With Michael

Chapter 82 - Return To Neverland II

6th of August, 2009
Brooklyn and Janet are 43

Brooklyn: "Have a good night, sweetheart." dad kissed my forehead before heading upstairs.

"You too, daddy." I smiled.

My parents' house was never so quiet before.

It was just me and my baby now. I had a hard time sleeping since Janet left, mostly because I've been having awful nightmares about Michael disappearing from me.

So I've been trying to stall my sleep for a while.

"What?" I asked my belly as the baby started kicking. "Don't make me get up to eat so late at night."

He kicked harder.

"No, no, no. We are going to sleep. Or at least try to."

But of course, as soon as I stood up I wanted something sweet.

I walked into the kitchen and started looking in the cabinets.

I stumbled upon the filled cookie jar, nothing it was full of my dad's favorite cookies that were probably made by my mother.

"You're lucky your grandpa loves you so much, baby boy. I'll be in so much trouble for taking his cookies." I sighed.

I ate a few cookies along with drinking a cup of milk, then decided to finally try and sleep.

Going upstairs, Paris was fast asleep in my old bedroom. She said she would wait up for me, but I doubted that would happen.

"Mommy?" she asked quietly.

"Shh. Keep sleeping." I said.

My daughter went back to sleep, and I looked around the bedroom, not knowing what do to. I didn't want to sleep, as much as I needed it. I was too scared to have nightmares again.

I glanced at my record collection, sighing at Michael's records that were neatly placed next to each other.

My Beatles albums were in the shelf under Michael's, and my eyes quickly found 'Abbey Road'. I put on a sad smile, remembering why the music wasn't the only thing I loved about the album.

Michael had bought it for me for my 14th birthday, because I always said I needed to complete all the Beatles albums for my collection. And he proposed with my favorite song from it.

I pulled it out, examining it. Once it was in my hand, an envelope fell from inside.

I put the record down gently then picked up the envelope.

My name was written in Michael's familiar writing.

I sat down on the floor, my mouth hanging open. What is this?

With shaking hands I opened the envelope carefully.

A long written letter was inside.

To my beautiful Brooklyn,

If you're reading this and I'm already gone, I am so sorry for leaving you alone with our five children. But if you find this and I'm still alive, please, come hug and kiss me like you do, and we'll go over my present for you together.

There's a box underneath your bed, I put inside it the present I made you. Once you have it, start reading the second page of this letter.

I wiped my tears that escaped without me knowing, and looked at my bed.

I dashed up from the floor, kneeling in front of it. There it was, just like Michael wrote.

I set the box down on the empty side of the bed, then grabbed the letter and took a seat.