I walk inside the house with Daddy, Lisa, and Janet, and there are a lot of other people in here as well. I must say it's really big house, but of course still not as big as Neverland.

  "Your mother isn't here?" Daddy whispers to Lisa.

  Lisa rolls her eyes. "No. I don't know anymore with her, she's just-"

  "Michael," an older woman greets Daddy, walking up to him as they exchange hugs and kisses.

  "Hi Mother, it's good to see you," he says.

  "You too darling. And who is this?" his mother bends down to me and smiles.

  "You didn't tell her?" Janet mutters to him.

  "I didn't tell anybody besides you," I hear him mutter back. He clears his throat. "Mother, this is Allison. She's my daughter."

  "Daughter? Since when did you-"

  "He adopted me," I cut in. "Didn't anybody see the news?" I shrug.

  "Oh no, I don't watch news. There's always some garbage article about Michael that upsets me dearly," his mother says. "But it's nice to meet you Allison. Please, call me grandma Kate."

  "Uh, okay," I say.

  "Yo Mike!" someone calls from the other side of the room, walking closer in our direction. "What's happenin' brother? It's good to see you again."

  "You too, Tito," says Daddy. "Allison, you have quite a lot of people to meet. Here, I'll introduce you them-"

  "What's up Lisa? Looking beautiful as always," Tito compliments.

  Lisa chuckles and hides her face for a split second. "Why thank you, you don't look too bad yourself," she says.

  Daddy grits his teeth and gently drags Lisa away from his brother.

  He clears his throat to get everybody's attention. "Everyone, I'd like to get your attention for just a moment please!" he says. Everybody stops and now all eyes are on me. "As you may or may not know, this is my daughter Allison. Allison, you see those men over there? Those are my brothers, Tito, Jackie, Jermaine, Randy and Marlon."

  "Hi Allison!" they say and wave to me. I wave back, feeling shy.

  "And, my sisters – you've already met Janet – so that's Rebbie, and LaToya," he says, pointing to two other women.

  "Aw Michael she's so adorable!" LaToya squeals and tries picking me up but failing. "Ouch, and oh so heavy," she says, placing my back down.

  "Yeah, she is adorable," Rebbie agrees.

  "Where's Joseph?" Daddy whispers to Tito.

  "I don't know, he was just here."

  "Well, what a lovely day to come together with the family," a voice booms from down the hall. The man walks closer and smiles. "Surprise, everybody."

  "Joseph, it's nice to see you," Daddy says to break the silence as he and his father exchange a quick hug, as with Lisa as well.

  "You too Michael, and Lisa," he answers. His eyes wonder around and his gaze meets mine. "And who is this young lady?"

  "Joseph, this is my daughter Allison," Daddy introduces me.

  "Daughter? You never told me you had a daughter. When was Lisa ever pregnant? I don't remember!"

  "No, no, Joseph, I adopted her about two months ago."

  "And you never told me?"

  "I-" he takes a deep breath in, "that's what today is for. And, for something else as well..." Daddy takes Lisa's hand and stands at the front of the room.

  "Everybody," he begins.

  Oh God, I'm going to have to hear that word again.

  "Lisa and I are engaged. We're getting married," he finishes.

  I inwardly groan. Engaged.

  Everyone exchanges looks, looking surprised but also happy for them at the same time.

  "You did it, brotherrrr!" Jermaine yells aloud and playfully punches Daddy's chest.

  They both start laughing and everyone congratulates them one by one.

  "Alright, alright," Lisa says, sounding annoyed with their behavior.

  "Just tell me this," Jermaine whispers to him, "did you hit that yet or are you waiting until the wedding?"

  Daddy raises his eyebrows and covers his face with his hands. "Oh God Jermaine, why?" he says in embarrassment.

  "Michael, whether you did it or are going to, as your older brother, I am proud of you."

  "Me too," Tito chimes in.

  I zone out, getting bored with this already. Suddenly, three boys run in, chasing each other and laughing hysterically.

