Contingent – Chapter 17 | Give me a time machine

Chapter 17 | Give me a time machine

birth (n.)

c. 1200, “fact of being born;” mid-13c., “act of giving birth, a bringing forth by the mother, childbirth,” sometimes in Middle English also “conception;” also “that which is born, offspring, child;” from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse *byrðr (replacing cognate Old English gebyrd “birth, descent, race; offspring; nature; fate”), from Proto-Germanic *gaburthis (source also of Old Frisian berd, Old Saxon giburd, Dutch geboorte, Old High German giburt, German geburt, Gothic gabaurþs), from PIE *bhrto past participle of root *bher- (1) “to carry; to bear children” (compare bear (v.)).

Suffix -th is for “process” (as in bath, death). Meaning “condition into which a person is born, lineage, descent” is from c. 1200 (also in the Old English word). In reference to non-living things, “any coming into existence” is from 1610s. Birth control is from 1914; birth certificate is from 1842.

On their flight from Tennessee to California, Michael and Lisa barely spoke. She recognized his need to be quiet and to retreat inside himself. And she understood because she, too, was kind of speechless about the latest developments. At this point, it was clear that pretty much nothing they planned would ever go the way it was supposed to.

Having chosen to leave Graceland and fly back with Michael right away, Lisa had simply decided to stay by his side as long as she could. That meant that, once landed back in Los Angeles, she would go back to Hidden Hills while he would hurry to the UCLA Medical Center to be with Debbie and assist in the birth of his son. He and Lisa had quietly agreed about that last part without even discussing it, and the discomfort had only been mild, since they both were way more concerned about how the whole plan would play out. Or if it would play out at all. To say that they were tight on time would have been the understatement of the year.

The last few hours had been frantic and confused, forcing them both to go from a state of almost complete relaxation after making love and cuddling to sheer panic, running to their car as fast as they could. As they drove to the airport, Lisa and Michael had tried hard to reconstruct the events that had led to his team calling him to tell him about Debbie’s admission to the hospital – a full week before she was due for her C-section.

Apparently, Miss Rowe had left a message on Michael’s answering machine at Neverland, informing him that she was going to be admitted to the hospital because she was going into labor, and that he could meet her there. That was already bizarre in itself: Debbie was very much aware that Michael had not been staying at Neverland at all, lately, but mainly at Hidden Hills, and also that he had been in Tennessee for a few days now. He had told her personally during one of their most recent, formal calls. He had also let her know that she could always call him on his mobile phone, on which he was available for her and the baby 24/7.

Bernadine, one of Michael’s maids at Neverland, had listened to the message while cleaning up his studio by pure chance, because she had been there during Debbie’s call. Sheer luck! Sensing the importance of the matter, Bernadine had called Michael’s associates who, in turn, had immediately gotten in touch with him.

During the phone call, Michael was stunned. And, just like too often happened as of late, he was also entirely blindsided by the events. For a few minutes, he had been unable to put his thoughts in order and plan his next moves. His mind was a blur.

Thank goodness, Lisa was a bit more clear-headed and had helped him charter a flight right away, then they had hurried to the airport together. She had called Priscilla from the car, informing her about the emergency and telling her that she and Michael would not return to Graceland for now. To please have someone send their stuff back home to Hidden Hills. Her mother’s reply had been curt, short and very dry. Lisa had almost physically visualized Priscilla’s thoughts: Michael was making a mess out of her daughter’s life once again, because his life was so complicated and surreal that no regular human being would be able to keep up. Not even Lisa. Or maybe especially Lisa.

Well, although probably red in the face and about to explode, at least Priscilla had been able to keep her thoughts for herself. Otherwise, Lisa would have probably unleashed all hell on her. She, too, was quite upset and needed to unload some of the tension, and her mom, together with her preconceived ideas about Michael always were a great target. But she could not lose her head now, and certainly not in Michael’s presence. They both needed to keep themselves in check as much as possible.

Right now, as they flew over to California through a cloudless, pitch-black sky, Michael was as tense as a violin cord – and understandably so. The total flight duration from Memphis to Los Angeles would take about three hours and a half. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but potentially too long if you had to reach a lady about to give birth to a baby. Then, Michael would have to take a car from LAX to UCLA – which meant about another half an hour lost along the way. Once again, potentially too long.

How the fuck had that happened? Had there been an emergency? Was Debbie OK? Was the baby OK? Of course, Michael was worried about that above anything else, but when he had tried to call Debbie back, she had not picked up the phone.

