Love hurts?

(Un) happy birthday

Jermaine's POV

"Are they fucking serious!!!!?" I hear Michael yell and go into the living room to find out what's going on. "Jessica's taking us to court for 'unpaid child support!' And Gabby called and said that Jessica's stopping our visits because I've missed visits and turned up late too many times! And that until we show we're in a stable environment and dealt with this court issue we can't see him...That fucking bitch!!" He snaps handing me the letter. "Can she even do that!?" He's asks as I'm reading the letter. "Michael, this says you guys owe her months worth of child support, why haven't you been paying it? And why have you been missing visits?"

"We've missed three visits! Once because Ocean and I was sick, Once when because I was so messed up with everything that's happened and the last one because Nevaeh had a temperature and I had to take her to the doctor. I can't be everywhere at once!!" He snaps. "And what about the child support?" I ask "because once we've bought everything Nevaeh needs. Plus phone bills, car insurance, food, put gas in the cars and everything else, there's that much money left and we do pay child support we're just a few months behind...I don't see why we should have to pay anyway. If she couldn't afford to look after him then that's her problem. She stole him from us and now we have to pay her for that!?"" he takes a deep breath and sighs. "Can she really stop us seeing DJ?" He looks at me nervously. "If there's any kind of court order, yes and if you needed money then you should have asked" Nevaeh starts crying and Michael picks her up from her bouncer giving her a cuddle. "It's ok sweetie.. We'll figure it all out somehow" he sighs holding her close.

****
Michael's POV

After an hour of calming me down. Jermaine and I are sitting at the table going through all mine and Ocean's expenses to figure out where we can cut corners and try and save some money and pay our child support. "We don't need this one" I show him and he shakes his head. "Michael, you can't stop seeing your therapist"

"I'm fine, we only ever talk about the exact same things every time anyway" I shrug "obviously you need to if he's still bringing up the topics" Jermaine says sternly. "What if you and Ocean sell one of the cars? He suggests "do you think we'll get much?" I ask and he shrugs. "Whatever you get, It's more than you have right now and..." Nevaeh starts crying cutting him off mid sentence "I guess we'll finish this later" I sigh and go upstairs to get her. "I'm gonna go check the mail... Oh and by the way.. Happy 19th birthday" Jermaine says heading for the door. "Yeah... It's been great so far" I say sarcastically on my way upstairs to get Nevaeh.

**
When I come back down Jermaine is in the living room and hands me a small package and a letter. "Who's it from?" I ask and he shrugs. I open the letter and. it's a birthday card and read it out loud.

'Happy birthday baby
Hope you like my present
Love you always
X'

"Who's X?" I look at Jermaine confused "I think that's meant to be a kiss" he chuckles opening the small package "wow! This must have cost a lot!" He smiles wide eyed handing me a gold watch. "Looks like, Someone wants you to have a happy birthday"

"But, who? I don't even celebrate birthdays" I shrug confused. "Maybe it's from..."

"It's not from Ocean" I cut off... She's refused to see me for two weeks now" I sigh
"Who else would send it?" He looks at me confused. "No idea... But like you said it must have cost a lot. There's a pawn shop a few street from here, I could..."

"You can't sell it! You don't even know who it's from, what if it was Ocean?" He cuts me off. "First off she's in a hospital and it's unlikely they let her out to go shopping and second, it's not her hand writing and she never signs things she writes me with an 'X' we always put a little heart at the bottom with a smiley face inside it"