"Mom, where's Aaron?" Angel mumbled as she grabbed a piece of white bread from the breadbasket. Picking up the butterknife, she smeared the bun as she awaited an answer.
"Yes, where is he?" Bob asked like he suddenly noticed that his youngest son was missing at the dining table. "Isn't he feeling well?"
Setting down the bowl of spaghetti on the table, Jane wiped off her hands on a napkin, "No. He is grounded," she said coldly as she sat down at the table.
"Grounded?" The surprise couldnīt be mistaken.
"Yes." No further explanation was offered.
"Why?"
"He was rude to his teacher," Jane stated as she scooped up a bowl of spaghetti onto her husband's plate."
"Rude?" Bob frowned.
"Yeah he called her a bitch!" Leslie offered with a grin. Angel laughed too, pasta spraying on the table infront of her.
"Gross!" Leslie commented on her little sister who grinned widely.
"Young lady that is no way to act. You have a bad table manners!" she scolded her young daughter. "And Leslie I donīt like it when you take those words into your mouth."
"Jeeze," the teen muttered, "I was just repeating what he said." Jane glared at her daughter which had the girl stop talking. Bob on the other hand wasnīt inclined to stop. Instead he demanded more information.
"Did Aaron say THAT?
"Yes," Jane nodded, "I donīt know what is going on with that boy. He have such an obnoxious attitude lately." Rubbing her hand over her eyes she said tiredly, "He is becoming more and more like Nickolas."
Ignoring the last sentence he said, "Well I better have a talk with him and straighten him out." Pushing his plate back he stood up, just to be stopped by his wife.
"No Bob leave him alone. Aaron needs to re-think his own behavoir. He is suppose to call up Mrs. Jones and appologize."
"Heīd never do that," Angel whispered to her older sister. Agreeing the both girls giggled.
"Young ladies if you have something to say you better speak up now." Jane Carter was not in a good mood. Not answering, the two teens looked down at their plates. There was silence so thick that you could cut it with a knife until Angel spoke up, "Why doe Nick never calling us anymore?"
Bob tensed.
Noticing his reaction Jane looked at her husband, "Yes Bob. Did Nick say anything while you were in Tampa why he is neglecting his family all the time?" She sounded hurt.
This was a conversation that Bob had feared for all the time. He didnīt like to lie. He had not said anything to Jane and this was eating him up inside. It wasnīt fair that his wife knew nothing about their son's illness, yet he couldnīt betray Nick's trust. The fear that his son would never forgive him was too strong "Eh,..uh.." Bob didnīt know what to say as he was searching for the right words, "He is si..I mean he is working hard on the album and is very busy right now. He also mentioned that as soon as he would have some time off he would come down to us."
He desperately was trying to be convincing, more to himself than to anyone else. It was hard to grip that his son suffered from cancer and it was all so surreal. Ever since he had come back from Tampa last week his mind had never left his firstborn son. When he had called Nick the other day and had been met with Kevin's voice there were seconds when he feared the worst. Then Kevin had told him that Nick was at the hospital since he had become very sick from the chemotherapy. He wanted to take the next flight back to Tampa but Kevin had reassured him that everything was fine and that he would be better again. Not entirely satisfied he had left it reluctantly.
"BOB! Are you listening at all?"
Getting rudely jerked back into reality he looked up, a bit confused, still sitting with a fork in his hand. Angel and Leslie had stopped eating and they looked at him too.
"Are you alright?" Jane asked with concern as she laid a hand on his arm in a comforting way.
"Yeah..yes," He put the fork down, running a hand through his hair. "I guess Iīm just a bit tired." Smiling paley back he tried to reasssure his wife that everything was just peachy.
"Did you hear anything I said?"
"Eh..No."
Jane sighed, "Well I said that maybe we could ask Nick if he wanted to come down here next weekend. After all it's been awhile since we met and maybe he could talk to Aaron. Straighten out his attitude." The young teen looked up to his older brother and he was the only one that he would listen too. It was all worth a shot.
