It was 7:30 Tuesday morning, New Year's Eve, and Alicia was still sound asleep in her comfortable queen sized bed. She had heavy drapes hanging on the windows of her bedroom, so the morning sun rays didn't get a chance to peek through and disturb Alicia's sleep. However, the phone on her nightstand started to ring, and the sharp chime made her jump out of her dreams. She reached over to her illuminated cell phone and barely saw a new text message from Michael flashing on the screen. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and pushed the 'read' button. 'Don't forget to bring a change of clothes today. Plan on getting wet. The code to the gate is 120182.'
'What has he got up his sleeve this time,'she thought as she stretched her body and got out of bed. She took a hot shower and then stood in front of her closet in her towel. She argued with herself whether or not to get dressed up, since she had been warned she was definitely getting wet. She finally decided on a white floral A-lined skirt with a thin pink tank top and a jeans jacket on top. She fixed her long brown hair half up and curled soft curls into it so they hung softly down her back. After putting a little waterproof mascara on so her blue eyes would stand out and a little lip gloss, she slipped on her white pumps, grabbed her purse with her change of clothes and headed out of the door.
She decided to go dressed up despite her warning from Michael. After all, she was 'officially' meeting the family. She was being included in their family event, so she needed to dress to impress.
Apparently everyone else knew the family was getting together at Michael's house, too. This time, when Alicia pulled up to his gate, the media wasn't even trying to hide. They were in abundance, swarming every car with the blinding flashes of their cameras. Luckily, since Michael had given her the code to his gate, she got in quickly. 'This is how Jermaine must have gotten in on Christmas,' she thought to herself thinking about the gate code and that eventful day.
Once inside, she went around to the backyard and saw two white covered party tents. In and around the tents were many children running, laughing and playing. Among those children she recognized Paris and Prince. They recognized her too, because Paris was already running towards her, her puffy white dress in one hand and her other hand stretched out for Alicia to receive her hug. "Alicia!"
Prince was not far behind in his royal suit; white pants, a white shirt and a white paisley vest. She bent down to receive them both and twirled them around once she hugged them. After she put them down, she looked up and noticed all eyes were on her. There were a sea of faces, and all pointed in her direction. One of them she knew, Michael, a familiar face out of the unfamiliar crowd, walked towards her with his arms wide open. He looked stunning. He had on a sharp black suit with a white shirt that was unbuttoned, showing part of his smooth chest. The cuffs were sticking out of his suit stylishly and were also unbuttoned. He had his hair down and straightened. He looked so sexy. Alicia reddened.
The kids by now had run off to play with their cousins Jermajesty and Royalty, both of whom could barely keep up, both being only two.
"Alicia, I'm so glad you came," Michael said, giving her a big bear hug. He lifted his head and put his lips to her ear. "I thought I told you to plan on getting wet," he whispered admiring how lovely she was looking.
"Oh, I'm prepared,"
He looked at her arching his eyebrow, a big smile on his face. He put an arm around her and led her into the crowd. "Let's meet the family."
Meeting the Jackson family was tiring. After over an hour of introducing herself she met a lot of new people and some of the brothers she had already met like Jermaine and his wife Alejandra and their sons Jaafar and Jermajesty, Alejandra's other children from her previous relationship with Randy, Randy Jr., Donte and Genevieve. Marlon had flown up from Georgia to spend New Year's with his family with his wife Carol and their children Valencia, Brittney and Marlon Jr. Next he met Tito's sons Taryll, T.J. and Taj, all three extremely handsome. T.J. was little Royalty's father. Finally she met Rebbie and her husband Nathaniel and their three children, Austin, Stacee and Tashi. Most of Michael's nieces and nephews, she noticed, were older than herself.
