“What?!”

“A source close to the couple revealed that Justin kissed Mikayla while she waited for JC as he took pictures on the red carpet at the release party for Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds album, while Timberlake was also still with then girlfriend Cameron Diaz.  Timberlake admitted his feelings to Miss Sanchez, and the two began a secret love affair that eventually ended her relationship with Chasez, his with longtime girlfriend Jessica Biel,” Justin read from his phone.

“That is NOT what I told her at brunch yesterday…” Mikayla said.

“What DID you say?” JC asked. 

“I said we met that night, that he kissed me, but nothing else happened once he knew I was with you. That nothing happened until after we broke up.”

“Tabloids love to twist the truth, but they must have gotten this from somewhere…” Justin said, pacing the floor.

“We’ll ask her when we get home, I’m sure there must be an explanation…” Mikayla said.

“I hope you’re right, otherwise we need a new nanny NOW,” Justin sighed. 

They went downstairs to get the kids, neither of them wanting to leave their new room.  They got the twins buckled into the car, Justin driving home in silence. 

Mikayla knew the kids sensed his tension, the ride being unusually quiet.  “So, what did you two do with Daddy while I was gone?”

“We practiced soccer, Daddy did my hair so I could play princess dress up, we had a dance party…” Barb eagerly shared.

“Sounds like quite the weekend. Joshy, anything you did that Barb left out?”

“Daddy and I played Legos while she played dress up,” Joshy smiled. 

Mikayla looked at Justin, smiling that he’d been such a great and attentive father. She’d had no doubts, honestly more worried at how JC would do.  She saw the tension on his face, the worry that Jackie was starting to tell stories about them, breaking their confidence.

They arrived home and Jackie had made dinner, Justin knowing to wait until the twins were in bed for the night to say anything to Jackie.

“Mommy, can you play something for us on the piano after dinner?” Joshy requested. 

“Sure.  Your dad can play stuff on the piano for you, too. Maybe not as good as Mommy, but… Ask him the next time we’re over there.”

“Oh, you meant JC,” Barb sighed. “I thought you meant Daddy.”

“Both of them can if you want. You just need to ask.”

“Your dad and I used to goof around on the piano back in the day.  Jesus, did I really just say that? Man, I'm feeling old…”

“You’re 35, that’s still pretty young,” Mikayla smiled. “It’s true though, as far as the goofing around. On camera and once I met them.  They wrote songs together for, well… an album of your dad’s that never got released.”

“We’re really calling JC our dad now?” Barb asked, seemingly irritated.

“Well, honey, he is,” Justin said. “Your last name is Timberlake, but you're a Chasez through and through.”

“If he’s our dad, why are you and Mommy married? Why were you holding us when we were babies?”

“Daddy will always be Daddy, but JC is your real dad, the one Mommy wished with for you and Joshy.  I told you things are hard sometimes when you’re a grown up. Your dad and I were upset with each other for a long time, still disagree about what we were mad about. But we love you so much that it doesn’t matter anymore.  Your dad loved you the moment he met you, hopes you’ll get to know him and love him too.  But it’s not gonna happen right away, it takes time.”

“Joshy likes him already,” Barb huffed. 

“You do, too,” Joshy said. “You played with the toys at his house, you sat next to him at movie night…”

“Do you LOVE him already, Joshy? You called him Dad…”

“Because he is,” Joshy shrugged.  Barb crossed her arms, pouting in defeat.

Mikayla gave Justin a concerned look.

Dinner was over, the twins tucked into bed, and Mikayla grabbed Jackie to talk.

“Is everything ok?” Jackie asked.

“You tell me,” Justin spat, handing her his phone.  “You know anything about this?”

Jackie looked at the screen, reading the story that had been published. “You think I had something to do with this?”

“It did come out a day after we had brunch and I told you most of these details…” Mikayla sighed.

“I also know JC is the twins’ real dad. Wouldn’t that have been the bigger story to go with? I didn’t betray you. Odds are someone from the restaurant or another customer there heard us somehow and told the story. Based on what I read, it’s a mix of what you said and fabricated pieces of information. I promise, it wasn’t me.  I have nothing to gain from it.”

“I suppose she’s right,” Justin said. “I’m sorry I suspected you. It popped up on my phone and I just went on the defense.  We’ve been dealing with this for years privately, I don’t need more of it to become public without it coming from any of us.  Again, I’m sorry.”

“What do we do about this article?” Mikayla wondered.

‘We ignore it.  If paparazzi pop up asking about it, ignore it.  Yes there’s some truth to it, but it doesn’t change anything.  We know that although I was in love with you that whole time, I never did anything about it until after you two broke up.  Even then I never expected it to end up like this.  I imagined something much less messy and complicated, but we still have everything I ever wanted with you,” Justin smiled at Mikayla.

“I’m going to take that as my cue to leave,” Jackie said, heading towards her bedroom.  “Oh, I was looking for places this weekend, found a couple worth looking into.  I won’t be fully moving out, but you know what I mean,” Jackie said to Mikayla.

“I’m completely lost,” Justin chuckled.

“I told her she should get her own place so she has some privacy.”

“Oh.  We can pay for that, if she needs it…”

“She’s good.  We discussed that at brunch, why didn't they say ‘Justin Timberlake pays nanny 3 times the going rate for celebrity nannies’?”

“Anything to drag my name and get clicks.  The other would be seen as a fluff piece, no one wants to read those.”

“Real fans who know the great guy you are would…”

“But that’s not as many as read this article, so they go with what they know will attract more attention.  Even JC didn't get much attention after he saved a baby on a beach… I know the story got out there, but it wasn’t like it got national attention and put him back in the spotlight…”

“Wait, what?”