"Um..well..ok." Bob acted along, although he doubted that Nick would accept such an invitation. Not when he was batteling the effects that the chemo was giving him.
"Oh my! You sure are excited!" Jane's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Sorry...I..I was just thinking. Actually do you really think that it would be a good idea?"
His wife frowned, saying nothing.
"I mean..he is really busy and maybe the timing is bad and.."
His wife interrupted him, "Werenīt you the one that suggested after coming back from Tampa that we would bring Nick over?"
"Ye..yes..but that was different." He was digging his own grave."
"Yes? How come?" There was challenge in the woman's voice.
"Back then he was on small break." He knew how hollow the words sounded, yet he couldn't do much to straighten out the situation.
"Really?" Not believing her husband she continued with suspecion, "What made you change your mind?"
This charade had to be stopped. It was getting harder by the minute to keep the secret hidden from the rest of the family. It was a too big burden to carry by himself. Taking a sip of milk the older man tried to think of something to say, as he sensed that Jane was staring, waiting for him to give out an answer.
"Well?" She was impatient.
As Bob opened his mouth Angel was the one that cut into the conversation. "If Nick wanted to come he would have at least called us," she complained. "God, Iīm so tired of either Nick this or Nick that. Leave the guy alone he is like..like 22 years old." With that she suddenly stood up.
"Angel sit down!"
"All you guys ever talk about is either Nick or Aaron. Iīm getting fed up with this." Red in her face she yelled out the words. Like she was finally getting enough.
"You sit down this instant!" Jane said with a harsh voice. Bob sighed. Their children were all being rebels.
"You only care about them!" With that the teen rushed out from the room, leaving them stunned.
"Angel!" Bob called out as their daughter was out of view. He stood up to follow when he heard his wife utter desperately, "Not her too, what did I do to deserve such obnoxious kids? First Nick and then BJ and Aaron and now Angel!" She sighed deeply.
Sensing that his wife was in a fragile state, ready for a breakdown he turned towards his older daughter, "Leslie can you go and see how Angel is doing? I want to talk to your mom."
Nodding the girl stood up and then left the room to tend to her sister. As soon as they were alone in the room Bob laid a comforting hand on his wife's shoulders. "Itīs not your fault."
"Sometimes I wonder." Her shoulders were in a hunched up position and the tiredness in her voice was unmistakeable. "They are all turning against me."
"No, they are just being like all teens. Trying to break free from us. " Bob sighed. He too was worried over the path it all was taken. But what had him scared was how the family would react to the news about Nick's illness. "I will have a talk with them. Straighten them all up."
Jane nodded as she took away her husband's arm from her shoulder. Turning to him she looked him straight into his eyes, "Youīre not keeping anything from me, are you?"
Upon hearing these words Bob jerked, "NO! What makes you think that?"
"Ever since you came back from Nick's you have acted differently. More distant. It's like something is troubling you."
"It is nothing." He looked down.
"BOB, we have been married for 23 years and we've had our ups and downs. I can sense when something is bothering you." She drew in her breath shakily like she was afraid to say the words. "You..youīre not.." There were a brief pause.
Closing his eyes Bob waited for the inevitable to be said.
"Bob is there another woman?" The words were uttered in a fast speed.
"NO!" Bob felt upset. Was Jane accusing him of cheating?
"Are you being honest to me?" Doubt evident in her voice.
"Yes!" He calmed down and said taking her hand, "Honey you are the only one for me and you know that."
"Good," She let out a sigh of relief. "Then what is it?"
"I said it was nothing."
"God, Now I know where the boys got their stubborness from." She smiled briefly before she set her eyes in him again, "Itīs about Nick isnīt it?" Before Bob had a chance to answer she asked, "Is he on drugs again?"
"Again? Was he ever?" Jane was listening way too much to the rumors out there. He didnīt make a saint out of Nick and there were many times when he had been very upset on his oldest son. Being a follower Nick had a habit of listening way too much at other people and he was easy to trick into following them. Even if he really liked AJ McLean he still thought that the boy had been bad news. Jane on the other hand liked Alex very much since he was always a charming prince around her. What AJ thought of Jane was a different story.
