Michael

Try the Pancakes

Michael woke up late the next day. It was 1:00pm by the time he woke up.

He rolled over and didn't see Ezra on his bed. So, he got up and walked over to Sophie's bassinet. No Sophie.

"What?" He said to himself confused and looking around the room. He tried to call Ezra, but he didn't answer.

Michael started to panic.

He quickly got showed and dressed and ran down to the front desk. "Have you seen a blonde boy and a baby?" he asked the receptionist.

"Yes." She smiled. "He walked out with her about 30 minutes ago. He went to the right."

"Thank you so much!" Michael said before darting out the door.

Walking at a quick pace he scanned both sides of the street. Halfway down he looked across the road and saw Ezra sitting outside of a cafe stuffing his face with Sophie in her car seat next to him on a chair. Michael quickly ran across the street. "Ezra! Why didn't you wake me or leave me a note."

Ezra looked up from his plate smiling. "I did leave you a note. It was on the desk. You should order! They serve breakfast all day! Try the pancakes!"

Michael couldn't help but laugh at his son as he plopped into the chair across from him. "Did you feed her?"Michael asked looking at his sleeping daughter.

"Yes, twice. And change her diaper three times!" Ezra smiled as he shoved some pancakes into his mouth.

"May I get you anything," a waitress walked up and asked Michael.

"Orange juice please and whatever he ordered." Michael politely asked.

"Alrighty," she smiled. "Anything else for you sweetie?" She asked Ezra.

"More pancakes please?"

"That's your second plate hun!" She laughed at him. "I'll be right back." She laughed again and walked away as Ezra smiled and shrugged.

"So, what did you do so far today?" Michael asked his son.

"Hmm..well I...fed and changed Sophie...like I already said.." Ezra began in between bites. "I was texting Mika most of the morning.." He quietly said the last sentence.

"Why?"

"Well..he wanted to know how you were. And I didn't know what had happened, because you wouldn't talk at all last night, so he explained everything. And he also convinced me to give Fortune anther chance. So....I'm 'surprise' meeting Fortune for dinner tonight."

"Okay. Well thanks for making plans without me. What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know...work things out with Mika?" Michael shook his head 'no.' "Dad, please? He's right. I didn't think you'd ever talk to him again, so he was right for thinking that and doing what he did. Should he have waited a bit? Probably, but it's not all his fault..."

"I don't know Ez.." Michael said as he began eating his 'lunch.'

"Think about it?" Ezra asked and Michael nodded.

After lunch they began walking back to the hotel when Michael stopped, "go up to the room. I just have to stop by the store. Don't go anywhere." Michael smiled as he ran down the street to the store.

20 minutes later he returned to the room with two bottles of wine and some beer. "What's that for?" Ezra asked confused and worried.

"What do you think?" Michael snapped as he sat down on the couch and opened a beer.

"You have to watch Sophie. You can't drink. And you promised you wouldn't." Ezra said as he took the beer from his father.

"Do you wanna go see Fortune?" Michael asked his son angrily.

Ezra gave the beer back to his dad and took Sophie to lay down.

Two hours later Michael was intoxicated. Ezra tried to get ready, by Michael told him he couldn't go. He began to yell at Ezra about nothing.

Ezra got scared and took Sophie into the bathroom and locked the door.
Ezra pulled out his phone crying and dialed a number.

"Hello?" Mika answered.

"Mika...please...come get me?" He asked in between breathes.

"Ezra what's wrong?!"

"My dad...he's drinking and he's mad."

"What's he mad about?"

"I don't even know. Please.." Ezra begged.

"I'm on my way. It'll be okay." Mika hung up. Ezra buried his head into his heads. Thankfully Sophie was asleep.

20 minutes later Mika knocked on their hotel room door. Michael grumpily got up from the couch and walked over to the door. "What the hell do you want?" he rudely asked Mika as he opened the door.

"Ezra called. Your scaring him," Mika answered as he and Paloma pushed past Michael and walked into the room. "Now what the hell is wrong with you?" Mika asked Michael as he looked around the room and saw all of the empty beer bottles and the wine that was now opened.

"None of your business now get out." Michael snapped as he approached Mika.

"Ezra?" Paloma asked as she knocked on the bathroom door. Ezra unlocked the door and let her in. She sat on the edge of the tub with him as he buried his head into her shoulder and cried. "It's okay Ezra," she said as she comforted him. He continued to cry.

"Michael what's your problem?" Mika asked again.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes! It does! I care about you Michael and I don't want to see you like this. Please."

"Go away Mika." Michael said as he marched into the bathroom. "Stop crying!" he shouted as he pulled Ezra to his feet.

"Let go of him!" Paloma shouted as she stood up only to be pushed back down by Michael.

"Let go of him!" Mika shouted as he punched Michael in the face. Michael was stunned and sitting in the floor now. "Don't you ever touched my sister or Ezra again! Got it?" He looked at Michael he still sat there stunned on the bathroom floor. "Go get yours and Sophie's things Ezra. Your staying with me." Mika said as he guided Ezra out of the bathroom with Sophie and Paloma. "Goodbye Michael." Mika finished as they left the hotel room.

---Mika's---

"Ezra please stop crying," Paloma asked as she comforted him on the couch at Mika's. Ezra buried his head into her again.

"I'm going to call Fortune." Mika mouthed to Paloma and she nodded. Mika walked into the kitchen to call his brother.

"Where are you Mika?" Fortune asked his brother immediately.

"I'm home. I wasn't really coming over for dinner. Ezra was going to surprise you.."

"Okay? Well where is he?" Fortune change his tone in surprise.

"He's here. Can you come over?"

"Yea, is everything okay?" Fortune asked.

"Yes and no. Michael is drunk and he was yelling at him and grabbed him..."

Fortune cut Mika off, "why would he do that?"

"I don't know. I'm going back to talk to him, but I need you to come here and stay with Ezra. Paloma is going to drop Sophie off at Mama's and she's got a dinner she can't cancel, so hurry up."

"I'm leaving right now. See you in a bit." They hung up.

30 minutes later Fortune came through the door. Paloma had already left with Sophie. Ezra was asleep on the couch.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Mika said as he hugged his brother before walking out the door.