Chapter 1

“Um…Nicky. What are you doing? You’re really scaring me.” Brian claimed, laughing.

I’m dancing. What does it look like?” nick asked, continuing his dance.

“This is why we have Fatima.” Kevin mumbled, washing the doorknobs of the tour bus. Fatima smiled from where she was sitting

“ Yup. A.j. and I are the only ones in this room that can dance without having to go into the choreography room for three hours everyday.” A.j. laughed and called checkmate on the chessboard.

“Why do I always loose to you a.j? I never seem to win.”

“If you played against nick you’d win all the time, Fatima.” Nick turned and glared at A.J.

“Not funny. Hey howie!” he turned to where howie was.

“What?” he asked not looking up from his novel “on whisper lake.”

“ Are you hungry? Cuz I ate all your cheetoes and snickers bars…I hope you don’t mind.”Howie got up.

“No! I hid them from you!”

“But you showed Brian where they were…we both got hungry and were really tiring of McDonald’s. a.j. Drives us crazy.” Nick giggled and dodged the pillow that howie threw at him. Brian tried his best to look innocent.

  Leigh Anne walked over from the other half of the bus and noticed the mock innocent look on her husbands face and the humor on nick’s face. “What did you do now guys?” she asked

“Brain and nick stole my munchies!” howie tattled. Leigh Anne got her motherly look on her face.

‘Hey nick! I thought you were supposed to be dieting.” Fatima glared at nick.

“I was, but I stopped” nick giggled. “Then I got hungry and I knew that howie hid snickers hidden behind the potato chips so I ate them. Duh!”

Fatima glared harder at him and Leigh Anne did too but after all the glaring they dropped the subject.

“Kristin…are you doing ok?”

Kristin looked up from where she was laying down and put her hand over her big stomach. “ A little bit. I wish I were driving right now. I wouldn’t be sick.” Kevin walked over to her.

“Are you sure?” she nodded. Kevin lay his hand gently where their baby was growing. Kristin jumped. Kevin laughed.

“What?” nick asked genuinely worried

“He just moved.” Kristin laughed nick looked confused.

“How could he move in there? I mean you can barely move your self. How can he? And that brings up another question. How do you know it’s a boy?” Kristin laughed and tried to answer all of his questions. “Well, he’s small enough that he can move but it surprises me sometimes. And I know it’s a boy because the ultra-sound I had at twenty-one weeks.” Nick looked confused.

“What’s an ultra-sound?” Brian laughed and took nick by his arm, pulling him in the direction of the couch

“Nick let me explain something to you…” soon, nick turned to Kevin.

“You guys are pretty messed up. Let me tell you one thing I’m NOT changing any diapers. That’s gross…unless you both die…well, then I guess I’ll have Brian do it. Unless everyone died but me then I’d do it. Brian come play mortal combat with me before Kevin makes me go away.” Brain laughed. “Ok nick, whatever.”

(That night)

The screaming of the fans rung in the boy’s ears after the last note of “The Call” had ended. They all took their bows and dropped off the stage. Sweaty and thirsty, they all strode down the hallway to their dressing rooms.

“Hurry up Kevin!” A.J. whined.

“A.J. there are more bathrooms you know.” Howie informed. A scream rang down the hall. Nick peaked out of the dressing room door.

“Um, I think we need Kevin in here quick cuz I’m not staying anymore.”

“What’s wrong?” Brian asked.

“Kristin is havin’ her baby.” He answered gingerly.

“WHAT??!!” Kevin opened the door and ran into the dressing room as fast as he could.

Brian turned to nick. “Nicky, if you’re joking you might wanna start running fir your life.” Nick shook his head . “I swear. Ibeing as truthful as um…. you right now. Besides, it would be wrong to give Kevin a heart attack too early.” ’m

A.J. came out of the bathroom looking relived. “Thanks for the break nick.”

“Uh, A.J. first of all you have toilet paper stuck to your shoe. Second of all I’m not kidding. Kristin is having her baby and they’re gonna take her to the hospital soon.”

Kevin came walking down the hall. “C’mon guys. We’re leaving now.” And together they ran down the hall.

**********************************************************

Nick looked at Brian and Brian tried not to look back. Everyone was gathered in the waiting room of the maternity ward waiting room and everyone jumped at any sound.

Sometimes they would hear a baby cry but it was never Kristin’s. It was usually the nursery or a new baby. About an hour later Kevin came out of the room smiling.

It’s a girl. We named her Megan. Megan Michelle Richardson. She’s small. She weighs 6 pounds 8 ounces. Kristin is pretty wiped out and they’re putting her in recovery right now. Megan is eating. That’s why I left.” He laughed. “We’ll all get used to it.” Everyone stood up to hug and congradulate Kevin. His mom was crying a lot and wouldn’t let go of him.

Kevin was trying to laugh between his tears.

“Hey! I thought it was a boy! Now I’m definitely not gonna change diapers!” nick exclaimed. Kevin burst out laughing.

“Nick, the ultra-sound lied.”

“Lying is bad, Kevin.”

“I know.”

“So is eating peoples snickers bars.” Howie grumbled.

“And their cookies and cream bars.” A.j. added

“Go home. Megan and Kristin are fine. I’m not to sure about my hand but everyone is ok. Go get some sleep. We have 3 concerts tomorow

(That night)

The phone rang by Brian’s bedside.

"Ggggg" he answered

“Brian.” It was Kevin. “Something’s wrong with Megan. Come over here. Don’t wake anyone else. Bring Leigh Anne if you want to. Hurry.”

His cousin’s words were few but he understood the urgency. The same tones he remembered as a child in the emergency room. The icy, glossy, hopeless tones and the tears, oh, did remember the tears. He remembered his mother crying at his bedside and holding id tiny hand…he remembered each time he woke up, it was mom he saw. Even through all the blackness, he saw the light of him mother’s eyes. The one who’d given him life and a loving home, an older brother, and the heart to fall in love.

He also remembered his mothers face when he opened his eyes and said softly, “momma?” she’d sobbed and did her best to hold her five-year-old son. Brian remembered she repeated his name over and over. The little boy that used to be him didn’t have enough strength to stay awake for very long but he went to sleep with his tiny hand clasped onto his mom’s.

“Leigh! Wake up! Something’s wrong with Megan!” Leigh Anne jumped up. They dressed quickly and silently. At the hospital, Kevin was pacing in the waiting room.

“What’s wrong?” Brain asked

“It’s her lungs. They’re too small. She’s in an incubator. The small, plastic box that’s supposed to keep her alive.” Kevin spat the last sentence.

Brian hugged his sobbing cousin and hoped everything would be ok.