13th of March, 1989
Michael is 30, Angela is 25

Michael: I stared down at the ultrasound pictures in my hand.

My fingers traced absentmindedly over the little faces, and I studied their still undeveloped features.

Twins... Two babies, two lives I'm about to be responsible for. Gosh, how are we gonna handle two?

A nervous chuckle escaped my lips, and I shook my head in disbelief as we drove through the crowded streets of New York.

The city outside blurred into nothingness, every horn and distant shout faded, my focus entirely on our babies.

My babies.

"I still can't believe we're having twins, Mike," Angela said, her arm linked with mine. "I mean, one baby is enough, but two? We're gonna have our hands so full..."

I pulled my gaze from the pictures to look at her, her face glowing with that effortless beauty that always left me breathless.

Yet, even her brightness couldn't fully calm me.

Worries filled my head.

How can I be enough for all of them, Angela, the twins? How can I make space for them in a world that never let me be truly alone?

"I know, but look at them..." I showed her the pictures for the millionth time, as if she hadn't already memorized every detail.

"They're so small. And so real."

"Too real." I mumbled, the gravity of our situation finally settling in.

She laughed lightly, definitely sensing my worries. "Yeah... Do we have to go back to the penthouse? I really don't want to face your mother right now... I just need soak in our happiness for a little, just us. I don't have the patience for another one of her lectures."

"We're gonna have to face her eventually, Angie." I sighed, knowing we couldn't avoid her.

I hated how she demanded that we'd get married, now, talking to us as if we didn't know what we were doing.

Angela pouted, "I know."

I wanted to protect her from all of it; the expectations, the judgment, the chaos.

But how could I protect her when I couldn't even protect myself?

"I'll tell you what," I forced a smile, trying my best to sound confident. "We go back, we talk to her, and tomorrow you can come with me to the studio. Get some fresh air, away from her."

Her eyebrows raised in concern. "I don't know, Michael... What if someone sees me and talks? Then word gets out about this pregnancy and-"

"Hey," I cut her off gently, hoping to calm her down, and myself. "I promise, no one will see you. It's just me in there tomorrow, brainstorming. Bill will get us in and out, just like today. Right, Bill?"

I glanced up towards Bill in the driver seat, who nodded without missing a beat. "Yes, sir."

"See? There's nothing to worry about, baby."

She looked down at her bump. "There's still your mother, though. What if she's right? Maybe we should just get married, so she leaves us alone."

Her words hurt, even if only for a second. She didn't realize how much they did.

Marrying her was all I wanted, but not like this.

Not because my mother was pushing us into it.

Not because of fear. I wouldn't let that be the reason.

And although we have planned to get married before the babies were born, we knew we wanted something that was perfect for us.

Perfect for Angela, because she deserved the world and more.

I shook my head, frustration creeping in. "You don't know my mother, that won't satisfy it her. I won't let her dictate this, Angie. This- you, the babies, you're the one thing I feel is really mine, and I won't let anyone tell me, or us, what to do."

Angela nodded, tightening her grip on my arm.

"You really mean that, don't you?"

"With everything I have, babe."

She leaned up, placing a long kiss on my cheek. "I love you, thank you for always making me feel so... Safe."

That word, safe. The way she said it, as if she knew I needed to hear that.

I turned to fully face her, before pulling her close so I could kiss her deeply.

Nothing else mattered, only my Angie, with our little family growing inside of her.

As my lips moved against hers, Bill disappeared, and even the crowded streets outside felt empty, like we were the only two people around.

~

We stepped into the penthouse, the familiar scent of baked goods filling the air.

It was warm, inviting... A little too inviting.

Angela hesitated at the door, glancing towards the kitchen where my mother stood, her hands already busy with whatever she had planned for us.

"Good, you're back," she said without looking up, a tea pot in her hands. "Please, sit. I made muffins."

Angela chewed on the inside of her cheek, clearly unwilling.

I guided her to sit regardless, reassuring her with a small back rub.

We might as well listen to what she has to say... Maybe she changed her mind.

"Tea?" mother offered, her voice oddly gentle.

We both nodded politely, and she poured each of us a cup, before holding up the muffins as if they were some kind of peace offering.

"Where did you go?" she eyed us suspiciously.

I exhaled loudly, pulling out the ultrasound pictures.

Her face softened immediately as she took them, eyes wide.

"Baby A? Baby B?" she whispered, as if saying it out loud would make it too real. "You're having twins... How long have you known?"

