When Rachel opened her bedroom door Sunday morning, McKenzie was standing right there. She had a huge grin on her face and her hand held out. Excitement was causing her to bounce.

"Can I help you?"

"Can I have it?"

"Have what?"

"Mooooom," McKenzie groaned. "Come on."

Rachel chuckled and went back in her room. She pulled McKenzie's phone from the drawer in the table next to her bed. She could feel the excitement coming off her daughter. "I have a feeling I'm not going to see you all day now."

"You're seeing me right now."

Rachel scoffed and placed McKenzie's phone in her daughter's hand. Before McKenzie could snatch it away, Rachel tightened her hold on it and waited for McKenzie to meet her eyes. "No more running away?"

McKenzie sighed. "No more running away Mom. I promise."

"Good." She still didn't released her hold. "You'll come to me if you're struggling?"

"Yes Mom." McKenzie sighed, anxious to get her phone back.

"You'll always take the garbage out?"

"Mom," McKenzie drew out with a groan and rolled her eyes.

"It was worth a shot," Rachel shrugged and let go of the phone.

"Thanks Mom!" McKenzie kissed her mother's cheek and quickly rushed down the hallway to her bedroom.

Rachel chuckled and shook her head and made her way downstairs. In the kitchen she started the coffee pot. Waiting for the coffee, she put a bagel in the toaster and grabbed the cream cheese from the fridge. She was pouring herself a cup of coffee when McKenzie appeared. "Do you want me to make you some dip eggs?"

"No."

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, looking up at her daughter.

"Briahna's mad at me." McKenzie mumbled. "I don't have any messages from her. Yesterday she was hanging out with Hannah. She hates Hannah. At least she did..." She sighed and leaned against the counter. On her phone she had quickly browsed through her text messages and her social media pages. There had been nothing from Briahna. Then she had gone to Briahna's Instagram and saw the photos.

"Oh sweetie," Rachel placed her coffee cup at the table with her bagel and went back to her daughter. She pulled her in to a hug. "You want to tell me what happened between you guys?"

"She wouldn't talk to me all day on Thursday. She didn't even sit with me at lunch. I had to sit by myself. After school I had to beg her to talk to me and even then she didn't want to. She told me that I was a jerk and a brat. That I was treating everyone terribly. I didn't even know about you and JC... she told me. She told me it was my fault."

"It wasn't your fault. What happened between JC and I was not your fault." Rachel drew her daughter into another hug. "JC and I were just trying to do what we thought was best to help you. You weren't really receptive of him and we thought it was just easier if he wasn't around."

"I didn't know how to act around him," McKenzie confessed. "I wanted him to be my father so bad. When I found he wasn't and that he knew what I wanted... I was embarrassed. I didn't know what he thought of me."

"He loves you."

"I know." McKenzie smiled at her mom. "Did he tell you what we talked about on Friday?"

Rachel shook her head. "That's between you and him. He just told me you guys talked and fixed your relationship."

McKenzie thought about what Lance and Michael had said to her as well as what JC said. "Does JC and Uncle Lance know who he is?"

Rachel hadn't been expecting the question. She froze before she forced herself to relax. "Yes. I told them." She waited for McKenzie to keep speaking but she didn't.

"Mom?" McKenzie asked, breaking the silence. She raised her head to look at her mother. McKenzie saw the same yellow-green eyes staring back at her that she saw when she looked in the mirror. "I don't want to know who it is."

"It's your decision, Sweetie."

"I don't ever want to know." McKenzie said firmly. "I don't want to know his name. I don't want to know who he is, where he's from. I don't want to know anything about him. He's not my father. He has nothing to do with me. Uncle Lance said he's just a piece to the puzzle of me that doesn't fit."

"Uncle Lance is pretty smart." Rachel gave her daughter a watery smile. "Just because you've made this decision now, doesn't mean you can't change it later. Any time you want to know..."

