“Hey Brian, Mel. How’s the little guy?” Alex asked as he walked into rehearsal the next day.

“He’s still sick, but he’s doing a lot better. He really had us scared yesterday, though. He was burning up and in a near-catatonic state,” Brian informed his band mate.

“Did you see him, Mel?” Alex asked. I nodded, a smile immediately spreading across my face. “He’s amazing, isn’t he? He’s gotten so big these last few months, just shooting up.”

“He’s beautiful. More than I could have ever imagined. And he’s the smartest kid I’ve ever met,” I gushed.

“He’s a lot like his parents. When he’s not sick, he is so full of life. He’s always looking for an adventure and trying to make people laugh. He’s a big goofball just like his dad. But he’s also so creative. He’s always thinking of new ideas and games to play. And he’s a dreamer like you, telling me that someday he’s going to be an astronaut or a firefighter. That kid is so much like you two, it’s crazy,” Alex described our son perfectly.

“He’s amazing, that’s for sure,” I smiled.

“Hey guys!” Howie greeted, walking into the room.

“Hey Howie,” we all greeted in unison.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk much yesterday. I hope everything is alright with Baylee,” Howie apologized to me before asking about Baylee.

“He’s doing a lot better today. He’s was pretty sick yesterday, though,” I told him.

“Poor little guy,” Howie sighed, knowing that Baylee hated being stuck in bed.

“Yeah. He was pretty upset that he couldn’t come with us this morning,” I laughed. “He threw a fit when we left, begging us to take him with us.”

Howie gave me a quizzical look, making me immediately go back over what I had just said. It was then that I realized I had practically admitted to spending the night. “So you were there this morning?” Howie asked, just as Nick made his way to the group.

I quickly exchanged looks with Brian and Alex, wondering what to do. I didn’t know how much the other guys knew or how much Brian wanted them to know. I didn’t mean to let the words slip out, but now that they had, what did I do?

“Howie, Nick, there’s something I need to tell you both,” Brian interjected for me. I gave him an ‘are you sure’ look, to which he nodded subtly. “Guys, Melanie is Baylee’s biological mother.”

“WHAT!? What about Leighanne? We SAW her when she was pregnant,” Nick exclaimed.

“She was wearing a stunt bump. When Mel found out she was pregnant, we had already broken up because Leighanne found out I was cheating on her with Mel. She gave us… me… an ultimatum. She told me that either we pretend that SHE was the one who was pregnant and that Mel sign over custody of our child or she would divorce me and tell everyone the truth. At the time, I thought there was still a chance for me and Leigh. I thought that, maybe, she would eventually go back to being who she used to be, but I was wrong. Mel agreed, only because I asked her to, and Leigh pretended to be pregnant.” By the time Brian was done, the other two Boys were left in shock, darting their eyes from me to Brian and back again.

“So how does Alex fit into all of this? How did he know?” Howie asked, clearly the only one really processing anything at the moment, and also the only one who noticed the glances the three of us had exchanged at my slip up.

“At the time, Alex and I talked regularly. He knew about Baylee before I ever told Brian. In fact, Alex was with me when I told Brian and Leigh. He was the only reason I was able to do it at all,” I confessed, smiling gratefully in his direction.

“Whoa…” was all they could say.

“I know it’s a lot to take in. I wanted to tell you guys a million times, but I didn’t want you thinking badly of me or Mel,” Brian tried justifying.

“You don’t have to explain, Brian. We understand,” Nick finally spoke, adding to the conversation. “Personally, though, I don’t know how you’ve put up with Leigh for as long as you have. I would have kicked her out on her ass by now, especially if I had someone like Mel waiting for me to open my eyes and get my head out of my ass.”

I smiled at the younger man. Most people didn’t give him near enough credit. He was extremely intelligent. Sure, from what I had seen and heard, he tended to have a very quick temper and changed moods faster than a pregnant woman, but he was also extremely deep and idealistic.

“I’m not proud of the way I’ve acted the last few years,” Brian confessed to all of us, the regret and sorrow filling his voice. “I’ve been a selfish, inconsiderate jerk. I haven’t really been treating the people who mean the most to me the way they deserve. I’ve hurt everyone I love because I’ve been so focused on what I want and what’s right for MY life. I’m sorry guys. I’m sorry, Mel.”

“Brian…” we all said at once.

I watched as Nick stopped Howie from speaking, gesturing to let me go first. “Thanks, Nick.” At his nod of acknowledgment, I turned my attention back to Brian. “Brian, how many times do I have to tell you that I’ve forgiven you before you finally believe it? I’m not going to lie and say you didn’t hurt me, but you know I’m not the type of person to hold a grudge. I love you, Brian, despite everything we have been through. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved, and I have a feeling you will be the only one I will ever love. Nothing will change that. As far as you being selfish, I think you’re the least selfish person I have ever met. I know that deep down, you did everything you did because you were thinking about everyone BUT yourself. You stayed with Leighanne because you knew that if you didn’t, she would tell the press about us and that could have been the end of the Backstreet Boys. Plus, even if she had changed and had hurt you, you still loved her in some way, and you didn’t want to cause her pain. You also didn’t want to put our son through so much at such a young age. You didn’t want to have to be involved in a divorce with Leighanne, trying to save your career AND trying to spend time with Baylee. You wanted to be able to devote all your time to our son. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Things could have gone a little smoother, but life is about facing the challenges head-on and getting though them to become a better person. You did that, and everything is working itself out. You have nothing to be sorry for,” I lectured. When I was done, I looked at the other faces, all of which were in agreement with my mini-speech. I didn’t realize that Kevin had joined our group until I was done. By the look on his face, though, I could tell he had known the truth for awhile. I was glad to know someone had been there for Brian to talk to all this time.

“She’s right, Brian,” Howie agreed, smiling at me before turning to his brother and band mate. “You don’t have a selfish bone in your body. For as long as I have known you, you have always put others before yourself.”

“You’re the most amazing person I have ever met, Bri. Why do you think I am so proud to call you my best friend?” Nick added.

“And why do you think I’ve stuck by your sorry ass all this time? I supported you because I know the kind of person you are, and I know you never meant to hurt Mel. I also knew that you didn’t need me lecturing you because you were probably already beating yourself up enough for the both of us,” Alex laughed, knowing that is exactly what Brian had been doing.

“Brian. All of us love you. We know the person you are and we know you would never hurt anyone if you could help it,” I emphasized.

We watched as Brian’s eyes scanned the room, misting over as he smiled at each of us appreciatively. “I love you guys too.”

“No matter what happens, we’re all here for you. We’ve got your back and we’re not going anywhere,” I finished.

“Thank you,” he whispered. His eyes said it all. He loved us all dearly, and the determination I saw told me he was going to do whatever it took to make things right. I thought of how far we had already come in the last few months, and I knew that things would get better, but first, we would have to fight and prove our love. Things were going to get a lot harder soon, but looking around at all the support we had, I had faith that we would get through this together.