"We just found out, today was my first appointment." Angela explained cautiously while her hands fidgeted with her cup.

For a moment, my mother was silent, her fingers tracing the edges of the photos.

When she finally spoke, her tone changed. "Listen... I've thought about what I said before, after you left like you did. I know I've been hard on you both, and I want to make it clear- it's only because I care. But I'm willing to listen now. To figure out a solution that works for everyone."

I looked at Angela, and she gave me the slightest nod.

"Great," mother smiled, for the first time looking like she was truly trying to meet us halfway. "Now, tell me how you met my son, Angela..."

~

Mother listened carefully as we told our story, absorbing every word.

Her expression changed from surprise to curious as we spoke about how fast everything had happened.

Meeting at the concert, the endless phone calls Neverland, Tokyo, Christmas with Angela's parents, more phone calls, Neverland again... My last show and everything that happened that night.

Our days here in the little sanctuary of the penthouse, the routine we've grown into, learning more about each other with every day, and the two of us together, as a family.

Actually, the four of us now.

Three muffins lay half-eaten on the table, crumbs all over.

I could see Angela's body relax as the time went on.

"Your son, Katherine, he's... Well, he grounds me. I can't really explain it," Angela continued and sipped her tea, blushing. "He just gets me, even though we've only known each other for a short time. He's like no one I've ever been with. You raised an amazing man."

I put my hand on her thigh under the table, feeling my heart fill with so much gratitude.

I knew she meant every word, and it humbled me in ways I couldn't describe.

Especially because I felt the same way about her.

Mother smiled proudly. "Thank you, Angela. That means a lot."

She then looked down at her hands. "I hate to bring this up, but... Your family. Are you in touch with them?"

"Uh, not really. They haven't picked up my calls. I think they're still upset about me leaving so suddenly, about dropping out of school... They don't even know I'm pregnant."

Mother's brows furrowed slightly, her concern clear. "That's understandable, but you should try to reach out to them. It's important for them to know what's happening in your life, especially now. You'll need their support."

Angela nodded, eyes still unsure. "Yeah, I just... How do I tell them? It's not going to be an easy conversation, especially showing up with... This."

She cradled her bump with one hand, as if to protect our babies from hearing what she was saying.

I could see the wheels in my mother's mind turn while she thought of a solution.

"I have an idea," mother finally said. "Come back to California. I'll arrange a dinner with your family, make it easier for you. And all I ask in return... Is that you consider getting married soon. It'll calm a lot of nerves, yours, theirs, mine... And even the public's."

"I appreciate that, Katherine, really. But I think I need to tell them myself... I don't want to put any more pressure on them, or on us. But we'll come back to California. I just needed some distance for a while, to sort things out in my own head. Everything's so much clearer now." my fiancée bit her lip, hand moving up and down on her belly.

"I see. But I do hope you'll think about it- getting married, I mean. Sooner rather than later?" mother pushed gently.

Angela glanced at me, her eyes searching for reassurance.

I gave her a small nod, letting her know the decision was hers.

I trusted her judgment, especially after seeing how she'd handled this conversation with my mother.

"Well... Once I've talked to my parents, and they know everything... Yes. We'll come to LA in two weeks, and we can start making plans."

Mother sighed in relief. "That sounds reasonable. Thank you, Angela."

"No, thank you, Mrs. Jackson." Angela smiled.

"Please," mother laughed. "Call me Katherine. You are becoming my daughter-in-law, after all..."

Both women reached their hands out, squeezing each other's tightly.

My mother's eyes filled with tears, but she composed herself quickly.

"I'm so glad he found you, Angela. I really am," she then looked at me, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "But Michael, tell me... Out of all the, uh, ladies in the crowd- How did you choose her?"

"Funny thing, I didn't." I confessed.

Angela raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean?"

I chuckled, glancing towards Bill, who still stood quietly by the doorway, keeping a watchful eye during the entire conversation with my mother.

A bit of blush made its way to my cheeks.

"Bill did. He used to pick out the girls who'd uh, you know... Wait for me. He said you looked the least interested to be there, and... Well, that caught my attention."

Angela blinked, then broke into laughter. "Least interested, huh? I guess I should thank Bill then."

"You should." I leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

As I did, my hand found its way to her belly, resting there, feeling the slight movements under her hoodie.

When we pulled away, I noticed mother watching us with a wide grin, very much satisfied.

~

31st of March, 1989
Michael is 30, Angela is 25

Angela: I took a deep breath, my eyes scanning the familiar streets of LA as we moved slowly through the afternoon traffic.

