With Michael

Chapter 34 - Closure

20th of July, 1994
Brooklyn and Janet are 28, Michael is 35

Michael: "Mike, come on! You have to get down from there!" Frank yelled.

I took a glimpse down at him and rolled my eyes.

"I am not going to that meeting." I told him.

"You'll have to get down from that tree eventually, Michael!"

I closed my eyes and pulled my knees closer to my chest.

How did my life get to this? Why was it so complicated?

I never cheated on Brooklyn. I could never, she's the only woman for me.

But when I met Lisa a few days after my wife left to stay at her brother's home, we connected.
She became a great friend in less than a week. She listened, she cared.

I hated to admit I was attracted to her. Lisa replaced a hole in my heart that Brooke made when she left.

You hurt her too, you dick.

She had every reason not to see Janet, and when I took all my anger over losing another baby on her, she collapsed inside.

"Michael!" Brandon called.

Ugh, great. Just the guy I needed right now.

I've been begging him to take me to Janet's house for the last two months, so I could explain to Brooke what happened.

But he refused, saying he didn't want neither her or Janet mad.

"What do you want?!" I asked him.

"Get down from there. You're gonna be late." he said.

"Well, fuck it. My life is a mess already, I don't think a meeting with Sony could make it better."

Brandon groaned and disappeared under the giving tree.

A few minutes later I saw his head pop up from in between the branches.

"I said I'm not going." I mumbled.

"And I'm saying you are. Get your ass down from here." he ordered.

I flipped him off and turned my head away.

"If you do, I'll take you to see them."

I turned my attention back to him.

"Don't play games with me, Brandon. This is my marriage we're talking about." I said, sternly.

"I'm not. Tomorrow, I'll take you over there." he promised.

"Why can't it be today?" I questioned.

"Because Janet and I have a labor and birth class. I'm not gonna let her or Brooklyn get pissed off. I've got enough hormones around me as it is."

"Fine."

~

Janet: "Great, honey. Just like that." Brooke's aunt, Rose, guided me.

Rose apparently was a pregnancy expert. She had pregnancy classes all over California.

So when Brooke offered to have her as my personal guide, I didn't hesitate.

Brandon rubbed my almost nine months pregnant belly as I practiced my breathing.

I leaned back on him a bit more, immediately regretting it. My back couldn't hurt more.

"Ugh," I groaned and tried to get up. "Can we call it a day?"

"You sure?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah, my back is killing me." I answered.