"You know what I mean," she sneered. "Nick has been partying way too much and I donīt like the people that he hangs out with. That Mike guy and Tony are bad news."
"Well he isnt seeing them so much anymo.." Bob stared getting cut off by his wife.
"You are always taking Nick's side and sticking your head in the sand. Canīt you see that the boy has some serious problems?" Her voice was shrill.
"Yes honey," Bob said with a nod. Deep inside he thought, 'Nick has some serious problems but it is not in the way that you think it is.'
"But Nick told me that he has slowed down on the clubbing."
"That is not what I have heard," she sneered back. Nick's manager called me and said that he had been spotted at a hospital in Tampa the other day. Drunk and sick." She sighed, "That is not good since the press will find out and soon it is all over the world. And that is the last thing we need before the promotion of the new Backstreet Boys album." She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I think we had enough of bad publicity when Nick was arrested."
"JANE Listen." Bob felt his temper flare up. "Nick is NOT on drugs."
"Not? Then what is it?" She asked impatiently. Before could get his breath back she continued, "I tried to call him yesterday on his cell to ask him about that hospital stay but then it was Brian that answered the phone." She shook her head, "I tell you there is something fishy going on. You have any idea what Brian is doing there?"
"Maybe he is visiting." Bob suggested.
"Maybe." She wasnīt buying the explanation. "What more is that everytime I call it is either Brian or Kevin that is answering the phone. That is strange." Turning to her husband she went silent. "Bob if you know anything about this I would like you to say it." Her eyes were pleading. "Please. After all I am his mother." The last words were filled with pain like she suspected that something was terribly wrong.
Upon seeing this, Bob felt like he would explode. His heart ached when he saw how defeated and burned out his wife looked. He knew that she had endless and sleepless nights behind her where she worried about her sons, especially Nick. The strict businesswoman that he was used seeing was nowhere in sight. The one that knew what strings to pull to get what she wanted. The one that people said was coldhearted and only cared about fame.
That was not true. Jane Carter was a woman that set high goals, but she was also a loving mother that wanted the best for her children. It was not easy being a parent in this business and she was forced to learn how to act hard to survive. The music industry was a world where you were a failure unless you were the winner.
"Jane," he said slowly, licking his lips nervously. He had to get it all out from his chest even if that meant that he broke his son's promise. After all she was his mother and she had the right to know.
She looked up at him, her eyes sensing that he was about to tell her what she might not want to hear.
"There is something I have to tell you..It is about Nick."
"Yes?"
"Nick he..he is..he has..he.." Bob stuttered, finding it hard to find the right words. As he gave it a new chance he saw his wife raise an hand to her mouth uttering, "God! Please donīt say that it isnīt so!"
Confused that she already knew what he was talking about he asked, "You already know?"
Not answering she continued being in her own world, "Donīt say that he got a girl pregnant!" Her eyes were black with anger. "I told him to be careful and use protection and now he has gotten himself into a big mess. Oh God!" She rocked back and forth, feeling sorry to herself, "What will the media say? The fans?" She picked up the phone.
"What are you doing?"
"I have to call his management and tell them about the "problem" that he has and that they will have to buy this girl out and.." Her mind went on overdrive.
"No stop it," Bob took took her hand where she hold the phone in. "He did NOT get any girl pregnant. Give the guy a break."
This was getting more and more of a bad descision and he wished that he had never said anything to his wife. Yet he couldnīt back out now.
"No Jane," he said as calmly as he could. "Nick isn't into drugs, he isn't becoming a father. He is sick. He has cancer, Hodgkin's Disease." Tears started to roll down his cheeks as he utttered the last words, "Jane our son is dying."
The air was thick with emotions and the world stood still as Jane drew in her breath. "Dying? Bob what are you saying?" Her facial expression a mask of shock and confusion.
