I smiled at the sound of AJ's tiny little feet scurrying down the hall and into my bedroom. She climbed on the bed and asked "daddy why are you packing our suitcases?" I said "remember, I told you a couple days after your third birthday we would be leaving because I have to go back to work." She said "daddy I don't want to leave! I want to stay here!" I said "I know and trust me I don't want to leave here either! We won't be gone very long this time though! We'll be back about 35 days from now." She responded "35 days… that's going to take forever!" I said "just think about it; when we get back I won't have to go on tour for a very long time!"
As I put the last few things into AJ's suitcase, I noticed that it was almost 8 o'clock and asked "do you know what time it is AJ?" She asked "what daddy?" I said "it's time for a certain three-year-old to start getting ready for bed!" She asked "what three-year-old?" I chuckled and said "I'm talking about you silly!" She said "oh; but I'm not tired! I don't want to go to sleep daddy!" I said "I know you don't want to but you have to. Now, go get ready for bath time and I'll be in there to help you in a second." She grumbled all the way down the hallway and shut the bathroom door.
A few minutes later, I went in to check on her and she looked at me with a frustrated expression on her face. I asked "what's wrong?" She said as she passed me an empty bottle of bubble soap "it's not working!" I said "that's because you're supposed to put this in after the water." I looked at the empty tub that was covered in blue goo and asked "how much of this did you put in there AJ?" She said "the whole bottle." I said "the whole bottle!"
I quickly rushed to wash her hair before the bubbles got too out of control, but AJ and I soon found ourselves cracking up with laughter because she had almost become completely consumed by the bubbles. She said "daddy; I think I put too much bubbles in here!" I chuckled as I moved a mountain out of the way of her face and said "I think you're right about that!" The next thing I knew, she grabbed a pile the bubbles and said "I want to give you a bubble beard like me." I of course didn't think twice about it and let her cover my face in bubbles. I got up from kneeling down on the floor and went to clean my face off in the sink.
After AJ had gotten dressed in her pajamas, I said "okay; you have to brush your teeth." I passed her the toothbrush and she gave it back to me after only about 20 seconds. I said "no AJ; this is exactly why I have to watch you brush your teeth! Keep brushing and I'll tell you when!" Finally, she had successfully brushed her teeth and I picked her up to bring her to her room. As I tucked her into bed, she said "I can't wait until we can stay here forever daddy! I don't like when you have to work so much!" I said "I know AJ; but I promise that once we get back here I'll just be working on TV shows and stuff like that. There won't be any more concerts for a long while! Alright; I know you're trying to distract me so you don't have to go to bed; but I'm going to sleep now too because I'm tired!" I gave her a kiss and turned on the TV. As I shut off the light, she said "I love you daddy!" I said "I love you more AJ"
***
As I sat there in our hotel room, my watch started beeping and I said "okay; time for me to go to the concert now AJ." She said "I'm going too!" I said "no; you can't come because I have to perform and I'll be too busy to watch you." The minute those words came out of my mouth, AJ looked at me with a devastated look on her face and her eyes started to water. I looked at her sympathetically and picked her up into my arms. She rested her head on my shoulder and started to cry uncontrollably. I whispered "hey, you don't need to cry. I'll be back in a few hours." She said "I want to go with you daddy!" I said "you wouldn’t have fun like you would here with Grace and Prince!"
After trying to console her for over a half hour, my cell phone started ringing and it was my manager Frank. I answered it and said "yes; I'm well aware that I'm late Frank! I'm about to leave right now; but I don't want to leave while AJ's freaking out and crying like this! You don't get what it's like to be a father because you don't have any kids; so don't try to lecture me about what I should or shouldn't do!" I hung up the phone and said "I'm getting so sick of him because of his attitude since the children have been born!" Grace tried to grab AJ out of my arms; but AJ had a death grip around my neck. Grace said "you have to let go of daddy AJ because the concerts going to start soon and he can't be late." AJ continued to cry and I whispered "do you want some ice cream?" I saw a little smile on her face as she buried it into my shoulder and she reached out for Grace to grab her from me.
I quickly snuck out of the hotel room while Grace was busy getting ice cream out of the mini fridge in the hotel room. When I made it to the concert arena, I had gotten there just in time for the show. I had to go directly from the dressing room to the stage. I didn't even have time to check in with Frank and I was glad because I don't want to hear what he has to say to me right now. When I finished the show, Frank was sitting backstage with his arms crossed and he looked at me; clearly frustrated. I sat down next to him on the couch and he said "that was a close call Michael; you barely made it!" I said "listen, AJ was freaking out I'm not going to leave her when she's crying! That's something that I just won't do as a father!" He responded "Michael; you have a job to do! I understand that you wanted to comfort AJ but it's not like the world was going to end if she cried for a few minutes!" I said with a hint of aggravation in my voice "until you have kids of your own you won't understand what it's like to hear one of your children cry! I'm not going to discuss this with you any further because not that’s going to get us anywhere! I'm here now and that's all that really matters. I'll try my best not to be late from now on; but you should know that I have two jobs now! I'm not just Michael Jackson the superstar anymore! I'm a single parent and I'm one of the few people that my kids look to for comfort when their upset or hurting! If there's one thing I want you to understand from this conversation it's that they don't care that I'm famous! They don't care that I'm Michael Jackson! They don't care that millions of people are waiting to watch me perform! What they care about is that I'm there for them no matter what! Prince and AJ are just kids and they don't understand who I am yet; right now as far as they are concerned I'm just daddy! I suggest you spend a little less time complaining and a little more time trying to picture yourself in my shoes! My job as their daddy is way more important to me than any of this ever was! You have your head so far up your ass it's ridiculous!"
Frank didn't say a word to me as I stormed out of the arena and slammed the door behind me. I walked to the car with Jeffrey and he asked "are you okay Mr. Jackson?" I opened the car door and said "I just want to get back to my kids!" We drove back to the hotel and I went up to our room. I was surprised to see that AJ was still awake and watching TV on the couch. She whispered excitedly "daddy!!!" She ran into my arms and I said "I told you I'd come back!!!" Grace came out of one of the separate bedrooms and asked "how was the concert?" I said "it was okay I guess! 14 more shows to go and I don't have to worry about this tour anymore!" She said "you seem a little upset Michael; are you alright?" I said "yeah; I'm fine. Frank and I got into it at the concert arena after the show; but I'm okay now! What are you doing up AJ? It's way past your bedtime!" Grace said "that's my fault Michael; I told her she could stay up until you got back."
