"I'm going on tour."
March 1996
Those were the words Liliana wished to never hear. She knit her eyebrows together and grabbed his face with her wet hands.
"Eww," he said slapping them off.
"I'm sorry." She wiped her hands on her sides. She was in the kitchen washing dishes. She placed her hands back on his face. "Baby?"
"Yes?" he asked smiling, just a little confused of her actions.
"Please don't do this to me."
Michael rolled his eyes and sighed.
She sucked her teeth and turned away from him.
"I told you I was going to do this."
"I know but I didn't think you were serious!" she yelled at him.
"Mommy?" Micah asked walking in the kitchen.
Both parents turned and looked at him.
"I'm ready to go now."
"Shit," Liliana said to herself smacking her forehead. "Sorry baby. I'll be right there." She walked up to Micah and kissed his forehead. "Let me grab my stuff." She ran upstairs to her bedroom to grab her things to get ready to go take Micah to the store to buy some supplies he needed for a school project.
Michael wanted to follow behind her but he wanted to share the news with his son too. "Come here." He sat with Micah at the kitchen table. "Umm..." Michael rested his chin on his hand. "So, daddy's going to be going on tour later this year."
"Really? A worldwide tour?" Micah said very excited with bug eyes.
"Yes. And I'll be gone for long periods at a time. It's supposed to go on for more than a year maybe."
"Daddy!" Micah hopped out of his chair and ran to his father's lap. "Please take me with you," he asked cupping his hands together.
Michael giggled. "You know your mother would not allow that."
"But I can get a teacher to come on the road with us and she can teach me everything. Just like you did when you were little singing and touring with Unlce Jackie, and Uncle Marlon, and Uncle Jer-"
"Yes, yes, I know," he laughed. "But your mom may not like that."
"But mommy is always away now too. I don't want to get stuck with the nanny every day."
"I'll talk to your mother. I promise. But when the time is right," he said pointing his finger at him.
"Okay," Micah accepted smiling.
"Talk to me about what?" Liliana asked standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking for her car keys in her messy purse.
"I'll talk to you about it later," Michael said.
Micah kissed his father and walked to his mom. Then he turned back to look at Michael. "You want to come with us dad?"
Michael laughed. "Umm, I would love to but if I went, we would have a hard time getting in and out. Just come back soon."
"Kay."
Liliana walked down the aisle with her son and let him pick out what he needed. She was in deep thought and didn't even notice him throwing random things in the basket that she held on her arm. She was thinking about her career and then of course Michael going away on a tour.
