Chapter 33: A Plane, No Train, and An Automobile Part 2

March 1st, 1997

Lugano, Switzerland

10:37 AM

“My gosh. Only one hour on the road and they’re all ready knocked out,” Mack commented, looking in the rearview mirror. Chris turned to his left to see in the backseat and chuckled at the sight. Joey, sitting on the far left of the backseat, had his face pressed up against the window. It looked like it would hurt if he tried to pull away from it. Lance, in the middle, looked like he had been shot by the way he was slumped over, sleeping. Justin had his head resting on Lance’s shoulder so they all looked like Dominos that had just been knocked over.

“And they’re the ones who jumped at the chance to go on this road trip too,” JC commented, looking in the rearview mirror briefly before turning his attention back to the road.

“Don’t fight it, Jace, we needed this road trip,” Mack said as she slumped in her seat and put her knees up against the dashboard. “’Sides, I hate flying.”

JC gave her a funny look. “You hate being stuck in cars for more than an hour. Why in the world did you suggest this?”

She sighed. “I told you, we needed this road trip.” She jumped when she heard a funny noise and looked to her right only to sigh. “Looks like we lost another one,” she commented, noticing that Chris had fallen asleep as well.

“I’m surprise you’re not sleeping,” JC commented. She looked at him. “You barely got any sleep last night from what I heard.”

Mack stared at the side of his face. “You heard? I thought you were asleep.”

“Well, it’s kinda hard to sleep when you hear talking into the night and someone throwing up by your head,” JC replied, briefly looking at her. He quickly returned his eyes to the road to make sure he could see the bus. It was three cars ahead of them but he told himself it was fine as long as he could see it. If not he’d just wake up Lance, the Map Wizard. He let out a slow breath, something was different about his breathing, Mack noted, it was as if his sigh had all of the words in it that he wanted to say that he couldn’t say. She sat there, staring at the black road, waiting. Finally he parted his lips and spoke. “I’ve spent the past three, almost four, years trying to figure you out. Trying to understand why you were so clingy to Justin but hated the next guy who talked to you. Trying to understand what it is that makes you tick so easily. Trying to understand what it is that drives you to your best and I still don’t get it. I still don’t get why you let some people in but you have a brick wall separating the others. Basically, what I want to know is, why do you do the things you do?” Mack didn’t say anything; she just kept looking out the window. “You know I’m not going to stop asking you. You’re, technically, trapped in this car with no way out.” Still she didn’t say anything. “C’mon, Honeybee,” he said softly.

She looked out the window and squinted. “Can we pull over for a bit? Just to stretch? I’m getting cramped next to Octopus Boy over here,” she said, tilting her head in Chris’s direction. JC nodded, took one hand off of the steering wheel and grabbed his phone, quickly dialing a number.

“You shouldn’t use your phone while driving,” Mack chided. He handed the phone to her, putting his hand back on the wheel and she held it up to his ear.

“We’re going to make a pit stop…no, you don’t have to stop, just keep going we need the band to get there before us anyway…we have a map…yes…yes…yes, Johnny!” He tilted his head slightly. Mack pulled his phone away and ended the call. “Goh-lee!” JC muttered under his breath. He made a face and turned to Mack who made a snorting sound and started giggling. Yes, giggling. “What’s so funny?” JC asked, turning the car onto another road and parked it by a picnic table.

“You are!” She replied. “I mean, ‘golly’? Who the heck says that anymore? You’re like an old man!” She continued to laugh as she reached over Chris and shoved the car door open. She started laughing harder when Chris fell out of the car and landed on the pavement with a groan. “That’s why you wear a seatbelt, Gramps!” She joked, jumping out of the car.

“Seatbelts are for youngins,” Chris replied, getting up and stretching. “What about Sleepy, Snoozy, and Dopey?” He questioned, pointing at Joey, Lance, and Justin respectively.

“Leave them,” JC replied, shrugging. “We’re not going to be here for long, just wanted to stretch my legs a bit.”

“Good idea. I’m just going to sit here throwing food at them to see which one wakes up first,” Chris said with an evil look in his eye.