***
I'm so close to finishing my tour and I'm glad that I only have five shows left before it's finally over because I hate touring so much! I was about to walk through the door of the hotel room that I share with AJ and Prince. When I opened the door, Grace was sitting on the couch with Prince in her arms and AJ was throwing toys all over the place. Grace moaned "I need your help Michael!" I looked at her concerned and asked "why? What's wrong?" She said "AJ hasn't been listening to me at all today and I'm exhausted! She was jumping up and down on the beds, tossing puzzle pieces all over the room, and refusing to eat anything other than what she wanted to eat!" I immediately looked over at AJ and she stared at me like a deer in the headlights because she realized that she had gotten caught. Grace said "I'm going to go put Prince down for a nap and hopefully get a couple hours of sleep myself."
After Grace had gone off into one of the other rooms, I looked at AJ again and sternly said "I'm not happy AJ! You need to listen to Grace when I'm working! You know better than to disobey me!!! Grace may let you get away with that stuff but I'm not going to!" AJ walked over to the corner of the room and faced the wall. I said "that's what I thought. You wouldn't dare act that way around me. At least not right now anyway!"
After her three minutes were up, I walked over to her and said "I don't want to apologize to me because you weren't misbehaving for me you were misbehaving for Grace. That's not okay AJ and I won't allow that; do you understand?" She said "yes daddy" and I said "go apologize to her please." AJ slowly made it her way into the room where Grace was watching TV and I said "AJ has something she wants to say to you Grace." Grace sat up and AJ said "I'm sorry for not listening to you today." Grace responded "I accept your apology AJ; thank you for apologizing." I looked at Grace and said "from now on, when she's not listening to you during the day just let me know when I get back and I'll take care of it!"
This is part of the reason why I hate being on tour! I can't say that AJ is a lot more behaved when I'm around because that's not true; but she at least knows what's going to happen if she does something that I don't approve of. I think part of the reason why she's acting out is because she just wants to be back at Neverland! The thing I have to remember is that she was so young for the first leg of the tour that she didn't really remember what it was like to be away from me pretty much all the time! Now she has to learn to share what little time she has to spend with me with her little brother. I know I say this a lot, but I HATE being on tour!!!!!!!!!!!!
***
I smiled from ear to ear as I ran backstage after closing out the final concert of my "History" tour and scooped AJ into my arms. I said "guess where we're going tomorrow AJ?" She asked "where daddy?" I said excitedly "you, Prince and I are going back home!" She shouted "finally; can we go home right now?" I chuckled and said "no, we have to wait until tomorrow because we have to get on an airplane." Grace asked "are you sure you are going to be able to handle getting both of the kids packed and ready for the fight tomorrow all by yourself?" I said "of course Grace; don't worry about me! I can handle it! Now, you better hurry and go catch your flight before you miss it! Enjoy your three weeks paid vacation! You deserve some time with your family and friends because you've been stuck in a hotel room with my children for quite a while." She said "thank you so much Michael; I really appreciate it!"
Without my knowledge, one of my backup dancers had given AJ a piece of chocolate cake that was backstage and I really regret letting her eat it. I didn't want to take it away from her after she had already taken a bite but; that gave her an extreme sugar rush that I really didn't want her to have at 11 o'clock at night. Jeffrey and I ran out to the car with the children in an effort to avoid the paparazzi; but that obviously didn't work because there was an ambush surrounding the car. AJ hates the paparazzi because they never listen to me when I tell them not to take so many pictures! I've told them several times that the lights from the flash on the cameras bother her eyes; but they don't care! We just barely made it into the car without being pummeled by thousands of photographers not looking where they were going.
One of the things I've noticed since AJ has been diagnosed with ADHD is that when she eats any sugar it makes it even more difficult for her to sit still. She started tapping her foot rapidly as she sat there in the car. I said "you have to try to calm yourself down AJ because when we get back to the hotel you have to go to sleep so we can be up in time for our flight." She said "daddy, I’m not going to be able to sleep right now; I'm way too hyper!"
Sure enough, when I tried to get her to go to bed she tossed and turned for 20 minutes straight before I came into the room. I lay down next to her and said "that's why don't like you to have sugar before you go to bed. I'll tell you what, you and I can talk until you fall asleep; but we have to be quiet because your brother is already sleeping." She asked "daddy, why do you love me even when I don't listen to you?" I said "because AJ I'm going to love you no matter what you do!" She asked "even if I colored on the wall? I chuckled and said "you already did that last year; remember?" She said "oh yeah; but what if I cut my hair by myself?" I said "you already did that too!" She asked "what if I –?" I said "you could do anything and I'm still going to love you because you're my little girl!" She asked "what about when I'm 30 years old?" I chuckled and said "you're still going to be my little girl!" She said "I'm so happy that you're my daddy!" I said "and I'm so happy that you're my little girl!!!"
***
It was around 9 AM when Jeffrey and I walked through the front door of the house and AJ was still asleep. She had slept through everything surprisingly and I knew it was only a matter of time before she would wake up. I carried her upstairs to her bedroom and went back downstairs to spend some quality time with Prince. I'm really glad the three of us our home now because I've missed way too much while I was finishing the last leg of my tour. Prince is adorable and he is just learning how to laugh; which I love. I can always make him laugh just by dancing and he thinks it's the funniest thing in the world.
About 10 minutes later, AJ came back downstairs and said "we're home!" She ran up to me and jumped with excitement. She saw that I was holding Prince and came over to kiss his forehead. I said "you're such a good big sister AJ; you're so sweet!!!" She noticed her toys in the corner of the room and said "I missed these toys so much! I wish we could've brought all of my toys when you had to go to work daddy!" I said "yeah; but we wouldn't have enough room for all of them. That's why we only brought the really important ones with us!" She immediately started playing with all the toys that she hadn't seen for a month and a half and completely forgot that the two of us were having a conversation.
Eventually, there was a knock on the door and I answered it to see my mother standing there. I said "I've missed you so much mother; come inside!" She walked inside and followed me into the living room where the children were. AJ noticed her sitting next to me on the couch and climbed onto her lap. Mother looked at me and said "I bet you're glad that you can just relax now Michael!" I said "I'm relieved and I just can't wait to not have to worry about anything other than the children for at least a few months. Frank and I had an argument a few weeks ago and even though he apologized to me things between us have been really awkward lately. We decided to take six months off from working just to clear our minds because neither of us like it when we fight. I'm extremely financially stable right now and I don't think that I'll have to worry about money for very long time. I already get millions of dollars from ‘the Beatles’ catalog and my own album sales! I'm just looking forward to enjoying life with my family for six months. I think I deserve a break!" Mother said "I agree with you Michael! I think you push yourself way too hard sometimes and you need some rest! If you ever need someone to watch the children I'll be here for you! I love watching my grandbabies and you can trust me!" I said "of course I trust you with the kids; but I don't trust my brothers or Janet with them because I know they don’t have good judgment. Alanna has learned some not so appealing language from some of them and I really don't want her to learn anymore!" Mother suggested "what if I was to watch the children over here; instead of at Havenhurst?" I said "actually, I have a better idea! I've always wanted to take the children on a road trip and I was wondering if you'd like to come along because I obviously can't take care of three-month-old and a three-year-old all by myself."