"No," McKenzie shook her head, interrupting her mother. "I'm not going to change my mind. He has nothing to do with me. He may have provided what was needed to make me, but he has nothing to do with me. He doesn't matter and not worth my time thinking about him." She faltered. The firmness of her tone wavered. "I don't want to lose my best friend."

"You won't Sweetie." Rachel hugged her again.

"She's really angry with me. I didn't mean to be a jerk."

"I know. And Briahna knows that too, okay? You're just gonna have to apologize to her okay. Explain to her what you were going through and how you felt."

"You sure that's enough?"

"It was enough for the rest of us," Rachel smiled.

"Thanks Mom." McKenzie hugged her mother one final time before taking the steps two at a time back to her room. Shutting the door she flopped down on her bed and took a deep breath before typing out a text to Briahna.

‘Hey.'

McKenzie waited for a few minutes but Briahna never responded. She bit her lip. She sent another text. ‘I'm sorry.' Briahna still didn't reply. ‘Come on Bri. I really am sorry.'

McKenzie didn't know what she'd do if Briahna didn't forgive her. She was her best friend. She was the reason California was fun. Having Briahna as a friend made moving away from all her friends and family much more bearable. If she stopped behind her friend... Tears welled in McKenzie's eyes. Who would she sit with at lunch? Who would she tell all her secrets too? Who would she have sleepovers with where they stayed up all night laughing and giggling? Who was gonna be her duet partner when she sang into her hairbrush? Who would she go to college with and share a dorm with? Who would be the maid of honor at her wedding?

‘Open your door.'

She stared at the text from Briahna confused. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she jumped off her bed and rushed across the room and swung her door open. There was no one there.

‘The front door.'

Rushing down the stairs, she nearly tripped and fell in her excitement. Ignoring her mother's ‘What on earth?' she ran to the front door, sliding across the hardwood floor coming to a stop at the door. She threw it open and there was Briahna. Smiling. Briahna was smiling. McKenzie grinned. Then they were hugging and laughing.

"Hallelujah," Joey said rolling his eyes toward the sky. Next to him Melissa laughed.

"Praise Jesus," Melissa echoed.

"Can I get an amen?" Kloey laughed.

"You guys going door to door spreading the Lord's word now?" Rachel asked as she came up to the door, holding her cup of coffee.

"We'd like to talk with you about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

"We have it on good authority that you need saving," Melissa giggled. "It's come to our attention that you took the Lord's name in vain recently... many times."

Rachel blushed. "How exactly did this come to your attention? You have a camera in my bedroom?"

"No," Melissa sent a look to her husband when he opened his mouth.

"No, but after fifteen years of pent up frustration it was an easy guess," Joey teased. "Probably wasn't the only thing you took in..." He laughed when Melissa slapped him across the chest with the back of her hand. "They aren't even paying attention," he said as he rubbed a hand on his chest. Briahna and McKenzie were whispering quietly together, ignoring everyone.

"Get in here before my neighbors overhear you as they leave for church," Rachel opened the door wider and moved aside.

"No amount of praying will save Joey's soul," Melissa laughed as she ushered Kloey inside. "Come on girls," she called to McKenzie and Briahna.

"What are you guys doing out and about so early? Where's Caleb?"

"Spending the day with my parents." Melissa said as they went into the kitchen and she helped herself to a cup of coffee. "We are heading to Universal and you and McKenzie are coming with us."

"Really!" McKenzie's excitement drowned out Rachel's groan.  "I'll go get ready! Come on!" She grabbed Briahna's arm and pulled her to the stairs.

"Do I have to?" Rachel's whine rivaled a teenager.

"Yes. You don't get a say in the matter."

"But I spent the whole day yesterday walking Disney."

"Maybe you should have invited us."

"Yeah. You start," Joey paused and covered Kloey's ears with his hands. "Banging JC and you don't want to hang out with us anymore."

"I still heard you Daddy." Kloey grinned up at him.

Joey bent down so he was nose to nose with his middle child. "I know, but you weren't supposed to be listening." He said as she giggled.

"What were you gonna do if the girls hadn't made up?"

