I slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. The door opened and I quietly walked inside with my lawyer John behind me. Christian had fallen asleep on the পালঙ্ক in the room and I knelt down in front of him. I whispered "hi Christian" in his ear and he barely opened his eyes. He rubbed his eyes because I don't think he believed it was me. I ব্যক্ত "hi Christian" again as he sat up on the পালঙ্ক and reached for me to grab him. I picked him up into my arms and hugged him as tight as I possibly could. I ব্যক্ত "I missed আপনি so much!!!" He just looked at me and asked in broken English "you come for me Mike; আপনি come for me?" I started to get choked up as I ব্যক্ত "yes buddy; I came back for you!"

I walked out of the room carrying Christian in my arms and could see that Melissa was arguing with the judge. Christian started crying and ব্যক্ত "mean mommy; mean mommy!" I hugged him tighter and ব্যক্ত "don't worry; you're not going with her!" Melissa shouted "I can't believe you're going to let my son be raised দ্বারা Michael Jackson!" She shouted swear words at me as we walked out the door and I couldn't believe that she would use that kind of language around a 2 1/2-year-old!

John had to run back inside the courthouse to get Christian's file with his birth certificate; so I quickly snuck back to the hotel just across the street. We barely made it inside the door before an ambush of অনুরাগী pressed up against the front entrance. I shouted "security" and thankfully a few of them were standing right there. While they held the doors shut, I ran upstairs to my hotel room and locked the door behind me.

I sat down on the edge of the বিছানা with Christian on my lap and that was the first time I really realized how awful he looked. He was absolutely filthy and was wearing clothes that were at least three sizes too small for him! My হৃদয় was aching for Christian so much and I felt horrible for giving him back to his mother. I know I couldn't have kept him then but I still regret letting any of this happen to him.

Christian looked at me and ব্যক্ত "mean mommy!" He started to cry and I ব্যক্ত "it's okay; আপনি NEVER have to go back there again!" Someone knocked on the hotel room door and I answered it. My lawyer John walked inside and passed me a folder. I opened the folder and it was all of Christian's documents. I put the folder down on the টেবিল and John ব্যক্ত "if আপনি don't need me I'm going to catch the flight back to LA! It leaves in 15 minutes! Are আপনি going to come with me?" I ব্যক্ত "no; Christian and I will just catch the flight at 9 AM tomorrow. Thank আপনি for all your help John!" He ব্যক্ত "you're welcome Michael; I'm glad I could help!"

I shut the door behind him and picked up the phone to order some food. Once the খাবার got there, I brought it to the টেবিল and Christian sat on my lap. Before I could even take the plastic lid off of the chicken fingers and French fries I had ordered him, Christian was trying to grab it. I quickly pulled the lid off and I couldn't believe how hungry Christian was! I asked "did আপনি eat breakfast this morning?" He ব্যক্ত "no; mommy only gives me lunch sometimes." I didn't know what to say at first and then I asked "you haven't had anything to eat since yesterday?" He ব্যক্ত "no খাবার yesterday!" I shook my head in disbelief and ব্যক্ত "I'm so sorry!" He responded "she's a mean mommy!" I ব্যক্ত "I believe you." Christian asked "I'm going to have a new family?" I smiled and ব্যক্ত "actually; আপনি have a new family." He looked at me confused and I ব্যক্ত "you're part of my family now buddy!" He asked "am I going back to your house Mike?" I ব্যক্ত "no; we're going back to our house!" I whispered "you don't have to call me Mike anymore if আপনি don't want to!" Christian asked "why not?" I ব্যক্ত "because I'm your daddy now!" He asked "can I call আপনি daddy?" I ব্যক্ত "of course আপনি can; if আপনি want to!"

