“First, Pat and Alfred. Then, Alison and Morgan. Then Latoya and Janet, Brenda and Rachel, Shawntae and JD, Marlon and Joseph. Mother, you can go back with me.”

Jermaine raised an eyebrow. Sosodef and Bratatat can go back but not me?

“So we came all the way out here and we don’t get to see her?” Alejandra snapped.

Michael took a deep sigh. “Alejandra, kids can’t go back there.”

“Do I look like a kid to you Michael?” Jermaine bit.

Michael clenched his jaw. “I’m clearly talking about the fact that you guys brought your kids. Who would watch them if you two went back?”

Jermaine rolled his eyes.

Asshole.

“Remember that.” Jermaine muttered at Michael.

“What?” Michael said.

Silence.

“Oh okay, I thought so.” Michael continued.

As Michael left the room with Pat and Alfred, Jermaine sat in his chair plotting on a way to get back at him.

December 25th, 1997

Michael had been running back in forth between Mariah’s room and the waiting room all day. He hadn’t seen his daughters in hours and was becoming impatient.

He huffed.

“What’s wrong Michael?” Katherine asked, walking with him from Mariah’s room.

He frowned. “I miss them.”

She tensed up. “Well, if you wanna go see them, we can go.”

Michael stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow at his mother. “Uh-what?”

“If you miss them, we should go see them.” She suggested.

Michael nodded, eyebrow still raised. “O-okay.”

Michael turned around and walked back towards the Nursery area, his mother close behind.

When they finally made it to the Nursery, Michael stopped in front of the window, just staring in.

“Well aren’t you going to go in?” Katherine asked.

He nodded his head frantically. “I just-did you want to come in?”

Katherine took in a deep breath. “Do you want me to?”

“Well no one else has seen them besides Janet and Alison.” He explained.

“Well uh, okay?” Katherine responded.

Michael walked over to the Nurse and told her he was taking a guest in to see the girls. The nurse nodded and gave them both surgical gowns.

Katherine slipped into hers easily, Michael following suit.

They walked into the Nursery, this time it was filled with babies. Michael stopped to figure out the best path to his twins.

“Which ones are they?” Katherine asked.

“They’re over there by the wall.” Michael pointed.

He pumped some hand sanitizer and proceeded over to his girls. Katherine did the same.

When they finally made it over, both twins were wide awake, staring up in the air.

“Hey babies.” Michael said to them.

Katherine looked down at her granddaughters for the first time. She gasped.

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