Wednesday, July 8, 1970
Madeline
As Grammie chatted with a helpful retail worker, I silently stood by her side as I looked around our surroundings. We were currently at Woolworth's, her most favorite department store, because she was searching for new bath towels. I had zoned out in the middle of their conversation, as the subject of towels wasn't super interesting to me, but I was interested in our area of the store.
While Grammie inquired about certain towels' softness, the music section had snatched my attention. I glanced up to her—who wore a green shin-length dress—as she remained chatting. It was obvious that she was going to take a couple more minutes to sort out her questions. Thus, I wandered across the aisle to the music section. Upon arriving, I saw multiple instruments—from guitars and trumpets to ukuleles and flutes—that were hanging on a wall behind a hollow, glass check-out counter. Boxed turntables were stacked upon shelves as well. I was rapidly attracted to the records, however. Two-tiered, double-sided shelves that held various albums sat in the center of the music section, and I was quick to skip over to them.
Taking slow steps along one wooden shelf, I scanned each album cover that my eyes spotted: In the Groove by Marvin Gaye, Let It Be by the Beatles, Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel, Ladies of the Canyon by Joni Mitchell, Diana Ross by Diana Ross, Sweet Baby James by James Taylor, Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin, Cloud Nine by The Temptations, and much more. Continuing to stroll as I browsed, I hummed along to a familiar song that was coming from the overhead speaker in the ceiling.
"Weee can change things, if we start giving. Why don't you..." Diana Ross sang. "Reach out and touch somebody's hand. Make this world a better place, if you can..."
After viewing the records on one side of the shelf, I strolled around to the other side to view the others. I absorbed the artwork of each eccentric album cover as I continued humming along to Diana Ross. When I was nearing the end of the shelf, however, my eyes landed on a mostly-blue album that had totally stolen my attention because of its vibrancy. Colorful life-size cutouts of the first three letters of the alphabet—ABC—were on the center of the album cover, and I assumed that this was related to a popular song that was called, "ABC." A group of kids stood around the "A," "B," and "C" cutouts. I smiled as I took a closer look at them.
Within moments, however, my smile vanished as my heart soared out of my chest. I gasped. I know them! I thought. A strong sense of realization then swarmed my body at once, providing me with answers to why I had believed that the neighbors who had just moved in yesterday had been familiar to me: They had been familiar to me because I had seen them before, as I had suspected. But I hadn't seen them at the park, movie theater, or store.
I had seen them on television, in magazines, and on album covers.
Freezing, I stared at the record with an agape mouth and raised brows. As I stood in the music section of Woolworth's, I was gawking at Michael—my friend that I had just met yesterday—as he was positioned between the "A" and the "B" on the album cover. With him were his brothers, who I had also met yesterday. I realized that all of them made up the Jackson 5, a popular singing group that had great hits such as "ABC" and "I Want You Back." Until that moment, though I had seen glimpses of them in the past, I obviously hadn't been able to recognize them off the bat. But I had evidently seen enough of them to have thought of them as familiar yesterday.
Snapping from my trace, I then picked the album up from the shelf. When I turned the record around, my eyes were introduced with numerous photos of the group. To confirm my discovery, at the very bottom of the album were individual pictures of each brother, which were labeled with their names. Written above the picture of the boy that I had met yesterday was: MICHAEL.
I smiled. This is crazy!
As I studied the other photos on the album—one of which was containing Mrs. Katherine, their mother—all was beginning to make sense. Yesterday, when I had just come across Michael, he had stared at me in silence, confusing me a lot. But I was now realizing that he had been waiting for me to react upon seeing him because he had believed that I was a fan of his. I never did react, however, which was the obvious reason for why he, his mother, and Bill had been smiling secretively.
Yesterday, when Michael realized that I didn't know who he was, he was immersed with happiness. I was now comprehending that because he was surrounded by chaotic screaming fans all the time, he had most likely appreciated being treated like a normal kid by me. I thought about his twinkling dark brown gaze and his heartwarming smile, and I got an urge to bring him more of that happiness. Though I hadn't known him for long, I liked to see him that way.