She thought about it for a second and asked "where are you planning to take the children?" I whispered "Disney World in Florida; but don't tell AJ because it's a surprise!" She said "that sounds like fun! I'll go with you guys! Are we going in a car or an RV Michael?" I said "with all the crazy traffic, it will take us three days to get there and three days to get back home; I figure it will be more fun in the car because I want the children to have a normal road trip experience! Obviously Prince isn't going to remember any of this; but AJ will and I don't want her to miss out on things just because I'm Michael Jackson! I don't know how she is going to like being stuck in a car with you, Jeffrey, Prince, and me for three days; but we'll get through it together." Mother raised her eyebrows and said "it'll be quite the experience; that's for sure!!!"
***
After literally packing for days, mother was on her way over and all of us were about to start our family road trip. When she finally arrived, mother grabbed Prince and I grabbed AJ while Jeffrey brought our bags out to the van that I had rented for the trip. Mother and I sat in the two middle seats within the back seat with AJ to my right and Prince next to my mother. I excitedly asked "are you ready for this AJ? It’s time for your first road trip!!!" She responded "I'm so excited to find out where we’re going! Will you please tell me daddy?" I said "nope; you're just going to have to wait and see when we get there!" She said "awww man daddy!" I chuckled and Jeffrey made his way into the driver’s seat.
Jeffrey started the van and we were off. I have to say that it's been years since I've really been on a road trip because I can usually just get a private jet or a flight on a commercial airplane to get to where I need to be. The last time I ever remember being in a car for extended periods of time was when Joseph would bring us to gigs when he was trying to get us a record deal. I remember being out all night at "adult clubs" and having to go to school the next day. Needless to say, I hope AJ will remember this road trip years from now because I want to make it really special!
About two hours into the trip, we of course got the four word question that every parent gets, "are we there yet?" I chuckled and said "not even close!" Little did I know that was going to be the first of many times that she would ask me that question! Thank God for the TV that was installed inside the van; so we could watch movies and keep AJ entertained. I had fallen asleep watching a movie with mother and AJ, to wake up to my daughter saying "daddy; you snore too loud!!!" That had mother laughing for quite a while and then we all started to get a little hungry; so we decided to go through the drive-through at McDonald's. I stumbled up towards the front of the van and ordered our food when we pulled up to the microphone. Afterwards, I quickly snuck back to my seat before Jeffrey pulled up to the window to pay for food. I said "if only that guy that talked on the microphone knew that it was Michael Jackson ordering a double cheeseburger!" Mother laughed and said "I don't think people expect celebrities to order food from places like McDonald's!"
While AJ was eating, I encouraged her to drink the soda that came with her happy meal. She isn't very familiar with soda because I don't let her drink it that much; so she was really hesitant. She didn't really like it surprisingly; so mother let her have the milkshake that came with her meal. An hour had gone by and we pulled over to fill up the tank of gas. I let AJ get out of the van with me; so she could stretch her legs because we had been sitting in the car for a while. Jeffrey had gone into the store to pay for the gas and mother was feeding Prince a bottle inside the van. AJ hadn’t said much since we had gotten the food; but then she pulled on my sleeve and that's when it all went downhill.
I turned around to see what she wanted while I knelt down in front of her to tie my shoes and she asked "daddy?" I asked "yes?" She looked at me for a few minutes and I asked her again "yes?" That's when she looked at me once more and proceeded to projectile vomit all over the front of my shirt and pants. I didn't know what to do at first because I was so caught off guard by what was going on. I pulled opened the sliding door on the van and poked my head in. I said "uh-oh mother; we seem to have a bit of a situation out here! Can you bring some napkins?" She slowly made her way out of the van with about five napkins in her hands. She said "oh; that kind of a situation." Jeffrey came out of the gas station store and was oblivious as to what had happened.
Thankfully, we were in the middle of nowhere at a small family-run gas station; so there I was at this gas station digging through my suitcase for a pair of clothes. There was only one customer in the store; so I didn't mind signing autographs for him after I had changed my clothes. When Jeffrey and I got back into our seats inside the van, AJ said "I'm sorry I threw up on you daddy." I said "that's okay AJ; I don't care!" Mother chuckled and said "at least you and AJ can say that you've experienced the typical family road trip now Michael!" I rolled my eyes and sarcastically said "very funny mother; very funny!"
***
We arrived at the hotel in Florida late last night and AJ still doesn't know why we're here. Mother, AJ, and I were eating breakfast in our room and I decided that it was time to tell AJ where we were because she was extremely curious at this point. I said "I'm surprised you haven't figured out where we are at AJ! Grandma came with us because she's going to watch Prince while you and I go to Disney World for the day!!!" She looked at me in shock and said "you haven't taken me to Disney World since before Prince was born daddy because you told me he was too young to come with us!" I said "grandma's going to watch Prince and then she will eventually meet us at Disney World when it's not too hot outside because I don't want Prince to become overheated or dehydrated. That just means that just you and I are going to be spending time together for a while."
I gave mother a cell phone so she could get a hold of me when she decided to bring Prince down to the theme park. AJ and I went down to the park with Jeffrey because I knew he would need to protect me from the crazed fans. It's almost like the fans know when I'm going to be there and they wait outside for me to arrive. Jeffrey walked in front of us as I entered the front gate carrying AJ in my arms and paid the admission fee. I unfortunately had to take AJ into a private room away from the other families so she could visit with the characters because people wouldn't leave us alone while the three of us were waiting in line to meet the characters. It's almost as if they think that I'm part of the theme park. Once they realize that I'm there, they forget why they came to Disney World in the first place and I just feel bad for the children of these parents that spend all day chasing me for an autograph; instead of taking them on rides.
We were at the park for over four hours when I decided to take AJ to a Disney store located within the park. I took her inside the store and she has always been a huge fan of "Toy story"; so I wasn't surprised when she immediately went over to that section of the store. There was a gigantic "toy story" playset with different toys for different scenes in the movie and AJ asked "can I get this?" I think she thought it all came in one complete set; when in actuality each part is sold separately and I wasn't about to pay hundreds of dollars just so she could have the entire thing. I really don't like spoiling her and her birthday was just a few weeks ago. I knelt down next to her and said "Honey, that thing doesn't come altogether. I would have to buy each of the different parts for you to have the whole set. If you want to, you can pick out a couple play sets; but I'm not going to buy you the whole thing."
