From Friends to Lovers - Book IV, Love Grows

Chapter 15 - That's What Love Can Do - Mid September

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SUNDAY NIGHT IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA

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Two days before Chris and Giovonni were scheduled to leave to start the tour with Normani, Chris received an unexpected text from Michelle's father, John. He was in Atlanta to visit his cousin that suffered a heart attack recently. John wanted to know if he could visit the twins. Chris' first question was.

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Chris TEXTING: is your wife with you?

John TEXTING: no she's not.

Chris TEXTING: okay then, that's fine. Nothing against you, but you know that your wife and I are like oil and water.

John TEXTING: thank you, send me the time and place and I'll see you then.

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Chris and John agree to meet the next day at Chris' house so that the boys would be more comfortable in their own home. The rest of the day went on as planned. The following day John arrives right on time at ten in the morning. He greeted Chris with a firm handshake and a hug the became awkward as it went on longer than Chris anticipated.

John sat in the family room and watched the boys play with Erica and each other. They would occasionally walk or run by their grandfather, but they basically ignored him. John didn't seem like his usual, so Chris asked the obvious question.

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Chris: if you don't mind me saying, you seem a little unlike yourself. Is your ... [John: cousin] going to be okay?

John: yeah, he should be fine. Just needs to lay off the greasy foods and beer.

Chris: okay, then it must be something else.

John: [sighs and takes a long pause before speaking] ... yeah, I finally went through all the boxes you sent to us, and I found her diary. I didn't wanna read it, but I needed to. [holds the dairy to his heart before opening it where it was bookmarked]

... she ... [sighs and hands Chris the diary and points to a paragraph in the middle of the page]

... read it for yourself.

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Chris takes Michelle's diary from John and reads it to himself.

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Michelle's Entry: I must be the worst mother in the world. I look at these adorable babies that I grew inside my body - these babies I gave birth to. I hate the fact that he's their father. I see him in their faces and I can barely stand to look at them sometimes. I know it's my "DUTY" to do what's expected of me as a mother, but I just wanna scream into the pillow. I wouldn't hurt them, but God forgive me please. I just thank God, Erica is here. Sometimes I wonder if they'll think she's the mother and not me. I hate myself for thinking like that.

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Chris closed the diary and hands it back to John.

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John: [shaking his head] I don't know where her mind was, my sister had postpartum depression so ... [shrugs his shoulders]

Chris: it's okay, I don't want to think about their mother potentially hating them. [shakes his head]

... CJ, MJ, come and say hello to Grandpa!

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Moments later Chris' phone rings, he excuses himself when he sees that it's Clay calling him.

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Chris: hey baby!

Clay: [sniffling] baby, I got some bad news.