I wasn't going to treat him or his family any differently. Rather, I decided that I was going to make him believe that I didn't know who he was. That way, he wouldn't have to stress.
It didn't matter that they were the Jackson 5 family. All that mattered to me was that, after suffering from loneliness for a long time, I had a friend at last. I was unable to communicate just how thankful I was for meeting him. I couldn't wait to see him again later.
While I continued staring at the back of ABC, a recognizable voice entered my ears. "Madeline!" Grammie called, and I looked toward her. She stood in the wide aisle that separated the bath section from the music section. "Come on," she said, holding a set of towels. "Let's go, Darling."
I nodded, and after glancing at the Jackson 5 brothers one last time, I smiled as I set the album back onto the shelf. I then skipped back to Grammie, and I took her hand—quite content that she had received what she was looking for because that meant that we would be going back home soon. I had been aching to reunite with Michael since the moment I had woken up this morning.
Grammie glanced at me as we strolled along the aisle. "What're you smiling about, hm?" she asked me.
I met her hazel eyes, which only caused my smile to blossom. I giggled. "I just can't wait to see Michael," I told her.
She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "We'll be home soon, dear," she replied.
A strong sense of eagerness burst within me, and I nodded. "I can't wait," I repeated with a softer voice.
* * *
Michael
As I laid on my bed, I stared up at the ceiling with my hands behind my head. I couldn't stop thinking about yesterday—notably because I had met a girl who I had been captivated by from the very moment my eyes landed on her.
Madeline was her name. When I had first seen her speaking with Bill on the street, I had thought that she was a fan of me and my brothers and that she had been wanting to meet us. When she had seen me for the first time, however, she didn't react as I anticipated her to. As a matter of fact, she did not react to seeing me at all; she even asked for my name!
That meant that she didn't know who I was.
Because not a lot of people treated me like a normal person, her not knowing who I was meant the whole world to me. I also didn't have many friends that weren't my brothers or sisters. Though our time together had been short, I had discovered that we had much in common—which included a great love for climbing trees. I was quite enticed by her because of all of this, and I hoped that she would become the friend that I had been longing for since forever.
I endured an agonizing sense of loneliness because of the Jackson 5's constant work. But every time I thought of her contagious vivid smile and her sparkling hazel gaze, I was sure that she would obliterate every ounce of loneliness I bore. I suspected that she would bring me much happiness.
I couldn't wait to see her again, which would happen sometime soon. With her, I couldn't wait to delve into the wondrous adventures that I had been longing to partake in for a long time. After learning that we loved much of the same things—including roller skating, pranking others, and climbing trees—becoming great friends seemed inescapable to me. I had never had a companion to undertake those magical endeavors with, but now I did. Words would never bring justice to just how thankful I was to have met her.
Within some minutes, a knock sounded from the front doors downstairs, and my heart immediately soared within my chest. I was quick to pop up and jump from my bed, and I zoomed out of the bedroom, which was crammed with moving boxes. When I entered the hallway, I picked up my white sneakers and I slipped them onto my feet. Then, I sprinted down the hall until I reached the top of the curving staircase.
From the top, I watched as my mother entered the foyer from the connecting room to go answer the door. Knowing that Madeline was on the other side of the double doors, I beamed as more eagerness sparked within me. I then began bolting down the stairs. I stepped onto the marble floor just as Mother was beginning to open one of the doors, and I rushed toward her. As she pulled the door open, I bumped her side a bit—nearly running her over—to meet Madeline. When my friend was revealed, my heart jumped out of glee. "Madeline!" I called.
She matched my smile while her eyes twinkled. "Michael!" she called. Then, she looked up at my mother, who stood beside me. "Hi, Mrs. Katherine!"
