13th of April, 1998
Brooklyn is 32, Michael is 39

Michael: I watched as Brooke took a seat on a chair next to me with Paris close to her chest.

We were taking her with us because Brooke wanted Linda to meet her.

"It'll be fine." I said, holding her left hand.

She looked at me and sighed. I started playing with her rings, thinking about getting a divorce again.

I really think it will be the best for us. When I told her I can't lose her, I really meant it. And I wasn't planning on losing her.

Maybe getting a divorce is what we need. I felt like the marriage life wasn't for us anymore. Like this commitment we had pledged to twelve years ago wasn't the ideal way for us.

We will stay together, of course, and I will make sure to maintain our relationship; we're just not gonna be married.

She studied my face while scrunching her eyebrows.

"What's up?" Brooke asked.

"Nothing." I answered, not wanting to have her worrying about anything other than Linda.

"Tell me." she insisted.

I was about to respond, but a flight attendant came to us.

"We're ready to take off, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson."

I nodded, then looked down at my wife again.

"So?"

I took a glance at my wedding ring, took it off, and placed it in her free hand.

"I think I should call my lawyer and have him give us another copy of the divorce papers," I told her. She opened her mouth, but I stopped her before she could say anything. "Just hear me out. I don't want to lose you, okay? I just think there's no point in being married anymore. I love you, I do, and I want us to be together. We'll continue being a couple, but we won't be married. I appreciate that you want us to work on our relationship and we will. Think of this like starting over."

I could see on her face that she wanted to cry. I hurried to hug her tight.

"You still love me?" Brooke whispered.

"I'll love you forever, babe. We're not going to break up, I promise. But our marriage fell apart, and you know that. No one has to find out about this. Not even Janet, we'll keep it between the two of us."

She nodded against my chest. "Okay."

I squeezed her tighter as I felt the plane move.

"I can keep my rings on, right?"

"Of course," I smiled. "Can I have mine back?"

My finger felt so naked without it.

She sniffled and slid it onto my finger.

~

Brooklyn: "She's so beautiful," Linda said when she got a good look at Paris. "She looks just like you."

The McCartney family ranch seemed happier than ever, considering the situation.

"Mom, dad would freak out if he knew you were holding a baby right now." Mary, their eldest daughter, mumbled.

"Your dad won't be back until 4. Stop worrying, honey." my friend waved her off.

I glanced at Michael who had a sad smile on his face.

I sighed and looked back at Linda.

Although I knew I wasn't going to lose him, thinking about us not being married anymore hurt. A part of me was losing him.

I had a lot of worries, too. I was afraid he won't stay loyal once he won't have to be committed to me anymore. And what if he suddenly finds someone else?

He won't do that. He loves you.

"Mom, you really should rest." it was James's turn to speak.

Linda rolled her eyes and gave Paris back to me.

"There, are all of you happy? All I wanted was to hold my friend's baby." she scoffed when James helped her lay down.

"Guys," I said. "Could you give us a few minutes, alone?"

Michael took Paris and all of Linda's children fled out.

"I'm surprised to see you together."

All I could do was burst into tears. She held my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, feeling awful that I was crying over something so small compared to her dying.

"Don't be," she smiled. "What's going on between you two?"

"We're getting a divorce." I gulped. I couldn't even believe the words that came out from my mouth.

She sat up again, "A divorce?!"

"Yeah, but we'll stay together... I hope."

"So, you won't be married, but you'll be together?"

"That's what he wants. I promised I'd make him happy. I just want him to be happy for once." I cried harder.

Linda wiped my tears and held my hand tighter.

~

Michael: "...I just want him to be happy for once."

I felt awful when I heard Brooke say that.

It's like she thinks she never made me happy.

I couldn't help the eavesdropping. I was way too curious.

"I didn't know Michael Jackson was an eavesdropper."

I turned around to see Mary smirking.

I wanted to say something, but the door burst open and revealed Brooke, with eyes full of tears.

She rolled them at me, passing both Mary and I, and went into the guest room where Paris was sleeping.

"Babe!" I called.

I didn't understand why she was acting like this. We weren't breaking up.

I opened the door to the guest room, which was surprisingly open.

"Go away, Michael." she muttered.

I watched her organize a few of Paris's clothes neatly.

Walking to her, I wrapped my arms around her waist.

She pushed me and tried to make me let go, but I wouldn't.

"I don't need this right now. Let me go, please. I just want to focus on Linda."

"Everything alright in here?" we suddenly heard Paul's voice.

Unwillingly, I let Brooklyn go.

She wiped her tears before hugging Paul tighter than I've ever seen her hug someone.

He hugged her back, and they stayed like that for a while.

~

17th of April, 1998
Brooklyn is 32, Michael is 39

Brooklyn: I haven't spoken a word to Michael since we came here.

I couldn't, and I didn't want to. I felt like it would break me more than I was already broken.

