Brizee walked into the house and went to the kitchen and put the groceries away. Her youngest daughter came in.

        “Hi Mom,” Hayley said hugging her.

        “Hi honey, how was your day,” Brizee said.

        “Awesome, I got nominated for homecoming queen,” Hayley said. Brizee smiled and hugged her.

        “Congratulations, honey,” Brizee said.

        “Is Dad going to be in town to escort me?” Hayley asked. Brizee looked at her calendar on her phone.

        “He should be, he’ll be home tomorrow and he is on vacation for three months and then back to the studio, I’ll tell him,” Brizee said. She texted Nick the news. He sent a message back saying he will definitely be there and that he loved all of them and he’ll call her later. Brizee told Hayley.

The next day, Brizee came downstairs just as Nick came in. He smiled and she ran into his arms.

        “Oh god, baby, I missed you so much,” Nick said burying his face in her neck.

        “I missed you, too, can you believe it, our little girl is grown up and could be homecoming queen!” Brizee said.

        “She’ll be queen, I know it,” Nick said.

        “Do you think she will because you are her father,” Brizee said. Nick smiled and kissed her softly.

        “No, because she is beautiful like her mother,” Nick said.

The door opened and Jason, Gracie, and Hayley came in.

        “Dad!” Hayley said hugging him.

        “Hey, there she is,” Nick said.

        “I probably won’t get it, Dad, they want to be fair, if I get it, they probably will think I got it because of who my dad is, they want to be fair,” Hayley said.

        “Hayley, I have a feeling you will get it, because you are beautiful,” Nick said.

        “Dad, you are saying that because I’m your daughter,” Hayley said.

        “I’m saying it because it’s true,” Nick said.

        “He’s right, Hayley, I have two beautiful sisters,” Jason said. Hayley hugged him.

        “Thanks, bro,” Hayley said.

        “Thanks, bro,” Gracie said.

That night, Hayley was getting a drink and she passed the den and saw her dad on his cell. She heard him talking and she couldn’t believe it. He was talking to the person on the phone like he would talk to her mother. She walked in there and looked at him.

        “Dad,” Hayley said. He saw her and said bye and hung up the phone and looked at her.

        “Hayley, what are you doing up,” Nick said.

        “I heard everything, Dad, who was on the phone,” Hayley said. Nick looked at her.

        “Hayley,” Nick said.

        “Tell me the truth, Dad,” Hayley said.

        “Someone I met while on tour,” Nick said.

        “Male or Female,” Hayley said.

        “Hayley,” Nick said.

        “Dad,” Hayley said.

        “Female,” Nick said.

        “You’re having an affair, aren’t you,” Hayley said.

        “Hayley,” Nick said.

        “Tell me the truth, Dad, are you having an affair and cheating on Mom,” Hayley said.

        “Hayley, it’s not what you think,” Nick said.

        “Dad, just tell me,” Hayley said.

        “Fine, yes I had an affair but it’s over and my life is with your mom and you guys, okay, it didn’t mean anything, you guys mean everything to me,” Nick said. He didn’t know that Brizee had come downstairs and heard what he said.

        “Nick,” Brizee said. He looked at her.

        “Briz,” Nick said.

        “You had an affair?” Brizee said.

        “Briz,” Nick said.

        “Nick, is what you said the truth?” Brizee asked. Nick looked at her and slowly nodded.

        “Who was it,” Brizee said.

        “No one important, okay, it didn’t mean anything,” Nick said. Brizee looked at him.

        “Hayley, go onto bed,” Brizee said. Hayley went upstairs. Brizee looked at him.

        “What reason did you have to do this,” Brizee said.

        “A mistake, I was lonely and weak, if I could go back and change things, I would in a second,” Nick said.

        “And you expect me to believe that,” Brizee said.

        “Briz, I’m sorry, I love you and I love the kids and nothing else is more important to me than you and the kids, I don’t know why I did what I did, but I wish I didn’t, I would do anything to change things, anything,” Nick said. Brizee looked at him.

        “Maybe you should go stay with your dad or one of the guys for awhile, I need some time apart,” Brizee said.

        “Briz, I want to be here with the kids,” Nick said.

        “I’m sure Hayley told them everything and they want time away, too,” Brizee said.

        “Mom,” Hayley said.

        “What,” Brizee said.

        “Gracie and Jason want Dad to stay, and so do I,” Hayley said. Brizee looked at her and looked at Nick. She sat down on the couch.

        “And what am I supposed to do, pretend nothing happened,” Brizee said.

        “Mom, no, Dad made a mistake, one he won’t make again, one thing is for sure is his love for all of us,” Hayley said. Brizee looked at them.

        “I can’t just forgive and forget,” Brizee said.

        “Mom,” Hayley said. Brizee got her keys and purse.

        “Mom!” Jason said.

