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"Hi, can I come in?" he asked.
"Sure." She smiled.
He had been a semi-regular visitor since she had gotten out
of surgery. He was the only Backstreet Boy to make the
effort. She hadn't seen AJ since
that night. He cut a fine figure in a suit, which is all she'd
ever seen him in. Today's was
a dark gray.
"I came to see you off." He smiled.
"I've still got probably two hours. Dad isn't even here
yet."
"These your grandma's
enchiladas?" He asked, seeing a plate on the bed tray.
"Want some?"
"God, I haven't had these in years." He said,
peering under the foil.
Probably 10 years, since she had become a Dorough.
"Try them, they're good." Lexie laughed, walking
over to hand him a plastic fork. He took a mouthful and enjoyed them
noisily. "Good, huh?"
"Fabulous." He laughed. "Oh, hey, I brought
you these." He said, handing her a plastic bag.
"What's this?" she asked, taking the bag from him.
"I'm sorry I didn't have time to wrap them, I just got
them FedEx last night." He said, putting down the fork. "They are
some old BSB stuff, books and things. I thought you might
like them. I don't know what Howie's shown you."
"Oh, he's shown me some stuff.
The house isn't a totally BSB free zone." She smiled, pulling the
yellowed programs out
of the bag. Just me, I'm the only thing not allowed near
the Backstreet Boys, she thought.
"This was nice of you, Nick. Thanks." She said,
stuffing them back in the bag before her Dad got there. "Let's not tell
my
Dad, okay?"
"Sure, no problem."
"Stick them in my bag, okay?" she smiled,
gesturing toward a duffel bag on the bed.
"I hear Alex is still showing progress." Nick
began, opening her duffel bag and stuffing the items inside.
"Really? That's great, I'm glad."
"You know, you never answered my question." He
said, zipping the bag shut.
"Which one?"
"When this is over, now that it's almost over, are you
still going to be around?" he asked.
"I've gotta go back to USC in the fall."
"I mean with us."
"I don't know, Nick." She shrugged.
"Depends."
"On what? Your
Dad? I think you're old enough. I think he'd let you
come to things and. . ."
"No, Nick, not him."
"AJ?" he asked, but she couldn't
answer. "I see."
Lexie wasn't sure if he did or not.
Her involvement with AJ hinged on little Alex making it. If he died, she
doubted he have
much use for her. She couldn't tell
Nick that.
"Here's my card." He said, handing her something.
Lexie blindly took it and stared at it, unable to really
see it. "I still live
in L.A.
most of the year, if you need anything while you're
at school you can call me. That's my private number."
"Thanks, Nick."
"I'm sure your Dad has everything covered."
"He usually does." She smiled.
"I know I'm not AJ, but. . ." He began.
"I don't need anymore 'dads', Nick." She sighed.
"I don't want to be your dad,
I want to be your friend." He said. "You'll call, right?"
It's time
some Backstreet Boy let you in. It's time someone
began to make it up to you, Lexie Dorough. It's all of our
faults you went through what you went through. I want to be
the first. He thought.
"Yeah, you bet." She said, giving the card a
little wave in the air.
"Good luck to you." He smiled.
"You too, Nick." She said, half
heartedly.
You'll
change your mind, little girl, he thought as he left her room.
Nick arrived home that night in L.A. to the cheers of his little girl
screaming, "Daddy, Daddy!"
He scooped her in his arms and twirled her around. He
squeezed her close; suddenly realizing that AJ has never heard
those words from any child of his.
"How did it go?" his mother asked.
"I think I made some head way with her." He
smiled, putting his daughter down.
"I don't know why you're doing this." She sighed.
"You should've heard her scream those words, Mom. I
heard every syllable through that door. She hates him, Mom. She
hates all of us and I can't blame her." He sighed.
"God, I'll never forget them and I don't think AJ ever will
either."
In the days that followed, Lexie returned home and her
friends made the rounds; coming to visit and taking
her out.
Howie was happy to see her come, go, and be happy at home.
She still tired easily, but the doctors were starting to
wean her off her medications. He laughed when after he told
her she should stay home and rest, instead of going out
with her friends one day, her reply was that it didn't take much effort to lie out at the beach.
This morning she woke feeling pretty rested. She asked for
some money to get a couple new dresses, one especially
for clubbing tonight. He told her if she was feeling good
enough to go out with her friends, she could run some errands
for him downtown. She moaned and groaned a bit, but arrived
at the main recording studio on time to run some master
tapes to a sub recording studio
downtown.
He was sitting in his office after lunch when the
receptionist buzzed in.