Linda's condition was at its worst. She was barely talking anymore, and it was hard for her to breathe.

Everyone was alarmed for the next few days, because we all knew it was happening.

Paul, James, and myself were on their living room couch, going through some family pictures.

"Dad, this one's from your wedding day." James said, smiling at a black and white picture of young Paul and Linda along with Heather. It was beautiful.

But it made me sad. Thinking about weddings and marriage hurt.

"DAD!" Stella suddenly screeched.

James, Paul, and I rushed into Linda's room. Everyone else were already there.

"It's happening." Stella mumbled.

My heart sank. Linda's eyes were hardly open as she reached her hands out for us.

"Paul... Take my hand..." she breathed.

Paul hurried to come to her side.

The scene was heartbreaking. To see her surrounded by her family while she was taking her last breaths made my eyes tear up.

She looked at Michael and I, "I love you two, so much. Promise me you'll make this work."

I held her hand for a short second before she spoke to her kids.

After she told them she loves them more than anything, her eyes closed completely.

Soon her chest stopped moving, and cries were heard everywhere around the room.

~

20th of April, 1998
Brooklyn is 32, Janet is 31, and Michael is 39

Michael: We were back home, but Brooke's tears never stopped.

She was depressed, again. It was definitely because of Linda, yet I had a feeling that our planned divorce took a huge part in it.

And I think she was reminded of Chris's death, too.

Janet and mother were here to help. Or at least they tried to.

My sister sighed deeply as she came down from our room, where Brooke was laying in bed all day.

"I've never seen her so broken. This is a whole different level," she said. "Why aren't you doing anything to help her, Mike?"

Because she doesn't want me to. I'm the bad guy now.

"I already did enough, Dunk." I told her.

"Mother, are you just gonna sit here and listen to this?"

"Michael Joseph Jackson," mother put a hand on mine. "I raised you better than this. Go help your wife cope."

I looked at her, "Mother-"

"Now, son."

I tilted my head back in frustration and stood up.

~

Brooklyn: I whimpered quietly to myself.

I promised I would take this easier this time. But that didn't happen.

With everything around me, coping with Linda's death was unbearable.

I heard the door open. I could care less about who it was. All I wanted was to be alone.

"Brooklyn." Michael called in a soft voice.

He was the last person on this earth that I wanted to see.

I felt his weight on the bed, so I tightened the blanket around me and scooted away.

"Baby, come on. Talk to me."

I ignored him and closed my eyes to avoid more tears from falling.

Michael wrapped arm around me while putting his lips close to me ear.

"I love you, Brooke." he whispered.

"No, you don't," I snapped, sitting up. "You don't love me. If you loved me, you wouldn't have asked for a divorce."

I was slowly starting to believe it. He didn't love me anymore.

He sighed, "I didn't come to talk about that."

"Then go," I said, and took my rings off. "And take these with you."

I threw them at him.

"You don't mean that, put them back on." he said.

"Why? I won't be your wife anymore, those rings are irrelevant."

"Brooklyn..." he groaned.

"This is what you want, right? You got it. Give me the papers."

He looked me in the eyes and saw that I was serious.

I knew he had the divorce papers. He wanted it done. When he wants things done, he can get them done in minutes.

He pulled them out of his nightstand, placing them in my hand.

There was nothing special about what was written in them, since we weren't planning on breaking up. But I wasn't so sure about that so much anymore. Only two things mattered in this divorce.

The first one, in case I need it, I will get a reasonable amount of money. I didn't really care about that.

The second one, if we do get separated, we will have joint custody.

"Call our lawyers." I mumbled as I found a pen.

I flipped to the last page and wasn't surprised to see Michael's signature.

I scribbled mine as well, then gave the papers to him.

"I hope you'll finally be happy." I said.

The tears trickled down my cheeks.

"Babe-" Michael's voice cracked.

"No. I don't care anymore. Just give them to our lawyers and you'll be free."

"Listen to me. I love you."

"Stop saying that like you mean it!" I yelled.

He cringed.

I scoffed as I got out of bed, deciding to go somewhere and be alone.

~

Janet: Brooke stormed out through the back door of the house, not paying attention to anyone or anything.

"Brooklyn!" Michael hurried down the stairs.

"Hey," I said, stopping him. He only tried to push past me as he looked to the direction Brooke was going. "What happened?"

"I need to go after her." he murmured.

"Would you please tell me what happened?" I asked.

"I can't." my brother told me.

"Why not?"

"I just can't. Let me go after her, please."

"I don't think you should, Michael." mother said.

"But she hates me."

"Why would she hate you? You didn't do anything." I furrowed my eyebrows.

He pushed a pile of papers into my hand before running outside after Brooklyn.

I looked down, shocked to see divorce papers.

It was opened on the last page and I noticed both of their signatures.

I blinked. "What the hell?"

"What's wrong, Janet?" mother questioned.

"They're getting divorced."