The Labors of Love: Short Stories

Prince Speaks

"Welcome out, man! It's good to see you again."

"It's good to be seen." Prince smiles talking to his old friend Arsenio Hall.

"We have Prince here today. He's got some projects he wants to tel y'all about and a few announcement too but, I wanna start with the simple things. Tell me how you've been, man? A lots been going on for you in the past two years. How're you? How's your family?"

"I am doing well and so is Genevieve and the kids. That actually leads me to my first bit of news." Prince smiles. "Genevieve isn't here today because she is pregnant with our third child."

"Wow, man congratulations."

"How is it this time around?"

"It's easier this time around. We've got more of a team and we've got more of a plan so we're pretty excited to welcome baby number 3."

"Any names picked out?"

"Nothing yet but we are leaning towards music related names."

"Speaking of music. I don't think I've actually seen you in two years at the VMAs. Do y'all remember that?" Prince chuckles remembering the night fondly. "That was a wild night."

"We'll, I wasn't sure if I was going to win but I knew I was going to perform so I thought I'd take my moment."

"What made you do that? I mean the scene, the dancing, the outfit? It was all so out there. How'd you even decide on that?"

"Well I asked them what my parameters were and they didn't really set any. Originally, Genevieve and I were going to sing Diamonds and Pearls and recreate our wedding on stage but with everything that happened she decided to step out of the performance aspect. Then they told me just pick anything upbeat and I picked Get Off."

"Tell me a out the pants man. Whose idea was the pants?"

"It was mine", he laughs nervously. "I wanted to do something wild and the idea came to me in the middle of the night. By then, the VMAs were a month away and my suit was already made. So I asked Genevieve one day at breakfast if she thought it was possible. She said yes. Then I asked her if she could do it for me and she made me drive to Mall of America for pretzels everyday until she finished." Arsenio claps laughing hysterically. The crowd can't believe it either.

"So she cut the hole out of your pants?"

"We'll it wasn't just a hole. She told me I'd feel more comfortable with fabric there and we could just make it look like it was a hole. She spent days just marking the pants and cutting around the lace pattern. Then she bought fabric dyed it the color of my backside and sewed it in."

"That's one TJ tell the children someday, huh? I mean she really does have your back."

"She does. I've Don't know anyone who works as much or as hard as she does and that's coming from me. She choreographed everything that happened on that stage and didn't step foot in a single rehearsal."

"How'd she do it?"

"She hand wrote notes to everybody. I made sure every rehearsal got recorded and she watched it each week, wrote more notes and sent them back to me. She only showed up for the final dress rehearsal to help with spacing and attend the event."

"If you haven't figured it out yet Genevieve is kind of a marvel. She can kind of do everything."

"And she does it all with such grace. She doesn't always want to help me with all my crazy ideas especially now that we're parents and that's our main priority but she always finds a way to make it happen."

"She's truly remarkable. What about you though? What are you working on?"

"That's my second bit of news. I will actually spend a decent amount of this year in tour. I will be promoting my Love Symbol album, taking it around the country and then overseas."

"How does Genevieve feel about that?"

"She's actually due here in a few weeks. She did all of the choreography before she went on her break and she's actually hoping to join me."

"Really she's coming?"

"She wants to for a few of the American shows and as of now if she gets doctor clearance she'll be coming with me."

"What about the baby and the twins?"

"Act I, the American leg of this tour won't feature as many dates as some of my tours in the past. She'll be joining me for anything that isn't too far from home and we said we would see how we felt about Act II, or the European leg of the tour. She's missed performing and actually being on the stage. Don't worry anyone who doesn't get to see her. She did all the choreography for the entire tour you may not see her face but you will see her work and she hopes you all understand."

This would be a new era for Prince and his family. An era full of travel and memorie of the kids being young. He hopes the twins will take an interest in coming a long and seeing the world and he hopes the doctors will let them bring the baby. Europe was a place he dreamed of going as a child and now he has a chance to take his entire family, God willing.