Remember the Time

Chapter 74

Mariah wrapped and tied the bedsheet around her and walked up to her husband. She grabbed his hand. “Hey, look at me.”

He focused on her lips.

“You are the most beautiful man I’ve ever met.”

Okay...

“And everybody knows it.”

Ha!

Mariah slowly let go of his hand.

“I love you, okay? I- Just ten years ago I was sitting in a dingy living room watching a bootleg copy of Moonwalker. You were my first love, Michael-”

“You don’t have to lie to get your point across.” Michael muttered under his breath. He knew Mariah heard him but she didn’t retort.

Mariah shot her eyes down to the ground. “I’m sorry baby. You know I love all of you, though. Just because this happened doesn’t mean I don’t still love you just as much as I did when you literally knocked me off of my feet.”

Michael clenched his jaw. “I understand.”

“Okay baby? Because I would do anything for you, you know that.” Mariah said, leaning her head up against Michael’s.

“Mhm.” He quietly responded.

Mariah wrapped her arms around her husband, but he didn’t hug back.

November 13th, 1998

Michael picked up the phone and started on a number. The number felt vaguely familiar but hauntingly so. He immediately put the phone down.

What am I doing?

He stood up from his chair and took an introspective stroll around his library. He studied the books carefully, trying to distract himself.

But his thoughts taunted him. It was like he couldn’t look at anything in the room without seeing the chilling face of his own past. He found himself staring at a book in front of him: Aesop’s Fables.

He opened the custom leather bound book and read the words to himself, taking in the language of the prose. But his attention span wasn’t immune to inevitability.

[Flashback]

“I don’t really believe in that kind of stuff. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen to people like us.” June explained.

Michael smiled at her. “But it’s still a good point, right? I mean, in theory.”

June, stroking her hair behind her ear, gave a timid smile. “Yeah. In theory I guess. But I don’t think it’s possible that people like us can do what everybody else does. We can’t walk outside everyday and be thankful for the sun. How can you be thankful for something that forgets to shine on you?”

Michael twisted his lips to the side.

June continued on. “And, you know, we can’t experience it in the same way they can. I can’t tell who actually cares and who doesn’t. I can’t tell what men in my life actually want from me. And I only have my dad to blame for that. Just like you. You can’t appreciate a good relationship because your parents never showed you what that was like. You can’t accept your own beauty because your parents never showed you that acceptance.”

Michael slammed the book close. How could he be believe Mariah truly found him beautiful if his own father couldn’t?

November 14th, 1998

After performing on the Oprah Winfrey show, Whitney was happy to go back to her hotel room and relax with a good book and some tea. Mariah was coming back with her because she didn't want to stay at her condo alone. She told Whitney that she and Michael weren't really speaking to each other, but wouldn't elaborate further.