“Ok, but you’re vacuuming it up once we got to Germany,” JC warned. Chris waved his hand, waving away JC’s threat. JC chuckled as he took off his hat, scratched his head, and put it back on backwards, the bill shading his neck from the sun. “Let’s take a walk,” he suggested. Mack nodded and they started walking, where, she didn’t know, but for the first time in a while she was enjoying his company. He didn’t say anything, which was what she needed. She knew, knowing JC, that they wouldn’t leave until he got something out of her.

“Can I ask you something?” Mack finally asked JC. He was sitting on the edge of the parking lot, shoving a grape into his mouth. She was walking along the edge of the parking lot, putting one foot in front of the other like a trapeze artist on a high wire. JC noticed that her feet were perfectly pointed, much like a ballerina. She spun on her toes and turned to face him. “I was talking to Lynn. She was trying to tell me that people break up for a reason, blah blah blah, and she brought up your situation.”

JC froze with a grape halfway to his mouth. Mack smiled a bit at how distinct the gap between his teeth was. “My situation?” he repeated, lowering his hand.

“Yeah.” She dropped down so she was sitting next to him. “You know, about how you were adopted when you were five.”

“Oh, that.” He put the grape back into the bag and sealed it. “What do you want to know?”

“How’d you deal with it? I mean, you were five. I remember a lot of stuff from when I was five. I mean, your mom just left you somewhere.”

“She didn’t just leave me,” JC corrected. He paused and scratched behind his ear. He hadn’t told anyone this story in a while. The guys new, but they only knew bits and pieces of it, not the entire thing. “I was five, I think, more like five and a half when I was adopted,” he started, squinting in the distance as if trying to see his past in front of his face. “My mom, she was, is,  a wonderful woman. She raised me until I was five, I have a very clear idea of what she’s like from being with her so long and, uh, she knew who my mother and father are because she was fostered by them once, actually.” He paused to scratch his ear and clear his throat. “Things with my mom were complicated. We, uh, wow,” he muttered, laughing a bit, scratching his ear again.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Mack said, suddenly noticing how uncomfortable he was.

“No, no, it’s ok,” JC said, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. “You want to know and who better to get the actual information from than me, right?” He chuckled a little before the serious look returned to his face. “As I said, things were complicated with my mom. You know, she…that's it. It's like, it's a matter of, we were like, you know, apartment-hopping and homeless from time to time, and you know, and she, it's like ‘He's five years old. This kid needs to be in school. He needs something steady.’ You know, and she, as much as she loved me, had to make the choice of basically separating herself, you know, as the day-to-day mother in order to give me a better life. And I'm thankful for that judgment as well. It means, to me it means that she loved me even more to do that, you know.”

“Yeah,” Mack said, looking at her feet.

JC continued. “Because uh, you know, she had been through a lot in her life at a young age. And um, so that's how I ended up being adopted, is she reached out to the people that she trusted. And um, so that's how I ended up being placed with the family that I'm with. She reached out to them directly, 'cause she had direct contact with them, and they spoke about it, I guess. And um, so that's, you know, everybody's selection process or how they end up with a family is different. So it really…I was really fortunate.” He smiled. “And you know, any time that she wanted to talk or come by or anything like that, the door - it was like an open door policy. Now, every situation is different, obviously, that was just my situation. I've never met my father. Um, I don't know who my father is or anything like that. I mean, it's been offered to actually, you know? My parents said, ‘Do you want to go look for him? We'll help you.’ Everything like that. But I just never, it's just never been something that has kind of like pushed me, I guess, at this point in my life. I'm content knowing my mother and things like that. But you know the people that raised me, my mother and my father, Roy and Karen, are amazing, amazing people. And, you know, Heather and Tyler, and they are my brother and sister. I love them, you know, I would do anything for them; if I needed to I would stand in front of a bus for them. Whatever it is.” He paused. “So, to me, I’m fortunate to know two wonderful, powerful women in my life who both helped me to get the life I deserved.”

Mack nodded and drew her knees up to her chest, looking down at the cement. JC put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little hug. “My mom and dad…I don’t…” her voice trailed off.