That definitely wasn't the right thing to say in the middle of the store because AJ decided to throw a temper tantrum. I was SO embarrassed because everyone was staring at us and taking pictures of AJ rolling around on the floor. She was screaming at the top for lungs and my mother decided to show up with Prince at that very moment. I didn't want it seem like I didn't have authority over AJ; but I absolutely hate getting strict or disciplining AJ in public. Tabloid magazines always like to blow things out of proportion and I don't want to look like I'm being mean to AJ. I honestly didn't know what was the best choice! Mother was looking at me and expecting me to do something and everybody else was just standing around taking pictures. I whispered sternly "AJ that's enough! Stop this right now!!!" She immediately stopped the tantrum because she could tell that I wasn't messing around and I picked her up off of the floor.
Mother, Jeffrey, the baby, AJ, and I booked it back to the hotel. When we got back to our room, mother and I sat down to have a conversation together. She shook her head and asked "what was that all about Michael? That was crazy!!!" I said "AJ wanted all the toys in a set; but I didn't want to spend all that money. I told her no and she threw herself on the ground." Mother said "I understand that part; but it shouldn't have taken you that long to react. When you and your siblings were younger, I didn't like any of you act like that!" I said "no you didn't; but in my defense, I'm EXTREMELY famous now and I have a lot of things to think about when it comes to disciplining AJ in public. All it takes is one picture and someone could say that I'm an abusive father just because they want money from a tabloid magazine mother!" She said "that shouldn't stop you from disciplining her Michael. You always tell me that you want your children to grow up as normal possible. AJ doesn't know why all those people are taking pictures of you and normal three-year-olds have temper tantrums that just so happen to be in public sometimes. All I'm saying is that you can't avoid it when cameras are around just because you're afraid that it will be misinterpreted because someone's trying to make some money off of pictures of you and AJ." I sighed and said "you're right mother; I shouldn't worry so much about what other people think of me as a father because as long as AJ knows I love her that's all that matters. When she acts like that next time, I'll deal with it right away!!!!! I just don't know what I'm going to do with AJ in a few years because I have a feeling that the behavioral issues she has are going to be much worse; especially when she's a teenager! Oh gosh; I don't even want to think about that right now because it worries me so much!!!!!"
***
We got back from my trip to Disney World yesterday and there was a message on the answering machine from Debbie asking me to go out for lunch with her today. After I dropped AJ and Prince off at Havenhurst, Jeffrey and I headed to a very popular coffee shop in Los Angeles to meet with Debbie. I found her sitting at a table and walked over to sit down. I said "it's nice seeing you Debbie; it's been a while since we have seen each other!" She said "as soon as I found out you just finished your tour, I wanted to call you so we could catch up on what's been going on in our lives. I was surprised when you didn't answer the phone." I said "sorry about that; I would've answered the phone if I was home." She asked curiously "where did you go?" I said "I decided at the last minute to take a spontaneous road trip with my mother and the children to Disney World the day after we got back from the tour." Debbie chuckled and asked "you went on a road trip Michael?" I laughed and said "yeah; looking back on it now, that wasn't the best idea." Debbie asked "why not? How was the trip?" I laughed and said "to start off, AJ asked me every five minutes if we were there yet. Then the traffic was horrible and that caused us to be behind schedule; so Jeffrey and I ended up taking turns driving the van. We didn't want to stop at a hotel to sleep because we didn't want be even later. Then to top it all off, when we were at a gas station AJ threw up ALL over me and I had to change my clothes; which wasted even more time! Needless to say, we took a plane back to California instead of using the van again! I don't think I'll attempt another road trip until the children are older! It was a lot more work than I thought it would be!"
The waiter brought us our food and Debbie asked "are you happy you get to relax now Michael?" I said "more than you could ever imagine Debbie! I think the kids and I are just going to relax around Neverland for about a week and not do anything special. I was actually excited when you called me because I think it's the perfect time for me to add a third child to my family. I'm not in a rush because I don't really have to worry about going anywhere for work anytime soon; so whenever it's comfortable for you I'd like to get reacquainted… If you know a mean by that." She laughed and said "I know exactly what you mean by that Michael and I can't wait!"
After leaving the coffee shop, Jeffrey and I went over to Havenhurst to pick up the children. When we got there, AJ and Prince were both fast asleep and mother said "you know Michael, you deserve a break! Why don't you leave the children here overnight so you don't have to wake them up?" I was reluctant at first; but then she said that she promised she wouldn't have anyone over to the house until I came back to pick the children up. I decided that I could trust her to listen to me and ended up leaving the children at Havenhurst.
As I sat there on the couch in my house, I noticed how quiet it was and I didn't like it all because it hasn't been this quiet since before AJ was born. Jeffrey was busy checking the security cameras and I had no one to talk to; so I decided to invite Debbie over just to have some company. She immediately drove over to the ranch and we decided to watch a movie together. It was a really boring movie and the two of us realize that from the very beginning. Debbie chuckled and said "this movie is awful!!!" I said "you can say that again!" Debbie said "no, I'd rather do this" and the next thing I knew she was laying on me. I said "whoa, whoa, whoa Debbie! I'm not ready for this right now! I realize that you've got a crush on me; but I don't want this to become a thing between us because I don't want a relationship right now. I just want another baby and that's it!" She sighed and said "that's alright Michael; I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me just now!" I said "I don't want to disappoint you; but I also don't want to lead you on to think that there could be something more than just a friendship between us. Trust me you wouldn't want to be in a relationship with me!" She asked "why not?" I said "because it would be nothing like a normal relationship! There's too much that comes along with dating me. You would have to deal with being harassed by the paparazzi all the time and give up on having any privacy in public. You would constantly have to deal with awful tabloid stories written about me and possibly you. I'm not interested dating you even though we are married now! It just wouldn't be fair to you or to the children."
I felt terrible afterwards because Debbie looked disappointed; so I looked her in the eyes and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. I said "you know what, tonight seems like the perfect night to try for another baby because the house is empty and it's just you and I!!!" She responded "I don't want you to feel like you have to do something just to make me happy Michael! You already spent too much time trying to make everybody else happy and I'm not about to let you do that for me!" I said "I insist Debbie; it's the least I could do for you because you've provided me with something that I never thought I would ever have; children of my own! If I get you pregnant night then so be it! If it doesn't work tonight then we'll try in a few weeks like I had originally planned! It's not like it's going to do any harm if we did it a few weeks early!" Debbie asked "you would really do that for me? I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do Michael!" I said "you won't be forcing me Debbie; I want to! Just because I don't want you and I to be considered as a couple doesn't mean I don't find you attractive! I'm glad you're the mother of my children because I couldn't imagine AJ without her amazingly blonde hair!"