How unsurprising, Lisa had thought. But she had not said a word. She had her own personal opinion about what was going on, but this was not the right time to share it with Michael. He already had so much to think about, she didn’t want to add to the pressure. Plus, she hoped she was wrong. She indeed was more than ready to feel like shit if she was thinking badly about Debbie without having a clue, just because of their past experiences. But still…

As she replayed the latest events in her mind once again, she set her jaw and turned to look at him. He was staring absent-mindedly at the dark sky outside the window, as he tormented his long sideburn. Tugging at it with his fingers, in a sort of conditioned response.

Lisa covered his other hand with her own and he jumped, slightly. He kept his eyes fixed on the cloudless night, but turned his palm upward and interlaced his fingers with hers.

Lisa raised their joined hands and kissed his knuckles.

“It’s gonna be OK, baby.”

What else could she say, after all? That was all she hoped.

“You think?” His voice sounded colorless.

She kept her lips pressed against the back of his hand, taking a moment to formulate her answer properly.

“I think your baby boy is about to be born, and that’s a beautiful thing. That’s what’s important.”

This time, Michael turned and stared at her. His eyes were a strange mixture of pensiveness, longing, hope and pain. And something else Lisa could not really pinpoint.

“Thank you, Lise.”

“What for?” She grinned at him and kissed his hand again.

Michael just shook his head, ever so slightly, his lips tightening. He looked so lost and forlorn. Confused, worried. And if she was not mistaken, there was a bit of anger there, too. Barely visible, but present nonetheless.

Lisa wrapped her arm around his broad shoulders.

“Hey… Why don’t you try to relax for a little while? Come here. Rest. I know you are not gonna sleep, but maybe you can close your eyes for a minute. And before you know it, we’ll be in L.A. and this whole thing will be dealt with.”

All the while, she pulled him closer. He understood and, taking a deep breath, rested his head on her shoulder, his face turning to the window again as he made himself comfortable. Lisa’s free hand came up, her fingers entangling in his hair, stroking gently as she kissed and kissed the top of his head. Feeling completely helpless and hoping her touch could at least be comforting. Trying to soothe his anxiety the same way she usually did with Ben, when he was sad or upset about something. Only, Ben was four… And it was way easier to make his monsters go away.

After a few minutes and surprisingly enough, Michael did fall asleep. He was exhausted, mentally and physically and his body needed to recharge. As wired and hyper-energetic as he usually was, the news of Debbie’s delivery had taken a toll on him too. When Lisa felt his head become heavier, she realized that he had dozed off and just kept holding him in her arms, unable to relax. She, too, needed to unwind and possibly lie down for a few hours, but she would do that later, once back to Hidden Hills.

She woke him up when they were about ten minutes away from Los Angeles, and they drank a cup of tea together as the plane finally landed at LAX. There were two cars already waiting for them at the private hangar: one for Lisa, directed back home, and the other one for Michael, engines already roaring and about to hurry to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood Plaza.

Michael and Lisa stood there, between the two Suburbans, their eyes connected for a moment. Biting his lip, his eyes pensive and somber once again, he framed her face with both hands and leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips. Slow, gentle pecks. She could tell that a part of him wanted to ask her to go with him, but she also knew that he would never do that. There was that other part of him to consider. The one telling him that he needed to do this alone. It was his doing, and his responsibility.

“Go, Michael…” Lisa rubbed his chest and then disentangled herself from his embrace. “And call me as soon as you can, if you want. I’ll be home, if you ever need anything.”

His eyes closed for a second, then he nodded his head.

“OK. I talk to you soon.”

One more kiss, and he was gone.

Lisa watched the car until it disappeared from her view.

“Marvin… We can go, if you’re ready.”

“Sure, Miss Lisa. Do you need any help getting in the car?” Very helpfully, the driver stepped closer. She smiled, but her mind was far away. Someplace else.

“No, I’m good. Thank you.”

Something didn’t feel right. Michael didn’t know what it was, but he could not push the feeling away. The sequence of the events that had led to the current situation was weird, to say the least. He had no idea what had provoked Debbie’s early delivery. Yes, she was going to be due in eight days anyway, but he had heard from her not even forty-eight hours earlier and she had sounded perfectly normal over the phone. Telling him that there was nothing to report, and everything was OK. Of course, things might have changed in the bat of an eyelid, but still…

Michael and Debbie’s relationship had cooled off considerably after the failed wedding. He no longer considered her a friend – only a business’ counterpart. The last long, exhaustive conversation they had in the suite of the Sheraton-On-The-Park had been tense, but after laying down the law, he had done his best to keep it as cordial and courteous as he could. Telling Deb that the terms of their agreement still stood, that he was very grateful for her cooperation and totally committed to making sure she would receive maximum prenatal and postnatal care and a fair monetary reward for her help. Just as planned. He really didn’t like being blunt to people. He didn’t like to sound threatening and loathed conflict in general. He was a peaceful man and wanted to live in peace.

