walk with me," he walked outside and I looked back at Kai with a confused look on my face. She shrugged and I shrugged back.
"Would you..."
"Yea, I'll tell Michael where you are when he comes out here," she answered before I finished my sentence.
I nodded. "Thank you." I walked out following Joseph. I kept my hands in my pockets trying not to let him see that I was actually nervous. "What's on your mind?" I asked.
"Alot. First, let me give you something," he said. He pulled open his jacket and pulled out a small envelope and handed it to me. I eyed it and then slowly took it.
"What is it?"
"You'll see in a minute. Consider this a small gift from me, as an apology," he said in a light voice. I looked at his eyes and was suprised to see he was actually serious.
"Apology for what?" I asked.
"The way I've been acting toward you and my son. I wish I could explain myself. I've never been good with words, but there's no excuse for the way I treated you when you first came here." I slid his hands into his pockets and we walked around the amusement park and then to the zoo.
"You don't have to apologize..."
"Yes, I do. Please, let me finish..." I nodded and he took a deep breath. "The best way I can try to explain the way I acted was because of Lisa and what she did to my son. Technically I had a problem with young girls since my boys became popular. I acted this way when these girls came along and the boys became too distracted with relationships and they just couldn't perform as good. I was lucky that Michael wasn't into relationships. The girls chased him alot, but he stayed focused. When Lisa came, she was far worse than I ever saw in any other girls that my other boys dated. She cheated, lied, and manipulated Michael, and he was so sensitive to her, he didn't even see it coming."
I gritted my teeth at that. Lisa always seemed like a gentle spirit like her father was. I guess I was very wrong about that.
"He was pretty torn up after she left. I'm not suprised she tried to ruin your wedding day, either. I'm sure you haven't heard the last of her," he looked away and snorted.
"What do you mean? Michael kicked her out and banned her from the ranch."
"She's an extremely jealous person. She just wants to have him, not to have him, but to keep him from having someone else. She'll do anything to be in the spotlight. Anyway, I just want to apologize, Lola. After watching you for the longest time, I learned your heart is just as good and pure as my son's, and I'm proud to have you in this family." I took in a breath as he reached out and hugged me. I hesitated and then relaxed into him and hugged him back.
"Thank you, Joseph." I whispered.
"You can call me father, you know," I winced and he backed away. "Too soon? I'm sorry. When you're ready," I smiled and looked at my feet. He sounded just like Katie. "Are you gonna open that?" he asked. I looked down at the envelope and grinned.
"I guess I forgot," I giggled and he smiled and watched me open it. It was a certificate for a free 3D ultrasound at the best image center in town. "Oh, wow. How did you...? These are so expensive, Joseph. I...uh..." I stuttered and he laughed.
"You and my son deserve it. Get some good pictures for the family now. I'm ready to meet my granddaughter," he smiled and winked. I hugged him again and he kissed my cheek and walked away. I stood frozen in the same spot for a few minutes. Michael walked out in time to see me hug Joseph and then he watched his dad kiss my cheek and smile.
"What was all that about?" he asked as he walked up behind me. I smiled and handed him the certificate. Michael read it and his eyes grew wide. "My father did this?"
I nodded. "For us."
"Why?" he asked. "Not that I'm not happy, but I'm just...wow. I don't get it."
I smiled. "He's only human, dear. He did it as an apology type deal. He apologized for being so mean to me before and he said he understands us now."
Michael smiled and hugged me. "This means alot to me. He's never accepted anyone into the family like this. He's accepted my brothers' wives eventually, but it took a few years. I'm just so shocked. I always saw him as a racist who'd never accept anyone else."
I shrugged. "People change. Maybe he finally saw the man in the mirror," I winked and he rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, that was good! Don't give me that look!" I defended myself and he laughed and patted my head.
"It was good, silly. Let's go get this ultrasound tomorrow, you want to?" he asked excitedly. I nodded and we walked back into the house.
The next day at the image center, we had several pictures done. Michael stood close to the screen and held my hand. This fascinated him more than it did me. My emotions were just extremely high.
"So, have you picked out names yet?" the lady asked as she snapped pictures on the screen.
"Mhm, Neveah Michelle Jackson," I smiled.
"Aw, such a pretty name," she cooed.
"A pretty name suited for a princess," Michael said quietly. She nodded and smiled back. "Oh, look honey! She's sucking her thumb!" Michael jumped up and pointed to the screen. "How precious!"
I giggled. "Yes she is, daddy." I winked at him and he kissed the back of my hand. After getting several pictures taken, we headed back home to show everyone. The girls cooed and the guys laughed at Michael. He was so excited, he was falling over things and acting more like me than I was. I sat with the girls and watched Michael and Joseph talk and laugh together. It warmed my heart and I smiled.
"Yea, that's the way I feel too," Rebbie said, looking at Michael and Joseph.
"It's the first time they've actually acted like father and son," Janet smiled.
"Momma, what happened to daddy to make him change so suddenly?" Latoya asked.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I think it had something to do with Lola," she grinned and I gave her a funny look and held up my hands in defense.
"Me? Come on, I can't change anyone if my life depended on it." The girls laughed and I shrugged. Katie walked over and put her arm around me.