"They were coming anyway."

"Joey was gonna do ‘Gangnam Style' once we got to Universal."

"Damn, I almost wish they didn't make up just to see that."

"Heeyyyyyy sexy lady," Joey sang as he attempted to do the dance while his wife and Rachel dissolved into giggles.

"Do that in the middle of Universal and Briahna will file for emancipation." Rachel laughed.

"Not if she still wants to go to Justin's concert in August."

"And Taylor Swift concert in August, and can't forget the One Direction concert in September."

"God," Rachel groaned, finishing her cup of coffee and putting the mug in the sink. "It's a shame they don't know a real boy band.'

"Backstreet Boys are currently touring."

"The Backstreet Boys are currently touring," Joey mimicked. "Nice try. But Rachel said real boy band."

"The fuck you say!" Rachel exclaimed. "Are they coming to LA? How the hell didn't I know this? Screw the kids, we need to go!" She grabbed her phone from the table and quickly started searching their tour dates. "They're in San Diego on the 28th... Vegas on the 30th and 31st..." she looked up meeting Melissa's eyes with a gleam in her own.

"Vegas here we come!" Melissa exclaimed and gave Rachel a high five.

"Now wait just a minute," Joey said. "We are not going to Vegas."

"You're not. We are," Melissa grinned.

"What are you guys so excited about?" Briahna asked as she and McKenzie walked back in to the kitchen.

"Vegas baby!" Melissa laughed.

"Are we going to Vegas? When?" McKenzie asked her mom.

"Oh you're not," Rachel laughed as she pulled up tickets. "Friday night concert or Saturday night?"

 "What concert?"

"Backstreet Boys."

"Who?" McKenzie asked.

"Ohhhhh," Melissa stared McKenzie. "You poor child. You poor deprived child. Your mother has failed you."

Briahna rolled her eyes. "Backstreet Boys are the boyband that was big when NSYNC was. Back in the 90s."

"We were bigger." Joey said.

"Then how come they are still on tour?" McKenzie asked. Her question caused Melissa and Rachel to giggle. "Why aren't you guys still touring? They are."

"Backstreet Boys didn't have Justin Timberlake in their group." Melissa said as she leaned over to stare at Rachel's phone.

"No but they have Nick Carter who is a thousand times better." Rachel said as she tapped on tickets for the Friday concert.

"No one comes close to my B-Rok."

"Uh hello?" Joey spoke up. "Aren't we supposed to be going to Universal?"

"In a minute," Melissa waved her hand in the air without sparing him a glance. "We can spend the whole weekend in Vegas. See the Boys, hit the casinos..."

"You can't go for the whole weekend," McKenzie broke in. "We are have that cook out at Lance's... like we did last year? Like we always did in Mississippi. You can't miss it."

Rachel looked at her daughter and saw the emotions on her face. In Mississippi they always got together on Memorial Day at her parents to have a cook out. The morning was spent at the local National cemetery paying their respects to the military members who scarified their lives. The afternoon and into the evening was at the Bass house for food, drinks, games, swimming, and lots of laughter and fun. The first year they spent in California was lonely. McKenzie was depressed she was missing out on the day. Rachel and Lance had decided to have their own cook out. Lance hosted the cook out because he had a pool. He invited a lot of his friends and their families. The Fatones also came.  

"We can fly to Vegas on Friday and come back Sunday morning." Melissa said knowing how much the cook out meant to McKenzie.

"Right. We'll be back for the cook out Monday." Rachel assured her daughter. When McKenzie nodded, she purchased the tickets.

"I'm telling JC you're mooning over another man," Joey teased.

"Mom's mooning too." Kloey giggled.

"Maybe JC and I should tag along..." Joey mused. "Make sure you ladies don't throw your panties on stage."

"Come on Joey," Melissa said. "Like we would ever."

"And for your information, ladies do not throw their underwear on stage."

"We'd flash our boobs."

"Mom!" Briahna exclaimed. Her eyes were wide.