I cleared the টেবিল and ব্যক্ত "okay buddy; let's get আপনি cleaned up!" Christian asked "bath?" I picked him up and ব্যক্ত "yup." Afterwards, I got him dressed in the আগুন truck pajamas that I bought him a while ago. I covered him with the blankets and knelt down পরবর্তি to the bed. I kissed his forehead and he asked "what did আপনি do that for?" I ব্যক্ত "I kissed your forehead." He asked "what's a kiss?" I looked at him confused and asked "you're mommy never gave আপনি kisses?" He ব্যক্ত "no; why did আপনি do that?" I didn't really have any other answer that I could come up with off the শীর্ষ of my head; so I ব্যক্ত "parents are supposed to give their children kisses and hugs." Christian asked "oh; can I give আপনি a kiss?" I pointed to my cheek and ব্যক্ত "right there." He pecked my cheek and I ব্যক্ত "you're so sweet." I lay down পরবর্তি to him and ব্যক্ত "good night Christian." He ব্যক্ত "good night daddy; I প্রণয় you!" I responded "I প্রণয় আপনি more!!!"


***

We are on our flight back to California from লন্ডন and it'll be about an ঘন্টা before we get to the airport. I had already woken up for the day; but Christian was still sleeping and I was bored. I decided to start looking at the folder with all of Christian's documents inside it. I opened it and saw his birth certificate. It read "Christian Levi Carthage; তারিখ of birth October, sixth, 1984." Christian's third birthday is পরবর্তি মাস and I'm glad that he's with me to celebrate it.

I put the birth certificate back inside the folder and something accidentally fell out. I picked it up and noticed that it was a picture of a man. I looked at the back of the photograph and written on it was the words "Alexander Benton." I took the birth certificate out and realized that the person in the picture must be Christian's biological father because the names matched.

Christian started to wake up; so I quickly stuffed the picture back inside the folder and put it away. He opened his eyes and I ব্যক্ত "good morning." He responded "good morning daddy." I ব্যক্ত "were almost ready to land. Then I'm going to take আপনি home." Just as I was saying that, the private jet pulled onto the landing strip and into the docking station of the airport. I picked Christian up and grabbed the luggage with my other hand. When we got off the plane, my bodyguards James and Tim were waiting for us. James looked at Christian and ব্যক্ত "hi; do আপনি remember me?" Christian hid his face in my shoulder and I ব্যক্ত "oh; you're back to usual shyness now!"

We walked down to the parking গ্যারেজ where the SUV was and I buckled Christian into his car আসন পরবর্তি to me. As Tim started the car, he ব্যক্ত "your mother's waiting for আপনি at the house Michael." I ব্যক্ত "she didn't tell me she was going to come over." James ব্যক্ত "we just assumed that আপনি knew that she was going to come over because when we let her inside she was carrying a whole bunch of bags with her." I ব্যক্ত "I want to see her; I just didn't know she was planning on coming over today."

We pulled into the driveway and I carried Christian up to the front door. I took my keys out to unlock the door and when I opened it I noticed the lights were off. I flipped the light switch and all of a sudden a whole bunch of people shouted "welcome home!" Christian immediately started crying and I looked around the room to see my entire family standing there; even my father Joseph!" I tried to soothe Christian দ্বারা saying "it's okay; I wasn't expecting that either. Mother looked at Christian sympathetically and asked "what's the matter?" I responded "he's shy mother; আপনি know that!" She ব্যক্ত "I'm so sorry Michael; I completely forgot." I whispered "will আপনি just get all them out of here? Christian is too shy for all of this right now! This is way too many people to introduce him to at once; we have to slowly do it over time! I don't want him to be overwhelmed." She asked "if I get them to leave can I stay for an hour?" I ব্যক্ত "yes just get them out of here; especially Joseph!!!"

After a few minutes, everyone had left and I followed mother into the living room with Christian in my arms. I looked at the coffee টেবিল and noticed two gift bags. I asked "what's all of this mother?" She ব্যক্ত "just a few things I bought for Christian." She took him out of my arms and sat him on her lap with one of the bags. Christian hesitated to open it as I ব্যক্ত "it's okay buddy. Maybe he won't be as scared if he sitting on my lap instead of yours." I took him out of her arms and sat him back down on my lap with the gift. He opened the bag and pulled out a remote-control car." I excitedly ব্যক্ত "wow; look at that!" I grabbed the other bag off the টেবিল and he must've taken out at least 30 different ডিজনি movies." I ব্যক্ত "he's definitely going to have plenty to watch for a while. Can আপনি say thank আপনি to grandma?" He whispered "thank you" very quietly and mother responded "you're welcome; I'm glad আপনি like them."

