Stay the Night

Chapter 7

December 5th, 2001

Earlier that morning, Michael called the twins' preschool to unenroll them for the rest of the year. He wasn't surprised to hear that the teachers already assumed the girls wouldn't be back, but kept them on the roster since he hadn't officially withdrawn them.

Mariah was adjusting to the idea that the children wouldn't be with her once he went on tour and spent almost every waking second with them. It made him feel bad for separating them, but he had no choice--he couldn't risk her having another episode while he was away and not around to protect his kids.

Michael was working on getting the girls tutors to work with them while they traveled so they would still be on track. He had the main tutor in place, and was now waiting for the enrichment tutor to arrive.

"Mr. Jackson?"

He sat up in his desk chair. "Come in Fallon."

Fallon opened the door to his office and escorted in a familiar face.

"Hey Karrin." He said, grinning.

She returned his smile and set down her purse before sitting in the chair across from him. "I thought you were joking when you said you wanted me to tutor your kids."

"Well I wasn't." He chuckled. "My girls are gonna need a few tutors and I was hoping you could teach them about the arts, you know like dance and stuff."

Karrin nodded slowly. "I can show them how to color inside the lines."

Michael playfully slammed his hand down on the desk. "I'll take it."

She leaned back in the chair and laughed. "Okay, I guess I'll do that then."

"Good, good. I'll get everything together so when the tour starts, you'll be ready to go with the girls."

Karrin tilted her head to the side. "It's that easy?"

Michael steepled his fingers, a grin gracing his lips. "For you it is."

December 25th, 2001

"Merry Christmas Carey-Barey-Cherry! Merry Christmas, baby!" Michael doted on his two-month old. Carey made his way home just in time for Nicole and Noelle's fourth birthday and his first Christmas, and his parents could not put him down. Michael in particular carried the newborn everywhere, he didn't want to miss a single stage in the boy's development.

Carey massaged his lips together, opening and closing them periodically to allow his slobber to drip down. The seven-pounder was growing at an exponential rate--his little arms beginning to roll up like the Michelin man. Funnily enough, Mariah and Michael couldn't tell who he looked like, just that he looked closer to his father's skintone--before the Vitiligo took over--and had a rounded nose, much like his grandfather Joseph's. Unlike his older sister Elizabeth, who came out looking a little too much like she could be Patricia Carey's direct descendant, Carey was firm in his Jackson-ness. After all, he was a King befitting a throne--one that only his father could pass down to him.

"Carey, look what Daddy got you." Mariah interrupted, pointing at Carey's newly unwrapped 14k Gold crown. Though Carey's head was barely the size of a softball, Michael went and got him a custom-made crown that he wouldn't be able to wear until he was at least fourteen.

Carey stared at the shiny crown, glancing between it and his over-the-top parents.

"Daddy, I want a crown." Noelle said.

Michael raised an eyebrow. "You and Nicki already have tiaras. Y'all got a lot of stuff for your birthday."

"But I want a big girl crown like baby brother."