When he had felt forced to tell Deborah that she needed to back off and respect the boundaries they had set, it had been because she had cornered him and tried to prod him to do something he had never even contemplated doing. And she knew that very, very well. He was not going to forget about being ambushed by someone he had once considered a trusted friend. And he was not going to forget that Debbie had shown him a part of her he didn’t even know existed. A greedy, manipulative, obsessive, selfish part. But he was more than willing to move on and let the past go.

With two babies at the center of his life very soon, Michael wanted to keep his life positive. Positive thoughts, positive actions, positive vibes. Rage, bitterness, revenge were not part of his bucket list.

And yet, right now, his inner voice kept telling him that something was just not right. As far as he knew, Debbie could be in the process of giving birth to Prince right now, as he was still on his way to UCLA. Still trapped in a fucking car.

The thought pained him. He wanted to be there for the birth of his son as much as he wanted to be present during Lisa’s delivery. He wanted his babies to know that their daddy was there for them, right from the get-go. But he had lost so many hours already…

Maybe you shouldn’t have gone to Graceland, after all. Perhaps you should have stayed in L.A.

His hand closed in a fist and he quieted down the voice whispering in his head. Graceland, or any other place, had nothing to do with this. He had thought he had time.

But you didn’t. You didn’t have time, brother. That’s why you’re flying down the rainy streets of Los Angeles at breakneck speed now. And maybe it’s gonna be too late anyway.

No, that was impossible. Debbie would have called him. She would have told him. She would have…

Unless she’s in the delivery room just as you’re nursing these thoughts…

Yeah, that was very possible.

“How long ‘till we get there?”

“Ten minutes, sir…”

He gritted his teeth. “Hurry up. Please, hurry up.”

The driver did just that, to the point that Michael thought they would end up being pulled over by the cops. But it didn’t happen, and when he finally was escorted inside the hospital, he was pretty much convinced they had set some kind of speed record.

Once again, that weird feeling of lacking information, of not knowing something crucial, resurfaced the moment his contact person inside the UCLA Medical Center looked utterly surprised to see him.

“Mister Jackson… hello. What’s going on?”

Michael stopped mid-step and looked at him, his eyebrows raising.

“What?”

His mouth was dry.

“Is miss Rowe OK? Is something wrong? We were expecting you in a…” Mister Parker, his representative at the clinic, blinked, trying to remember. “…A week, I think.”

Michael felt all blood drain from his face and steadied himself, clearing his throat that suddenly felt as if he were swallowing glasses.

“Yes… Yes, indeed. But Deborah… Miss Rowe, she went into labor and checked in a few hours ago.”

Mister Parker now looked even more confused than before. “Oh. And where did she check in?”

“Here..?” He needed to sit down. Reaching out blindly, Michael rested his hand against the wall. They were in a private waiting room, which was pretty small, but all of a sudden felt as if it was closing in on him.

“Here at UCLA? Sir…” Mister Parker grew pale. He shook his head. “I don’t think… I mean, I am going to make sure right now, but as far as I know, Miss Rowe is not here… Someone would have informed me. We have been following your orders to the letter, sir.”

“What do you mean she’s not here?” His own voice sounded strangely unfamiliar, but he had to make sure. Because the truth unraveling in front of his eyes was anything but pleasurable, and he was going to start panicking in a minute.

“I mean that she was not admitted here at UCLA, sir.” Mister Parker seemed to have realized Michael’s confusion and, albeit flustered, was really trying his best to be as clear as possible. “But let me check with my people, just to make sure. I’ll be right back, OK? Just give me a couple of minutes.”

As soon as the man disappeared, quietly closing the door behind his back, Michael started to see double and hyperventilate. The room began to spin. He knew Mister Parker. He was precise, meticulous… and well rewarded for his services. If he said Debbie was not there, that meant that she was not there. Michael knew Parker would be back and confirm what he had already told him. Unless he was lying… unless he was trying to slow him down…

Old paranoia set in.

He started to pace back and forth and flipped his mobile phone open, dialing Debbie’s number. Five rings and nobody picked up. Cursing under his breath, Michael was about to flip the phone closed when a female voice he had never heard before finally answered.