I carried Christian into the রান্নাঘর and mother ব্যক্ত "I also went grocery shopping for আপনি while আপনি were gone Michael and I bought supplies for Christian." I ব্যক্ত "thank আপনি mother; it's much appreciated!" She ব্যক্ত "you're welcome and if আপনি ever need my help for anything don't hesitate to ask." I ব্যক্ত "I should be okay for a few weeks until I have to go back to work. Will আপনি watch him during the দিন for me when I do have to go back to work?" She ব্যক্ত "of course I will." I ব্যক্ত "anytime আপনি want to come over here আপনি can." She ব্যক্ত "I'm sure that I'll be visiting quite often; goodbye Michael." I ব্যক্ত "I প্রণয় আপনি mother" as I shut the door. I turned around to look at Christian sitting on the floor and asked "do আপনি want to go see your new room?" He reached for me to grab him and I carried him upstairs.

I opened the bedroom door and Christian was so excited. He ব্যক্ত "Mickey Mouse" and couldn't get out of my arms fast enough. He asked "this is my own room?" I ব্যক্ত "yup; all yours!" He stared at the Mickey মাউস mural I painted on one of the walls in his room and I asked "do আপনি like it? I painted it just for you!" He ব্যক্ত "yeah; you're a good painter daddy!"

I got him ready for বিছানা and ব্যক্ত "I'll go get your চলচ্চিত্র downstairs; so আপনি can pick one out to watch tonight." I came back upstairs with the bag of চলচ্চিত্র and dumped them out on the floor. After about 15 minutes, he still seemed undecided; so I ব্যক্ত "or আপনি can watch কার্টুন because I have cable hooked up in your room." He ব্যক্ত "yeah; I want to watch cartoons."

I picked him up and put him underneath the covers as I turned the TV on. I knelt down পরবর্তি to the বিছানা and kissed his forehead. I got up and shut off the light as I was about to walk out of the room. He asked "where are আপনি going?" I ব্যক্ত "just to my room right across the hall. All আপনি have to do is call my name and I'll be in here faster than আপনি could imagine." His eyes started to water and I walked back into the room. I knelt down পরবর্তি to the বিছানা and asked him "what's wrong?" He ব্যক্ত "I don't want to sleep in here alone! Will আপনি please stay with me daddy?" I remembered that there is a বিছানা that pulls out from underneath the twin size bed; so I decided to lie on that.

I ব্যক্ত "good night Christian" and he ব্যক্ত "good night daddy; thank you." I asked "for what?" He ব্যক্ত "for giving me খাবার every day, my own toys, my room, hugs, kisses, loving me, and for being my daddy!" I had to force back tears as I ব্যক্ত "you don't have to thank me for that! I'm supposed to provide those things for আপনি and I do that for আপনি because I প্রণয় you!"

***

I opened my eyes and rolled over. The first thing I saw was Christian rolling right off his বিছানা and he landed on my stomach. I groaned in pain and he opened his eyes. He looked around the room and rubbed his eyes. I ব্যক্ত "morning buddy" and he seemed confused as he asked "what happened?" I ব্যক্ত "you fell off your bed. Don't worry; আপনি landed on me!" He looked at me and ব্যক্ত "oh; good morning daddy." I yawned as I asked "would আপনি like some breakfast?" He responded "yes please" and I picked him up to bring him downstairs.

I brought him into the রান্নাঘর and sat him down on the counter as I opened up the fridge. I took out some eggs and milk. I took Christian off of the counter and asked "can আপনি go get your sippy cup for daddy?" I chuckled at how adorable he looked as he ran into the living room to go find his cup. A few মিনিট later, he came back into the রান্নাঘর carrying his cup and ব্যক্ত "here আপনি go daddy!" I grabbed it from him and ব্যক্ত "thanks Christian."

