Brizee stood there in the church, looking at the casket up front with tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt hands on her shoulders and looked and saw her husband, Nick. She turned and went into his arms and he held her close.

        “What song are we singing?” Nick asked. She looked up at him and he looked at her.

        “I decided to do something else, you guys aren’t singing now, I want them to play my dad’s favorite song on the stereo,” Brizee said resting his head on his chest. He held her close.

        “I’ll tell the guys,” Nick said.

        “They know, my mom was going to tell them, I told her I would tell you because I want you to hold me and never let go,” Brizee said.

        “That I can do, but what about doing the service,” Nick said. Brizee looked at him.

        “You are family now, you are married to me, you are not to leave my side for anything, I can’t make it through the service without you,” Brizee said. He kissed her forehead.

        “I won’t leave your side for anything,” Nick said holding her close. Susan came up and saw them.

        “It’s time,” Susan said. Brizee looked at her mother and they hugged. Brian, Howie, and AJ came up behind Nick.

        “Why are we here if we aren’t singing,” AJ said.

        “AJ!” Howie whispered.

        “You guys are here for support, for Briz, she needs all of us,” Brian quietly told them. Nick looked at AJ.

        “That we can do,” AJ said. Brizee pulled back from her mother and saw the guys. She went and hugged them. She hugged Brian last.

        “I’m glad you all are here,” Brizee said to Brian, Howie, and AJ.

        “We are here for you, you are our sis,” Howie said. Nick smiled and took her into his arms as she held onto him. They went to sit for the service. Susan, Brizee and Nick sat in front with the family while Brian, Howie, AJ sat towards the back. Brizee held Nick’s hand and held her mother’s. The service began. It came time for music.

        “Originally we were going to have Brizee’s husband and his bandmates perform but Brizee wanted her father’s favorite song played instead, Jack,” the reverend said. Jack turned on the stereo and the song played. It was “The Dance by Garth Brooks”. Brizee rested her head on Nick’s shoulder. He kissed her head and rested his cheek against her. After the song was over, the reverend finished and everyone pasted by the casket one last time before they carried it out to the car for the trip to the cemetery. Susan and Brizee were the last ones and they held each other as the casket bearers closed the lid and carried it outside. AJ and Howie helped Susan out to the car. Nick took Brizee in his arms and held her as she broke down crying. Brian stood with them.

        “Time to go, baby,” Nick said softly. They went out to the car and went to the cemetery and did the service there.

Two weeks later, Brizee and the guys went home. Brizee and Nick went home and Brizee went upstairs and laid down on the bed and stared out the window. Nick locked up and went up and laid down on the bed and curled up behind her. She relaxed against him.

        “I love you, baby,” Nick said.

        “I love you, too,” Brizee said.

        “You know we could have stayed with your mom longer if you wanted to,” Nick said.

        “I know, but she said she would be fine and that we should go home,” Brizee said.

        “I’m here for you,” Nick said.

        “I know and I’m glad, I don’t know what I would do if I ever lost you,” Brizee said. She faced him and stroked his cheek.

        “I’m not going anywhere, I could never leave you,” Nick said. Brizee looked at him.

        “But you don’t know what will happen, my dad said the same to my mom and look what happened, he’s gone and never coming back, my mom’s all alone,” Brizee said.

        “She didn’t know that drunk driver would be on the road when your dad was coming home from work,” Nick said.

        “I know that, I just can’t imagine my life without you, you are everything to me,” Brizee said.

        “And the same goes for me, you are my everything, I would give up everything for you,” Nick said.

        “But I don’t want you giving up music for me, Nick, you love what you do, I couldn’t ask you to give it up for me, you love singing, you love the fans,” Brizee said.

        “But I love you more,” Nick said.

        “I don’t want you giving up what you love for me,” Brizee said stroking his cheek.

        “I will give it up if I think it’s best for me,” Nick said.

        “If you think it’s the right thing to do at the time, it’s your choice,” Brizee said.

        “I will,” Nick said. She kissed him softly.

        “Make love to me, Nicky,” Brizee said softly. They slowly removed each other’s clothes and he gently made love to her. Afterwards, they went to sleep holding each other.

The next morning, Brizee woke up and saw Nick lying there watching her.

        “Morning,” Brizee said. He kissed her softly.

        “Morning, baby,” Nick said. He held her naked body close to his and she sighed.

        “Nicky, we didn’t use protection last night,” Brizee said. He stroked her cheek.

        “Do we really need it?” Nick asked.

        “Are you ready for a baby?” Brizee asked.

        “I want kids with you, baby,” Nick said.

        “What about tours, what if you are on tour when I’m due to give birth,” Brizee said.

        “I will drop everything and come back, nothing is going to keep me from being with you when our baby is born,” Nick said.

        “Nick, the guys can’t go onstage without you, unless you can bug Kevin to come out of retirement to fill in,” Brizee said. Nick smiled.

        “There’s an idea,” Nick said.

        “But the guys will probably want to be there with us,” Brizee said.

        “Then we postpone a couple shows, or schedule the tour around your due date,” Nick said.

        “Are you sure about this,” Brizee said.

        “I’m sure, baby, I love you and I want kids with you,” Nick said. He kissed her deeply as he made love to her again. They laid there kissing when the doorbell rang. Nick groaned and got up and got dressed and went downstairs and opened the door and saw a delivery guy here with an envelope.

        “Carter?” he asked.

        “Yes,” Nick said. He handed Nick the envelope and Nick signed for it and closed the door and saw it was for Brizee. He looked up and saw her come downstairs.

        “Something for you, baby,” Nick said. She opened it and saw a letter from her mom. She dropped it and cried out and sank to the floor. Nick got down next to her.

        “Honey,” Nick said. She shook her head and cried. He read the letter and couldn’t believe it. Her mother had killed herself after they left.  The letter was sent after it happened. It was planned. Nick carried her up to bed and she cried herself to sleep and called the guys. An hour later, they sat in the living room and each of them read the letter.

        “I’m not letting her out of my sight,” Nick said.

        “We will stay here and help,” Brian said.

        “She needs us now, we are all she has left,” Howie said. Nick went upstairs and laid on the bed with her.

Three weeks later, they returned home from her mother’s funeral. Brizee stood at the backdoor watching the ocean. Nick came up behind her and hugged her from behind.

        “You guys are all I have left,” Brizee said.

        “You are not alone, baby, you will never be alone, you will always have me and the guys and my family,” Nick said. The doorbell rang. Nick went to answer it and saw Bob, Ginger, BJ, Leslie, Angel, Aaron, and Jane. They came in.

        “We came as soon as Brian said you were home,” Bob said. Brizee came over to them.

        “Briz,” BJ said hugging her. Leslie, Angel, and Aaron followed suit. Jane came and hugged her.

        “Ginger and I are both your mothers now, you come to either one of us for anything,” Jane said. Brizee nodded as Ginger hugged her. Bob hugged her.

        “You are a Carter now, you will always have all of us,” Bob said. Brizee nodded and hugged him. Jane hugged Nick. Brizee went upstairs.

        “She’s taking it hard, this is all too much for her, losing her father and then two weeks later, her mother,” Jane said.