“Hello?”

“Hello? Hello! Hey… Uhm…” He swallowed hard and frowned. “Deb? I mean, is this Miss Rowe’s phone?”

“…Yes, but she’s not here right now. Who is this?”

“I am… I am Michael. Michael Jackson. Please, can you tell me to whom I have the pleasure of speaking?” He walked over to a nearby chair and sat down. His shaky hand was gripping the phone so tightly that his fingertips felt numb.

“I am Nurse Dunnet.”

Who the fuck was Nurse Dunnet? He had never heard that name before. But maybe she was new. The following silence told Michael that either the woman was still trying to figure out if he really was who he had said he was, or she simply needed a moment to regroup. Well, he could not afford to waste any more time.

“Hello, Nurse Dunnet. Why are you on Miss Deborah Rowe’s phone? Is she OK? Is the baby she’s carrying OK? My baby?”

Another small pause.

“…Yes. Miss Rowe actually told me you might call. Everything is OK, the doctor is with her right now, running some exams. That’s why she can’t answer the phone. ”

“Where is she? In what room at UCLA?” The situation was getting more and more confusing by the second.

“At UCLA?” He heard the woman move to what sounded like a quieter corner in the room. Then her voice into the receiver, again. “Mister Jackson, Miss Rowe is not at UCLA. She’s been admitted at Mount Sinai today…”

Michael frowned, trying to focus. “What do you mean, at Mount Sinai? The Surgery Center in Tarzana, California?”

“Ah, no sir… I mean Mount Sinai Hospital in New York…”

“What?!” He barked into the phone. “She’s in New York? Are you speaking from New York, as in the New York State?”

“…And the city. Yes, Mister Jackson.”

Quite uncharacteristically, Michael flipped the phone closed without saying another word and ran out of the room.

The next thirty minutes in the car were a thick fog of complete craziness, frantic and tense. Mechanically, on total autopilot, Michael informed his driver that they needed to go back to LAX as quickly as possible. The driver complied without uttering a word, noticing the extreme distress painted all over her usually calm boss’ face. On their way there, Michael managed to charter another flight, this time from Los Angeles to the Big Apple. He moved heaven and earth to have a plane waiting for him at the hangar and a car ready to take him from the JFK Airport to the hospital, and, eventually, he succeeded. Then he called Lisa.

She picked up the phone right away.

“Babe…” She, too, sounded nervous.

“I’m gonna have to fly to New York.”

“Wait, what? When? Right now?”

“Yeah. Debbie’s there. At Mount Sinai. Don’t ask me how, or why… ‘cause I ain’t got an inkling. She was not supposed to leave California without informing me first, especially so late in the pregnancy. It’s not that she’s not free to go wherever she pleases, but I was supposed to be able to reach her, if something like…” He took a deep breath. His lungs felt smaller, constricted. He was choking, and he would have paid to have Lisa there with him. But she couldn’t be there. She wouldn’t be able to reach the airport in time and she needed to rest, anyway. “…If something like this ever happened.”

At the other end, Lisa stayed quiet for a moment.

“How long ‘till you get back to the airport?”

“About fifteen minutes, I think… But Lise… I checked… It’s gonna take about five hours of flight to get there… and then I gotta take a car to the hospital… I don’t know if…” He couldn’t even bring himself to say the words.

“Wait… Michael, did you speak to her? Are you sure she didn’t say she was in New York?” Lisa was trying so hard to rationalize the whole thing.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I called my people at the ranch and asked them to let me hear the message she left on my answering machine… She only said she was going to be admitted to the hospital because she felt she was going into labor. That was it. She said that I could meet her there. Nothing else. She didn’t specify…” Breathless, he ran his palm of his hand over his sweaty forehead. He was a mess! “But maybe she was… you know, upset. Scared, overwhelmed, and forgot to mention…”

He shook his head.

“Yeah… maybe.” Lisa’s voice sounded very calm. And he knew – he could tell that not an inch of her believed Debbie had not been aware she was so conveniently leaving a crucial detail out. A detail that could make all the difference in the world, for Michael.

A part of him believed the same. Another part of him, which he immediately tried to smother, wanted to snap at Lisa and tell her that he was not going to get poisoned by the distrustful way she saw life… more specifically, his life. And too many people in it. As if he hardly could trust anybody. He took in a big gulp of air.