As I put the last few things into AJ's suitcase, I noticed that it was almost 8 o'clock and asked "do you know what time it is AJ?" She asked "what daddy?" I said "it's time for a certain three-year-old to start getting ready for bed!" She asked "what three-year-old?" I chuckled and said "I'm talking about you silly!" She said "oh; but I'm not tired! I don't want to go to sleep daddy!" I said "I know you don't want to but you have to. Now, go get ready for bath time and I'll be in there to help you in a second." She grumbled all the way down the hallway and shut the bathroom door.
A few minutes later, I went in to check on her and she looked at me with a frustrated expression on her face. I asked "what's wrong?" She said as she passed me an empty bottle of bubble soap "it's not working!" I said "that's because you're supposed to put this in after the water." I looked at the empty tub that was covered in blue goo and asked "how much of this did you put in there AJ?" She said "the whole bottle." I said "the whole bottle!"
I quickly rushed to wash her hair before the bubbles got too out of control, but AJ and I soon found ourselves cracking up with laughter because she had almost become completely consumed by the bubbles. She said "daddy; I think I put too much bubbles in here!" I chuckled as I moved a mountain out of the way of her face and said "I think you're right about that!" The next thing I knew, she grabbed a pile the bubbles and said "I want to give you a bubble beard like me." I of course didn't think twice about it and let her cover my face in bubbles. I got up from kneeling down on the floor and went to clean my face off in the sink.
After AJ had gotten dressed in her pajamas, I said "okay; you have to brush your teeth." I passed her the toothbrush and she gave it back to me after only about 20 seconds. I said "no AJ; this is exactly why I have to watch you brush your teeth! Keep brushing and I'll tell you when!" Finally, she had successfully brushed her teeth and I picked her up to bring her to her room. As I tucked her into bed, she said "I can't wait until we can stay here forever daddy! I don't like when you have to work so much!" I said "I know AJ; but I promise that once we get back here I'll just be working on TV shows and stuff like that. There won't be any more concerts for a long while! Alright; I know you're trying to distract me so you don't have to go to bed; but I'm going to sleep now too because I'm tired!" I gave her a kiss and turned on the TV. As I shut off the light, she said "I love you daddy!" I said "I love you more AJ"
***
As I sat there in our hotel room, my watch started beeping and I said "okay; time for me to go to the concert now AJ." She said "I'm going too!" I said "no; you can't come because I have to perform and I'll be too busy to watch you." The minute those words came out of my mouth, AJ looked at me with a devastated look on her face and her eyes started to water. I looked at her sympathetically and picked her up into my arms. She rested her head on my shoulder and started to cry uncontrollably. I whispered "hey, you don't need to cry. I'll be back in a few hours." She said "I want to go with you daddy!" I said "you wouldn’t have fun like you would here with Grace and Prince!"
After trying to console her for over a half hour, my cell phone started ringing and it was my manager Frank. I answered it and said "yes; I'm well aware that I'm late Frank! I'm about to leave right now; but I don't want to leave while AJ's freaking out and crying like this! You don't get what it's like to be a father because you don't have any kids; so don't try to lecture me about what I should or shouldn't do!" I hung up the phone and said "I'm getting so sick of him because of his attitude since the children have been born!" Grace tried to grab AJ out of my arms; but AJ had a death grip around my neck. Grace said "you have to let go of daddy AJ because the concerts going to start soon and he can't be late." AJ continued to cry and I whispered "do you want some ice cream?" I saw a little smile on her face as she buried it into my shoulder and she reached out for Grace to grab her from me.
I quickly snuck out of the hotel room while Grace was busy getting ice cream out of the mini fridge in the hotel room. When I made it to the concert arena, I had gotten there just in time for the show. I had to go directly from the dressing room to the stage. I didn't even have time to check in with Frank and I was glad because I don't want to hear what he has to say to me right now. When I finished the show, Frank was sitting backstage with his arms crossed and he looked at me; clearly frustrated. I sat down next to him on the couch and he said "that was a close call Michael; you barely made it!" I said "listen, AJ was freaking out I'm not going to leave her when she's crying! That's something that I just won't do as a father!" He responded "Michael; you have a job to do! I understand that you wanted to comfort AJ but it's not like the world was going to end if she cried for a few minutes!" I said with a hint of aggravation in my voice "until you have kids of your own you won't understand what it's like to hear one of your children cry! I'm not going to discuss this with you any further because not that’s going to get us anywhere! I'm here now and that's all that really matters. I'll try my best not to be late from now on; but you should know that I have two jobs now! I'm not just Michael Jackson the superstar anymore! I'm a single parent and I'm one of the few people that my kids look to for comfort when their upset or hurting! If there's one thing I want you to understand from this conversation it's that they don't care that I'm famous! They don't care that I'm Michael Jackson! They don't care that millions of people are waiting to watch me perform! What they care about is that I'm there for them no matter what! Prince and AJ are just kids and they don't understand who I am yet; right now as far as they are concerned I'm just daddy! I suggest you spend a little less time complaining and a little more time trying to picture yourself in my shoes! My job as their daddy is way more important to me than any of this ever was! You have your head so far up your ass it's ridiculous!"
Frank didn't say a word to me as I stormed out of the arena and slammed the door behind me. I walked to the car with Jeffrey and he asked "are you okay Mr. Jackson?" I opened the car door and said "I just want to get back to my kids!" We drove back to the hotel and I went up to our room. I was surprised to see that AJ was still awake and watching TV on the couch. She whispered excitedly "daddy!!!" She ran into my arms and I said "I told you I'd come back!!!" Grace came out of one of the separate bedrooms and asked "how was the concert?" I said "it was okay I guess! 14 more shows to go and I don't have to worry about this tour anymore!" She said "you seem a little upset Michael; are you alright?" I said "yeah; I'm fine. Frank and I got into it at the concert arena after the show; but I'm okay now! What are you doing up AJ? It's way past your bedtime!" Grace said "that's my fault Michael; I told her she could stay up until you got back."
***
I'm so close to finishing my tour and I'm glad that I only have five shows left before it's finally over because I hate touring so much! I was about to walk through the door of the hotel room that I share with AJ and Prince. When I opened the door, Grace was sitting on the couch with Prince in her arms and AJ was throwing toys all over the place. Grace moaned "I need your help Michael!" I looked at her concerned and asked "why? What's wrong?" She said "AJ hasn't been listening to me at all today and I'm exhausted! She was jumping up and down on the beds, tossing puzzle pieces all over the room, and refusing to eat anything other than what she wanted to eat!" I immediately looked over at AJ and she stared at me like a deer in the headlights because she realized that she had gotten caught. Grace said "I'm going to go put Prince down for a nap and hopefully get a couple hours of sleep myself."