Mother chuckled in a gentle manner. "Hello, Madeline," she warmly said. "Come on in where it's cooler." She took hold of my shoulder to move me back since I was blocking Madeline's way in. "Michael, move."
I blushed, causing Madeline to giggle. When I was out of the way, she stepped inside and Mother shut the door. Both Madeline and I then looked up at my mother out of anticipation. Chuckling, she then told us, "Go on. But don't make a mess!"
Smiling, I looked at Madeline. "C'mon, let's go out back," I told her.
"Okay," she beamed as I took her hand, and we both traveled to the back of the house—passing a multitude of moving boxes—to go to the backyard. When we had pushed through the white transparent back doors, we were soon running across the back's brick patio underneath the warm sunshine.
I turned to look at Madeline, who wore a flowery white and purple shirt, black shorts, and black Converse shoes. I wore a blue shirt and black shorts with my white sneakers. When we reached the grass area, we slowed our running and she met my eyes. "You, um, wanna play somethin'?" I asked her.
As she smiled, she nodded. "Sure!" she said. "How 'bout tag?"
I stood up straighter as my eyes lit up. "Gee, I'm the best at that game," I boasted. "I'm the fastest one in my family."
She smirked, which enticed me further. "We'll just have to see about that," she then said.
"Yeah," I responded, grinning.
Then, she raised her hand before tapping her palm against my arm. "Tag!" she shouted, and I watched her as she sprinted away from me on the green grass. I remained smiling from ear to ear as happiness burst within me.
I let out a silent sigh of pure bliss, and I started running after her. When she saw that I was chasing her, she erupted in a sea of giggles while beginning to bolt the other way. I giggled in return as happiness drove every step I took, and just as my fingertips grazed the back of her shirt, I thought, Boy, this is great.
* * *
After spending some time chasing each other on the spacious grass area, I decided to take Madeline back into the house to show her my animals. When we hurried upstairs to the bedroom that I shared with my brother Marlon, I was proud to introduce her to my many rats and my snake, Rosie the Crusher. Madeline was intrigued to meet them. We then set the rats free onto the bedroom floor, and our laughter permeated the air while we attempted to keep track of them all. Eventually, Janet—my four year old baby sister—wandered into the room, and she was delighted to see the rats. Because we loved making her laugh, Madeline then had the toddler help her stack rat after rat onto my shoulders. Seeing the numerous rats crawling all over me had us howling so hard that we were unable to keep still, as I looked very silly.
In the midst of this, La Toya—my fourteen year old sister—stopped in the doorway while walking by. But the moment that she spotted the various rats scattering around us, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Madeline stared at her in amusement while I laughed at her, and within not long she dashed from the doorway to escape the bedroom. Madeline, Janet, and I just burst out laughing all over again.
Later on, after putting the rats back into their cages, Janet went off to Mother and Madeline and I went back downstairs to get drinks from the kitchen. Upon arriving into the kitchen, I grabbed a pitcher of water from the refrigerator while I told Madeline where the unboxed glasses were. I then poured us two glasses of refreshing water for us, which we were both relieved to drink.
"Mike," a voice then called, breaking the silence. I lowered my drink to turn around, and I spotted Jermaine—my older brother—as he stood on the other side of the pink kitchen island. Yesterday, he had also believed that Madeline was a fan of us, but he had almost revealed who we were to her.
"Yeah?" I asked him.
"Pour me a glass of water, huh?" he said as he sat on a barstool. "I can't have a parched mouth 'fore I see Hazel."
I rolled my eyes as I turned around, and Madeline turned as well. When our eyes met, we both smiled as some giggles escaped from our lips. "C'mon, now, I'm parched, Mike," Jermaine rushed. "I ain't got all afternoon."
"Alright, I'm comin'..." I replied, a hint of irritation in my voice. Madeline slid me another glass, and I picked up the pitcher before beginning to pour the water into the cup. When I set the pitcher back onto the counter, however, Madeline was quick to touch my arm once. I looked at her, and I noticed that she wore a mischievous smile while her hazel gaze shone with eagerness. I was enticed, and she directed her shimmery eyes to a container of artificial lemon juice that was sitting before us on the counter. Understanding her proposition, I smiled.