"You've changed all of us in some way, Lola. Maybe not by choice, but it's a good change," I hesitated and then smiled. "Hey, don't be afraid of us. We're family now. The Jacksons are a family and you are a Jackson."
I grinned and we continued to talk and be silly. I yawned deeply and stretched and Michael walked behind my chair and rested his chin on my shoulder.
"Ready for bed?" he asked. I nodded sleepily and he grinned and lifted me off the chair, carrying me to bed.
"You know, you really should stop spoiling me. I might get used to it," I mumbled and he grinned.
"I'm counting on that," he chuckled and tucked me into his bed.
"You shouldn't. Pretty soon, I'll be too heavy for you to carry," I closed my eyes and he climbed into bed with me. I curled up against him and layed on his chest.
"I think I can manage. Rest now, love," he whispered and ran his fingers through my hair. He hummed the lullaby I sang for him so long ago and I instantly fell asleep. The next day, we decided to go shopping. We payed no mind to the people snapping pictures as we walked through the mall looking at baby stuff. "Oooo, look at this one!" Michael cooed and held up a pink dress.
I giggled. "You really are planning on making her a princess, aren't you?"
"Well duh. I'm the king of pop, you're my queen. Kings and queens get together and make a princess, or prince. In our case, we got a princess," he grinned.
"Thanks for that little lesson, doctor Mike, but I think I know how babies are made. This isn't my first time remember?" I asked and then looked away feeling a little down. Throughout the pregnancy so far, the little things would remind me of my son, Will. I cried alot when Michael wasn't around.
"What's wrong?" he asked and wrapped an arm around me. I shook my head and he frowned. "Don't close up on me, Lola. What is it?"
"It's nothing, really. I just keep getting reminded of Will. I guess I'm just...scared," I bit my lip.
"Scared of what? I'm not gonna let anything happen to you or our daughter," he smiled.
"It's not that. I just feel like I messed up with Will, and..." I hesitated and looked away.
"You're scared you're gonna mess up again, aren't you?" I nodded and he kissed my cheek. "No you won't. You didn't mess up with Will, either. It wasn't something you could have helped, and I'm here with you. You are not alone this time. Do I have to sing that to you before you will understand that?"
I giggled and shook my head. "No. Thank you, Mike," I smiled and kissed him. We walked through a few more stores and someone ran into my shoulder.
"You should really watch where you're going," a girl's voice snarled.
"Oh, I'm sorry...." I started to say, but then I saw who it was. Lisa. "Actually, I'm really not."
"Hmph, hateful bitch," she glared at me.
"Takes one to know one, doesn't it?" I said with a smile. She huffed and opened her mouth to argue, but shut it when Michael walked beside me.
"What do you want, Lisa?" he asked angrily.
"You know what I want," she winked at him.
"Too bad," he said and grinned at me. "Good at quoting my songs lately, aren't we?" I laughed and Lisa snarled again.
"You know, Lola...I think Michael here has been cheating on you," she said in a cocky voice. I raised a brow at her and she dug in her purse and pulled out snap shots of Michael kissing some of his female fans. "What wife would allow that kind of behavior? I know I wouldn't."
Michael bit his lip and looked at me. I studied the photos with no expression on my face. After a minute, I sighed and looked up at Lisa. "I guess that's just another huge difference between you and I, Lisa. I trust my husband, and I don't put up a front like you do."
"But...he's kissing other women!" she snarled.
"He's being sweet by kissing fans. How am I supposed to get mad about what he's done for many years, even before he met me? Nice try, Lisa."
Michael grinned and kissed my head and Lisa huffed. Michael eyed her. "Face it, Lisa. You lost and you can't stand it. Find yourself another man who is actually interested in you, cuz it isn't me. Not anymore. Now leave us alone or I'll be forced to put a restraining order on you."
"You can't!" Michael pulled me with him and we started walking away. "You bitch! You took my man from me!" she yelled. Media had showed up by then and started taking notes and many pictures. I looked back at her and then raised a brow.
"Lisa...you need therapy. Do yourself a favor, okay?" I smiled and handed her a card with many different doctor's numbers on them. "That last one is a psychiatrist. Might wanna look into that," I winked and walked away. She huffed again and stomped her feet.
Michael started laughing when we got into the SUV. "She thinks she's upset now, wait until the new tabloids come out with her pictures showing how bratty she really is."
I looked out the window as we rode back home. "It's so sad she feels that way. I wish she could find someone else and stop trying to ruin what we have," I said quietly.
"She will, eventually. She really doesn't want me. She's just wanting the best thing to keep her in the spotlight because she really isn't as talented as her father was." Michael shrugged. "She'll learn one day."
"I hope so...I'd hate to actually have to get a restraining order on her," Michael sighed and squeezed my hand.
"Honey, that's up to her, not us. If she wants to continue on her psychotic permanent pms rampage, then we will do what we have to do to protect ourselves and our daughter."
I nodded and layed back in the seat. It really was sad that Lisa of all people was the one I was worried about putting a restraining order on. She's more of a threat than Brian or even my dad, yet she never layed a hand on me. I would say yet, but giving the situation here, my husband wouldn't let her or anyone else touch me.