“It’s not the end of the world, Honeybee, that’s one thing I’ve learned,” JC told her. “Your parents are splitting up because they’re not happy with each other. Don’t ever think that it’s your fault, because it’s not. They managed to have a beautiful daughter out of their relationship. It just run it’s course. If they’re going to be happier apart, don’t stop them and don’t get involved, let them work it out for themselves unless it actually concerns you. I know you’re the type of person who tries to please everyone, but you can’t. You can’t please everyone. You can’t help your parents. Only they can turn their relationship around, if they can. You can’t carry the whole world on your shoulders, no matter how strong you are. Justin and the guys, we’re here for you, and we always will be. We won’t ever leave, even when you don’t need us.” He grinned. “We’ll follow you around day and night if we have to.”

“You guys can be my personal bodyguards,” Mack said with a laugh. “Then you can screen-test them so I don’t have to deal with the idiots or the jerks or the pervs.”

“No, you’d just have to deal with a guy who likes sending you things,” JC replied.

Mack stared at him and then it hit her. “Oh, you mean Nick.” He nodded. “He just heard I’m going through shit right now. He gets me, that’s all.”

“And we don’t?”

“No, ‘cause you’re not the youngest and you’re not a girl.”

“Fair point.” He whipped his head around and looked at Chris who was beating his fists against the steering wheel, causing horn blasts to fill the air. The first one made Justin jump so bad he had hit his head on the roof of the car. JC and Mack burst out laughing. “We should go before Justin strangles him.” He stopped her before she could stand. “Remember, you can tell us anything. Even when we’re split up around the world for whatever reason. Even if it’s 3 in the morning, if you need to call me, don’t hesitate. I’ll be by your side in a flash, OK?” He brought his other hand up to her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. She brought her hand up and hugged him around the waist as he kissed her forehead. “See now, that wasn’t hard to hug someone you hate, was it?” He asked with a teasing grin as they stood and walked to the car.

“JC, I never hated you,” Mack said, seriously. He stopped walking and looked back at her. She shoved her hands into her jeans pockets. “I hate who you are, but it’s not because of you. It’s because of my parents. You’re just like my mom and dad combined, so much it’s like you’re their kid, not me.”

“And you thought…” JC stopped as a look of realization crossed his features. “Ooohhhhhh!” Mack made a face. “Come here.” He held out his hand. She glanced back and forth at his hand and his face a few times before reaching out and taking his hand. She was shocked at how soft it was, considering how much he played guitar when he had a chance. “I’m not their son. You’re their daughter and they’re stuck with you. The only thing you can do is make them proud, which you do all ready, ‘cause you make us damn proud.”

“You cursed!” Mack fake gasped. She brought her hand up to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, call the angles of heaven! We have a sinner here!”

“Shuddup!” JC muttered as they approached the car.

“What’s goin’ on?” Justin asked, looking at the two.

“Nothing, we were just talking,” Mack replied.

“Ok, so what’s with that?” He asked nodding.

“What?”

“That.” He reached out, grabbed Mack’s wrist, and lifted her hand, which was still connected to JC’s. He lifted an eyebrow. “Are you two dating or something?”

“Justin, how old am I?” Mack asked.

“Fifteen,” he replied.

“And how old is JC?”

“Twenty.”

“Right, if we were dating, hell if he wanted to kiss me, he’d be sent to jail,” Mack said. A slow evil grin spread across her face. “Which sounds really funny, actually.”

“Get in the car!” JC barked.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

 Trier, Germay

6:12 PM

“How much longer?” Justin whined from the backseat.

“A little less than an hour,” JC replied, glancing at the clock on the dashboard.

“How did a six hour trip turn into a ten hour trip?”

“Your whiney ass turned it into a ten hour trip,” Chris replied. “You had to pee, you were hungry, you wanted to stretch, the car smelled funny, we need more gas, blah blah blah! It’s your fault! Johnny’s going to have our asses!”

“No he won’t,” Mack replied, looking at her nails.

“What do you mean?” Joey asked, leaning forward in his seat.

“I mean I talked to him earlier about this road trip thing. I told him that we may need to take our time to get there. As long as we don’t get in past 7:30 we’re fine, we’ll be there about a quarter ‘till and you’re still going to have an hour before the show.”