We both slyly turned our heads to glance at Jermaine. Seeing that he was preoccupied with a car magazine, we looked ahead of ourselves again. With our backs to him, I then snatched the lemon container, and after popping the top open, I squirted a large amount of sour lemon juice into his water. After setting the container back onto the counter, I picked up the glass and swirled the water around a bit to help the sour substance dissolve. I shot Madeline a smile, which she returned, and we turned around to meet Jermaine.
I walked over to the kitchen island where he sat, and I set the glass in front of him. "Here, Erms," I told him. I then returned to Madeline's side, who watched out of anticipation.
Jermaine picked up the water, and my heart pounded. "You know, Hazel's got the hots for me man," he smirked as the glass traveled up to his mouth. "Why wouldn't she, though?" I wasn't listening to him, however.
After chuckling to himself, the glass of water met his lips at last. I held my breath as Madeline and I watched him attentively. When the liquid went inside of his mouth, Jermaine made the funniest face I had ever seen: He immediately squeezed his eyes shut while furrowing his brows and puckering his lips. Then, wasting no time, he spit the sour substance out—spritzing the liquid all around him.
Madeline and I burst into such an energetic fit of laughter after seeing this hilarious reaction that my tummy started to hurt. I couldn't stand still, and neither could she, and we had to lean on each other for support. We had no control over our giggles at all, and tears had begun to blur my vision. I hadn't laughed this hard in a long time, and I was loving every second of this moment. I had my new friend to thank for that.
I was able to glance at her while we were giggling, but I had trouble tearing away from her. I was sure that her contagious smile was the absolute brightest I had ever seen, and I was sure that her shimmering golden gaze was the merriest I had ever seen. She shone with an unbelievable vibrance. She reminded me of the sun.
Jermaine looked at us—his face wet from his spritzing—and anger darkened his gaze. "Michael!" he shouted, which was quick to snap me from my trance on Madeline.
I then took hold of her hand, and while pulling her with me, I began running out of the kitchen. "We gotta go!" I said, and we giggled with each step we took.
We dashed through the dining room and the living room before reentering the foyer. Before we could run upstairs to seek refuge in my bedroom, however, Mother—who had just reached the bottom of the staircase—stopped us. "You aren't getting into trouble, now, are you?" she asked, setting her hands on her hips.
Madeline and I halted at the bottom step, and we looked up to her with grins. Madeline then looked at her shoes to avoid her question, and I remained giggling. "Well, Mother... We just helped Erms freshen up for his date with Hazel, that's all," I beamed.
Mother narrowed her brows out of amusement upon seeing our behavior, shaking her head. "Somehow, I don't want to know," she replied. "Well, I'm about to start dinner." Her smile blossomed as she directed her gaze to Madeline. "Why don't you and your mom and dad come for dinner, dear? I'd love to meet them."
I smiled out of eagerness as I looked at her. "Gee, thanks, Mrs. Katherine," she replied. "I just live with my dad, but my grandma is at our house a lot. Can she also come?"
"Oh, of course, honey," Mother warmly said.
"Thanks!" Madeline returned.
"You're very welcome," Mother said. "You go tell them about dinner, now, because Michael..." she resumed, switching her gaze to me. "I thought I told you to unbox your stuff before Madeline got here? I was just up there and no progress has been made since yesterday." I couldn't help but blush as Madeline giggled at me. "Come back around six-thirty, honey," Mother then smiled at Madeline.
"Okay," she smiled at her, and she looked at me. "See you later, Mike."
Happiness swarmed me upon hearing her call me that nickname. It was common, but "Mike" somehow sounded more special coming from her. "O-Okay," I said, my voice softer. "See you."