“So, anyway… I am not sure I’ll be able to…”

“Hey, don’t say that. You don’t know yet, OK? You’ll cross that bridge when you get to it. I know a thing or two about having babies, and I can tell you there are ways to slow down labor for a while. So…” Her voice trailed off. It was true, he knew it was. But she didn’t sound so sure Debbie would do just that.

Hey, maybe she’s wrong, Mike. It wouldn’t be the first time, right? Maybe you’ll get there in time. Maybe it’s not too late at all… Right?

“Right…” Michael sighed. Then he closed his eyes, that were suddenly burning. “…I so wish you were here.”

“Me too. I don’t like leaving you, Mike…” Her words meant so much more than what they said. Another pause. “Hey, you want me to stay on the phone with you until you get to the airport? I can keep you company…”

It was his first smile in hours. The burning feeling in his eyes suddenly became liquid. He sniffled.

“Yes, please… And then I’ll call you back again as soon as I have any idea of what the fuck is going on here.”

When he finally arrived at the Mount Sinai Hospital on Madison Avenue, the sun was rising at the horizon. Michael was wired and utterly exhausted – both physically and emotionally – at the same time. Once again, he had called the hospital from the car to let them know that he was on his way. Then he had asked about Debbie and the baby, and they had told him that they could not release any sensitive information over the phone. That it didn’t matter who he was, how much he insisted, what kind of relationship he had with Debbie or what their agreement was: he needed to be there in person and sign a few papers in order for Deb’s privacy and security to be protected from unauthorized access. It was “mandatory.”

Oh, fucking hell! This was a nightmare! And it was never supposed to be that way. The birth of his first son was supposed to be entirely different; it was supposed to be a fairytale, not a race against time. Full of useless, foolish obstacles that seemed to have been put there to make him trip off and stumble. And fall…

He barely remembered signing those papers, when he was finally escorted into one of the managers’ office. Fame and money gave him access to almost every place in the world in record time, but the security was strict enough, sometimes, to choke him. To make him feel as if he was suffocating.

Among the many papers he signed, there was at least one that was of extreme importance: the paternity form. And it was already half-scribbled. He recognized Debbie’s signature at the bottom of the page.

Still holding the pen, his other hand firmly placed on the desk, his back on fire and screaming in pain, Michael looked up at the manager, a middle-aged guy who looked like he wanted to be in any other place but there and whose shirt collar looked way too tight. Michael’s eyes were inquisitive.

“Mister Jackson… When an unmarried couple has a child, it’s absolutely essential that the father’s paternity is established as soon as possible after… after…”

“After?”

“After the baby is born. This protects the mother, the baby and especially you, the father, by considerably reducing the chance that a judge might deny…”

“No judge will deny anything.” Michael swallowed, and a dark calmness washed over him. “So, let me get this straight. I am signing this because my son is already born, right? Deborah is no longer in labor.”

The representative cleared his throat. His face was flustered.

“Yes, sir. Your son was born about two hours ago.”

Michael’s eyes closed for a moment, then opened again. Time to put his private self in the back seat and let the public persona emerge. He smiled. A smile that stopped at his lips.

“Excellent. Well, I am so sorry I could not be here sooner.” He willingly decided to stop feeling anything for the time being and just act the way this guy expected him to.

The man seemed to relax.

“I understand. You are a very busy man… Plus, I heard you’re in the middle of a world tour. And Miss Rowe… well…”

“What?”

“Nothing.” The man cleared his throat again. “Anyway, the procedure is very simple. Miss Rowe gave us all the pieces of information you can read on that form, which she signed, no problem. They are mainly about her health and your name and occupation. She didn’t name the baby, telling us that you, as the father, would take care of that. As soon as you fill out the form, the State will issue the birth certificate. So, sir… as you can see, everything is in order.”

Setting his jaw, Michael signed the paper, then filled out the missing fields. Well, at least Debbie had not tried to pull a fast one on him when it came to the paternity thing. But after all, thanks to his new PR team the news was out that he no doubt was the baby’s father, and there wasn’t much she could do about that. His statement was adamant. Debbie could not deny his paternity claim, unless she wanted Michael’s lawyers to be on her ass right away. And, given the circumstances, Michael was starting to suspect that she had already gotten the retribution she wanted anyway. Something so subtle it would probably never reach the tabloids, but that certainly had reached and hurt Michael’s heart. She had effectively managed to slow him down enough to make him miss the birth of his baby. She had hurt him the most, without really doing anything at all, and all the while she was forcing him to be away from a very pregnant Lisa.

Without a word, he straightened up and handed the form to the representative. The man gave it a quick glance, then smiled.

“Michael Joseph Jackson Jr.”

