4th of July, 2009
Michael is 50, Angela is 45, and Jake is 46

Angela: Michael laughed loudly along with Geraldo as they went over the interview. The kids huddled up next to the monitors as well, trying to catch a glimpse.

It went so amazingly well; Geraldo asked all the right questions, not once going off topic.

And Michael seemed so satisfied, which is always good.

I heard my phone ringing from the study, where I left it after our little moment from before the interview.

Quickly, I found the phone on my husband's desk and saw the letter 'J'.

What could he possibly need right now?

"Hi, Jake." I sighed, looking at the mess we left on the desk.

Maybe I should clean up a little.

"Angela," his voice was stern. "Are you free to talk?"

"Sure. What's up?"

I picked up the few picture frames that got knocked down, then tidied the pen holder, along with some papers Michael had lying around.

Jake scoffed loudly, "I just saw the interview..."

He continued speaking but I wasn't listening anymore. One specific sticky note caught my eye.

On the top, in Michael's handwriting, it said, 'New Album? 2010?'

Underneath it he wrote: 'Album = tour. Can't tour, need to stay healthy for my family.'

I literally felt my heart sink.

Is he planning an entire comeback and never told me about it?

"Angela?" Jake's sounded annoyed. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry, what?" I put the sticky note down.

"Seriously?"

"What were you saying, Jake? I'm sorry, I got distracted."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it wasn't more important than Lily and Eric. What the hell were you thinking, exposing their faces to the world like that?! I never agreed to this! I can't believe you of all people would agree to this! Our kids' privacy is now gone forever, you do know that, right?"

I was surprised, to say the least. "Jake, what-"

"No, you listen to me, Angela. I understand you and Michael raised them for the past five years, and I couldn't be more grateful. But they're kids, for God's sake! Only 11 years old!" he was yelling. "The whole world knows what they look like now, what the fuck were you thinking?! You don't get to make those kinds of choices for my kids."

Jake took in a deep breath, "And you know what? You might be their mom, but Michael is not their dad. He can make decisions for his kids, but Lily and Eric are mine, do you understand that? His kids can grow up that way, being chased down by reporters and paparazzi-"

His words were cut off by a different voice from his side.

"Parker, calm down. I can hear you from down the hall."

"I'll be quiet, okay? I'm in the middle of something."

"Give me your phone, now. Or I'm telling Bailey," the other guy said. Jake sighed and I heard rustling before his friend spoke. "Angela? Hi, this is Martinez, I'm Parker's roommate. He's really sorry about it all-"

"No, I'm not. Those are my kids, Angela!"

Martinez scoffed. "Ignore him. He'll call you in a few days when he's calmer."

The call ended. I just stood there, the phone in my hand, confused as hell.

It also didn't help that a knot in my stomach formed and I stopped breathing for a minute.

"Ange? You in there?" Michael knocked on the door.

The minute he came in, our eyes met.

That burning sensation made its way up my throat, my hand instantly covering my mouth to keep it all in.

Michael hurried to grab my hair, just in time for me to throw up all over the carpet.

"Oh, baby... Let it all out." he cooed.

When I was done, he helped me clean up my face. Looking down at my dress and heels, they both were covered with vomit.

"Shit."

"Were you that nervous?" my husband chuckled. "It's over, Angela. No more interviews, I promise. You know how serious I am about my promises."

His eyes showed nothing but concern.

How badly do I want to tell him everything that's going on. This stupid pregnancy, the sticky note, and now Jake, too...

I was about to say something, when Geraldo knocked on the door, asking to say goodbye to the both of us.

"Let's go clean you up." Michael grabbed my hand.

"Mike," I stopped in my tracks, and pointed at my clothes. "I gotta change."

"Right. I'll grab you another dress and a new pair of shoes."

"Thanks."

He pecked my cheek, then left. I stood there, relieved I didn't have to reveal anything yet.

~

Michael: I went into Angela's closet room, grabbing a dress from one of the hangers and a pair of new heels for her.

I was about to leave, when I noticed her Prada tote on the ground, the one she usually takes to rehearsals.

There was a brown paper bag sticking out of it.

My curiosity got the best of me and I looked inside it.

Three pregnancy tests were inside, two of them opened. The results were a little smudged.

Still, I could see the two lines on both of them.

She's pregnant? Of course she is, that's why she's acting like this, pushing me away. How did I miss it?

Deciding to let her come to her senses and tell me herself, I put the tests back where I found them, then made my way downstairs.

Angela thanked me when I helped her undress. My eyes automatically traveled to her stomach as she pulled the clean dress on.

