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Yancey felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her son's father was in his life and vice versa, and she was happy for the both of them.
She, Justin, and EJ had taken over the living room of her parent's home. Yancey's parents and Lynn had migrated to the dining room down the hall. Justin was sitting on the couch with EJ in his lap. Father and son painted a striking picture, both fair-skinned and blue-eyed with short, curly brown hair. Yancey watched while they talked quietly with their heads together, pride swelling in her heart at the sight. Speaking of pictures... She jumped up and ran down the hall, past the dining room, into her parents' room. She grabbed the camera sitting on her father's dresser.
"Say cheese, y'all." She walked back into the room holding the camera up to her eye. Justin stood EJ up on his lap and threw an arm around his son's waist and EJ reciprocated the gesture by draping his own arm across the back of Justin's neck. Yancey snapped two quick pictures of Justin and their son flashing nearly identical smiles. She lowered the camera. "Cute."
"Take pi'ture, Mama!" EJ squeaked, scrambling off Justin's lap. He pulled his mother to the couch by her hand and pushed her down next to Justin. He took the camera from her fingers, put it to his face, and pushed the button. EJ grinned when they told him it would probably be a great picture. EJ tucked the camera under his arm and ran away, probably to his grandparents. "Be back!"
"Wow. He's kinda busy, huh?" Justin asked.
Yancey warily noted the absent manner in which he rubbed his arm; up and down very slowly. Back when they were a couple, that had meant he didn't know what he had gotten himself into. If he bails on me, I swear... She shook the thought from her head and forced herself to think positively. Even if the arm rubbing meant the same thing now, Justin had always been responsible. He would never intentionally hurt their child, and right now that was all she cared about.
"Yancey?"
"What's up?" She snapped back to the present to find Justin staring at her expectantly.
"I said I'll be right back. I've got to take this call." He held up his cell phone.
"Oh, right. Okay." As he was leaving, Yancey mentally kicked herself for spacing out and trying to pull up the past.
She used her rare alone time to reflect on where her child's life and subsequently, her life, would be heading. EJ finally had a man to call his father, but Justin Timberlake was a very famous man with very pressing obligations. How long would he be around each time he came to visit? More importantly, would EJ understand?
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Justin stood on the front edge of the porch, tapping one foot on the uppermost concrete step. He rolled his eyes at the person on the other end of the phone. Tim was talking shit again.
"Justin, get your ass back to New York! I'm not playing!"
When did publicists get so damn big-headed? Justin asked himself. He considered telling Tim where to get off, but the instant he felt a small hand clutching one of his legs, he abruptly closed his mouth. He picked up his son with a free arm and took EJ over to the swing off to the side of the porch. They watched cars travel sporadically in either direction while Justin kept his ear to the phone, trying to make sense of what Tim was saying.
"...You have obligations, Mr. Timberlake. I'm your primary link to the media and I don't think me telling them you've temporarily quit the business is going to go over too well, no matter how good I am at this job."
"Tim, right now I'm taking care of personal business. I don't care what you tell them, although I really don't see why my going on a break--well-deserved, I might add--is such a big deal."
"They're asking about your next album, Justin."
"Tell 'em I'm working on it."
"Where? With whom? Justin, your fans have seen neither hide nor hair of you in over six weeks. That's almost like years in this business. Your appeal is all about mystery but this is ridiculous!"
"I saw my last video premiere on TRL five weeks ago. I did Access Granted for BET four weeks ago. I'm sure television stations are keeping me in some kind of rotation. My fans have seen me."
"I still think you should've had a summer tour--"
"I toured all this year. I hardly had a break. It ended a little under two months ago and after that, like I said, I was making videos. Even if you don't think so, I deserved a break, now I'm taking one. Stop tripping so much."
By this time Tim was practically snorting fire. Justin could tell by the the man's exasperated tone. Justin loved to irritate Tim. The publicist was a controlling asshole; he'd probably have a heart attack if Justin mentioned having a son. Tim, Justin's manager, the record company, and anyone else with personal time or finances tied into Justin's career would probably have strokes if things went Justin's way and he got what he'd decided he wanted: Yancey's hand in marriage.
"Daddy!" EJ shouted, pointing to a butterfly that flew gracefully by where they sat. EJ climbed down to try and catch it.
"Who was that, Justin?" Tim's question sounded a bit strained to Justin's ears.
Justin grinned and thought about spilling the truth just to see what Tim's reaction would be. He wanted everyone to know about the adorable, sweet, and intelligent child that he'd had a part in creating. He was, however, aware that his rash decision would not be well-received by Yancey, who was a fiercely private person.
"Justin?" Tim questioned again, his voice even squeakier this time.
"Relax, Tim. I can picture you loosening your tie right now. It's probably getting very hot in your office, huh? Don't let it get to you, okay? I'm at a friend's house; I'm holding my friend's son. Calm yourself."
Tim let loose a slew of epithets and hung up the phone in Justin's face. Justin flipped his phone closed and sat on the porch staring out into space. He was so deeply in thought that he didn't hear Yancey come out to join him on the swing.
"I was wondering when you were going to get off the phone. I walked back and forth a bunch of times, waiting. I love sitting out here," she said with a gentle smile.
"You could've come out here. I was just talking to my publicist. He was pitching a fit because I left New York without telling anybody. Apparently I had some things to do and I just bailed. But seriously though, Yance?"
"Yeah?"
"That's not why I do what I do. I only wanted to sing and make some money. Be famous, you know? I honestly didn't know it'd be like this. This extra sh--stuff? I don't want it. No parts. It's getting to the point where I'm putting more into those other things than I am my music. I can't keep living like this."
Yancey didn't know how to respond. He was beginning to become upset, she could tell, but how could she console Justin the man when she'd really only known him as a child? "Uh... I'm sure your publicist is only looking out for your best interests. The music business is really fickle. You know that. Tastes change and they want you to stay out there. They don't want you to get lost in the shuffle."
Justin smiled stiffly at her. "You're very smart, Yance. But like I said, I want no parts of it. If my career dies, then..." Justin looked to the street again, his voice trailing.
"You can't possibly be serious." She tilted her head slightly to the left as if she were studying him. "You can't want certain things and only try to take the parts of those things that suit you. You've got to take the bitter with the sweet. Remember, he who picks a rose must accept the thorns it bears." She stood up to let EJ back into the house and to stick her hand inside to turn on the porch light. It was getting darker, plus she didn't want him being bitten by anything.
Justin watched her and allowed himself to feel saddened that he had allowed her to slip from his life all those years ago. He realized even more at that moment how good she had been for him, how good she probably still could be for him. Without any warning, surprising even himself, he grabbed her hands as soon as she sat back down. Startled, she looked down at their intertwined hands and then into his eyes. She read a longing there that she'd hoped she wouldn't see again because even now, she wasn't quite immune to it. When he spoke, his voice was laced with that same desire, only this time more potent because she could hear it. She could feel it going deep into parts of her body that only he had ever been able to reach. She could hear how much he wanted her and she couldn't say that she didn't want him back.
"Come home with me tonight."
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