Going The Distance (Michael Jackson Fan Fiction)

Turned Tables

Michael's Point of View

The rest of the evening's events went by in a blur. Once my parents  returned home dinner was made and we sat around the dining room table enjoying each other's company like old times. I missed times like these when everything was like back in the day, but the negativity that surrounded me was stifling and it help little that there was a thick tension noticeable.

There was a clink at the table and a clearing of a throat, a second later Mother was standing, a brilliant smile lighting her face. “I don't mean to interrupt the small talk, but there's one thing I'd like to say." Her eyes flickered between Selena and I. “Young love warms my heart. It reminds me of when I met Joe." Her thoughts drifted elsewhere as she reminisced memories of the past. She snickered, “Forty something years seems like a long time ago, yet I remember everything like it was yesterday. That man was the definition of player — still is. Yet I managed to grab a hold of him. And being married to him for forty years has been absolute hell —"

“C'mon now Katy." Joseph interjected, his face showing slight displeasure in her comment.

“— and heaven, all at once." Mother finished her comment quite pleasantly, and I smiled.

Although my views regarding Joseph were rather different, I  believed that he loved my mother and that she loved him just as much.

“But the point I'm trying to make is," Her eyes came back to look at us once again. “love isn't an easy thing, neither is marriage, but be sure to make the best of it because there's nothing worse than the feeling of giving up. And when the time comes and you do feel as if you should give up, don't. For better or for worst. That's the vow."

Her words swirled around in my head as she spoke and my eyes moved to look at the woman next to me. Here she sat, guilty of her actions, yet she tried to fix herself for my sake. She blamed herself for my grief, and at first, I did as well. But before everything, she was human and made human mistakes. She didn't cause the lost of our child, that was natural. Nature worked on her own not picking and choosing favourites. 

My hand reached to touch her own, which was resting in her lap. Her head shifted towards me with searching eyes. A faint smile crept to my lips as I reached over to whisper in her ear.

“I'm sorry."

Her face was confused as I sat upright once again. “For?" She mouthed.

“Everything." I mouthed back. Her eyes searched mine before a smile appeared.

“Aw look at the two of you!" Janet's words pierced through our moment. Now that I had resurfaced back to reality once again, I realised that everyone had been scrutinizing Selena and I. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment and I sheepishly grinned.

After dinner, my sister and mother dragged Selena away, while I and my brothers sat in the lounge talking.

“You proposed huh?" Jackie jokingly asked as he nudged me in my side.

“Yup," I confirmed, popping my p. “I sure did."

“She got a bun in the oven?" Randy asked.

“Why you always have to open your mouth all the time?"

“It was just a question Mike." He laughed. “It's just curiosity. I mean why else would you ask her to marry you after so long?"

“Why can't I just propose with out there being an excuse?" I questioned.

“There must be a reason." Randy shrugged.