"Mike?" she called. "Can I have my shoes?"

"Oh, right. Here."

"Okay, I'm gonna go ask someone to come clean the carpet. Can you tell Geraldo I'll be there in a few?"

"Of course."

Angela smiled and fixed her hair a bit before leaving my office.

~

We made sure to eat dinner as a family that evening.

One thing we talked about before moving to London was to always make it for dinner every day.

"Daddy, when is gwandma Kathewine coming?" Jared asked while patting my arm. "And nonna Mawia. Oh! And gwandpa Joe and papa Jawed!"

"They're all coming in a couple of days, bubba." I grinned.

Both he and Rose have gotten so talkative lately. They would talk to anyone who'd listen.

Rose joined in, "For youw show, daddy?"

"That's right, baby."

"I wanna be just wike you when I'm big, daddy." Jared announced.

I kissed his head, "You can be anything you want, bubba."

"I'm gonna dance and sing wike you do."

"We'll have to talk about that when you're older, Jared." Angela chuckled.

"Now you wanna talk, huh?" I mumbled.

"Sorry, Mike? Did you say something?"

Her phone went off on the table next to her. She glanced at it, but went back to tend to AJ who was making a fuss about the food her mom put on her plate.

I looked at it myself; it was Jake. He tried calling again and my wife pressed the red button in annoyance.

"You wanna answer that, babe?" I asked.

"Oh, no, that's okay. I can call him tomorrow." she answered with a tight smile.

Odd. I thought she wasn't upset with him anymore.

We continued eating, until most of the kids finished. All throughout dinner, Jake called. Each time, she declined his call.

Grace took the smaller kids while the big ones went off on their own to get ready for bed.

Angela stood up and started clearing the table.

"I'll finish up with the staff, Mike. Go be with the kids." she avoided my eyes, like she's done every day this past week.

Okay, she's still not talking to me. What is up with her? Why wouldn't she tell me?

"Don't you wanna call him back?" I picked up her phone.

"I told you, I'll call him tomorrow."

"How about I call him, then?"

I looked for the 'J' in her contacts, my thumb over the green button.

She tried reaching for the phone but I held it up. "Michael, no!"

"We should talk to him, we haven't done that in a while." I teased.

"This isn't funny, give it back."

My wife huffed as she stood on her tiptoes to reach for it again. She groaned in frustration before giving up.

"Seriously, Michael, why can't you just let it go?"

"Because you won't talk to me!" I exclaimed, a little too loud. "Tell me what's going on, Angela."

Footsteps were heard behind us.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Lily beat her to it,"Dad? I'm ready for bed, you promised to read with me..."

"I'll be right there, Lil." I sighed.

When our daughter was gone, Angela looked away from me again. "We'll talk in bed, later. Okay?"

"Really?"

"Yes."

I nodded, making my way out of the dining room. She sniffled quietly, and I suddenly felt a little guilty for raising my voice.

Turning around to apologize, my wife had her back to me.

It looked like her hand was cradling her stomach. Her other hand covered her mouth as she let out a muffled cry.

"Dad, come on!" Lily called from upstairs.

"I'm coming!"

I took another glimpse at Angela who was already tidying up the dishes.

Lily waited for me at the top of the stairs, wide-eyed, grabbing my hand and leading me to the girls' bedroom.

~

"... And by his side with his head up in the air and his eyes full of laughter walked as strongly and steadily as any boy in Yorkshire - Master Colin!" I read the final sentences of 'The Secret Garden'. "The end."

Lily yawned loudly, "I think that's my favorite book we've read."

"Yeah, I think so, too." I smiled, tucking her in.

"Can you stay until I fall asleep?"

I agreed and made myself comfortable on the edge of her bed. Paris was fast asleep in hers, right across from Lily's.

"Do you think we could go on stage with you, dad?" my step-daughter asked.

I looked at her. "Maybe. We'll have to ask your mom. You really want to?"

"Yeah, we were talking about it today, all of us... We all want to. Except for Blanket, he said you probably won't let him."

"I'll talk to your mom, okay? We just showed you guys to the world, I don't know how she'll feel about you going on stage. Now go to sleep, Lil."

"Goodnight, dad. Love you." she yawned again.

It took her about ten minutes until she was completely asleep.

During those ten minutes, I watched my two girls, wondering if we did the right thing by letting the children reveal their faces.

Sighing, I got up and went to our bedroom. Angela was already in bed, looking asleep.

So much for talking, I guess.

She had the entire day to tell me, yet she didn't.

Why is she holding back from me?

After taking off my clothes and brushing my teeth, I got in. As a habit, I wrapped an arm around her.

