Off Script

Daddy Michael?(MBJ POV)

The second her name popped up on FaceTime, I didn't even think — just answered.
One ring. That's all it took.

"Hey, you home?" I asked, leaning forward a little, hoodie pulled over my head.

She was sitting on the edge of her bed, hair falling over one shoulder.
"Yeah," she said, pulling something into her lap. "I, uh... listened to you."

My brows pulled together. "Listened to me about what?"

Then she reached into the bag and held up a little pink-and-white box. My chest tightened instantly.

"You serious?" I asked, my voice dropping.

She shrugged, but there was that flicker of nerves in her eyes. "Unless you want me to wait another week wondering."

That made me smile — slow but steady. "Nah... do it now. I'm right here."

She got up and carried the phone into the bathroom, setting me against the mirror. I watched her hands — they weren't exactly steady — and it made me wish I could just be there, take the damn box out of her hands, and tell her it was okay.

"Breathe, Mina," I told her. "Don't rush. I'm not going anywhere."

The sound of the wrapper tearing filled the bathroom. She did what she had to do, then set the test face down on the counter.

"How long?" I asked.

"Two minutes." Her voice was thin, almost like she didn't trust it to hold.

I chuckled under my breath. "Longest two minutes in history."

She leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "You nervous?"

"A little," I admitted, my eyes locked on hers. "But not about the result. I just... I don't like that you're there by yourself."

She swallowed hard. "I'm not by myself."

That got me. My chest pulled tight. "You're right."

We just looked at each other for a while after that — no small talk, no filler. Just waiting.

The timer buzzed on her phone.

Her hand hovered over the test. "Michael..."

"Flip it, baby," I said, softer than I meant.

She turned it over.

Two lines.

It was like the air shifted. She stared at it first, frozen, then looked at me. Her eyes said it before her mouth did.

"Yeah?" I asked quietly.

Her voice cracked. "Yeah."

I let out a slow breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, rubbing a hand over my jaw, and then I smiled — couldn't help it. "Baby..."

Her eyes filled fast, and my own vision blurred just a little.

"What do we even do now?" she asked.

"We take it one day at a time," I told her. "We figure it out together. I've got you. Always."

She bit her lip, laughing through the tears. "Guess London gave us more than memories."

I smirked, even with my throat tight. "Guess so. And for the record... I'm not mad about it."

We stayed on for a while after that — not even saying much, just holding onto the moment.

****

When the call ended, I sat there staring at the ceiling for a good minute, phone still warm in my hand. I couldn't just let this sit. Not in me. Not when every part of me was screaming to do something.