Michael nodded, curtly.

“Right. Original, don’t you think?” He gently touched the man’s forearm. “Now, if that is OK with you, I would like to see my son.”

“Sure.” The man looked happy his job was done, here. “Please, follow me, sir.”

He wanted so much to see his baby boy, Prince. But in the emotional conditions he was in, this was not the best time in the world. He needed to sort a few things out, first, and calm down a bit. Set the record straight, and understand exactly what had caused his current predicament. There was a tiny part of him that still could not believe this could be intentional, on Debbie’s part. There had to be another explanation, and if there was, he needed to hear it.

That was why, once the elevator reached the floor, Michael didn’t go to the nursery and went straight to Debbie’s room instead. And when he opened the door, he found himself face to face with a man he had never seen before.

The man was overweight, bald and had a mustache. His shirt was soaked through under his arms. His eyes were very small, dark, and looked inscrutable. And maybe there was a glint of sarcastic playfulness in them, but Michael was way too tired to be sure. He tried hard to remember if they had ever met, but no files unlocked in his mind.

“Mister Jackson! Michael! Can I call you Michael?” The man opened his arms and hugged Michael quickly. Instinctively, Michael backed off, squinting his eyes. Something in this guy’s body odor made his stomach churn.

“Who are you? Where’s Deborah?”

Her voice reached him from around the corner of the small entrance.

“Right here, Michael. I am right here… Glad you could finally make it.”

The stocky man smiled, cocking his head to a side, but kept standing right in the middle of the space, effectively preventing Michael from moving forward.

“She’s right there. She’s fine, don’t worry. The delivery was quick and relatively painless. I was there… You know, since you couldn’t.” His smile broadened. “I’m Mark, by the way, Debbie’s fiance. It’s such a pleasure to meet you finally! Oh and, congratulations… you know, for your baby boy.”

His face a calm mask, Michael pushed the man aside and stepped into the room. All the while, repressing the urge to tell him to fuck off.

Debbie was sitting up in bed, looking tired but relaxed. The baby was not with her. The realization did not exactly surprise him. Deb had always stated very clearly how uninterested she was in anything involving parenthood. And – maybe understandably so – she looked glad the whole pregnancy thing was finally over. He was too.

She grinned and entwined her fingers over her belly.

“Hi. What took you so long?”

Michael set his jaw. Then he turned to Mark.

“Could you please give us some privacy? She’ll be all yours in a few minutes anyway, I promise.”

Still smiling, Mark glanced at Debbie and she simply nodded her head. Without a word, he left the room and quietly closed the door behind his back.

Michael stood at the foot of the bed, not wanting to get any closer to Debbie. If he had entered the room still hoping the whole thing had not been orchestrated to make him look like a complete fool, he now knew this was definitely not the case. And yet he wanted her to admit it.

“Why didn’t you respect the terms of our agreement?”

Debbie frowned, but it was an act.

“What do you mean? I gave birth to our son, which was what I was supposed to do. He’s perfectly healthy and beautiful. He’s in the nursery, waiting for you. I respected the terms of our agreement to the last detail.”

“That is not true, Deb, and you know it. You were supposed to let me know about your whereabouts.”

“And I didn’t? As far as I can remember, I did leave a message on your answering machine.”

“You knew very well I was not at the ranch. Why didn’t you call me on my mobile phone?”

She shrugged her shoulders and sighed dramatically. “Well, as you can imagine, I wasn’t really thinking straight… labor is harsh, Michael. You got no idea.” Her eyes turned cold as she stared at him.

Michael’s voice managed to remain very collected, almost devoid of any color or inflection. “Is that why you forgot to mention you were in New York?”

“Did I?” Her eyebrows sprung up. “I thought I told you. Well, what can I say? I’m sorry about that.”

He lowered his eyes.

“I was in Memphis. When my people called me to let me know about your message, I could have taken a plane straight to New York. I could have been here in less than three hours… in time for the birth of my son. Instead I flew back to Los Angeles, went to UCLA and only then I found out you were at the opposite side of the country.” He looked up again. “That was quite the masterstroke, I gotta say. Very clever.”

“I have no idea what you are implying. I was just in New York visiting Mark. It was supposed to be a quick trip… There was no need to bother you… or Lisa Marie.” She could not avoid the contempt in her voice when she mentioned Lisa’s name. “Then my waters broke, and I did what I had to do. You should be grateful.”

“I am grateful my son is healthy and that you’re OK, yes.”

