𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏 4

Page 71

Janet

In my own home, I began to feel a deep discomfort and troubled. Underneath the roof I paid for, my mother in law, sure knew how to make me feel unwelcome. I followed Christopher, he opened our glass sliding door to our backyard patio, he watched me as I walked first.

The pure mellows of the outside silence was peaceful, yet I felt under attack. I stood frozen, Story sat on the patio sofa with her laptop. Her back faced us and I could feel nervous sweat, the soothing gentle touch of Christopher's hand swiftly intertwined our fingers.

Without warning he lead me with my hand in his and I had no choice but to move my feet as he walked towards her. "Whatcha doing kid" he asked sitting next to her left.

After I sat to her right, she clicked her tongue out of frustration. "You can be upset all you want young lady" Christopher spoke with his lighthearted tone. "But we're still your parents, show your mother some respect" he straightened his direct tone.

Story kept her eyes on her laptop as if she wasn't paying attention to her father. "Story, you've been quiet lately, your father and I are worried about you" I spoke.

She looked to me with animosity behind her gaze. "Why are you just getting worried now?"

Her question put a sharp breath to my chest. "Sorry I'm your mother, sweetie I'm always worried about you but it was you who told me you wanted to be alone" I scooted closer to her and her arms shoulders tensed up.

"I was giving you the space you needed, Story, can you please tell me how you feel, are you mad at me" I asked.

She nodded her head keeping her head down facing her lap. "Baby, I'm so sorry you found out this way, I never wanted it to happen this way but very angry people were threatening our family name, so I had to tell the world. I should've told you first, baby I'm sorry" I said putting my hand around her shoulder to hug her.

She even felt tense in my hug, the more I squeezed her the stiffer she felt. "Can you ever forgive me" I asked her.

She looked at me, her stare grew longer in the suspense she left me. "I want to" she shrugged. "But I don't know if I can"

I pulled my eyes from her and hid my face facing the opposite way. My eyes could no longer hold back its tears. My heart was crushed and physical ached in my chest. The pain was excruciating, I couldn't let her seem me, so I cried in the palm of my hand.

"Everybody talks about me in school, they know everything, I want to be homeschooled" she spat out direct. I sobbed in my hand, I was too frightened to remove my hand from my face.

"Even my own friends talk about me behind my back, when I'm not there" she continued to speak.

"Story how do you know they talk about you" Christopher asked.

"Because they all talk and get quiet when I come around"

"If you want to be homeschooled, your mother and I will make it happen. We love you and we never want you to be somewhere, where you do not feel comfortable, ok" he spoke.

"Okay" she spoke above a whisper.

"But I want you to have thicker skin Story, no matter where you go in life people are going to talk about you. You're a Jackson, people will talk regardless, every one of your cousins, aunts, uncles and your mother have been in the same situation on a day to day basis"

"This is different dad" she whined.

"Story, this is not different at all. Your mother has to go through this everyday, people talk, whether it's facts or they're telling lies. You need to learn to ignore it and you need to learn to forgive your mother. Your family will always love and protect you, we are not your enemies"

The two of them went silent, my hand was drenched in my salty tears. Out of nowhere I felt the touch of a soft hand on my back and another hand pulled me in. Story pulled my hand from my face and I put my face into her shoulder.

Our hug was just the start of Story and I begging to communicate like normal. Christopher and I began playing like everything was fine between us, for his mother and for the kids. My mother-in-law stayed for dinner and the family seemed normal, it was a feeling of fresh air.

My cheeks were rosie red, I couldn't stop smiling at the dinner table. Once the kids were in bed and my mother-in-law left, Christopher and I were back at odds. I couldn't wait to close my eyes and go to bed, so I went straight to the bathroom mirror to begin brushing my teeth.

In the mirror I watched my reflection, until Christopher entered the bathroom behind me. I rolled my eyes to the sight of him. "What the hell did I do now" he asked in a hostile tone.

I spat my toothpaste into the sink to turn around and face him. "Did you call your lawyer" I asked raising my brows. "Your gonna need one after that stunt you pulled today, you know, when you tackled the paparazzi"

He scoffed while scratching the side of his face. "J, I was under a lot of pressure" he spoke soft until his tone hardened. "A lot of pressure that you, put me under"

"Oh! Is it my fault?" I raised my voice while walking up to him.

"I should've—" he cut himself off with a deviant smile and shook his head.

"You should've what, say it" I yelled, I could feel my face getting hot.

"I don't want to fight anymore" he whined knitting his brows.

"I have a festival and a tour coming up Christopher. What you did today isn't helping me at all!? I'm attached to everything you do because we're married" my teeth gritted, I could feel steam fuming from my hot head.

"I'm sorry, I'm human" he shrugged. He continued on his walk to the shower but was stopped as I grabbed his arm and tugged.

He looked down at me with his widened stare. "This is serious Christopher, the media is painting me as some deadbeat that didn't want her daughter and on top of that, their calling my husband unstable"

I kept my tight grip around his forearm. "What do you want me to do? I'm sorry but I can't go back in time and undo what I did" he said.

"I just can't see people buying my tickets anymore" I cried, I dropped my head wept letting go of his arm. "I just fired Ken, who's gonna help me now" I yelled.

He grabbed my face and lifted it with his two hands. "I'll help you, baby, I got it" he spoke in an upbeat tone.

"What?"

"I got it, can you trust me?"

Looking in his eyes gave me déjà vu of the day first we met. His eyes, his voice everything about him made me want to get to know him. The man's smile and touch are both so mesmerizing. He never broke a promise, that's why I trust him.

"Yes" I spoke breathlessly.

His lips pressed against mine, they were warm and relaxing to the touch. The tense muscles throughout my body melted in the palm of his hands. He placed his forehead onto mine.

"We will get through this Janet, I promise you" he whispered.

The was the last of our fighting. I slept in piece knowing I'd be fine with my husband and daughter back on my side.
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