        “I’m sorry, but I need time away,” Brizee said. She went out the door. Jason looked at his father.

        “Dad,” Jason said.

        “She needs time, that’s all,” Nick said.

A week later, it was the night of the homecoming game. Nick sat with Brian, Leighanne, Howie, Leigh, AJ, Rochelle, Kevin, and Kristin. Baylee, James, and Mason were football players and homecoming king candidates. Ava was a queen candidate.

        “Okay, guys, we will be happy if either Hayley or Ava win,” AJ said.

        “And the same goes for the boys,” Brian said.

        “Have you talked to Briz?” Nick asked.

        “Yeah, she’s here somewhere, she still needs time,” Leighanne said. Jason came over to them.

        “Dad, you and Uncle AJ need to get into place,” Jason said. Nick and AJ went to their daughters. They stood there talking while waiting for the intros.

        “Welcome to the 2012 homecoming ceremony here at Tampa Bay High School, we have some very beautiful ladies and handsome guys ready for the ceremony, on the field right now is the guys, starting from the east side, we have Baylee Littrell, son of Brian and Leighanne Littrell, next we have Mason Richardson, son of Kevin and Kristin Richardson,  next we have James Dorough, son of Howie and Leigh Dorough,” the announcer said. He introduced the final two guys and then went onto the girls. Nick stood with Hayley. AJ stood with Ava.

        “No matter what, you will always be a queen to me,” Nick said. Hayley smiled.

        “Thanks, Daddy,” Hayley said.

        “Next up is the beautiful ladies, first up, Ava McLean, daughter of AJ and Rochelle McLean, she is escorted out onto the field by her father,” the announcer said. The crowd cheered. Ava and AJ waved and stood with Baylee.

        “Next up, Hayley Carter, daughter of Nick and Brizee Carter, she is escorted out onto the field by her father,” he said. The crowd cheered. They stood with Mason. The other three girls were announced and they all stood there.

        “And now the moment has come to announce the winners, your homecoming king is Baylee Littrell!” the announcer said. Baylee moved up front and center. He was crowned and got the sash and waited for the queen.

        “And now your homecoming queen is, Hayley Carter!” the announcer said. Hayley hugged her father. Mason hugged her and she joined Baylee and was crowned and got the sash and the cape and flowers. Everyone cheered and pictures were taken. AJ and Nick took pictures of their daughters and hugged them. 

        “Dad, I’m going to go find Mom,” Hayley said.

        “Okay,” Nick said kissing her forehead. He went back to his seat. AJ sat down next to Rochelle.

        “Where is our queen?” Kristin asked.

        “Went to find Briz,” Nick said. He sat there thinking of everything.

        “You didn’t go with her,” Kevin said.

        “If she wants to talk to me, she can find me or call me but obviously she isn’t ready yet,” Nick said.

        “Nick,” Brian said.

        “I’m giving her time, she knows where I am, she has my number, she knows I love her, there is nothing else I can do, I am the one who messed up, I did something that isn’t easy to forgive,” Nick said. They watched the game. After the game was over, Nick said bye to the guys and walked to his car. He didn’t have to wait for the kids because Jason was bringing them home. He unlocked the car and got in and went home. He walked in and went upstairs and took a shower and got dressed and sat down on the bed and looked out the window.

Hayley, Gracie, and Jason arrived home and locked up and went upstairs and saw their dad sitting on the bed.

        “Dad,” Gracie said sitting beside him.

        “Hey,” Nick said. Hayley sat behind him and hugged him.

        “No matter what, Dad, we love you and we won’t stop,” Hayley said hugging him.

        “Yeah, Dad, you will always have us,” Jason said.

        “I know,” Nick said.

        “Mom asked me to give this to you,” Hayley said handing him an envelope. He opened it and saw divorce papers.

        “I guess she had enough time to decide what she wanted,” Nick said. They hugged their father.

        “We’re sorry, Daddy,” Hayley said.

        “It’s not your fault, it’s mine,” Nick said. Hayley kissed his cheek. Gracie hugged him.

        “You made a mistake, that’s all,” Hayley said.

        “And it destroyed my marriage,” Nick said.

        “But it didn’t destroy us, Dad, we love you and always will and we aren’t going anywhere,” Gracie said. They hugged their dad and went to bed. Nick sat there reading the papers. He called Brian.

        “Hey Frack, you okay,” Brian said.

        “No, I’m not Frick, I guess you know,” Nick said.

        “That she wants a divorce, yeah, Leighanne told me, she and Briz had a big fight about it, we all are on your side on this,” Brian said.

        “The kids are, too,” Nick said.

        “I knew they would be, they love you,” Brian said.

        “I really messed up, Frick, I destroyed my marriage, I made the biggest mistake of my life and it cost me the love of my life,” Nick said.

