Michael always knew how to make me smile.

I had been driving myself, and everyone else around me insane with boredom and I was growing more hostile toward the Dr’s and nurses each day. I hated them badgering me to go on walks, to blow in to the dumb machine to expand my lung capacity again. Everything was annoying me, right down to the stupid squeak that their shoe-soles made on the linoleum floor.

Things had at least begun to go a little bit more back to normal. Michael was working again. He had rented an apartment not too far from the hospital, to feel more homely than at the hotel. He had much more privacy as the fans and media had no idea where he was staying and it allowed him to come and go a little easier. He held meetings from his apartment and was apparently working on other things that he didn’t really get into with me.

It made me feel better to know that the world was starting to spin again. He still didn’t leave me for too long to my own devices, though, knowing how bored and pissed off I seemed to be getting.

He turned up at the end of my second week in the stay with a huge smile. Of course, immediately that brightened my mood. He passed me a magazine that showed a photo of him on the front cover. I smiled, I was really looking forward to reading it.  It was the interview that he’d completed the week before. It had gone to press. “I am the bearer of all good news…” He told me, kissing my lips.

“What’s the good news?” I asked taking the magazine. “Are they talking about the interview in the media or something?” I wondered curiously. There had been what seemed to be like a drought of good news for awhile, so I was excited to hear something pleasing.

“Well… I can’t say right this second, but I’m going to have a quick chat to Dr. Cavuoto, so why don’t you go ahead and read the article and I’ll be back in a few minutes?” He suggested. I had to admit, I was a little suspicious of what was up his sleeve. I agreed with a raised eyebrow. He smiled and left me alone with the magazine.

I admired the picture of him on the cover. I loved dramatic journalism. The photo was taken while He was standing out on the balcony of our hotel suite. He was looking out in to the distance.  I knew that they were trying to have him feign some dark, depressive expression – but he there was nothing fake about the look – he had had the dark broody and concerned look ever since I’d been rushed to hospital. His face was lined by dark hair, keeping his promise not to shave.

I finally peeled my eyes away from his gorgeous face on the magazine, it had been awhile since I’d seen him with any make up on. I liked him much better natural – but he still looked pretty freakin’ hot, with it.

A night that was supposed to be nothing short of a well-thought-out fairy-tale turned in to tragedy for world famous pop sensation, Michael Jackson early last week. Jackson, 25 had invited along long-term girlfriend, Jade Reily on his Asian and Australian Tour. It had been a joyful reunion having been separated for more than two months. It was on this trip that Jackson presented his new love before a 100,000 sell-out crowd and had decided that it was time to pop the question. Unfortunately the night took a turn for the worst when his fiance of only a few hours was rushed to hospital with a grim heart condition.

The singer granted Australian Weekly the first exclusive interview to break his silence about the roller-coaster of emotions that he has been riding ever since he arrived.

I rolled my eyes at the dramatic overtone, but it seemed a little surreal to see the media talking about me so frankly, as if I was anyone of importance.  I skipped over the rest of the opening to get to the questions asked by the Australian Weekly report Marie Forester.

MF: It must have been very exciting to have your girlfriend on stage with you during your first Sydney concert?

Michael: It was very, very exciting. It was a bit of a surprise to her, I think part of her wanted to murder me, while the other half was just as excited as I was.

MF: We had confirmation just three days ago that Jade and yourself were engaged and soon-after it had been leaked that you had proposed the night that she was rushed to hospital. How exactly did you pop the question?

Michael: [Michael shifts in his chair, thinking about the night seems to make him a little uneasy. He thinks about his answer before speaking straight away.] I didn’t want to do anything too extravagant. Jade and I, we’re a very simple and minimalist couple, which may be hard to believe. I didn’t want to do anything that would embarrass her and I knew that something small and romantic would impress her the most. I rented a small boat, we had dinner together on the Harbor under the stars… I proposed very traditionally by getting down on one knee—reduced her to tears, and she made me the happiest man in the world by accepting.

MF: You had a very public affair with Brooke Shield’s that lasted for quite some time – the world was surprised to find out that it didn’t work out – what did you find in Jade that you couldn’t find in someone in the industry, like Brooke.

Michael: Brooke and I were good friends and I enjoyed our time together immensely, but with all respect to her, there just wasn’t that electricity, you know, that connection that was missing – I found that in Jade. I liked that she was just a normal girl with a normal life. She had no ego about her, she was very honest with me, she was direct and I felt that instant connection with her that no one has ever measured up to.