After Grace had gone off into one of the other rooms, I looked at AJ again and sternly said "I'm not happy AJ! You need to listen to Grace when I'm working! You know better than to disobey me!!! Grace may let you get away with that stuff but I'm not going to!" AJ walked over to the corner of the room and faced the wall. I said "that's what I thought. You wouldn't dare act that way around me. At least not right now anyway!"
After her three minutes were up, I walked over to her and said "I don't want to apologize to me because you weren't misbehaving for me you were misbehaving for Grace. That's not okay AJ and I won't allow that; do you understand?" She said "yes daddy" and I said "go apologize to her please." AJ slowly made it her way into the room where Grace was watching TV and I said "AJ has something she wants to say to you Grace." Grace sat up and AJ said "I'm sorry for not listening to you today." Grace responded "I accept your apology AJ; thank you for apologizing." I looked at Grace and said "from now on, when she's not listening to you during the day just let me know when I get back and I'll take care of it!"
This is part of the reason why I hate being on tour! I can't say that AJ is a lot more behaved when I'm around because that's not true; but she at least knows what's going to happen if she does something that I don't approve of. I think part of the reason why she's acting out is because she just wants to be back at Neverland! The thing I have to remember is that she was so young for the first leg of the tour that she didn't really remember what it was like to be away from me pretty much all the time! Now she has to learn to share what little time she has to spend with me with her little brother. I know I say this a lot, but I HATE being on tour!!!!!!!!!!!!
***
I smiled from ear to ear as I ran backstage after closing out the final concert of my "History" tour and scooped AJ into my arms. I said "guess where we're going tomorrow AJ?" She asked "where daddy?" I said excitedly "you, Prince and I are going back home!" She shouted "finally; can we go home right now?" I chuckled and said "no, we have to wait until tomorrow because we have to get on an airplane." Grace asked "are you sure you are going to be able to handle getting both of the kids packed and ready for the fight tomorrow all by yourself?" I said "of course Grace; don't worry about me! I can handle it! Now, you better hurry and go catch your flight before you miss it! Enjoy your three weeks paid vacation! You deserve some time with your family and friends because you've been stuck in a hotel room with my children for quite a while." She said "thank you so much Michael; I really appreciate it!"
Without my knowledge, one of my backup dancers had given AJ a piece of chocolate cake that was backstage and I really regret letting her eat it. I didn't want to take it away from her after she had already taken a bite but; that gave her an extreme sugar rush that I really didn't want her to have at 11 o'clock at night. Jeffrey and I ran out to the car with the children in an effort to avoid the paparazzi; but that obviously didn't work because there was an ambush surrounding the car. AJ hates the paparazzi because they never listen to me when I tell them not to take so many pictures! I've told them several times that the lights from the flash on the cameras bother her eyes; but they don't care! We just barely made it into the car without being pummeled by thousands of photographers not looking where they were going.
One of the things I've noticed since AJ has been diagnosed with ADHD is that when she eats any sugar it makes it even more difficult for her to sit still. She started tapping her foot rapidly as she sat there in the car. I said "you have to try to calm yourself down AJ because when we get back to the hotel you have to go to sleep so we can be up in time for our flight." She said "daddy, I’m not going to be able to sleep right now; I'm way too hyper!"
Sure enough, when I tried to get her to go to bed she tossed and turned for 20 minutes straight before I came into the room. I lay down next to her and said "that's why don't like you to have sugar before you go to bed. I'll tell you what, you and I can talk until you fall asleep; but we have to be quiet because your brother is already sleeping." She asked "daddy, why do you love me even when I don't listen to you?" I said "because AJ I'm going to love you no matter what you do!" She asked "even if I colored on the wall? I chuckled and said "you already did that last year; remember?" She said "oh yeah; but what if I cut my hair by myself?" I said "you already did that too!" She asked "what if I –?" I said "you could do anything and I'm still going to love you because you're my little girl!" She asked "what about when I'm 30 years old?" I chuckled and said "you're still going to be my little girl!" She said "I'm so happy that you're my daddy!" I said "and I'm so happy that you're my little girl!!!"
***
It was around 9 AM when Jeffrey and I walked through the front door of the house and AJ was still asleep. She had slept through everything surprisingly and I knew it was only a matter of time before she would wake up. I carried her upstairs to her bedroom and went back downstairs to spend some quality time with Prince. I'm really glad the three of us our home now because I've missed way too much while I was finishing the last leg of my tour. Prince is adorable and he is just learning how to laugh; which I love. I can always make him laugh just by dancing and he thinks it's the funniest thing in the world.
About 10 minutes later, AJ came back downstairs and said "we're home!" She ran up to me and jumped with excitement. She saw that I was holding Prince and came over to kiss his forehead. I said "you're such a good big sister AJ; you're so sweet!!!" She noticed her toys in the corner of the room and said "I missed these toys so much! I wish we could've brought all of my toys when you had to go to work daddy!" I said "yeah; but we wouldn't have enough room for all of them. That's why we only brought the really important ones with us!" She immediately started playing with all the toys that she hadn't seen for a month and a half and completely forgot that the two of us were having a conversation.
Eventually, there was a knock on the door and I answered it to see my mother standing there. I said "I've missed you so much mother; come inside!" She walked inside and followed me into the living room where the children were. AJ noticed her sitting next to me on the couch and climbed onto her lap. Mother looked at me and said "I bet you're glad that you can just relax now Michael!" I said "I'm relieved and I just can't wait to not have to worry about anything other than the children for at least a few months. Frank and I had an argument a few weeks ago and even though he apologized to me things between us have been really awkward lately. We decided to take six months off from working just to clear our minds because neither of us like it when we fight. I'm extremely financially stable right now and I don't think that I'll have to worry about money for very long time. I already get millions of dollars from ‘the Beatles’ catalog and my own album sales! I'm just looking forward to enjoying life with my family for six months. I think I deserve a break!" Mother said "I agree with you Michael! I think you push yourself way too hard sometimes and you need some rest! If you ever need someone to watch the children I'll be here for you! I love watching my grandbabies and you can trust me!" I said "of course I trust you with the kids; but I don't trust my brothers or Janet with them because I know they don’t have good judgment. Alanna has learned some not so appealing language from some of them and I really don't want her to learn anymore!" Mother suggested "what if I was to watch the children over here; instead of at Havenhurst?" I said "actually, I have a better idea! I've always wanted to take the children on a road trip and I was wondering if you'd like to come along because I obviously can't take care of three-month-old and a three-year-old all by myself."