“Anyway, don’t you worry, Michael. Mark acted as a perfect substitute for you, even cutting the umbilical cord. Something I’m sure you would have loved doing, but alas… We can’t have everything we want, can we?”

Michael blinked, the pang of pain slashing his soul so profoundly that the suffering was almost physical.

“OK…”

“It’s never nice to be alone, you know. And I am glad Mark was there for me. He loves me… respects me. He would never put me aside for another woman. Let alone for a little slut… no pun intended, of course. If only he and I were more interested in having kids, I bet he’d be such a perfect stepfather for Prince.”

Their eyes connected. Michael grabbed the bed frame with both hands, hard. So, all in all, everything went back to that. Well, he was not going to accept any more implied threats. Especially if they involved the custody of his son.

“You better watch your mouth, Deb. I have signed the papers. I am Prince’s father. The deal remains, and it’s done. This is over. You got your revenge, and you’re gonna get your money… all of it. Whatever it was that was going on between you and me, it ends right now.” He shook his head, ever so slightly, taking a moment to regroup. “You had a rough night, and I think you need to rest. So do I. But let me be very clear. I’m gonna take my baby home as soon as I can, and everything will go as planned. You know the drill. You will relinquish all parental rights, just like you agreed to do in our arrangement. Don’t force my hand, Deborah. I overlooked all the shit you pulled so far, but I ain’t doing it anymore.”

“You made a fool out of me at our wedding, Michael. You didn’t overlook shit.”

He sighed. At this point, it was clear that she would never understand it would have never been a real marriage anyway. It was pointless to say it again. He and Debbie were on two completely different tracks. Her mind reasoned in a way that was murky to him.

“And I’m sorry you felt humiliated. That’s on me, and I apologize. But I don’t wanna talk about that no more. Let it go. From now on, we go our separate ways. You and I. And I really didn’t want to say anything like this, but don’t push me, Deb. Don’t try crossing me again. The baby’s born and I ain’t gonna be so mild next time, if I think you’re doing something that might affect him… or his future.” He glared at her. “OK?”

“Sure.” She didn’t look affected in the slightest. Maybe she had gotten what she wanted, after all. Sort of. “Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to rest.”

Michael stepped back from the bed.

“Sure. Take your sweet time getting well. My lawyers will get in touch with you for the payment. And for the voluntary termination of your parental rights. As per our agreement.” He looked at her one last time. Wanting so much to have a time machine and turn back time. And do things differently. “Goodbye, Deborah.”

Then he walked out of the room. And away from this woman he realized he had never really known.

He stood before the glass that separated him from his baby boy. Prince was asleep, and he was perfect. Michael had been able to hold him for a little while, courtesy of the nurses, but it had been nothing but a five-minute thing.

He needed his son to be home as soon as possible. He needed to take him home with him, where they both could feel safe and secure. Possibly, at Hidden Hills…

Yeah… he and Lisa hadn’t talked about what Michael’s next move would be. Not yet. Too much stuff to think about, to sort out. And now that the baby was there, Michael didn’t know what he was supposed to do. His first instinct, of course, was to bring his baby where he felt his family was: to the house he had inhabited with Lisa when they were married, and where they now had been starting to rebuild their lives. At the same time, Lisa would soon give birth to their baby, and he had to take care of that too.

He rubbed his eyes. God, he was wholly exhausted and felt as if he hadn’t slept in centuries. And yet his body just wouldn’t give up.

“Mister Jackson…” One of the sweet nurses he had met about twenty minutes earlier approached him. “Are you OK? Do you need anything?”

“No…” He smiled, very softly. “In fact, I apologize. I know I’m way past visiting hours and I’m not even supposed to be here.”

The nurse gave him a maternal look. “It’s fine. I bet it wouldn’t be easy for you to just stand here during the day anyway… So, I think it’s only fair. You have the right to take a good look at your baby just like any other dad. Plus, you look like you’ve had a pretty rough day.”

Michael lowered his head, the smile still on his face. “Yeah, I guess.” He bit his lip. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Is there… You know, I was just wondering… if there’s any way for a woman to speed up labor. Intentionally, I mean.”

The nurse just studied him. He tried to keep his face calm, expressionless, and he hoped she would not think about his motivations too much.

“Well… Sometimes you’re just so exhausted that you just want your baby to be born quickly and… There are indeed some natural techniques that might help you out.”

“Such as?”

“Such as being upright and mobile, getting into a warm bath, kneeling, squatting or… you know, just having some private time with your partner, to help your body release oxytocin… Which is the hormone that strengthens contractions.”

