August 10th, 1997
Mariah walked into the kitchen where Theresa was starting on breakfast.
Pat was sitting at the island drinking her coffee. "Good morning."
Theresa looked at Mariah. "I made you a cup of coffee."
"Actually, I'm on this new diet and I can't have caffeine at all." Mariah said.
Theresa raised an eyebrow. "Does this mean you're gonna stop drinking too? Alcohol is the worst when it comes to gaining weight."
Mariah chuckled. "Yes, it does. Also, I'm trying to avoid fish as much as possible and I need all of the meat I have to be cooked thoroughly."
Pat looked up at Mariah, continuing to sip her coffee.
Theresa nodded. "Of course. Any other requests?"
"Yeah, I need everything to be pasteurized. No more fresh juices and same with cheeses--can you make sure they're from pasteurized milk?"
Pat smiled. "I remember being pregnant. You gave me the most trouble."
"What?" Mariah raised an eyebrow. She responded so fast she nearly choked on air.
Pat looked her directly in the eye. "Mariah I've known for a while now, I was just waiting for you to tell me. Michael's shirts aren't that loose on you."
Mariah looked down and noticed how her stomach was poking out. She put hand over her bump and smiled at her mother.
"I just found out a couple weeks ago." She said.
"Well how far are you?" Pat asked.
Mariah shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have my appointment until the eighteenth."
"Well I'm guessing three, four months." Pat replied, looking down at an Interior Design magazine.
Mariah looked out in thought. She was easily three months pregnant since she and Michael hadn't been intimate in a while.
But if I'm three months, that means I was drinking through the first month, at least.
A troubled expression grew on her face as she gripped her stomach in fear.
August 10th, 1997
Mariah had been waiting all day to call Michael and see how his concerts went. Their relationship was improving and the awkwardness pretty much went away. She figured he was finished with his show so she called his hotel room, however it was Bill that answered the phone.
"Bill? Where's Michael?" She asked.
Bill seemed to hesitate. "He's sleeping right now."
"Are those doctors there?" Mariah asked.
Michael told her that they were sleep specialists but she was still weary of trusting them with her husband, especially at his most vulnerable.
"Yeah they're watching over him."
"Bill, I need you to be my eyes. I don't trust those doctors with him at all. He needs to be in good shape to come home to us." She said.
"Us?"
"Yeah." Mariah hesitated before divulging her secret. "Me and the baby."
"You and the wha- Mariah you pregnant and he don't know?" Bill asked.
"Well, you know how he's been latel-"
"I don't care how he's been lately! You don't hide something like that from a man whose only dying wish is to have a child." Bill explained. "You know I have to tell him, right?"
"No, Bill don't! I have to make sure it's a sure thing this time. I don't want to hurt him."
Bill sighed. "I understand. I got you."
She sighed in relief. "Thanks Bill."
August 14th, 1997
The past few days were an odd combination of panic and glee for Mariah. She was excited to be pregnant again, this time choosing the most straight and narrow path possible, but she was also terrified at what could've gone wrong given her recent drinking. Feeling alone and confused, she decided to take on a small project to occupy her mind.
She made a trip down to Malibu and met up with Janet at a low-key organic foods restaurant.
"So I have this idea that I'm super excited about!" Mariah said.
"What is it?" Janet asked.
"I want to do a small birthday gathering for Michael."
Janet deadpanned. "We literally just planned one for Joseph, now you wanna hop back in and do one for Mike? I need to be getting paid for this."
Mariah chuckled. "I'm serious Jan!"
"I know you are and that's the sad part." Janet smiled. "How are you planning on doing this since he's on tour and all?"
"Well we can't have it on his birthday, of course. But we can do it a couple of weeks after like we did for Joseph's. He has a big break that starts on the thirty first."
"Do we all have to fly out to where he's at or...?" Janet asked.
"No, of course not." Mariah laughed. "I just want to do something special for my baby. He did this whole birthday thing for me and we've been making up lately. I just feel really good."
"I can tell. It's like you've got the sun beaming out of you." Janet explained, taking a sip of her water.
"Pregnancy does that to you."
Janet choked on her water dramatically. Mariah slapped her on her back. "Are you okay?"
Janet looked down at Mariah's stomach, wiping her mouth. "Mhm." Her eyes watered from coughing.