        “But you still have me and the guys and your kids, and the girls and kids, you have the Backstreet family, you aren’t alone,” Brian said.

        “Thanks, man, I’ll talk to you later,” Nick said.

        “Night, Frack,” Brian said. Nick hung up and laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

The next day, Nick woke up and stretched and turned and faced the window and stared out at the sky.

        “Dad, you up?” Gracie asked from the door.

        “Yeah,” Nick said. Gracie came and laid on the bed beside him. Hayley and Jason came in and joined them.

        “Mom called, she found a place, she wants her stuff, she wanted us to get her stuff for her,” Hayley said.

        “Let her get her stuff herself,” Nick said.

        “We told her that, she wants to get it while you are out of the house,” Jason said.

        “I guess she never wants to see me again,” Nick said.

        “We told her you had gone to see your dad so she’s on her way over,” Jason said.

        “Oh great,” Nick said. He got up and got dressed.  He went downstairs just as Brizee came in. She saw him.

        “What is going on,” Brizee said.

        “Jason lied to you,” Nick said looking at his son.

        “I’ll come back,” Brizee said.

        “Just get your stuff and go, I’ll be down in the studio and out of the way so you won’t have to see me, that’s all you want, right, get your stuff and get out and away from me,” Nick said. He went down to his studio and slammed the door. Brizee looked at Gracie, Jason, and Hayley on the stairs.

        “Thanks, Mom,” Gracie said. She went up to her room.

        “You really did it now,” Hayley said. She went to her room. Brizee looked at Jason.

        “Jas,” Brizee said.

        “No, Mom, don’t bother, Dad may have had a one night stand, but you destroyed our family by walking out and filing for a divorce, you made it seem like you never loved Dad, that you were only with him because of me and the girls, Dad makes a mistake he regrets and that’s it, it’s over, just get your stuff and go, it’s obvious you don’t love any of us to stay,” Jason said. He went to his room. Brizee stood there. She went up and stood there looking at the bed that she had shared with Nick. The bed where all three kids were conceived and all the love they shared. She went over to the dresser and saw all the pictures of them as a family. She picked up a picture of her and Nick with the kids. She saw the divorce papers on the floor and picked them up and looked at them and saw that he hadn’t signed them. She realized the kids were right. Jason, Gracie, and Hayley stood at the doorway watching their mother. They watched her rip up the papers. She put them in the trash and turned and saw them.

        “Mom,” Hayley said.

        “Tell your dad to come up here,” Brizee said. Jason ran down to the studio and talked to Nick. Brizee made the bed and sat down. Gracie and Hayley sat on each side of her.

        “What does this mean, Mom,” Gracie said. Brizee looked up and saw Nick and Jason at the door.

        “Nothing is breaking up this family,” Brizee said.

        “Mom ripped up the papers and threw them away,” Hayley said. Nick came over and pulled her up and kissed her and hugged her.

        “Don’t leave us again,” Nick said.

        “Not in this lifetime,” Brizee said. Gracie, Jason, and Hayley left the room and closed the door. Brizee and Nick stood there in each other’s arms. They laid on the bed kissing. They removed each other’s clothes and made love.

That night, Nick and Brizee sat in the living room with their kids watching a movie when the doorbell rang. Jason got up and opened it and saw Brian, Leighanne, and Baylee.

        “Hey Jas, we thought we would come keep you guys company for awhile,” Brian said.

        “Well, you guys can hang out with us, we are okay now,” Jason said.

        “Why’s that,” Brian said.

        “Jas, who is here,” Brizee said coming to the door.

        “Briz,” Leighanne said.

        “Hey guys, what’s up,” Brizee said.

        “You’re here,” Brian said.

        “Why wouldn’t I be,” Brizee said. She smiled and went back into the living room and sat down beside Nick as Brian, Leighanne, and Baylee came in.

        “Hey Frick,” Nick said putting his arm around his wife.

        “Hey Frack, what’s going on,” Brian said.

        “Everything is back to normal,” Hayley said.

        “I thought you wanted it to be over,” Brian said.

        “Well, I came over to get my stuff and everyone was upset with me and I went into the bedroom and looked at the bed and looked at the pictures and I realized that this is where I belong, that I can’t leave my family over one mistake,” Brizee said.

        “That I will never make again,” Nick said.

        “Well, I’m glad you are back home and things are back to normal, speaking of normal, two weeks, man and it’s back to work,” Brian said. Nick groaned.

        “I know, I’m just enjoying being home,” Nick said.

        “We all are but it is a part of life,” Brian said.

        “Where are you guys going to record at?” Jason asked.

        “London, and that’s not all, Kevin’s coming back,” Brian said smiling.

        “He is?” Nick said.

        “Yup, he said he did what he wanted to do and he missed being with us and he felt it was time to come back, so it will be all five of us there,” Brian said.