MF: How different do you act when you’re in love?

Michael: [Michael smiles a little shyly and again takes time to consider the question.] I’ve never been in love like this. It didn’t take me very long at all to fall in love with Jade, and I just found that I wanted to spend all the time that I had with her – I wanted to put aside everything and just be with her. I’m usually pretty shy, but when I was sure that I’d ignited Jade’s interest in me, I was really persistent and stopped at nothing to win her over. That seemed to work really well for us. [Michael seems very happy to talk about his girlfriend, grinning from ear-to-ear.]

MF: It must have been devastating to have to end the night of your engagement on such a sour note. Take us through what happened after you both arrived back to the hotel.

Michael: [The singer shifts nervously in his seat and looks down turning more serious] I first noticed when she and I had been sitting down chatting after getting off the boat that she was a little out of breath. I was really worried, but I was trying not to make a big deal. She had been feeling out of sorts while we were in Thailand but refused to see a doctor. Once we got back to the hotel, it kind of came to a paramount. She finally admitted that she was dizzy and had chest pains. We bargained that if it didn’t go away within the hour, then I’d call a doctor—she got up to get changed and then she passed out.

MF: How did that make you feel? There reports that you were tearing down the halls, voicing your anger and devastation, directing your anger improperly.

Michael: My fiance had a weak pulse, I couldn’t seem to verbalize fast enough that we needed the emergency services. Everyone kept looking at me like they thought I was kidding – I got frustrated, but it’s a natural reaction. I needed help, I wasn’t messing around. Something like this has never happened to me before – and watching it happen to the most important person in my entire life. I was just lucky that my Mother was there. She knew exactly what to do and how to react.

MF: The medical situation was dire, wasn’t it? Jade’s condition needed immediate treatment? We were told that she needed open-heart surgery, can you confirm this?

Michael: She did need open heart surgery, but of course her condition is private, but I will say that it was the scariest moment of my life.

MF: Was it life threatening?

Michael: [He seems on the verge of tears as he nods slowly] I suppose any open-heart surgery is life threatening. [he clears his throat] Jade was stable for the first day, but by the night her oxygen levels had decreased rapidly and she needed the surgery immediately. It was very touch and go.

MF: What was it like for you, to see her after surgery?

Michael: Very, very difficult. I felt like my entire world was about to just fall apart. It was very hard. [Michael becomes emotional and stops the interview for a few moments to gather his composure]

MF: So on a brighter note, we hear Jade’s condition is doing much better. Have you been receiving lots of support from the fans?

Michael: Jade is doing much better. She’s recovering very well. The support from my fans has been absolutely overwhelming. Jade has been humbled by the hundreds of cards she has been sent and we both wanted to take this opportunity to thank every single person for their thoughts and prayers and gifts – it means so much to both of us.

MF: Do you and your fiance plan to start a family after you get married?

Michael: Of course we do. Jade and I both love children and becoming a father is a plan that excites me greatly and ultimately I couldn’t think of someone who would make a better mother to my children.

MF: Do you hope to marry sooner rather than later?

Michael: We won’t be giving away too much, but it won’t be too far down the track. Right now the main concern is making sure Jade is back to good health.

MF: Lastly, where do you see yourself in 12 months time?

Michael: Finished with the rest of the tour with my brother’s and hopefully settled in to married life with my beautiful wife with a little more time on my hands for relaxing.

I put down the magazine and wiped some tears that had welled in my eyes. I loved the article. They had quoted him well, and it made him seem much more human, rather than just a guy who sang songs and danced like some kind of crazy machine. Unfortunately it was hard to people to relate to Michael because the media didn’t treat him like a regular person – I knew this interview would help to convey him a whole lot better. Personal pain and tribulations could have really helped people level with him a whole lot better. It was sad but true.

After about ten minutes Michael came back to me, followed closely by Dr. Cavuoto. Michael was smiling like the Cheshire cat. I wondered what was going on.

“What’s going on?” I wanted to know. Michael looked to my doctor who smirked.

“Go ahead, you do the honors.” He prompted Michael.

He didn’t need to be asked twice. “Okay, I’m allowed to take you home—“ I felt myself grinning. “But there’s some ground rules.”

“Anything!” I exclaimed, “Oh man, you do mean home to America, right?”

Dr. Cavuoto smiled and nodded. “You’ll have to take a Dr. on flight with you on stand-by incase anything goes wrong – but as long as you keep comfortable, warm and of course take your regular walks, you’ll be fine.”