"Howie?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"AJ is here to see you."
"Send him in." Howie said, getting to his feet to
open the door. AJ made it in before he could get to the door. More out of
habit, they met half way in an embrace.
"Sit down, AJ. Your mom called the house last night, said you could take Alex home next week. That's
great news."
Howie said, sitting down with AJ on a couch.
"It is great news! We'll still be in Orlando for at least another six months,
but things are really looking good."
"How's Suzanne taking it?"
"She's much better. Her mom
and mine have been taking good care of her." AJ said about his young
wife.
"Is she ready for him to come home?"
"More than ready!" AJ smiled, "We all
are."
"That's just great!"
"I owe it all to you. You and Lexie." AJ said
seriously.
"Lexie insisted."
"I know." AJ nodded. "But you raised her. You
and Leah made her the person she is today."
"She's very much a young woman of her own mind,"
then the phone rang, interrupting Howie.
He walked across the room to his desk and picked it up.
"Go ahead and put it through."
Howie put his fingers to his lips and hit the speakerphone
button.
"Hi, honey." He smiled.
"Dad? Is that you? Thank god!"
"Lexie, what's up?"
"This stupid car, Dad! I'm
broke down again."
"Where are you?"
"I'm still in downtown."
"You should've been home hours ago!"
"I know, I've been trying to
get it fixed. Can I just get a rental?"
"Where's the car?"
"Right on the side of the road where I left it."
"I'll call a tow truck."
"I don't need a tow truck! Dad! I need a new car.something
decent!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you still won't get me
a new car. I'm gonna get broke down somewhere
dangerous."
"Lexie, calm down."
"I'd get my own car if you'd let me get a job."
"Lexie, school is. . ."
". . .more important than work
right now! I know, I know! C'mon Dad, give me a break! You didn't even give
me this car,
Uncle John did."
"Honey, just tell me where you are and I'll send a tow
truck and a driver," he said, trying not to laugh.
"You know, my birthday is in just three weeks. You
could ship it back to school with me and I wouldn't have to take the
bus everywhere."
"Where are you, Lexie?" he insisted firmly.
She told him exactly where she was, where the car was and
what she thought of the whole thing. AJ marveled at how he
handled her, doubting he could've
ever done better.
"Can I have a new car?" she asked one last time.
"We'll talk about it when you get home."
"Really?!?" she asked
surprised.
"Yes." He laughed.
"Promise?"
"I promise to talk about it, but that's all."
"That'll get far." She said dryly.
"You better mind your manners young lady or you'll be
walking home." He laughed at her.
"I just might anyway!" she declared, hanging up on
him.
"What I tell ya'?" Howie
laughed, hanging up the phone.
"She sounds like a handful."
"She can be, most of the time she's very pleasant and
reasonable."
"Except when she opens her mouth." AJ joked.
"How did you know about that?" Howie asked,
stunned that AJ had that revelation.
"When she came to visit Alex in the hospital, she said
she almost passes as a Dorough until she opens her
mouth." AJ
said.
"She said that? To you?" Howie asked.
"Yeah." AJ shrugged.
Howie and Leah talked about getting a car for Lexie. Lexie
offered her best arguments, but was told they would
talk it
out themselves. Lexie was upstairs in her room when her
private line rang and she answered it.
"Hello?"
"Lexie?"
"Yes?"
"Lexie, it's me, Nick."
"Oh, hi." It had been weeks and she hadn't called him, but she was still at home.
"I haven't heard from you in a while, so I thought I'd
call you."
"Oh, well, I'm not going back to school until after
Labor Day."
"You could call from Orlando."
"Oh."
"So, how are you feeling? Better?"
"Yeah."
"I hear you're having car problems."
"How'd you hear that?" she asked.
"AJ. He was there when you called your Dad." Nick
said, almost saying 'Howie'.
"He was?! Dad didn't say
anything about that." Lexie said.
"Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said anything."
"Naw, it's
all right. I'm used to Backstreet Boys keeping secrets behind my back."
She said sarcastically.
"That's not fair."
"It's not? How the hell would
you know?" she challenged him.
Nick felt himself recoil from the phone. The venom in that
was strong! He could easily see all of her anger toward AJ
being transferred to him. He was determined to be there for her. To
be a good friend and maybe help her see things
differently.
"Lexie, your Dad just wanted to share the moment with
AJ. AJ has never had those kind of moments."
Nick said. "I'm
sure they didn't mean anything by it."
"Well, good. Maybe AJ will buy
me a car." She said with a heavy sigh.
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