  "Hey, hey!" Tito yells, stopping them from running any further. "What the hell Taryll? You're eighteen, learn some manners in front of your family!"

  I watch, feeling confused again. Now there are more names that I need to remember? Ugh.

  "Ally, those are your cousins, TJ, Taj, and Taryll. You'll get to know them really well," Daddy says to me.

  "Yeah, right," I respond with a sigh.

  "Guys, this is Allison," Daddy introduces them to me.

  "Well, a little girl sure got some attitude," says Taryll.

  I snicker. "Attitude? Careful, you don't exactly want to make me angry..."

  "Okay that's enough Allison, come on let's go help your grandma set the table," Daddy interrupts, steering me away before I lose my temper.

  "Is that a black eye?" TJ jumps in, examining me close.

  I cover my unnoticeable bruised eye with my hand. "Now that's none of your business," I say, a little too loudly.

  "Alright, it's OK Allison, let's go," Daddy says, once again.

  "Hey, hey, they were only kidding Ally, take a joke," says Taj.

  I huff. "I'll show you a joke-"

  Before I could say anything else, Daddy lifts me up over his shoulder and places me down in one of the chairs on the dinner table.

  "Careful now Princess, that's how you got suspended," Daddy reminds me. "Now, food will be ready soon, you just wait here."

  I fold my arms and wait. More and more people are beginning to take their seats at the dinner table, and soon, food is being brought out by a few others helping out.

  "Finally," I whisper.

  A plate is set down in front of my face and I whiff in the smell of steak and lettuce. I pick up my fork but Daddy stops me and says, "We have to give grace first."

  "Right, sorry," I said.

  Kyle never used to tell me how good it was to give grace before we ate, so I was always used to typically just going in and eating.

  We all join hands and Daddy begins by saying, "God, we thank you for this food. For rest and for home, and all things good. For wind and for rain and sun above, but most of all for those we love, amen."

  ☾

After dinner, everyone has just been sitting around and negotiating with each other. I've always been a shy kid at family gatherings. Maybe that's because Kyle and his relatives have always just been plain nasty to me, destroying my confidence, so I guess I just decided to never say much again.

  "Okay everyone, time for dessert!" Janet squeals, helping her mother bring in a box of cake for everyone. She places it on the table and I can smell it from here – I know it's chocolate.

  "Allison," Janet says, "since you're our newest edition to the family, you have the first piece."

  Everyone smiles at me and Janet hands me a piece. I thank her and sit down on the couch. It's then I feel someone come up from behind me. I turn around; it's Taryll.

  "Hey," he says, smiling too hard.

  I roll my eyes. "What?" I ask, taking a bite of the cake.

  "You know, for living with my uncle, you sure haven't developed that many manners," he says, taking a seat next to me.

  "Well it's only been a couple of months."

  "I know, but he's a good guy, so be nice to him. I don't know your life story before you found him, but I'm sure you must've gained some attitude from whatever it is that you came from."

  I suck in air harshly. "Listen, okay? I don't like it when people suddenly think they know all about me. And so for your information, I don't appreciate it very much when you say "where I came from.""

  "Hey I was just..."

  I stare at him.

  "I'm sorry," he says. "But hey, uncle Mike is really gonna straighten you out."

  "Pft, "straighten me out?" I was scared half to death for my life, actually. I had zero confidence. I'm just living my life how I always wanted to."

  "You're right, I'm sorry." With that, he gets up and leaves. Thank God.

  Grandma Kate then walks up to me and hands me a little strawberry sundae with a red swirly straw. "Just a little something for you," she says.

  "Wow, thanks grandma Kate," I say, accepting it.

  "You're welcome dear, welcome to the Jackson family."

  As soon as Daddy sees what I have in my hand, he sighs and rolls his eyes playfully. "Really?" he asks.

  "Oh come on Michael, she's a kid. Let her enjoy a little treat once in a while," says Lisa.