I was so frigging excited. I was a little bit nervous. Although I was already walking around, I was still quite immobile and couldn’t walk very long distances. It hurt to move around too much, but that was just a given with the gaping hole in my stupid chest. I was given oxygen at night through a ventilation mask, but besides that I was pretty much my old-self. “I can’t wait to get home.” I said, feeling overwhelmed. My parents had only left to go home a few days ago. They had been driving me nuts and weren’t helping my moods. Michael and I convinced them that I’d be home in no time and that their worries were over. I’d felt a bit bad for seeming so ungrateful, but recovery was way too hard with my overprotective Dad on my case.

“When can I go?” I asked, looking from Michael to my Dr.

“I’ll let Michael decide. You do realize though, Jade, when you get home you’ll need some constant care for the first few weeks. You’ll need to stay off your feet, you’ll need to go to physiotherapy for a short time until you are fully recovered. This means absolutely no unnecessary stress, no strenuous activity, no partying, no – really, doing anything except resting and taking your walks.

“Believe me, I’ll be making sure she sticks to that.” Michael interjected. I knew he was going to be a hundred percent true to his word.

“Thank you Dr. Cavuoto.” I said appreciatively. “You’ve really made my day.”

“I’m glad.” He smiled, patting my shoulder. “And so whenever you are ready to go, you’ll just have to discharge yourself. I’ll be in contact with your cardiologist back in Los Angeles. If you have any problems you can contact me directly.” He said kindly, “apart from that, I hope that I never see you again.”

We laughed at his weak doctor joke. We thanked him probably a million more times for everything he had done for us before he left.

“I’m so excited!” I told Michael with a silly giggle. “I can’t wait to get back to your place. It’s so comfortable and we don’t have to live with just four stupid television channels filled with strange sitcoms…”

He giggled and gave me a hug. “I can’t wait for us to get home either. We can get you all properly moved in and relax a little more without having to worry about who might see us.”

“Thank you.” I pulled him toward me by his wrist and gave him a soft kiss. “For everything you said in the magazine… and for bringing a smile to my face today.”

“You’re very welcome. All I have to do now, baby, is organize our flights. We can leave tomorrow if you want.”

“Please.” He laughed. He knew how badly I wanted to get out of the hospital. It was gloomy and depressing and I couldn’t rest because people were always in and out checking up on me.

“Okay beautiful.” He agreed. “We’re out of here.”

**

I loved my house. I loved to be surrounded by my own creature comforts. I loved being able to move about without having to be at all careful of who might see me. I didn’t have to put on make up over any part of me to walk around the house. I could wear boxers and t shirts and not care about what someone would think – and best of all I could relax.

Jade was doing a lot better. It was a long flight home, but she seemed okay. We got up and walked around lots, even though she hated us for it. We were glad for the privacy again. Her Mom and Dad came to visit the same night that we arrived home. Jade wasn’t really in the mood for visitors, she was feeling jetlagged and sore and just wanted to go to sleep on the couch in front of the television.

“It must be so good to be home, huh?” John asked me as I showed him to the kitchen so that I could make him and his wife some coffee. They seemed to be a little taken-aback by the extravagance of my place. I suppose to me it wasn’t really a big deal anymore – I guess that there was so much to be said for taking good fortune for granted. He kept looking around the rooms with big-eyes, trying his best not to seem too impressed.

I didn’t think that I was any better for having more assets and luxury than Jade’s family – I was just very, very blessed to be able to provide for myself and my own family at such an early age. John, on the other hand, was such a working class man. From what he had told me and from stories that Jade had told me, he was very hardworking. He still worked full time doing hard labor as a tradesman at 52 years old. He ran his own business, so was able to call his own shots – but mostly he liked to keep busy. It was just something else I admired about him.

“Yeah, it’s great to be back… I guess I feel safer in a sense too, Jade’s doctors are here and we trust them more than we trust the doctors in a foreign country.” I replied, turning the jug on. I was absolutely hopeless at making coffee or tea. I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker and when I did, I scooped chocolate powder with it to take away the bitterness. Jade was the coffee drinker. 

Watching me gingerly take the jar of coffee grinds and pause to guess how much coffee I should put in, he smiled. “Oh here, let me do it… you’re hopeless.” He teased me, grabbing the spoon and the jar of coffee.

“I’m sorry.” I apologized feeling a little embarrassed. “I don’t drink coffee.”

He just laughed. “Come here… I’ll show you…” It wasn’t in the same kind of unkind way my Father would have spoken to me. He said it like he was happy to teach me, like I shouldn’t really despite his joke, feel too stupid. I did feel a bit dumb though, it was pretty straight forward.

