Fantasy Life made Normal

Chapter 12

They decided to hold a phone interview with MTV. Marshall sat out on the balcony. He looked frustrated about the whole thing. Paul was sitting at the dining room table on the phone. Madelyn stepped out onto the balcony with her man. He looked up at her.

"Yo, I am so sorry babe," he said.
"For what? Being you? Don't apologize for who you are," she replied.
"You and Mave shouldn't have to deal with this shit."
"Without you, there would be no Mave, Marshall."

He nodded knowing she was right but it didn't ease the frustration.

"Three years of family vacations and this one has to be all fucked up," he whined.
"It's all right, we are all still having a good time. We are enjoying our family despite the drama. Didn't you have fun on those jet skis?" she asked.
"Yeah,"
"Then what are you worried about? So what some fan decided to be extreme. We knew we weren't going to be able to hide forever."

He nodded, pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't apologize for who you are or what you do. We will make it thru as a family. We always do. I got your back and you got mine." she said, pressing a kiss to his lips.
"Why are you so damn perfect?" he muttered.
"I am definitely not perfect, Marshall."
"Oh but you are babe. No girl would tolerate what I deal with the way you do."

She shrugged. He ran his fingers through her hair. She smiled and kissed him again.

"Mads, Marshall, let's do this," Paul said from the doorway.
"Ready?" she asked.

Marshall stared at her for a moment before nodding. She stood up from his lap and took his hand as he got up. They walked inside together.

"On the phone right now is Eminem," Sway said. "Good morning."
"Sup?" Marshall asked.
"So let's get right to it. Photos of you at Disney World have surfaced. But there are two extra people in them."
"I am on vacation with my family. Whit wanted to go to Disney. I want my kids happy so we went. Some dude just started following us thru the park. It was messed up. I was just trying to enjoy my day."
"So these extra people in the photos?"
"They ain't extra, man. That's my wife, Madelyn and our son Maverick."
"So you got married again?"
"I know what I said but Madelyn is different. She just makes it all easy. It just makes sense with her."
"How long you been married?"
"Two years now."
"How does Kim feel about that?"
"Mads and Kim get along well. It was actually Kim talking to me that made me decide marrying Madelyn was the right thing to do."
"Was she pregnant?"
"No, she got pregnant after we got married. Maverick is 11 months old."
"Is she there with you now?"
"Nah I shipped her back to Michigan via Fed Ex."

Marshall laughed. Madelyn rolled her eyes.

"I am kidding, bro. She is right here," he said.
"Nice to meet you Madelyn. Even if it just over the phone," Sway said.
"You as well," Madelyn replied.
"How do you put up with Eminem?"
"As cliché as it sounds, he isn't Eminem to me. He isn't Slim Shady. He is just Marshall. I didn't want the fame for me or my son."
"Really?"
"Yo, I royally fucked up while we were dating. I tried to buy her back with gifts and shit. She sent them back. I actually had to put in a real effort with planning dates and giving her my time. She still doesn't like when I give her shit to try to make up for being a jerk." Marshall spoke up.
"She sounds like the real deal." Sway replied.
"She definitely is,"

Marshall looked at Madelyn. She smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

"Are you two planning any more kids anytime soon?" Sway asked.
"Actually, I am pregnant now," Madelyn said.
"Really?"
"I didn't want any more kids since the girls are almost completely grown. She came to me to tell me about Maverick and I lost my shit." Marshall said.

Madelyn grabbed his hand. She didn't know he was going to open up about this. He squeezed her hand and nodded slowly. She shook her head. He rubbed her hand with his thumb.

"She actually left me because I told her to get rid of him. She told me no and left. Hailie came to see me about three weeks later and ripped me a new one about it. I tried everything I could and Kim actually finally convinced her to go to lunch with me. She was 4 months into the pregnancy. The minute I saw her and her belly, it was game over. I begged her to come home. I didn't even know he was a boy at that point. I just wanted her and our kid home." Marshall said.
"Wow, that is intense," Sway said.

Madelyn was staring at the table in front of her, tears rolling down her face.

"Baby, don't cry," Marshall pulled her into his chest.

He looked at their son who had just toddled into the room. Madelyn silently cried against his chest. He held her close and rubbed her back. She wrapped her arms around his middle.

"Ma," Maverick ran into her leg.
"Hold on buddy. Mama's a bit emotional today," Marshall said.
"That your boy?" Sway asked.
"Yeah that's Maverick. He is just starting to talk."

Madelyn calmed down enough to pick up their son. She kissed the top of his head. He giggled. She smiled.

"So the fan who sold your photos from Disney, he was harassing you?" Sway asked.
"I signed a few autographs for him and took a few pictures. He got an attitude because I wouldn't tell him that Madelyn was my wife or that Maverick was my son. I happened to walk over to them and he heard Mave ask for me and get excited when I picked him up. If i remember right, he yelled I knew it and then everywhere we went, he was right there," Marshall said.
"You didn't have security?"
"Had to get them to keep him back. It annoyed my girls. We ended up trying to salvage the day but left after a while."
"And dinner last night?"
"Look I don't appreciate my son being terrified like that. He didn't ask for any of this. He is just a baby. Listening to him scream last night after we rushed out of there was traumatizing."

Marshall was trying to hold it in. Maverick looked at him from the safety of his mother's arms. She was watching her husband.

"I don't want to keep you from your vacation. Thanks for calling in and clearing some things up for us and your fans." Sway said.
"Just a request, if you do see me or them out," he said, "I don't mind you coming up to get an autograph or a picture but be respectful."
"Please be respectful. Our son doesn't understand any of this and the stress isn't good for our baby on the way," Madelyn echoed.
"Mave, say bye."
"Ba," their son giggled.

They got off the phone. Paul nodded to them. Marshall got up from the table and walked away. Madelyn sighed heavily. Maverick squirmed to get down. She put him on the floor. The girls had gone down to the pool while they did the interview. Madelyn sighed heavily.

"I didn't expect him to talk about Maverick's pregnancy like that. I don't want them to think he is a bad guy. He didn't even mention that we used measures to prevent pregnancy so it was a huge shock to us both." she said to Paul.
"I can go talk to him," Paul offered.

She nodded. He sighed and went to find his client. Marshall was back out on the balcony.

"I shouldn't have told the story of when she was pregnant with Mave." he said, not looking up at Paul.
"You should have just clarified a bit more," Paul said. "I can call Sway and clarify if you want?"

Marshall slowly shook his head. He looked up at Paul.

"I don't deserve that woman." he said quietly.
"None of us deserve the women that love us," Paul replied.
"She deserves so much more than this shit. Being hounded by assholes who want pictures and autographs. Having people talk shit about her, because you know they are going to."
"We present a united front around her, Maverick, and the baby. It will be fine. We will hold her close and shut down the haters."
"Hey babe," Madelyn appeared in the doorway.
"What's up?" Marshall asked.
"Skylar's on the phone."
"Ok."

He got up to take it from her.

"Bro, I am so proud of you," Skylar practically yelled in his ear.
"What did I do?" he asked.
"I heard the interview with Sway."
"Ok? I really feel like shit right now, Sky."
"Why? You owned that shit like a real man. Plus Mads loves you. Although she is worried about you right now."
"How do you know?"
"She told me. Does this mean I can post pictures of my nephew?"
"What did Mads say?"
"To ask you."

Marshall laughed. She had completely skated over what he really wanted to know and she knew it.