  I giggle. "Drink?" I offer with a smirk. "Don't worry guys, you'll get your own beverage when we get there," I repeat sarcastically what they said to me earlier in the limo.

  Lisa laughs and Daddy chuckles a little. "ha, ha," he says, playfully rolling his eyes.

  "Finished dessert Daddy," I say. "Now my hands are all sticky!"

  "Just don't touch me with them," he says jokingly.

  "Daddy!"

  "I'm sorry sweetheart. The bathroom is just down there." He points down the hall.

  "Thanks." I get up and carry my empty dessert plate over to the kitchen first, but as I'm walking I accidentally bump into Joseph and fall down, causing the plate to smash into pieces on the ground.

  "Look at what you did child!" he yells. I instantly become frightened, having flashbacks of my past...

  "Look at what you did child!" Kyle yells at me as I stare up at him from the floor. "Well don't just stand there like the useless brat that you are, clean it up before I smack the shit out of you for God's sake!"

  "Okay Kyle, I-I'm sorry!" I say in surrender, picking up the shards of glass sprawled on the floor from accidentally dropping the cereal bowl.

  "Look at this – LOOK AT THIS!" he yells. "WHY WOULD YOU?"

  "It was an accident," I quietly defend.

  "Get up, get up." He drags me up by my pony tail and slaps me. "Could you be any more useless?"

  My eyes fill up with tears, droplets slowly coming out as I hold the hand that's bleeding from the sharp end of the cut bowl.

  He holds my chin up. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

He laughs pathetically at me. "You're just a stupid-"

"She's just a kid, Joseph!" Daddy calls out to him. "Don't yell at her like that!"

  I look up at Joseph and he stares down at me. I look down and examine the broken shards of glass on the floor; just like my cereal bowl. I begin to feel tears sting my eyes, trying my hardest not to think of the past, but suddenly I let out a little sob, not being able to hold in the emotion.

  "Oh Allison," Daddy says, picking me up and sitting on a chair, placing me on his lap and bobbing his leg up and down a little. "It's OK, shh, shh, it's alright."

  "All my fault," I say between sobs.

  "No baby, it's not your fault, it's no one's fault."

  I lay my head on his chest and he rubs my cheek. "Accidents happen sweetie, it's OK."

  "Joseph, did you have to yell at the girl?" grandma Kate scolds Joseph.

  Joseph glances around the room, receiving bad looks from everyone and looks at me with sorry eyes. "I'm sorry..." he says.

  Daddy stands up and wipes my tears and kisses my cheeks. "Here, let's wash your hands," he says, leading me to the sink, avoiding Joseph's gaze.

  Everyone is silent for a moment, before deciding to continue on and clean everything up.

  "Allison, I'm sorry dear," I hear Joseph say from behind me.

  "Joseph, she's just twelve. She's traumatized from her past..." Daddy says quietly.

  "I didn't know, really."

  "I know you didn't. Just...thank you for having us over, but we'll be showing ourselves out now. Allison is tired."

  I look over at the clock on the wall and it reads 5:00pm. Five hours actually did go pretty quick.

  "Well alright. Thanks for uh, f-for coming."

  Joseph begins walking away as Janet approaches us. "Joseph actually apologized? It really hit him this time," she says.

  "Yeah, I know. Thank you for everything today," says Daddy, hugging Janet before Janet then reaches down and hugs me.

  We begin saying goodbye to everyone, and everyone else to each other, but before we leave, Daddy looks around and says, "Wait a minute, where's Lisa?"

  Lisa suddenly walks out, laughing and giggling with Tito. Daddy stares at her for a moment, still not noticing us before Lisa then turns around and meets her gaze with his.

  "Uh, thanks for having me. S-See ya," Lisa quickly says to Tito and walks over to us.

  "Ready," she says.

  "Uh-huh," Daddy responds, not taking his eyes off Tito.

  "Whaaaat?" Tito questions.

  Daddy shakes his head. "Come on, let's go," he says, leading us out.

~

How do you like it? Let me know. More parts to come soon!