Jade’s parents were so kind to me, they treated me just like I was part of the family. They always included me in on family information and called me often to see how I was. I felt really comfortable and bonded. It was something new to me to have someone besides Jade or my Mom call simply to ask how I was doing.

“You know Michael…” John began, looking around to the photograph of Jade and I that I’d stuck to the refrigerator before I’d gone away on tour. “From the moment you shook my hand and looked me dead in the eye the first time I met you, I felt like I could trust you with my daughter.” He paused and glanced down at his coffee as he stirred in the suger, “But of course—there’s always room to be wrong.” I wondered if he was trying to compliment me.

“You’ll learn when you become a parent that we have an intuition beyond understanding when it comes to your own children. And I had a feeling that something wasn’t right—Call it a sixth sense, if you want…” his voice trailed off. He leaned against the counter while I fixed myself a glass of water and Jade, a hot chocolate by her request, listening to what her father was telling me. “When we got your mother’s call Michael, the only thing that kept me from going completely insane was the consolation that you were there with her. I trusted you completely and you truly pulled through for her.”

“Of course…” I said kinda meekly. “I love Jade. I would never have left her side, I hope you know that, John. I just …” I exhaled deeply, I don’t think I would ever be able to verbalize the emotions that I experienced on the night of our engagement. It had been the ultimate roller-coaster of joy quickly-turned to turmoil.

John patted my shoulder as if to tell me I didn’t need to go on. “The point is, you proved yourself worthy of my and Maureen’s trust well before you took her on tour – but what happened and your dedication to her just cemented my admiration and trust in you.”

I felt a shy smile draw to my lips. “Thanks… that means a lot to me.” I told him sincerely. “I really look up to you—“ I blurted out. Normally, I would have kept that kind of information to myself.

John smiled back and gave me a pat on the back. “You’re a real good kid, Michael. I consider my wife and I lucky to have you as part of my family. We couldn’t have hoped for a better son-in-law.”

I felt really important, loved even. It was a strange thing not to be so alone anymore. It was a feeling in which I whole-heartedly embraced. I didn’t feel scared of pouring my heart in to Jade, or even to either of her parents. “Thanks…” I murmured. I ducked my head bashfully.

“I don’t have the greatest relationship with my father… or the rest of my family really.” I confided in him, “And I find it really interesting and beautiful that you and Maureen are so close to Jade … she talks about her grandmother a lot too…”

John kind of frowned, “I mean – my parents did what they thought was the best for us.” I quickly said, defending what I’d just said, “I appreciate them of course…My Mom and I talk often, but she worries about everything far too much – and I have to share her with 8 other kids.”

He gave a laugh. “Michael, if you ever need anyone you can always come to Maureen or myself, you know that, right?”

“Thanks.” I said with a nod. I didn’t know that, but it was such a comfort to hear. I hoped that if I ever really did need a bit of advice, I could actually go to either of them without feeling too proud.

**

I was happy that the excessive weight Jade had lost while I had been away on tour had been put back on again, even if it was due to lack of exercise. She had been looking too gaunt and had lost weight from all the wrong places. She was certainly still quite pale and had some dark circles under her eyes, but at least she was getting back to good health.

“I’m hungry…” She yawned, pulling back the blanket to get up from the couch. I rushed to her side, “No… don’t get up, what do you want, I’ll get it for you.” I told her. She gave me a funny look.

“I want candy.” She replied

I glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. “Jade, you need to be eating real food to get your strength back up. Why don’t I just make us a proper lunch?” I worried about her. Jade’s doctor had suggested that we eat completely balanced meals for a little while.

She sighed and said nothing. I fixed her blanket and gave her a kiss on the forehead. I knew she was probably frustrated from being so bed-ridden, but I valued her health far too much to let her jeopardize it at all. I wanted her to be fit and healthy.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” I asked, picking up the remote control as I got up. She shook her head. I put it down beside her. “Well… maybe you can find something to watch while I make lunch.”

I wasn’t all that elaborate in the kitchen, but I had miraculously improved since Jade had taught me a thing or two. So far I’d mastered three dishes. Chicken stir-fry, uncrunchy bolognase and grilled fish with salad. I would do the fish and salad, it was the quickest and easiest to make and she needed iron, more than anything else.

I felt like she was a little bit annoyed with me, so I tried to be extra sweet and extra caring just so as she would see that although I might have been a little over-baring, it was only out of my love and concern.