Yeah… Seeing Mark, and knowing Deb, the last option didn’t sound unbelievable after all. A sudden sense of nausea assaulted him, his stomach felt queasy. He just wanted to go home. With his baby. To his woman, and his other baby.

“Thank you… You were very… ah, helpful. So, how long until I can take my baby home? We need to fly back to Los Angeles as soon as we can. My wife… I mean, my girlfriend, too, is expecting…” Michael blushed.

The nurse smiled. A very sweet smile. “Oh, Miss Presley. Yes, I have read your announcement in a magazine. Congratulations. You make a beautiful couple.”

Those few, simple words managed to warm his heart. They were just so… normal. So right. Once again, his eyes burned. He needed to get a grip. He was about to lose it. He was too tired, and thinking straight was becoming harder and harder.

“Thanks, ma’am.”

“To answer your question, your baby is very healthy, so theoretically you could even take him home right away. But since you’ll have to take a plane, I would suggest you wait a couple of days. There are no standard regulations, but given that Michael Jr is not a preterm baby, and was not born by C-section, I think the doctor won’t have any problem giving you the all-clear to take him home with you. You will have to speak to Doctor Clark first, anyway. I don’t have any authority over these decisions.”

Eventually, Michael did manage to speak to Doctor Clark, the ob-gyn who had taken care of Debbie, and he indeed confirmed that Prince would be allowed to leave the hospital in two days. Which meant that, given the six hours of flight from New York to Los Angeles, they would be home in about three days.

Fucking shit. Michael hated being stuck there. Hated not having the freedom of doing what he wanted. Hated not being in complete control of the situation and, more than anything else, hated being away from Lisa.

Thankfully, he still had his apartment at the Trump Towers. Another place that had been home for Lisa and him, during the first months of their marriage. Being able to step into his own apartment, at that very moment, felt like an incredible luxury and he decided to let some more hours go by. It was early in the morning in New York, which meant that it was still pretty much night in Los Angeles, and he did not want to wake Lisa up. After all, despite Debbie’s ordeal, Lisa had been right: the most important thing was that Prince was OK. Everything else could take a back seat.

Michael poured himself a drink despite the early hour, not only because he was jet-lagged but also because his nerves were wrecked by the tension of the last couple of days. Then he took a long shower, and the pounding headache that had been torturing him for hours finally eased up on him a little bit. Sadly, the same could not be said about his back pain, which was starting to feel as if someone had dipped a scalpel in liquid fire and hammered it right in between his kidneys. But at least the warm water jet was able to relax his tense muscles.

When he finally lay down on the bed, he glanced at his watch and realized that it was about 7 AM in Los Angeles. He grabbed his mobile phone from the nightstand as he stared at the ceiling, in the dimly lit room.

Lisa picked up after the first ring, and he exhaled a relieved breath.

“Michael?”

“Hi, baby… How are you feeling? You OK?”

“I’m good… Are you? You sound like shit.”

“Wow, thanks… No, I’m not good. I’m fried.”

“Yeah, you do sound exhausted. How’s the baby? Did you find Debbie?”

“The baby’s OK, Lise.” He blinked, his heart filling with joy despite the fatigue… and the disappointment. “He’s so beautiful. You got no idea.”

“I can imagine.” Her warm tone was a balm for his injured soul. “Is he healthy?”

“He’s perfectly healthy. The doctor says he’ll be able to leave the hospital in about 48 hours. So I plan to be home soon… and honestly, I can’t wait.”

“I can’t either. Come home, Mike. With Prince.”

His eyes closed. And this time he was unable to stop the tears. Lisa sensed the shift in his mood immediately.

“Michael? What’s going on? Are you crying? Babe…”

For a minute, he was unable to speak. Then he just broke down.

“I wasn’t there, Lise. I wasn’t there for my child. When I arrived at the hospital, it was all over. And she… Well, she took her boyfriend with her. Debbie’s boyfriend cut my son’s umbilical cord because I was not there.”

“Baby… It’s not your fault… you were not there because something slowed you down…”

“Yeah, she did. On purpose…”

Lisa just let him cry, trying to soothe and comfort him as much as she could. He was hurt. Disheartened. He felt betrayed and robbed of something that was of utter importance. Something nobody would be able to give back to him.

Then her voice reached him through the receiver. Through the fog. Sweet, then playful.

“It’s OK, Michael. It’s over now. Oh, by the way… Congratulations, daddy. Do you want me to send you some balloons?”

He had to chuckle in between the tears.

“Gosh, woman… You’re certifiable, I swear.”