My hand unconsciously went to her stomach. It wasn't as soft as I remembered it.

Why wouldn't she tell me, so we can work through this together? It's not like her, not to talk to me.

I kissed her shoulder before closing my eyes.

"Michael? What took you so long?" Angela whispered groggily.

"Lily wanted to finish the book..." I said, my eyes still closed.

"Hmm," she hummed. "Goodnight. I love you."

I could feel her body turn to face mine, then she placed a soft kiss on my lips.

Never pulling away, she moved closer, her hands going down to my briefs.

"I thought you were asleep." I mumbled.

"I rather be doing something else right now..."

"Angela-"

"Shh... Let's continue where we left off."

I know what she's doing. Trying to distract me. Well, it's not gonna work.

My wife removed her shirt, then continued kissing me.

She really thinks after avoiding me for days, never even bothering to look at me, she can get away with it that easily?

I decided to play along. I grabbed her by the waist, pinning her down. She let out a giggle as I started kissing her chest, and her fingers ran through my hair.

Slowly, I went down to kiss that now firm bulge beneath her belly button, to cover it with kisses.

Angela let out a sigh, "Mike, keep going..."

"I'm not done yet," I kept kissing her stomach. "Hi, baby. I'm your daddy."

She immediately stopped playing with my hair, but I continued my actions. "Michael, stop."

"Daddy and mommy love you very much, you have to know that."

"Please, stop." Angela sat up and I could hear her sniffle.

Ignoring her, I went on to tell her stomach how sorry we were that we couldn't keep it. By now, she was bawling, trying to escape my hold.

I finally let her go. She got out of bed to pick up her shirt from the floor.

With trembling hands, she pulled it over her head.

"I'm sorry," my wife looked down in shame. "I couldn't tell you, not now, at least. You have so much on your mind, and I didn't want to give you something more to worry about. This should never have happened, Michael. We've been so careful, why does this keep happening?

"It hasn't even been six months and I'm pregnant again! I don't think I can handle another abortion, just the thought of it is killing me. If we ignore the fact that you are days away from performing, as if you needed something else to stress you out! And we both know what that kind of stress can do to you."

She was pacing now. "Maybe, maybe we can keep it, you know? I'll rest, I don't mind being in bed for nine months. And who knows, I might not die if I go with a natural birth! But I can't put us through another abortion, Michael. I just can't..."

Angela ranted on and on, saying how sorry she was again. She started biting on her fingernails and I knew I had to stop it.

"Angela," I got up, grabbed her hands away from her face, then made her look at me. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Do you trust that I love you?"

"Of course."

"Then why do you keep doubting me? You don't trust me enough to handle the fact that you're pregnant, giving me the cold shoulder for days, making me think I was the one who did something wrong! I went crazy trying to figure out what was going on with you!" I screamed. "I live and breathe for you, do you understand that, Angela? I can never leave you, and I never want you to leave me. I'm gonna say this one last time: I am never going back to my old ways. You and our family are all that matters. So don't ever think I can't handle it, because you are the one thing that keeps me going. But I need you to fully trust me, I need to know you believe me."

"I want to." my wife said lowly.

"Then put all your worries aside, and believe me when I tell you that I would do anything for you."

She nodded, looking away, "I know that."

"Do you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Look me in the eyes and say it."

"You have to promise me something first." she still looked down, her blue eyes filled with more tears.

"Anything."

"Let me have this baby."

Is she crazy?

"No, Angie. You could die-"

"I don't care. I can't go through another abortion, Mike. I won't."

It was quiet for a minute. Angela kept her eyes on the ground as she waited for my response.

It's not like I can make her get an abortion, no matter how much I plead and beg.

"Fine. You can have this baby." I gave up.

She finally looked into my eyes, the tears spilling out of hers. "I believe you, Michael. You'll do anything for me and our kids."

"Angie... Angela, please, let me take care of it. You don't need to have this baby because you feel guilty, okay?" it was my turn to cry.

"It's gonna be fine. I'm going to sleep." Angela backed away. She slumped her way back to bed, where she hid under the covers.

I could hear her try to hide her cries, but couldn't bring myself to console her.

~

I honestly hate to shutter Mike and Angie's perfect world, but a writer's gotta write 😩

Also, out of curiosity, would like for you to tell me how you imagine Angela to look like. I like giving my readers a chance to interpret my characters on their own, so I don't ever choose a real person to portray them 😅

Hope you guys are enjoying the story in 2009 so far. There's a lot of drama and fun to come, stay tuned! ❤️

Love,
~ShoamEmily