Before I started to cook the scrambled eggs, I walked into the living room and Christian was climbing on the couch. He sat down and I passed him his cup as I turned the TV on. I went off into the রান্নাঘর to make breakfast while he watched Mickey মাউস cartoons.

Once the খাবার was done, I went back into the living room and picked him up. I brought him to the টেবিল and sat down in the chair পরবর্তি to him as I passed him his plate. He asked "what are we going to do today daddy?" I asked "what do আপনি want to do?" He ব্যক্ত "I don't know." I asked "do আপনি want to go swimming in the pool? It's too hot inside and it's really nice outside today." He ব্যক্ত "I'm scared of the water." I ব্যক্ত "you don't have to if আপনি don't want to; but I promise আপনি that I won't let anything happen." He ব্যক্ত "no; I don't want to." I grabbed his plate and ব্যক্ত "okay then; I'm not going to make you." I washed his face and helped him down from the chair.

Christian walked up to the toy box downstairs in the living room and I sat down পরবর্তি to him on the floor. He took a plastic alligator out of the toy box and passed it to me. I asked "do আপনি know what animal this is?" He ব্যক্ত "a crocodile" and I responded "no; this is an alligator." He ব্যক্ত "oh an alligator" but instead he pronounced it "aldergater" and that made me laugh. I ব্যক্ত "not aldergater; alligator." He grabbed a bag of dinosaur figurines and dumped it out on the floor. He gave me a dinosaur and I lay down on the floor on my stomach to play with him. The মিনিট I lie down on the floor, he climbed onto my back and wrapped his arms around my neck. I looked up at him and he gave me a kiss. He ব্যক্ত "I প্রণয় it here daddy and I প্রণয় you!" I ব্যক্ত "I প্রণয় আপনি more!"

***

Christian sat on the counter in the রান্নাঘর as he watched me start to gather things to prepare ডিনার with. I softly sang the alphabet because I have been working on letters and numbers with Christian. He ব্যক্ত "A, B, C, D, E, F, J" and I ব্যক্ত "G; we have to work on this." I picked him up off of the counter and brought him over to the table.

I had cooked a স্প্যাঘেটি ডিনার and I wasn't prepared for the mess that was involved. He had sauce in his hair, all over his face, all over the টেবিল in front of him, and I don't know how he managed to do this; but he got it in my ear! I looked at him and ব্যক্ত "look at this mess!" I picked him up and wiped his face off with a napkin.

I took him upstairs, gave him a bath, and tucked him into bed. He asked "can আপনি read me a story?" I ব্যক্ত "sure" and grabbed a book from the bookshelf in his room. After I was done পাঠ করা him a story, I asked "do আপনি think আপনি can sleep in here দ্বারা yourself tonight?" He looked at me and ব্যক্ত "no." I asked "why are আপনি afraid to sleep in here দ্বারা yourself?" He ব্যক্ত "the monsters will get me!" I smiled and asked "monsters; where?" He pointed to the closet and I walked inside. I ব্যক্ত "I don't see any monsters in here" and he ব্যক্ত "under my bed!" I walked out of the closet and knelt down to look underneath his bed. I ব্যক্ত "I don't see anything under here either Christian." I stood up and ব্যক্ত "I promise there's no monsters in your room. If আপনি find any then I'll beat them up for you; okay?"

He reached out for me to hug him and I ব্যক্ত "I'm just going to be in my room! All আপনি have to do is call for daddy and I'll hear you! I just can't keep sleeping on that little বিছানা on the floor because it's going to end up hurting my back." I gave him a চুম্বন and a hug before turning on the TV. I shut off the light and ব্যক্ত "night – night buddy; see আপনি in the morning."

I walked into my bedroom and climbed into my huge king-sized bed. I looked out the doorway and into Christian's room. He was already fast asleep and I have to say that it feels weird not having him in the same room as me. I walked back into his room because he was rolling out of the বিছানা again and I had to catch him. I covered him back up with the blankets and kissed his cheek before I made my way back into my bedroom.