After she bid farewell to my mother as well, Madeline departed the house through the front double doors. I was sad to see her go, but I was ecstatic that she would be joining us for dinner. When Mother sent me back upstairs to unbox more of my stuff, I didn't mind the chore because Madeline remained on my mind the whole time. I was counting the seconds until her return.
Madeline
Happiness swirled within me as I ran back home from the Jacksons' house. After passing and bidding hello to Bill—who I now assumed was security for the famous family—outside of their black gates, I reached my house. I was delighted to see that my dad was home from work because his black car was parked on the driveway. This meant that he could come to dinner at the Jacksons' with me, and I sped up to tell him all about my time with them.
As I ran, I witnessed some vivid orange butterflies flutter through the warm summer air, whose colors were accentuated by way of the sunbeams that shone upon them. A soothing evening breeze traveled through the air, which I embraced. I hopped onto the porch as I arrived, and I soon pushed through the tan front door. I was quick to hear voices come from the living room—to the left of the small but comfortable entryway—and after shutting the door, I hurried to them.
I came face to face with both Dad and Grammie, and I resumed grinning. "Daddy!" I shouted, running to him. He wore a simple black suit with a white undershirt, and his brown hair was as always trimmed neatly. I jumped into his arms, causing him to chuckle, and I rested my head onto his shoulder.
"Hi, Pumpkin," he spoke as he held me close, and he planted a kiss on my temple.
"Hi," I returned, and I raised my head to look into his hazel eyes, which were almost identical to mine. "You're home early! Again!"
"Sure am," he smiled, and he then lowered me back to the floor. I beamed as I looked up to him. "How was your day today?" he asked me.
I spun around as my eyes lit up. "Oh, I had the best day today, Daddy," I told him. "Just the best ever."
"Best ever, huh?" he repeated, chuckling. I nodded. "Okay, I want to hear all about this 'best day ever,' Pumpkin."
"As do I," Grammie chimed in as she sat on one of the couch chairs.
I looked between both of them as I remained beaming. "I was with Michael, who I told you about yesterday. Remember?" I said.
"Oh, of course I do!" Dad returned. "One of our newest neighbors."
I nodded. "I was at his house, a-and we just had the best time," I resumed. "We did tons of fun stuff like hide-and-seek and tag and pranks, a-and he even showed me his pets. Rats and a snake! Gee, that was real neat."
"It sounds like you've made a great new friend, dear," Grammie smiled.
"Yeah," I said, my voice softer. "I did." I couldn't stop smiling.
"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you, Madeline," Dad said. "I know you've been needing this new companion."
I nodded. "I had the best time with him." Happiness continued to burst within me as I thought about Mike. Suddenly, I remembered Mrs. Katherine's invite. I gasped, which took their attention. "Guess what?" I asked them.
"What?" they both asked.
"Mrs. Katherine invited all of us to dinner at their house at six-thirty," I said. "Can we all go? Please?"
"I don't see why not," Dad smiled. "I'd love to meet them."
I grinned, and I looked at Grammie. "You can also come, right, Grammie?" I asked.
"Of course!" she replied. "I'd also love to meet them."
I smiled for the umpteenth time this evening. "I promise, you'll love them," I said. "Jermaine is a little arrogant but the rest of the family is just the best—especially Mike and Mrs. Katherine."
Dad chuckled. "Why don't you run to the store with me so we can pick out a nice housewarming gift for them, then?" he suggested.
"Okay!" I nodded.
After telling Grammie that we'd be back in a bit, Dad and I then were off to pick up a gift for the Jacksons.
* * *
I ran up the brick path that led to the entrance of the Jacksons' home as my dad and Grammie—who I had just introduced to Bill at the gates—trailed behind me. When I reached the front double doors, I raised my knuckles to knock on the wooden surface. I had trouble keeping still, as I was overcome with sheer eagerness to reunite with Mike. Dad stepped behind me with Grammie, and I looked up to him as he held our housewarming gift for the Jacksons: a beautiful ceramic vase that was adorned with vibrant floral patterns. Grammie had tied a navy blue bow around the vase as well. I couldn't wait to give this to Mrs. Katherine.
