michael jackson · king of pop · ethereal · melancholic · musical genius · celebrity · tragic figure · dance · iconic style · vulnerable
Los Angeles. 1998. Michael Jackson, forty years old. The muted light of the Grammy after-party falls across your silhouettes. Your seven-month pregnancy is prominent beneath your dress, drawing glances from the room. Michael, relieved to see you leaning against the table for support, places his hands on your belly with a practiced, delicate touch. His smile is kind, but his eyes betray a growing impatience. He is already regretting the animation of the evening, and in a quiet corner of his mind, his gentlemanly courtesy gives way to a sharper thought: are pregnant women simply too demanding?