***

There was a knock at the front door while Christian and I were eating breakfast. I answered it and saw that it was my mother. I offered her some খাবার and she agreed to sit down and eat with us. She asked "how are আপনি adjusting to fatherhood Michael?" I ব্যক্ত "I প্রণয় it! We've established a routine and I think he's pretty used to waking up and having me be there. I finally got him to sleep in his own bed." She ব্যক্ত "that's great Michael; did আপনি find out when you're going back to work yet?" I ব্যক্ত "in about a week; I'll make sure I call আপনি ahead of time."

Mother helped me clear the টেবিল and Christian went off into the living room to play. While the two of us were washing dishes, I ব্যক্ত "I'm glad আপনি came over today because I think it's a good idea to start getting Christian used to being around you. I don't want him to be scared to be with আপনি when আপনি have to watch him during the দিন while I'm working." She ব্যক্ত "I agree with আপনি Michael; it's probably a good idea to get him used to me while you're here so he will be less afraid."

Mother and I went into the living room and sat down পরবর্তি to Christian on the floor. He immediately climbed into my lap and I suggested "do আপনি want to sit in grandma's lap?" He looked at her and then at me because he didn't know what to think. Mother reached out her hands to grab him and ব্যক্ত "it's okay; I'm not going to do anything to you." He slowly let her put him on her lap.

I smiled and ব্যক্ত "maybe I should tell grandma your secret!" He smiled and I whispered "his feet are ticklish." She tickled his feet and he started hysterically laughing. I tickled his other foot and ব্যক্ত "uh-oh; now আপনি have two people that know you're ticklish!" He shrieked with laughter as he forced out the words "stop it." I ব্যক্ত "give grandma a চুম্বন and we'll stop!" I was shocked beyond belief that he actually kissed her because I thought it would take a lot আরো time to get him warmed up enough to her for him to do that.

I grabbed Christian off of her lap and we went into the kitchen. I took his sippy cup off the counter and gave it to him. Mother looked at her watch and ব্যক্ত "I'm supposed to meet up with your brother's for lunch; would আপনি like to come?" I thought about it for a সেকেন্ড and ব্যক্ত "no; I think that will be too many people for Christian to meet at one time; but could আপনি tell them that they should stop দ্বারা one at a time over the পরবর্তি week?" She ব্যক্ত "I can try to tell them; but আপনি know that they don't listen to me most of the time Michael." I ব্যক্ত "I know mother; আপনি don't have to tell them if আপনি don't want to. I know anything to do with me has to be with money অথবা else they don't want any part of it. He'll meet them eventually; but I'm not going to pay them to come over here! Basically that's what will happen because it soon as they come over here they're going to tell me that they need money for something." She ব্যক্ত "I'll tell them that if they do decide to come over আপনি don't want to be askied for any money! I didn't raise them to be like that Michael. I'll insist that they come over here at least for a few মিনিট to meet Christian. Before I forget; what are আপনি working on পরবর্তি since the tour is over?" I ব্যক্ত "filming for my 'moonwalker' starts soon!" She ব্যক্ত "that's good; আপনি must be really excited! I know আপনি can morning to get আরো involved with অভিনয় and producing. I can't wait to see it!"

***

I was downstairs going over the rough copy of the script for my "Moonwalker" movie when I heard Christian walking downstairs and looked over at him. I ব্যক্ত "good morning Christian" and went into the living room to turn the TV on for him. I was about to walk back into the রান্নাঘর when Christian followed behind me. He sat down পরবর্তি to me at the টেবিল and asked "what's that?" I ব্যক্ত "this is for my job and I have to read it." He asked "what's your job daddy?" I ব্যক্ত "I usually sing; but I'm going to be in my own movie!" He ব্যক্ত "that's cool; I can't wait to see আপনি do your job!" I ব্যক্ত "I will let আপনি go with me one of the days when I'm not so busy; but you're going to be staying here with grandma a lot of the time while I'm working."

I couldn't really tell; but I don't think he like the idea of that because he walked out of the রান্নাঘর and into the living room without saying a word to me. I closed the script and followed him into the living room. I sat down পরবর্তি to him on the পালঙ্ক and ব্যক্ত "don't worry; I don't have to look for another week." He smiled after that and started watching cartoons.