When the door opened, I smiled. "Hi, Mrs. Katherine!" I was quick to greet.
"Hi, Madeline," she smiled, and her gaze landed on Dad and Grammie. "Hello," she then said. "You must be Madeline's father and grandmother."
"Yes," Dad replied, smiling. "I'm James Winters," he continued before turning to Grammie, "and this is my mother, Elsie."
Mrs. Katherine shook both of their hands. "I'm Katherine Jackson," she spoke. "I'm glad to meet you both."
"Oh, likewise!" Grammie replied. "We've heard such wonderful things from Madeline."
Mrs. Katherine smiled. "Well, you have one sweet girl on your hands yourself," she returned, and I blushed while Dad set a hand on my shoulder. Then, she gestured her hands into the house. "Come on in!" she resumed.
When we all stepped into the house, Mrs. Katherine shut the door. "You have such a lovely home," Grammie commented.
"Well, thank you very much," Mrs. Katherine said, blushing in a faint manner. "Please forgive the mess, though, because we're still in the process of unboxing around here."
"Oh, no need for apologies, dear. I understand," Grammie waved off.
Dad made a glance at the vase that he held. "We brought a little housewarming gift for you, Mrs. Jackson, to welcome you to the neighborhood," he said. "We—especially my Pumpkin, here—are very happy that you've joined us."
Delight swarmed Mrs. Katherine's beautiful face as she looked at the vase that Dad continued to hold. "How gorgeous! Thank you!" she sincerely thanked. I smiled as warmth swarmed me. "Please, call me Katherine, too," she added.
"Sure, Katherine," he returned, nodding once. "I hope she hasn't been causing much trouble around here."
"Oh, not at all!" she beamed. "We've been receiving such a warm welcome from her. You have a wonderful little girl, Mr. Winters."
"James," he smiled, correcting her, and he looked down at me. "Gosh, am I glad to hear that." I blushed as I affectionately leaned into his torso. "Thank you very much, Katherine," he resumed.
"Of course," she nodded. "Let me, um, set that vase somewhere for you and then we can head to the dining room. Come this way."
We trailed her into the living room, where Dad set our gift to her. Then, she took us into the connecting dining room. Eagerness was sparking within my tummy, as I yearned to reunite with Mike—even if we had only been apart for about an hour. Entering the room, I smiled upon seeing all of the Jackson kids who were chatting and sitting around the table. "Madeline!" a voice then shouted, and when I turned my head, my eyes landed on Mike. He sat near the middle of the table, and he had saved a vacant seat beside him. He then stood up and waved me to him. I beamed, but just as I took a step to go to him, Dad grabbed the back of my shirt to hold me back.
I looked up to him curiously, and he bent over to position his mouth above my ear. "Madeline... Is this the Jackson 5 family?" he asked me, having recognized them.
I giggled since my dad had recognized them faster than I had been able to. "Yeah, Dad," I replied.
"Ah..." he smiled, standing up straight again. "Just making sure."
I nodded, and I then hurried to Mike. After greeting him and his siblings, I sat in the seat that he had saved for me. Within not long, Dad and Grammie had helped Mrs. Katherine bring our dinner from the kitchen, and us kids were instructed to settle. Mrs. Katherine then introduced Dad and Grammie to everybody, earning them warm welcomes. When grace was said by Mrs. Katherine, we all began to eat at last while a new conversation blossomed in the air.
"So, James," Mrs. Katherine began. "What do you do for a living?"
"I'm an attorney," he answered, looking at her while holding his silver utensils with his hands.
Her brows raised out of interest. "Oh, which kind?" she asked.
"A civil rights attorney," he said. "I work over at the Pacific Law Firm downtown. I do work with the ACLU as well."
