i can't help it, the sequel (mj fanfic)

FIVE: Africa

A Few Weeks Later

Penny:

The warm water ran down my back while I pulled the razor up my leg. The sound of humming from outside the bathroom came closer until it was met with the sound of a squeaking door. My heart sprung a bit when he entered the room.

"Morning!" He sang and rustled through his toiletries.

"Good morning!" I yelped back.

"I brought somebody with me." He hummed while I turned the water off.

"And who might that be?" I spoke while wrapping the towel around my body before stepping out of the shower.

"Our little one." He smiled and walked to me to kiss my forehead.

"Hi baby!" I whispered and kissed James' soft cheek.

"How was your sleep?" Michael asked.

"It was okay. It would've been better if our stinky infant would stop crying all through the night." I giggled while Michael playfully gasped.

"Our stinky infant... how dare you cast such cruel words upon our angel baby!" He dramatically stepped back before giggling with me. James stared at Michael with wide eyes until a smile erupted on his face as well. I slipped on a robe and reached to grab my son.

"How's my little baby?" I cooed and lightly pinched his cheek. "I love you very much."

Flashback

Michael laid James back down in his crib before laying back down beside me. I huffed and pushed my face back into my pillow. Michaels arm reached over to wrap around my body.

Only moments later James began to rustle around again and beginning to whine and cry. Michael sat back up. "I'll get him." He whispered.

James' cries only got louder and louder the more Michael hushed him and rocked him. Michael hushed, James cried. Michael hushed again, James cried again. Michael hushed one last time, James wailed out into the night. Until I realized I began crying too.

"Penny?" Michael walked over to me with crying James in his arms. The tears rolled down my cheeks while I covered my face with my hands.

"I know it's overwhelming." Michael laid James on our bed and sat beside me. "I'm sorry." He tucked me into his body.

I felt like a horrible mother. I couldn't ever get him to stop crying that I had Michael do all the work. And the sound of James wailing all the time drove me insane. My precious baby that wouldnt stop crying. My heart would race and I would panic while the sound only got louder and louder.

I sobbed into his chest while his hands brushed up and down my back. "You're doing great."

"No I'm not!" I wailed.

He pushed me away and looked into my eyes. James was only whimpering now while he watched us speak to each other. "Dont say that." He scoffed. "It's hard to be a mom. But you are doing a great job."

"Good mother's dont cry like their babies." I sniffled.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say. Come on girl. You know that's not true." His arms pulled me back into his warm body. James squirmed around to try to get closer to me. "James, isn't your mommy doing a great job?" James squeaked which made me giggle. "Exactly."

One more tear ran down my face before Michael kissed it away. "Do you want me to scratch your back? Like how you used to, for me?" He hugged me closer.

"Can you just hold me?"

"Of course I can hold you."

I reached out to grab James to pull him beside me, my arms cuddled his small body while I turned on my side. I felt Michael press against me and hold me from behind, his arm laying atop mine to hold James as well.