"You'd flash your boobs at a concert?" McKenzie's eyes were just as wide as she asked her mother the question.

"Shy Rachel Bass from Mississippi flash her boobs at anyone let alone at a concert?" Joey asked, laughing. "No way. She's too pure for that."

"What about you Mom? You ever flash anyone?"

"Just your father." Melissa said dryly. "Now about this Universal trip..." She changed the conversation topic not wanting to continue discussing boobs and boys in front of her daughter and her best friend's daughter. They didn't need to be getting any ideas before they went to their own boy band concert.

"I need to shower first."

Joey groaned and flopped down on the kitchen chair at Rachel's words. "We're never getting out of here."

"Oh hush. I'll be back in twenty."

*~*

JC swiped through the photos McKenzie had posted on Facebook. There were a million selfies with Briahna that made him smile. He was happy to see the two teenagers had made up. She had posted photos of her and Rachel. Photos of Joey and Melissa. It looked like their day at Universal had been a blast. He felt left out and wished he had been there.

"I bet before the year is out, they are living together." Tyler drew the cards to him and started shuffling.

"What?" JC asked, lifting his head up to look at his brother.

"No." Heather shook her head and took a drink of the wine she had next to her. "Engaged."

"Who?"

"Who," Sarah rolled her eyes laughing, taking a pretzel from the bowl. "You and Rachel."

"What?" JC repeated.

"Oh don't act like you don't know." Heather said laughing. "You've been glued to your phone all day. You, the guy who hates social media, have been checking your Facebook constantly."

"If you're not stalking Kenzi's Facebook, you're messaging Rachel." Tyler dealt the cards around the table, two each. "No way she had any fun today with you constantly interrupting." He looked at his cards.

"Isn't new love great?" Heather placed her bet, throwing chips into the center. "The need to constantly be around each other. Communicating all day with each other. The long phone conversations..."

"Don't forget the ‘you hang up. No you hang up," Sarah threw her chips in.

"So glad we don't have to deal with crap like that anymore," Drew scoffed matching the bets made. "I tell her I have to go out of town and she's packing my bags, shoving me out the door with barely a peck on the lips."

"You know I love you." Heather blew her husband a kiss. "You should have just invited her along today. Maybe if she would have been sitting next to you, you would have paid attention to the game."

The whole family spent the afternoon at Dodger Stadium watching the Dodgers play the Chicago Cubs. Roy and Karen were Cub fans from their years of living in Chicago. JC and Tyler were Baltimore Oriole fans and had been since their childhood from growing up in Maryland. Even though Maryland was no longer their home, they found it hard to cheer for the teams where they currently lived. JC still cheered hard for the Washington Redskins. Tyler as well, though he found himself cheering more and more for the Buccaneers - the closest NFL team to his home in the Orlando area.

"I paid attention to the game."

"Yeah?" Drew asked, taking a swig from his beer bottle. "Who won?"

"The Dodgers." JC stated confidently.

"Who was the winning pitcher?" Tyler asked.

"What inning did Puig hit that home run?" Heather asked.

"I didn't know I was gonna be quizzed on the game." JC made a face when Tyler dealt the flop on the table. He had nothing. It worked well for him when his phone rang. Looking at the screen he grinned. Rachel. "Fold."

"Those goodnight calls...." Heather grinned, wiggling her eyebrows at her brother.

"Stuff it," JC said as he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey," Rachel smiled. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed with the covers pulled up, a sketch book on her lap. She was working out a rough version of the sketch she was going to make for the Chasez siblings.

"Hey." He stood up from the table. "Don't touch my chips," he warned the table. "I'll be back."

"Right," Sarah laughed. "You won't be back for hours."

"Hours?" Heather questioned. "Is that how long it takes?"

"Fuck off," JC rolled his eyes and left the dining room where they had the poker game set up on the table.

"They'll be married by the end of the year." Tyler laughed as he turned the river card.

"Am I interrupting?"