“I love you,” Joey sighed, leaning back in his seat.

“That still doesn’t change the fact that I’m bored!” Justin sighed.

“Then let’s play that Do Run game,” JC suggested.

“Wait, let me get my camera!” Joey said as he turned around in his seat.

“Do Run? What kind of game is that?” Mack asked.

“It’s an improve game. What you do is you sing something in tune to the Doo Run Run song. Then the next person has to sing something that rhymes with the last verse,” JC explained. He noticed the confused look on Mack’s face. “Nevermind, we’ll just start it and you can join in if you want. Joey, you start it off.”

“Wait, wait!” Joey fumbled with his camera and the light finally turned on. “Ok.” He paused trying to think of something. He looked down at his camera and grinned. “We’re video taping and it’s really cool!” He sang.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run,” they boys sang in perfect harmony. It still amazed Mack how they could be pitch perfect any time they opened their mouths.

“Joey’s got the camera and he’s actin’ a fool,” Justin sang as he clapped out the beat.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run. Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“Whoops, a little drool,” Chris sang with hand movements.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“Love the movie Back to School,” JC sang, bobbing his head.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I…don’t know anything else that rhymes with ‘ool’,” Lance said quickly to fit in with the song ‘causing them all to chuckle.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.”

“See? Want to play now?” JC asked, nudging Mack.

“Ok, ok fine, I’ll play,” she sighed.

They turned to Justin who paused a second to think. His inspiration came from staring at the back of Chris’s head. “Chris has got some new earrings,” Justin chanted.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.”

“And these are two of my favorite things,” Chris said, stumbling over the words a little bit.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run. Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I love…Colarado Springs,” Mack managed to get out.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I want to eat Burger King’s,” JC chirped.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

Joey turned his camera to Lance who struggled to find something to sing. When Joey deemed that Lance was taking too long he sang, “I like When the Bell Rings.”

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.” Justin pointed at Chris to indicate that it was his turn to start.

“Well Joey’s got the camera with the really bright light,” Chris sang, bouncing in his seat, a large smile on his face.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.” As they sang Mack waved her hands signaling to skip over to JC.

“And it light’s up the night…s-starlight, so bright!” JC managed. Joey laughed a little.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run. Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I fight with all my might!” Lance sang proudly.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I hope I don’t get in a fight,” Joey sang, lamely.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“That light’s super bright,” Justin sang, blocking the camera’s light from his face when Joey turned it to look at him.

““Da doo run run run, da doo run run.”

“Well…we’re passing…past these big whole thangs,” JC sang, rubbing the side of his nose with his finger. He turned and grinned at Chris who started laughing.

“Things?” Lance asked in confusion, clearly not having heard JC.

“Thangs, Lance,” Justin corrected him,

“What rhyes with…? Oh. In a Beetlejuice show Joey wears fangs,” Lance sang happily.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run. Da doo doo doo, yeah,” they sang collectively.

“I like…” Joey paused to think. “Shania Twain!”

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I’m going insane,” Justin sang, a grin etched on his features.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“Look, a boomerang!” Chris projected.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.”

“It looks like I’m…lookin’ right into a train,” Lance muttered when Joey turned the camera onto his face.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.”

“And if you get hit by that you go: ow, pain,” Joey deadpanned.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run. Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“…I’ll leave a stain,” Justin chirped.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“He’s insane in the membrane,” Chris said, pointing at Justin.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

They skipped to JC. “Because…he didn’t drain.” They laughed at his ridiculous answer.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.”

“We’re drivin’ in the car and we’re reallllyyy….pumpin’!” Joey blurted out.

Justin laughed and then sang in a funny voice, “I’m rollin’ down the street and the music is bumpin’.”

““Da doo run run run, da doo run run. Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I want to punch sum’in’,” Chris said, turning to Justin.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“Kick a lil’ somethin’, somethin’,” JC sang, nodding his head.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“Yeah, let’s get it crumpin,” Lance slurred, causing them all to laugh out loud, almost not able to finish that round.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.”

