Return III

Chapter 15

Michael's POV

After the kids head off to bed, Taryn, my parents, and I discuss Taryn and I's soon to be wedding. We plan it as if it is the first time for everything, and it seems as if Taryn is more excited about it now than she was when we got married the first time- when the twins were born.

"I think it should just be a small little wedding, you know, with just our family." Taryn says and my parents and I smile widely. My father shakes his head and leans forward.

"Taryn, sweetheart, a small wedding with just our family is not a small wedding." he says and Taryn tilts her head back and forth. She shrugs her shoulders and looks at me.

"Okay, well, I think just having the family will be enough. The first time it was a huge deal and all of the fans and friends and family were all there and it was so hectic, and-"

"Taryn, baby, calm down." I say and my soon-to-be wife blushes. I place my hand on her thigh, making her jump, then she smiles and sighs. No words come out, so I speak my mind on something that has been running through it ever since I got back into touch with my family.

"So... I have been thinking lately... about something..." I begin slowly, and everyone turns their heads to listen.

"What is it, Michael?" my mother asks and I smile and sigh. 

"Well..."

"Go ahead, just say what's on your mind, baby."

I sigh once again, then look up and around all of the adults in the room.

"I've been thinking, you know, since Taryn and I are getting remarried, that... maybe..."

"Yeah?"

"I think I should adopt Natalie."

Blanket's POV

Natalie and I sit behind the stair railings and listen to the conversation going on downstairs between our parents and our grandparents. We are at an angle where they cannot see us, but we can see, and hear, them.

"I just think it would be the right thing to do, you know, since we're getting married again, and after all, she is my daughter." our dad says and our mother's face falls.

"Well, she's my daughter too, and Blanket is my son too, but I'm not asking to adopt him." my mom says and my dad shifts his position to completely face her. He throws his hands up in the air, then rests them on his lap.

"Exactly! I was going to bring that up too! I think that since we're getting-"

"I realize we're getting married, Michael." mom interrupts, but dad pays no mind to her rude interjection.

"I just think that we should legalize all of this and make it official. I want it to be like when the twin were born- when there was no my son, or my daughter arguments. When the twins were our children. And it can be that way again if you just let me-" dad says, but mom interrupts him again.

"Let me think about all of this Michael. My daught-" mom pauses and sighs, then corrects herself. "I'm still a little overwhelmed with everything that's going on with Natalie, and I still have a lot on my plate. I just need a break for a while."

"Take your time. Get some sleep. I love you." dad says and mom smiles, walking away without saying she loved him back. She walks to the door, slipping on her shoes and jacket, then waves at everyone and opens the door.

"Tell Nat I'll be here to pick her up in the morning. Goodnight." she says, then walks out the door and slowly closes it behind her. My dad and grandparents begin talking, but I turn to Natalie and stare at her with wide eyes and an expressionless face.

"What?" she asks and I shake my head.

"How do you feel about all of this, anyway? I mean, do you like the idea of all of us being a family again? For real?" she asks and I sigh.

"Again?" I ask and she shrugs.

"Well, I mean, we were at one point in time. When we were younger." she says and I nod.

"Yeah, when we were babies and didn't even remember each other." I say and Natalie sighs, looking down at the floor under her. She then looks back up at me and smiles.

"I think it's a good idea. I'm excited about mom and dad getting married again. I want us to be a real family." she says and I smile.

"What?" she asks and I only smile wider.

"You called him dad without messing up or calling him Michael first." I say and she smiles widely as well.

"Yeah, I've been working on getting used to all of this a lot lately." she says and I nod.

"Let's go to bed. We'll see how far we get tomorrow." I suggest and Natalie nods in agreement. We stand simultaneously and smile at each other before turning around and walking in separate directions towards our bedrooms. And when I enter mine, I throw myself onto my bed and stare blankly at the ceiling in the pitch darkness that surrounds my room. The window outside allows the bright moonlight to spill in through my window, and the night sky is full of scattered stars.

I can't get the conversation Natalie and I had eavesdropped on out of my head. 

Is dad really going to adopt Natalie? Is my mom going to adopt me?

Is our family actually going to work out the way it did before? Because the possibility of things going wrong like they did the last time are at an all time high, and that terrifies me.

I don't want things to fall apart now; especially with the way they're going right now. Things are going so well for Natalie, and she doesn't deserve to go through tragedy again.

None of us do.

(Guys, I just learned today that baby Blanket changed his name to Bigi :'( I personally do not like it at all, and I prefer the nickname Blanket because he has been called that his entire life! I feel bad that he was getting bullied because of it, but seriously? However, no matter what, he will ALWAYS be known as Blanket Joseph Jackson.)