Janet put her napkin down and studied Mariah's body. She slowly inched her hands towards Mariah's stomach to tighten Mariah's shirt around the bump. She pulled back in shock, looking up at Mariah's face. She leaned into Mariah's face and grabbed her cheeks which nearly spread out into her palms. She gasped and snatched her hands down. Then, she turned to look towards Mariah's lunch. Mariah was having a water, a departure from her midday cocktail, and a salad filled with organic greens.
Janet's eyes widened at the plate.
She took in a deep breath and looked back up at Mariah before shoving a piece of steak into her mouth. Janet said, with wide eyes and a stuffed mouth, "You are a robber and you are a thief."
"But Jan that's the same-"
Janet interrupted, her eyes still wide and food still unchewed. "You came into my house, stole my cookies, and made out with my man."
Mariah started cracking up.
Janet continued. "The sun don't shine on whores like you."
Mariah nearly fell out laughing. "Girl you are so damn dramatic."
Janet chewed her food, slowly, eyeing Mariah hard. "So how long has your ass been pregnant?"
Mariah's grin fell to a shy smile. "I really have no clue."
Janet raised an eyebrow at her, still chewing. "What do you mean you have no clue? How long have you known?"
"A few weeks give or take." Mariah replied.
"Okay so how long have you been having symptoms? When was your last period?" Janet asked, hastily.
"I truly don't remember. I've been so stressed out lately that I can't keep track of anything that's not work related."
Janet swallowed her food and dropped her fork on the plate below, still staring at the other woman. "Mariah you have to go to the doctor then."
"I am. She has an opening next Monday so that's when I'll go." Mariah decided to keep her drinking a secret. She didn't need anyone worrying about her.
"Okay hold on, let me clear my schedule." Janet said.
"So you're just gonna invite yourself, huh?" Mariah asked, sarcastically.
"You got that right. If I don't go with you, who will?"
Mariah smiled and started on her salad again. She waited a little while for Janet to get off the phone with her assistant.
When Janet was finally off the phone she looked over at Mariah for a few seconds, watching her eat.
"What?"
Janet got down on the level with Mariah's stomach. She pointed at it and replied, "So you're the reason why Mariah's been so mean lately. Good to know."
Mariah laughed and rolled her eyes, taking a huge bite out of her salad.
August 14th, 1997
Mariah went to the LA condo after visiting Janet. She didn't feel like taking the long trip back up to Neverland and didn't need to anyway since her OBGYN's main office was in LA.
She laid down on the couch, exhausted from so much moving around. She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. Suddenly, a large pop in her stomach sent her jolting up.
"Shit!"
The pop multiplied into what felt like tiny bubbles forming inside her. Her mouth fell open. She had been experiencing little blips ever since she discovered she was pregnant but nothing this powerful.
What are you doing in there?
Soon the bubbles were all over her stomach at once. This was nothing like her experience with Prince, who stayed relatively localized during her short pregnancy.
God, you must be huge.
The bubbles abruptly stopped. She stood up and got her planner in an attempt to date her own pregnancy.
I can't even remember the last time we had sex but if it was on my birthday- Oh god I was drinking like everyday then.
She put down her planner and grabbed a glass of water. She needed something to calm her nerves.
Taking a deep breath, she plead out loud, "Lord please let my baby be healthy."
August 16th, 1997
Mariah was getting out of the shower when her phone started ringing. She debated not answering so she could get dressed, but changed her mind.
"Hello?"
"Guess who's in LA."
"Brenda, what you doing in LA girl?" Mariah asked.
"I got a couple meetings tomorrow. What you up to?"
"Just got out of the shower." Mariah said, eyeing herself in the mirror. "You wanna come over?"
"To Neverland?"
"No, the condo." Mariah said.
"Oh, yeah I can come over there."
"You have your swimsuit?"
Brenda huffed. "You always trying to get in some damn water."
"Do you have it or not Brenda?"
"Okay Ms. Feisty. Yeah I have it." Brenda replied.
"Alright then get your ass over here." Mariah replied, jokingly.
Brenda laughed. "Alright girl I'll see you in a few."
Mariah walked out of her bedroom in a tiny bright pink string bikini that was riding up into every crease, a sheer long-length floral print cardigan, and five inch stiletto sandals.
She looked like a supermodel.
"I'm ready."
Brenda turned around, already in her one-piece bathing suit and looked Mariah up and down. "Okay girl! I see you!"
