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Chapter 27

Song: {Don't Walk Away- Michael Jackson}

Joseph's POV

Before Blanket emerges from the front door and enters the car, I speak to my wife.

"I don't think it's healthy for him to see her like this," I say and she turns to me with a frown. "Especially since he just met her." She shakes her head.

"It's not healthy for any of us," She finally speaks and places her hand on my forearm. "But we need closure. All of us." I open my mouth to speak, but close it when Blanket opens the back door and climbs into the vehicle.

I start the car and back out of the driveway. "Can we listen to some music?" Blanket asks. I glance at him through the rear view mirror. "What'chu wanna hear?" I ask and he licks his lips then bites his lower: the same way Michael always does. This young boy reminds me so much of his father.

"I don't care," he shrugs and looks out the window. "Something of dad's." He suggests, "I guess."

He had always dreaded listening to Michael's music after Michael had gone away.

I nod and tap Katherine's hand, gesturing her to place one of Michael's records into the CD player. She shuffles through a few disks, then finally pulls one out. She shows it to Blanket whilst saying his name and he nods; then turns his head back to resting the window.

As the song "Speechless" begins to sound through the speakers, the entire car is silent. I glance up at the rear view mirror every few seconds and try to keep my cool as I drive down the busy Los Angeles freeway.

My hands begin to shake as I tightly grip the steering wheel and I hear Blanket sniffle from the back seat of my car. Katherine turns around and I look at him through the rear view mirror once again. He is crying.

Katherine places her hand on our grandson's knee and nods at him with a tear falling from her own eye. 

I try not think about all of the hurt happening right now, but it keeps creeping its way into each of our minds no matter what we try to do to forget it.

I can't help but know that the tears Blanket is shedding are not only because of what happened to Natalie, but also because he misses Michael.

Of all the children, Blanket is the one that cried the most when Michael left. He took it a lot harder than he should have.

Katherine's POV

It breaks my heart to see Blanket so upset. He had never been this emotional in his life, and it hurts me to see him crying–finally allowing himself to feel.

I place my hand on his knee and watch as he turns his head against the seat. His eyes are closed and his tears just keep flowing. One after the other after the other.

After a few moments he  opens his eyes and glances out the window, then closes them again shortly after.

I remove my hand from his knee and turn around. I look at Joseph and he places his hand on my forearm. I lie my hand over his and stare at the busy road ahead of us.

The touch of my husbands hand on my arm sends shivers up my spine and neck. It's only the gentlest of touches that mean so much. I know we are all feeling at the moment, and we need to let nature take its course. We need to stop being so impatient and needy. We need to love more and talk more, or better yet, we need to have more moments of silence.

My thoughts are consumed by the fact that my grandchildren have been put through so much these past few years just to be put through more. It intrigues me how Natalie has had such an impact on each of them–especially Blanket. He has always hidden his feelings away until she came back into our lives; which I, and the others, are very thankful for.

I feel as if the sad songs sounding through the speakers sung by my son is making Blanket hurt worse. I can't help but want to shut the radio off, but I tell myself that Blanket needs to have this moment. He needs to release all of the feelings that he has been holding onto.

Blanket's POV

Of all the songs my dad has, a depressing one has to play first. I quickly turn to the window, trying to block any form of emotion from surfacing. I have been finding myself trying so hard to hide away my ability to feel, but it has been getting more and more difficult lately.

I sniffle and blink multiple times, trying to hold back the tears that are threatening my eyes. My dad's voice sounding through the car speakers makes me miss him more.

I haven't been thinking about him as much as I used to lately, and not  listening to his music has helped with my coping process.

The reason why I requested to listen to him was for Natalie. I know how much she loves him. She's a huge fan of his and used to listen to his music endlessly. However, the barrier that is holding back my emotions and my missing my father breaks and everything I have ever held back for years upon years floods my mind and heart like an endless tidal wave. The tears come pouring without warning and I'm forced to feel everything I have been trying to push away for years.

My grandma turns around and places her hand on my knee; the way my dad used to whenever I was angry about something–making me cry more. 

She may think that I am so upset because of what happened to Natalie, which is true, but it is also because I miss my dad. 

He was my best friend... 

The bulb that lit the darkness...

He was the smile that flipped frowns...

The heart that beat for all the others that had stopped.

Why would people want to form a plot against such a good man? The thought makes me cry harder.

(Guys, I'm so sorry if this chapter made you cry... I cried while writing it. It hurts to imagine Blanket so upset. :'( Anyway, I'm hoping you guys are enjoying the story so far, and the best is yet to come, so stay with me!)