"Wow, that's wonderful," she returned, smiling. "How important." She switched her gaze to Grammie. "You must be very proud of your son, Elsie."
Grammie smiled. "Oh, of course," she said. "He's been the hardest worker for as long as I can remember." A soft chuckle escaped from her lips. "And Madeline has certainly inherited much of that work ethic. When she puts her mind to something, she's bound to conquer—just like her dad."
I blushed as I stabbed a cooked carrot with my fork. As the conversation continued, I then studied the table: Dad, Grammie, and Mrs. Katherine sat across from me while I sat between Marlon and Michael. Jackie, Tito, and Randy sat in the seats between Dad and Marlon, and Janet, La Toya, and Jermaine sat between Mrs. Katherine and Michael.
I soon realized that the kids' father, Mrs. Katherine's husband, wasn't present. As I wondered about him, I then realized that I actually hadn't seen him at all since I had met the Jacksons. I wondered why he wasn't there.
After snapping from those wondrous thoughts, I tuned back into the conversation. "Yes, we were living in West Hollywood for about a year, but before that, we lived in Gary, Indiana," Mrs. Katherine said.
"Oh, wow, what made you decide to make the move all the way out here?" Grammie asked. It was obvious that she didn't realize their fame. I met Dad's gaze from across the table, and he shot me a very small smile. I looked away from him to prevent myself from smiling in return, as I didn't want to indicate that I knew Mike's secret. When I glanced at him beside me, I noticed that he appeared a bit uncomfortable. I understood that he most likely was nervous that his secret would be revealed to me, as he didn't want me to treat him any differently. I only wanted him to be at ease and with happiness, so I was quick to alter the conversation.
"I bet the weather made you move out here, huh?" I asked as I met her gaze. "I heard that's a big reason for why people move to California."
Mrs. Katherine glanced at Mike. Though I wasn't looking at him, I imagined that he was begging her to keep their fame a secret with his dark brown eyes. His mother then returned to my eyes. "Yes, of course, the weather had a big impact on our move. I don't know how much longer I could've handled Indiana's harsh winters," she chuckled. "Fortunately, my husband Joseph was able to attain some better opportunities for us out here."
I watched the tension leave Mike's body, which only gave me glee. However, interest had sparked within me because, when I had first come across Mike yesterday, I recalled him telling Bill something about what a "Joseph" had said. I now understood that that was his dad. I remained wondering where he was, and why Mike called his dad by his first name, but I concentrated on my friend instead. When I noticed that he wore a small relieved smile, I smiled in return.
"Wonderful," Dad sincerely commented. He had also obviously understood that their fame was a secretive subject. "You sure won't need to worry about the weather anymore, luckily," he said, chuckling. He paused for a moment. "Your husband, Joseph, wasn't able to make dinner tonight?"
Mrs. Katherine. "Yes, he sends his apologies. Since he's the businessman of the family, he had some things to take care of," she said, being vague. "He won't be home until later, but you're always welcome to stop by to meet him."
"Hah," I heard Mike huff to himself. I seemed to have been the only one to have heard him, and when I looked at him, I discovered that uneasiness was plastered to his face—most likely because his dad had been mentioned in the conversation. I became far more curious, but also concerned. Considering our current setting, however, I decided that I would ask him if he was okay later on.
Dad mentioned my name within moments, pulling me back to the conversation. I managed to pull Mike into the conversation also to get his mind off of that which was bothering him. Luckily, I succeeded in bringing a smile back to his face, which—of course—made me smile as well.
* * *
hi there! long time no talk :) obviously i'm back with the 2nd rewritten chapter of Forever 3.0 🤣i'm officially done with college (i graduated, wooo) so i now have so much more free time. i hope you all enjoyed the chapter and i probably will be out with another one soon (because it really doesn't take me long to rewrite these). see you all then, and thank you so so so much for being so incredibly patient with me. it truly means the world. so much love!! ps - i've been working tons on my newest story Amisi of Alandria. i should have that out soon!! :)