Mariah playfully struck multiple poses, each one accentuating a different body part.
"Now girl hold on let me help you out real quick."
Brenda ran over to Mariah and slid open her cardigan, revealing a pronounced bump with a barely-there line leading down it.
A sneaky grin washed over Mariah's face.
"How did I not see this? Girl you're pregnant?" Brenda asked.
Mariah nodded her head eagerly.
"Oh my god! I'm so happy for you!" Brenda exclaimed. "How does Mike feel?"
Mariah went silent. She wasn't ready to tell Michael and she wasn't sure when she would be.
"I-I haven't told him yet." Mariah replied, casting her eyes across the room.
Brenda looked on, skeptically. "What? Why?"
"I can't disappoint him again." Mariah shook her head. "It'd kill him."
"But Mariah-"
"I'll tell him when the time's right, okay?" Mariah shot back, more harsh than she intended. The subject made her feel tense and anxious.
"Okay..." Brenda responded.
"Can we go to the pool now? I need to eat soon so I wanna do this while I can." Mariah rushed, a nervous grin washing over her face.
Brenda opened her mouth then closed it. She looked to be in thought for a second. "Yeah--sure."
August 18th, 1997
Mariah was in the backseat of the car with Janet and Brenda on her way to her OBGYN's office. When they pulled up to the complex, Wayne looked back at her, curiously.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing. Y'all just been talking in secret all this time." He explained.
She smirked at him. "Maybe it's because we have a secret."
"Go ahead, what is it?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." She said.
"Well y'all aren't that quiet. And we been going to run some pretty weird errands. You might as well just say it so I can plan for it." Wayne responded.
She grinned widely. "You're basically a great uncle now."
"A great uncle? Mariah, please, I'm not that old." Wayne laughed. "Congratulations." He looked down at her stomach. "And hello to you, secret baby."
Mariah rolled her eyes and laughed. "Leave him or her alone."
And with that, Wayne got out of the car and walked around to the passenger's side letting Janet, then Mariah, then Brenda out. He shut the door and walked behind the three ladies into the medical complex.
"Hi I'm here to see Dr. Powell." Mariah said to the head nurse.
The nurse looked down at the name Mariah was signing on the sign-in sheet. "Of course. Dr. Powell asked that I escort you straight in so if you would please enter through the double doors."
Mariah grabbed Janet and Brenda's arms and they walked through the doors. The trio followed the nurse back to a private exam room where Dr. Powell was waiting.
"Mariah! How are you?"
"Hi Dr. Powell. I'm just trying to take it easy." Mariah answered.
"Good! And you two?"
Before they could answer, Mariah interrupted. "They're good."
Janet mumbled under her breath. "All I know is that this baby better be good."
Mariah looked over to Janet and rolled her eyes.
Dr. Powell quickly went through all of Mariah's vital signs and preliminary questions. Soon, it was time for Mariah's first ultrasound.
Mariah laid down on her back and Dr. Powell squeezed clear gel on her lower abdomen. Janet and Brenda sat on her right side, looking at the screen opposite them.
"Alright Mariah here you-Wow!"
Janet involuntarily jerked forward, raising her eyebrows in exasperation.
"What is it?" Mariah asked, worried.
"You are much farther along than I expected. I can clearly see defined limbs and organs. And- Oh!" Dr. Powell paused, looking closer at the screen. She pushed the monitor towards the left side of Mariah's abdomen.
"What, can you tell us, what!" Brenda shouted. She, Janet, and Mariah were all sweating in fear. "Okay so do you see this right here?" Dr. Powell pointed at a large moving round object the screen.
"Yes." Mariah replied.
"Okay so that's Baby A."
Baby A?
Dr. Powell moved her finger on to another side of the screen. "And do you see this one here?"
"Yes." Mariah responded, fearful of what would come next.
"That's Baby B."
"She's having twins?" Janet asked incredulously.
Dr. Powell nodded her head and responded, "Identical."
Mariah's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god."
Happy Birthday to the GOAT, and the Dictator of Pop...yes I said Dictator and not King. Michael walked into the industry and said I am the prototype, the standard, the inspiration, and the way. And we let him. He sang, danced, wrote, produced, and charmed his way into our lives. This year would've been his 58th birthday and we honor him. Happy birthday Michael, we love you!