"No. You know how siblings can be." He climbed the stairs and entered his bedroom, shutting the door for privacy.

Rachel hummed knowingly. "They are pains in the ass. What are you guys doing?"

"Playing poker."

"Ah, I can't play that. I have no poker face."

"I believe that." JC chuckled. "How was Universal?"

"Good. McKenzie and Briahna got thoroughly embarrassed by Joey. I consider that a good day. I'm so happy they made up. Their mouths didn't stop moving from the moment we left my house until we arrived at Universal. In the back of Mel's van just whispering and giggling."

"It was probably like looking in a mirror for you and Mel." JC teased. "I remember you and Mel used to do the same thing. Off on your own whispering and giggling."

Rachel laughed at the memories. "We were mostly talking about boys...oh no," she groaned. "I hope that isn't what they were talking about."

JC laughed. "Well I don't have a lot of experience with teenage girls..." he broke off when he heard a snort over the phone.

"You can't even finish that with a straight face. No experience with teenage girls? You? The epitome of teenage love by girls all over the world."

"That was a long time ago."

"Right. Now moms with teenage girls love you," she laughed softly. "And trust me, JC. Teenage girls haven't changed. If I have to hear how dreamy Harry Styles is one more time..."

"You don't find Harry dreamy?" He teased.

"Please. Give me Zayn any day."

"Now that is an interesting piece of information. Zayn huh?"

"Oh yeah, he has that ‘don't bring home to momma' air around him."

"You have secret sketchbooks dedicated to him?"

"How do you know about my sketchbooks?" Rachel questioned feeling a blush sweep across her face. "And gross. I'm practically old enough to be his mom."

"You mentioned them and they've been brought up in conversation a couple times. Before I could ask, the conversation always keeps going."

"How was the Dodgers game today?"

"I'm just gonna ask Kenzi about these mysterious sketchbooks," JC chuckled. "I bet if I ask nicely, she'll even bring me one tomorrow."

"Don't you dare!" Rachel gasped. McKenzie would do it too. The last thing she needed was one of those sketchbooks being passed around JC's family in the stands at McKenzie's track meet tomorrow. The sketchbooks were still in the trash bag in the attic. She hadn't been up there to put everything back in the boxes. "I knew I should have thrown all that stuff away the other day."

"Oh stop," JC chided. "I won't look at them unless you want me to. Everyone seems to know what they are except me."

Rachel chewed on the pencil as she thought about his words. "The sketchbooks are the ones I used to carry around on tour."

"The ones you never let anyone see? You still have those?"

"Yeah. I never let anyone see them because they were filled with sketches of you." Rachel admitted. "There were some sketches of everyone else and of the group. Joey and Mel. But the majority of the pages were filled with you."

The words made sense. When Rachel said them, he realized he should have figured it out. Rachel had been very protective of the sketchbook she carried around. No one was allowed to look. She would occasionally show them drawings she did of the group but she held the book to keep them from turning the pages. "Show me."

"I'll bring them with me when I come over on Monday."

They talked for a little while longer. Rachel telling him tales from the trip to Universal. How Joey and Melissa started singing along with a One Direction song that had come on while they were waiting in line for one of the rides. McKenzie and Briahna had been thoroughly embarrassed especially when Joey started dancing. She also filled him in on her planned weekend trip to Vegas with Melissa and extended him an invitation to Lance's for Memorial Day. JC talked about the baseball game and how the Dodgers had won much to his parents' dismay. How he had been stopped by a bunch of fans who recognized him and how he had to endure Tyler's teasing. He also told her how Heather's driving had somehow managed to get worse and he had been like Melissa and kissed his driveway when they had returned. It was enough to get Rachel riled up and he listened to her go on and on about her driving. He could only laugh and wish she was in front of him so he could silence her with his lips.

Then they finally said their goodbyes JC opened the door to his bedroom and made his way back in to the dining room. Ignoring the teasing words and looks, he sat back down in his chair while Drew dealt the cards this time. He frowned looking at the table.

"Where the fuck did my chips go?"