She thought about it for a second and asked "where are you planning to take the children?" I whispered "Disney World in Florida; but don't tell AJ because it's a surprise!" She said "that sounds like fun! I'll go with you guys! Are we going in a car or an RV Michael?" I said "with all the crazy traffic, it will take us three days to get there and three days to get back home; I figure it will be more fun in the car because I want the children to have a normal road trip experience! Obviously Prince isn't going to remember any of this; but AJ will and I don't want her to miss out on things just because I'm Michael Jackson! I don't know how she is going to like being stuck in a car with you, Jeffrey, Prince, and me for three days; but we'll get through it together." Mother raised her eyebrows and said "it'll be quite the experience; that's for sure!!!"
***
After literally packing for days, mother was on her way over and all of us were about to start our family road trip. When she finally arrived, mother grabbed Prince and I grabbed AJ while Jeffrey brought our bags out to the van that I had rented for the trip. Mother and I sat in the two middle seats within the back seat with AJ to my right and Prince next to my mother. I excitedly asked "are you ready for this AJ? It’s time for your first road trip!!!" She responded "I'm so excited to find out where we’re going! Will you please tell me daddy?" I said "nope; you're just going to have to wait and see when we get there!" She said "awww man daddy!" I chuckled and Jeffrey made his way into the driver’s seat.
Jeffrey started the van and we were off. I have to say that it's been years since I've really been on a road trip because I can usually just get a private jet or a flight on a commercial airplane to get to where I need to be. The last time I ever remember being in a car for extended periods of time was when Joseph would bring us to gigs when he was trying to get us a record deal. I remember being out all night at "adult clubs" and having to go to school the next day. Needless to say, I hope AJ will remember this road trip years from now because I want to make it really special!
About two hours into the trip, we of course got the four word question that every parent gets, "are we there yet?" I chuckled and said "not even close!" Little did I know that was going to be the first of many times that she would ask me that question! Thank God for the TV that was installed inside the van; so we could watch movies and keep AJ entertained. I had fallen asleep watching a movie with mother and AJ, to wake up to my daughter saying "daddy; you snore too loud!!!" That had mother laughing for quite a while and then we all started to get a little hungry; so we decided to go through the drive-through at McDonald's. I stumbled up towards the front of the van and ordered our food when we pulled up to the microphone. Afterwards, I quickly snuck back to my seat before Jeffrey pulled up to the window to pay for food. I said "if only that guy that talked on the microphone knew that it was Michael Jackson ordering a double cheeseburger!" Mother laughed and said "I don't think people expect celebrities to order food from places like McDonald's!"
While AJ was eating, I encouraged her to drink the soda that came with her happy meal. She isn't very familiar with soda because I don't let her drink it that much; so she was really hesitant. She didn't really like it surprisingly; so mother let her have the milkshake that came with her meal. An hour had gone by and we pulled over to fill up the tank of gas. I let AJ get out of the van with me; so she could stretch her legs because we had been sitting in the car for a while. Jeffrey had gone into the store to pay for the gas and mother was feeding Prince a bottle inside the van. AJ hadn’t said much since we had gotten the food; but then she pulled on my sleeve and that's when it all went downhill.
I turned around to see what she wanted while I knelt down in front of her to tie my shoes and she asked "daddy?" I asked "yes?" She looked at me for a few minutes and I asked her again "yes?" That's when she looked at me once more and proceeded to projectile vomit all over the front of my shirt and pants. I didn't know what to do at first because I was so caught off guard by what was going on. I pulled opened the sliding door on the van and poked my head in. I said "uh-oh mother; we seem to have a bit of a situation out here! Can you bring some napkins?" She slowly made her way out of the van with about five napkins in her hands. She said "oh; that kind of a situation." Jeffrey came out of the gas station store and was oblivious as to what had happened.
Thankfully, we were in the middle of nowhere at a small family-run gas station; so there I was at this gas station digging through my suitcase for a pair of clothes. There was only one customer in the store; so I didn't mind signing autographs for him after I had changed my clothes. When Jeffrey and I got back into our seats inside the van, AJ said "I'm sorry I threw up on you daddy." I said "that's okay AJ; I don't care!" Mother chuckled and said "at least you and AJ can say that you've experienced the typical family road trip now Michael!" I rolled my eyes and sarcastically said "very funny mother; very funny!"
***
We arrived at the hotel in Florida late last night and AJ still doesn't know why we're here. Mother, AJ, and I were eating breakfast in our room and I decided that it was time to tell AJ where we were because she was extremely curious at this point. I said "I'm surprised you haven't figured out where we are at AJ! Grandma came with us because she's going to watch Prince while you and I go to Disney World for the day!!!" She looked at me in shock and said "you haven't taken me to Disney World since before Prince was born daddy because you told me he was too young to come with us!" I said "grandma's going to watch Prince and then she will eventually meet us at Disney World when it's not too hot outside because I don't want Prince to become overheated or dehydrated. That just means that just you and I are going to be spending time together for a while."
I gave mother a cell phone so she could get a hold of me when she decided to bring Prince down to the theme park. AJ and I went down to the park with Jeffrey because I knew he would need to protect me from the crazed fans. It's almost like the fans know when I'm going to be there and they wait outside for me to arrive. Jeffrey walked in front of us as I entered the front gate carrying AJ in my arms and paid the admission fee. I unfortunately had to take AJ into a private room away from the other families so she could visit with the characters because people wouldn't leave us alone while the three of us were waiting in line to meet the characters. It's almost as if they think that I'm part of the theme park. Once they realize that I'm there, they forget why they came to Disney World in the first place and I just feel bad for the children of these parents that spend all day chasing me for an autograph; instead of taking them on rides.
We were at the park for over four hours when I decided to take AJ to a Disney store located within the park. I took her inside the store and she has always been a huge fan of "Toy story"; so I wasn't surprised when she immediately went over to that section of the store. There was a gigantic "toy story" playset with different toys for different scenes in the movie and AJ asked "can I get this?" I think she thought it all came in one complete set; when in actuality each part is sold separately and I wasn't about to pay hundreds of dollars just so she could have the entire thing. I really don't like spoiling her and her birthday was just a few weeks ago. I knelt down next to her and said "Honey, that thing doesn't come altogether. I would have to buy each of the different parts for you to have the whole set. If you want to, you can pick out a couple play sets; but I'm not going to buy you the whole thing."
That definitely wasn't the right thing to say in the middle of the store because AJ decided to throw a temper tantrum. I was SO embarrassed because everyone was staring at us and taking pictures of AJ rolling around on the floor. She was screaming at the top for lungs and my mother decided to show up with Prince at that very moment. I didn't want it seem like I didn't have authority over AJ; but I absolutely hate getting strict or disciplining AJ in public. Tabloid magazines always like to blow things out of proportion and I don't want to look like I'm being mean to AJ. I honestly didn't know what was the best choice! Mother was looking at me and expecting me to do something and everybody else was just standing around taking pictures. I whispered sternly "AJ that's enough! Stop this right now!!!" She immediately stopped the tantrum because she could tell that I wasn't messing around and I picked her up off of the floor.