“He was at the beach one day, just hanging out, when a beach umbrella came loose after a helicopter flew too low and blew the umbrella.  He saw it head towards a little kid and rushed in to save the kid from being hit by the umbrella.  You were still pregnant with the twins at this point.  So for him not knowing he was gonna be a dad, he had great instincts.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ve had hero moments like that.  I know you rescued me from myself with the twins.”

“I couldn’t rescue you from yourself with the miscarriage…” he sighed.

“You tried, honestly.  You could’ve walked away, but you stuck with me, you and Jackie and the kids trying to pull me out the best you could.  It took me seeing what had happened to our family to break me from that darkness, getting therapy to help keep me out.  You did so much even when it felt like nothing was good enough.  You’ve never given up on me, on us, Justin.  Thank you.”

She pulled him into her arms, embracing him tightly, feeling a flood of warmth and love wash over her, how much he’d done to show he loved her over the years.  The things they’d been through together, knowing that nothing and no one could split them apart.  JC wasn’t trying to break them up, simply wanting to be part of her life, be the dad he’d wished he could be to the twins.  

“Ready to go upstairs?” Justin asked.  She nodded into his chest.  “Good.  I have it under good sources that we need a little something…”

…

“That was a fine welcome home,” Mikayla smiled, catching her breath.

“I missed you.  The kids missed you, but you won’t get that from them…”

“No, the hugs and cuddles were enough.  Ours was perfect.”

“Not perfect enough that I should cancel my plans for next weekend, was it?”

“What do you have planned?” she wondered.

“Not telling, but it’ll be romantic, something we apparently need…”

“He meant well.  We just don’t have a lot of time to do nice and slow anymore.  I wasn’t complaining about our sex life, just that it’s not what it used to be. It’s not constant anymore, but damn if it’s hot when we get the chance.”

“Good to know I’m not the only one enjoying it,” Justin smiled. 

“You KNOW I’m enjoying it.  I don’t hold back, neither do you.”

“Only way I know how,” he said smugly.

“You’re lucky I’m your wife…”

“And having my baby.  I say it a lot, that you’re having our baby, but at some point I worry I’m gonna freak out.  I don’t know why, I’ve been dad to the twins for years.”

“Because this time it’s yours.  I’m sure there’s some level of ‘is this real?’ after the miscarriage.  We’ve been monitoring everything, the doctor says Silas is healthy, everything is on track.”

“Is it bad I’m worried about Barb after that outburst?” Justin wondered. 

“It’s new. We’ll give her some time to adjust. If we see her acting out or things like that that aren’t normal Barb, we’ll look into counseling. I mean, this is a big bombshell we dropped on them.  Joshy is taking it well, at least.”

“JC’s got his work cut out for him, trying to fill the dad role,” Justin said. 

“He’s not trying to replace you, it’s… complicated. You replaced him in their lives for so long, but now he just wants to be a part of things.  I think that’s Barb’s worry, that he’s supposed to replace you because he’s their actual dad.  Even Paul didn’t replace your actual dad, so it’ll take some adjustment.”

“I hope so. If this turns into a Parent Trap type thing where we have to split the kids… Well, at least JC would get Joshy.  That fits.”

“We’re not splitting up the twins. I’m more nervous about when Silas comes.  Another huge adjustment, having a baby take more attention away from them.  At least we’ll have grandparents, Jackie, JC helping…”

“JC is gonna help with my son?” Justin asked, surprised.

“OUR son, and he has offered. He missed out on it with the twins.”

“I’m calling him at 3am for diaper changes and feedings,” Justin laughed. 

“He can’t complain, we had it times two,” Mikayla added. “I’m weighing options on nursing Silas or not. Josh said…”

“Wait,” Justin interrupted, “you talked with HIM about this before talking about it with ME?  Starting to feel like the third wheel in our marriage, Kay…”

“Justin, I didn’t mean anything by it.  He wasn’t around for any of that with the twins. You know I’d thought about it before we learned it was twins.”

“I just don’t want him getting too attached to Silas.”

“The way you got attached to the twins? I’m allowed to fuck him but he’s not good enough to help raise our son?”

“What did you disagree about? You told the kids that you and JC still disagree on things…”

“I still say he could’ve stopped Jo from getting naked, could’ve not had her suck his dick and be ready to fuck him when I walked in…”

“I agree with that.”

“He thinks I shouldn’t have fooled around with you, been naked with you and done stuff I’d only done with JC, with you.”

“I won’t lie, I’m glad it happened, but I see his point. You guys were broken up at the time, and me taking advantage of that along with your emotional state…”

“We got drunk and fooled around, Justin. Hardly as scandalous…”

“If he’d walked in on us and you were still together, he’d have done what he did, we’d be dead to him.  It’s not unacceptable to behave that way, broken up or not.  Would you have been happy if you knew your ex fooled around with your best friend, and she had feelings for him?”

“Erin was a JC girl, so yeah that would have sucked. Damnit, I did something wrong?” Mikayla whined. 

“We all did. Only difference is that ours led to us getting married and having Silas. JC’s left him alone and bitter for a long time.”

“Well, that’s over now.  I’m glad we can move forward.”

“I’m glad that in spite of my heavy insistence over the years, that when push came to shove, you didn’t take me up on leaving once he got his head out of his ass.”

“I’ll admit it’s a good thing I’m pregnant, I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done.  I know it’s probably not what you’d want to hear…”

“It’s a what if, this is our situation and I’m ok with how things played out cuz you’re still my wife and having our baby.  Let’s go to bed, actually sleep, cuz you have work, the kids have school, and I need to finish planning our weekend away.”