Disconnected

Two

Finishing up the last show of her Las Vegas residency, Janet had made it to the finish line. Those twelve hour rehearsals took a toll on her body. At the age of seven, Janet had started in showbiz. All of her siblings worked, so this lifestyle wasn't anything new. Her best friend and brother, Gil, was the creative director and he knew everything about Janet. He noticed that she would look sluggish, and drained every now and then. Their rehearsals started from 7am up until 7pm, five days a week. Of course the band and the dancers, referred to as the Kidz, would get three one hour breaks.

Missing her son, Janet decided to FaceTime her husband to speak to Ryan. At first the rehearsal's time length would bother her son, but she reassured him that she'd always come back home. The feeling stemmed from the story that his mother had told him about. He wanted to ask more questions about his older sister, but Jeremiah didn't want to hurt Janet's feelings.

Sitting in her dressing room, Janet noticed that her skin was breaking out. Looking at her calendar, she was a week late but didn't think of anything. Yes she wanted another child a year ago, but work had consumed her time. Her husband called her back, with their son sitting next to his father. Ryan was the light of their lives. He had a nurturing spirit and an old soul, just like his mother.

"Hi my loves, I was calling to check on the both of you." A smile appeared on Sean's face, but it was different with Jeremiah. He saw his mother through his dad's phone, feeling abandoned and sad. He was a mama's boy, and often got teased for it.

"J, talk to Mommy. What's the matter?" Grabbing his father's phone, Jeremiah ended the call abruptly. Separation anxiety wasn't new for him, as he missed his mom more than anything. He was growing up and wanted both of his parents around him at all times. Receiving a call from her husband, immediately she picked it up.

"His summer camp's recital was tonight, and he said that you promised to call him before it started. I explained to him that you would try your best." Sean paused. "He'll be okay, Janet. I know tonight was your final show, so you wanted to make sure that everything was perfect." She smiled at her husband's understanding attitude.

A sudden wave of guilt washed over Janet. "I just feel like I'm a bad mother though. Cadence is somewhere in the world, and Jeremiah thinks I'm forgetting about him." The negative thoughts sadden her. Although she put her family before her career, she still felt like she was disappointing them. Wiping her eyes from tears, Janet knew that she'd have to take a break and focus on the most important thing: family.

"You're doing everything right, babe. This is your life and it's okay to work hard. You love us and J doesn't fully grasp and understand who you are to others. I know you'll be home tomorrow, and that's all that truly matters. I'm gonna get ready for bed, but please do not beat yourself up about this. You are a perfect wife and mother, and we all love you." A small smile appeared on her face, making Janet blush.

"Thank you for loving me, at all times. I don't want to keep you up, but tell Jeremiah that Mommy loves him and that she's sorry for disappointing him. I promise to make it up. I love you, have a good night. See you tomorrow." Hanging up the phone, a knocked appeared on the door.

"Come in." Janet spoke. Gil entered the room with something behind his back. He felt her forehead to see if she was warm. Noticing that she wasn't, he sat down and he smiled at her. Feeling awkward about what he did, Janet squinted her eyes at him. She knew something was up, but could not put her figure on it.

"The hell do you want?" She asked. An evil chuckle formed from her best friend's lips. Behind his back was an unopened box of a pregnancy test. Within a two week span, he noticed that she was more tired and constantly complaining about her back. The same symptoms occurred with her second pregnancy.

"Gil, I am not pregnant." His eyebrow rose as he laughed once more. "Damn bitch. Just take the test, so I can leave you the hell alone." Snatching the box from him, she went into the bathroom knowing she wasn't pregnant. Janet knew her body and so did Gil. Using the restroom, she peed on the test waiting for the result.

Washing her hands, she gave the test to him wanting him to read the results once they appeared. The box said to wait for three minutes. Her timer had one minute to spare, and she became nervous. Looking at herself in the vanity mirror, she was taking off her lashes and makeup. Her phone buzzed and turned her head to Gil.

"Welp, you're not pregnant," A weight came off of her shoulders. She was thankful that she wasn't expecting. "Just playin'! You're about to be a mama of three. Congratulations mama." Gil smiled. Janet wasn't ready for this surprise, at all.