Mother, Jeffrey, the baby, AJ, and I booked it back to the hotel. When we got back to our room, mother and I sat down to have a conversation together. She shook her head and asked "what was that all about Michael? That was crazy!!!" I said "AJ wanted all the toys in a set; but I didn't want to spend all that money. I told her no and she threw herself on the ground." Mother said "I understand that part; but it shouldn't have taken you that long to react. When you and your siblings were younger, I didn't like any of you act like that!" I said "no you didn't; but in my defense, I'm EXTREMELY famous now and I have a lot of things to think about when it comes to disciplining AJ in public. All it takes is one picture and someone could say that I'm an abusive father just because they want money from a tabloid magazine mother!" She said "that shouldn't stop you from disciplining her Michael. You always tell me that you want your children to grow up as normal possible. AJ doesn't know why all those people are taking pictures of you and normal three-year-olds have temper tantrums that just so happen to be in public sometimes. All I'm saying is that you can't avoid it when cameras are around just because you're afraid that it will be misinterpreted because someone's trying to make some money off of pictures of you and AJ." I sighed and said "you're right mother; I shouldn't worry so much about what other people think of me as a father because as long as AJ knows I love her that's all that matters. When she acts like that next time, I'll deal with it right away!!!!! I just don't know what I'm going to do with AJ in a few years because I have a feeling that the behavioral issues she has are going to be much worse; especially when she's a teenager! Oh gosh; I don't even want to think about that right now because it worries me so much!!!!!"
***
We got back from my trip to Disney World yesterday and there was a message on the answering machine from Debbie asking me to go out for lunch with her today. After I dropped AJ and Prince off at Havenhurst, Jeffrey and I headed to a very popular coffee shop in Los Angeles to meet with Debbie. I found her sitting at a table and walked over to sit down. I said "it's nice seeing you Debbie; it's been a while since we have seen each other!" She said "as soon as I found out you just finished your tour, I wanted to call you so we could catch up on what's been going on in our lives. I was surprised when you didn't answer the phone." I said "sorry about that; I would've answered the phone if I was home." She asked curiously "where did you go?" I said "I decided at the last minute to take a spontaneous road trip with my mother and the children to Disney World the day after we got back from the tour." Debbie chuckled and asked "you went on a road trip Michael?" I laughed and said "yeah; looking back on it now, that wasn't the best idea." Debbie asked "why not? How was the trip?" I laughed and said "to start off, AJ asked me every five minutes if we were there yet. Then the traffic was horrible and that caused us to be behind schedule; so Jeffrey and I ended up taking turns driving the van. We didn't want to stop at a hotel to sleep because we didn't want be even later. Then to top it all off, when we were at a gas station AJ threw up ALL over me and I had to change my clothes; which wasted even more time! Needless to say, we took a plane back to California instead of using the van again! I don't think I'll attempt another road trip until the children are older! It was a lot more work than I thought it would be!"
The waiter brought us our food and Debbie asked "are you happy you get to relax now Michael?" I said "more than you could ever imagine Debbie! I think the kids and I are just going to relax around Neverland for about a week and not do anything special. I was actually excited when you called me because I think it's the perfect time for me to add a third child to my family. I'm not in a rush because I don't really have to worry about going anywhere for work anytime soon; so whenever it's comfortable for you I'd like to get reacquainted… If you know a mean by that." She laughed and said "I know exactly what you mean by that Michael and I can't wait!"
After leaving the coffee shop, Jeffrey and I went over to Havenhurst to pick up the children. When we got there, AJ and Prince were both fast asleep and mother said "you know Michael, you deserve a break! Why don't you leave the children here overnight so you don't have to wake them up?" I was reluctant at first; but then she said that she promised she wouldn't have anyone over to the house until I came back to pick the children up. I decided that I could trust her to listen to me and ended up leaving the children at Havenhurst.
As I sat there on the couch in my house, I noticed how quiet it was and I didn't like it all because it hasn't been this quiet since before AJ was born. Jeffrey was busy checking the security cameras and I had no one to talk to; so I decided to invite Debbie over just to have some company. She immediately drove over to the ranch and we decided to watch a movie together. It was a really boring movie and the two of us realize that from the very beginning. Debbie chuckled and said "this movie is awful!!!" I said "you can say that again!" Debbie said "no, I'd rather do this" and the next thing I knew she was laying on me. I said "whoa, whoa, whoa Debbie! I'm not ready for this right now! I realize that you've got a crush on me; but I don't want this to become a thing between us because I don't want a relationship right now. I just want another baby and that's it!" She sighed and said "that's alright Michael; I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me just now!" I said "I don't want to disappoint you; but I also don't want to lead you on to think that there could be something more than just a friendship between us. Trust me you wouldn't want to be in a relationship with me!" She asked "why not?" I said "because it would be nothing like a normal relationship! There's too much that comes along with dating me. You would have to deal with being harassed by the paparazzi all the time and give up on having any privacy in public. You would constantly have to deal with awful tabloid stories written about me and possibly you. I'm not interested dating you even though we are married now! It just wouldn't be fair to you or to the children."
I felt terrible afterwards because Debbie looked disappointed; so I looked her in the eyes and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. I said "you know what, tonight seems like the perfect night to try for another baby because the house is empty and it's just you and I!!!" She responded "I don't want you to feel like you have to do something just to make me happy Michael! You already spent too much time trying to make everybody else happy and I'm not about to let you do that for me!" I said "I insist Debbie; it's the least I could do for you because you've provided me with something that I never thought I would ever have; children of my own! If I get you pregnant night then so be it! If it doesn't work tonight then we'll try in a few weeks like I had originally planned! It's not like it's going to do any harm if we did it a few weeks early!" Debbie asked "you would really do that for me? I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do Michael!" I said "you won't be forcing me Debbie; I want to! Just because I don't want you and I to be considered as a couple doesn't mean I don't find you attractive! I'm glad you're the mother of my children because I couldn't imagine AJ without her amazingly blonde hair!"
Ben - Lyrics
Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you, my friend, will see
You've got a friend in me
(you've got a friend in me)
Ben, you're always running here and there
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's one thing you should know
You've got a place to go
(you've got a place to go)
I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
Ben, most people would turn you away
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do
I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again
If they had a friend like Ben
(a friend) Like Ben
(like Ben) Like Ben
Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you, my friend, will see
You've got a friend in me
(you've got a friend in me)
Ben, you're always running here and there
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's one thing you should know
You've got a place to go
(you've got a place to go)
I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
Ben, most people would turn you away
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do
I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again
If they had a friend like Ben
(a friend) Like Ben
(like Ben) Like Ben