The city itself didn't change much.

The same crowded freeways, same golden haze settling over everything; but I definitely did.

My body wasn't the same as it was the last time I was here.

And I wasn't expecting twins, or engaged.

The babies inside me moved, stretching and shifting constantly, their presence undeniable now.

They made themselves known a little more with each day that passed.

The drive to my parents' house felt like it took forever. With every mile, I felt even more on edge.

I had been avoiding this moment for days.

Ever since we landed in LA five days ago, Michael kept urging me to talk to them.

And now, here we were, heading toward the inevitable.

As promised to Katherine, we packed up our life in New York and boarded the plane back to LA.

The bump I'd been trying to hide wasn't so easy to conceal anymore.

My usual oversized hoodies would ride up, exposing the lower part of it, even with the larger size Michael got.

Every time it happened, he noticed.

He would chuckle lightly and pull the hem down, before placing a small kiss on my protruding belly.

I put my hand on it, feeling them move again.

It was surreal. To think only five months ago my life would change forever, and now there I was, carrying two growing lives inside me.

We'd been staying with Katherine and Joseph since we arrived, and meeting Joseph for the first time was... Intense.

Just like with Katherine, but more raw, more direct.

Katherine had softened the blow, giving him a heads-up about everything.

Still, it was clear he had his own thoughts about our circumstances.

He looked at my belly but didn't say anything.

I wondered what he was thinking - if he felt that same disbelief that sometimes hit me at night when I was alone with my thoughts.

But when I felt those little movements, those tiny flutters, I knew it wasn't a dream.

The twins were real, and they were getting stronger every day.

Katherine had invited us to stay with them until we were ready to move back to Neverland, where we knew it would be best for us to settle.

Joseph insisted that we needed to address the press, to 'set the record straight' before rumors could spin out of control.

Michael's protectiveness over me and the babies grew with every suggestion from his father.

He wanted to shield me from the chaos that came with his world, but I knew we couldn't avoid it forever.

Joseph even reached out to Frank, who surprisingly agreed with him and suggested an interview on Primetime TV.

Michael wasn't sold on the idea at first, but later that night, he asked me how I felt about it.

I only shrugged.

"Whatever you think is right for us." I said.

I meant it. If Michael thought it was necessary, I would do it, but all I could think about was keeping the twins safe and protecting our peace.

As we pulled up to my parents' house, my heart pounded in my chest.

Definitely not protecting our peace today...

I wondered how they would react to the fact that not only had I left school, but I was now carrying twins, and getting married.

Michael was calm beside me as his hand found mine, and I squeezed it tightly.

"It's gonna be okay." he whispered.

I nodded, but the knot in my stomach didn't go away.

We walked up to the front door, and as I reached to knock, the babies moved, making me smile despite my nerves.

They always seemed to know when I needed a reminder that they were there with me.

It was strange, feeling that connection grow with them even before they were born.

I didn't know what kind of mom I would be, but I knew I'd do anything to protect them.

The door swung open before my knuckles touched the wood.

My mom stood there, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of us - of me.

Her gaze stayed on my belly, her lips parting in surprise.

"Angela... Michael," she said. Her eyes darted from me to the bump, the reality settling in. "I saw the car outside... Come in."

My dad's voice came from the other room. "Who's at the door, Maria?"

He appeared a moment later, his expression changing as his usual kind eyes landed on me. "Angela."

He didn't say anything else, but I could hear the disappointment in his voice.

They gestured us to follow them into the living room, where we all sat down.

Mom offered something to drink, but I declined, knowing we were both too nervous.

My arms instinctively wrapped over my belly, as if to shield them from what was coming next.

Michael sat beside me, our knees touching, his hand resting protectively across my lap.

"So," my mom began. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has," I said softly. "I'm sorry."

There was a long, heavy pause, and then my dad leaned back in his recliner chair, fingers tapping against the armrest. "You've been gone for months. And now you're back... Like this."

"I know," I bit my lip, fighting back the urge to cry. "I should've told you sooner. I just... I didn't know how."

"And now?" my mom asked gently, her eyes flicking to my bump again.

I took a deep breath, reaching for Michael's free hand for support. "Now I'm ready... We're having twins. And getting married."

Mom's eyes filled with shock. Dad, however, stayed still, his eyes narrowing as he processed the news.

"Twins?" my mom whispered.

I nodded, feeling the tears slide down my cheeks. "Yes. I'm almost halfway there... 19 weeks. They're growing so fast, and moving, a lot."

I couldn't stop myself from adding that part.

It felt important for them to know, even if they were angry. These babies were real.

They were already a part of me.

Mom's eyes softened as she looked at my belly.

She then put her hand out, and it hovered near my stomach before she finally rested it on top of mine.

"Twins," she repeated, as though saying it aloud would help her grasp the reality of it all. "Angela, why didn't you tell me?"

Before I could answer, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.

My heart sank as I realized who it was. Rosa and Luciano.

The last thing I wanted was for them to walk in on this moment, but it seemed there was no escaping it now.

Rosa appeared first, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe, a frown already forming on her face.

"So, you finally decided to show up." she said, her voice full of sarcasm.

Luciano, standing behind her, looked more concerned than angry.

His eyes scanned me, then Michael, and finally settled on my belly. "You're pregnant?"

I nodded, knowing they'll probably have questions.

"Twins," I said, also showing them my engagement ring. "And we're getting married. I wanted to tell you sooner, but-"

"But what?" Rosa interrupted, her arms tightening against her chest. "You didn't think your family deserved to know? Or maybe you were too busy living your new life in New York with him."

She nodded towards Michael, a disgusted look on her face.

I felt a wave of heat rush to my face, not just from her words but from being caught off guard.

I couldn't help but notice how her disapproval for Michael cut deeper than expected.

"I didn't mean to shut you out," I said, my voice shaking. "I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you all. I just didn't know how you'd react-"

Rosa interrupted again, her voice rising. "You ran off to New York with the biggest star in the world and show up pregnant two months later! How did you think we'd react?"

Michael, who had been sitting quietly beside me, spoke.

"Rosa, I understand you're upset. Angela didn't mean to hurt anyone. We just wanted some time to figure things out before involving everyone. We're here now because we want to make things right."

"Make things right? By what? Just showing up here with a big announcement? You think that's enough? You've turned her world upside down, and now she's just supposed to fall in line with yours?!" Rosa yelled, stepping closer to him.

Michael's jaw tightened for a moment at Rosa's accusations, but he remained silent.

"Fall in line?" I snapped. "I didn't 'fall in line', Rosa. I chose this, I love him, and he loves me. And we both love our babies very, very much. His world is my world now."

"But you're throwing your life away! What about your education, Angela? The career you've dreamed about? How can you just throw that away to have his babies and be his little wife?!"

My sister didn't stop to even catch her breath.

"What do you even know about him? You don't know what you're getting into! You think he's going to be there for you when things get tough? What happens when he has to go on tour again? Or when you have to deal with sleepless nights and two crying babies? Do you really think he'll stick around for you, because he 'loves you'?!"

"And he gave you a ring, right?" Rosa rolled her eyes. "That's supposed to make it all better?"

I glanced at Michael, who gave me my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Yes, he did. It means something to us. It's a promise for our future together. I thought you'd understand that."

"Angela, I just want you to think clearly! You sound like an infatuated little girl!" Rosa groaned, clearly frustrated. "I don't want you to get hurt."

I snickered, not being able to believe her anymore. "And you think this is how to protect me? By pushing me away? By making me feel like I can't trust my own choices? This is my family you're talking about. Michael, our babies... We've become a unit, whether you think it's real or not, that's your problem."

Luciano looked between us, concern on his face.

I don't think he's ever seen us fight, not like this anyways.

"We're all still family, though. That doesn't just go away, right?" he said quietly.

"I don't know, Luci," Rosa muttered, her arms still crossed defensively. "It feels like we've been replaced."

I looked at her, shocked. What the hell is wrong with her? How can she say that?

Michael squeezed my hand again, a reminder that I wasn't alone in this. He probably sensed how hurt I was.

I glanced at him, hoping for some comfort, and he rubbed my arm soothingly.

Rosa took a step back, annoyed with our exchange. "You know what, Angela? Maybe you should just go ahead and play house with him and forget about the rest of us. Clearly, you don't need your family anymore."

"Rosa, that's not fair!" I pleaded.

"Isn't it?" she shot back, her gaze cold. "You've made your choices, like you said. I hope you're ready for the consequences."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the front door behind her.

I took a deep breath, willing myself to keep it together.

This wasn't how I imagined it would go. I expected anger, but this?

Rosa crossed a line, leaving me feeling exposed and raw.

But as I sat there, Michael's hand still caressing my arm, I realized something; Rosa was wrong.

I wasn't throwing my life away.

I was building a new one, one I believed in, with Michael and our babies.

And no one, not even her, would take that from me.