“Who goes?” Joey asked, pointing the camera at his face. Then he realized. “You,” he said pointing at Justin.”

“Mmkayyy,” Justin sighed. “Man that light is…” he paused. “Ooh! All in ma face!”

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run.”

“I think he’s…thinking of a can of mace,” Chris said deadpan.

“Da doo run run run, da doo run run. Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“Hey man, wanna race?” JC asked with a little accent, turning back to look at Lance.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I’ll try to keep up the pace,” Lance said smoothly.

“Da doo doo doo, yeah.”

“I’ll win first place!” Mack jumped in before the others could say anything.

Joey was about to sing the ending but Justin stopped him. He said to the camera excitedly,. “Let’s get JC on the finale.”

They all sang the intro, “A doo run run run, a doo run…”

JC took in a deep breath. “RUUUUUUUUUUN!” He screamed, causing all of them to burst into laughter.

“Geeze, you guys are going to kill me one day,” Mack mused, holding her aching abs.

“Oh, that’s good, we know how to kill her before she kills us,” Chris said as he stretched. They all laughed.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“Oh my god, I’m beat,” Mack mumbled, flopping onto the couch of the bus later that night. They managed to get to the venue on time and even managed to have time to get a little soundcheck in before changing their clothes and getting their minds set on the show. Now that they were able to add more songs to their set the boys seemed to have more energy once the show was over, tired energy that is.

“You? You didn’t even do anything,” Chris pointed out, passing by her to sit down at the kitchen table.

“I had to put up with your sorry asses all day. That’s doing enough,” she replied taking out her phone as the rest of the guys passed by her.

“I call first shower,” JC announced as Joey, Lance, and Justin went to the back sitting area. She then noticed she had a message.

“Hey Shrimp, it’s Trace. Just wanted to see how you’re doing. Lynn got home safely and she said today was your first day of the new tour and I wanted to make sure you survived. Call me back whenever. I miss you. Tell J I said what’s up. See ya.”

“Who’s he callin’ shrimp? He’s barely taller than me,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head.

“Here you go, Little Lady,” Johnny said, stepping onto the bus. She looked up and saw him holding out another CD case. “Looks like someone is fond of you,” he said in a teasing tone with a wink.

“Don’t even start, Johnny, I get a lot of flak from these guys all ready,” Mack said as she took the CD from him.

“What is going on between you two?” Johnny questioned.

“Absolutely nothing,” Mack replied, looking him dead in the eye.

“It doesn’t seem that way from the other end. He talks about you all of the time from what I hear. AJ can’t get him to shut up,” Johnny reported.

“Well, I am that awesome.” Johnny laughed and turned to get off the bus to make sure they had everything they needed. Her phone vibrated in her hand and she looked down to see who was calling. “You must’ve known my phone was in my hand,” she commented, ignoring Chris who was pretending to read a magazine but was staring at her over the top of the pages.

“No, I just have good timing,” Nick replied, a smile in his voice. “So what’s up? Their tour started today, didn’t it? How’d it go?”

“Really well. We were allowed to put more songs in so they experienced a longer set but I’m sure they loved it.” She flipped Chris off who lowered his magazine and stuck out his tongue. He grabbed a pen and started writing something on the little card in the magazine.

“Hey, they get more of a rush,” Nick said. “They’ll love the feeling.”

“I’ll bet. So what’s going on with you?”

“Well, we finally made it back home.”

“No fair. You’re back in the States?” Mack couldn’t hide the longing in her voice. She really wished she could go back to Orlando, hit the beach and the ice cream parlor without having to worry about getting her hair ripped out only ‘cause she knew ‘N Sync.

“Yeah, we got back earlier today. It’s funny, I missed the smell of Orlando.”

“Orlando has a smell?” Mack asked in amusement.

Nick laughed. “Yeah. I know it sounds crazy but it smells like oranges and, um…”

“And what?”

“You’re going to laugh at me,” he said in a small, kid-like voice. She couldn’t help but smile at the voice.

“No, no, tell me. I won’t laugh, I promise.”

“To me, it smells like…like, magic,” he muttered as if embarrassed. “I know it doesn’t make sense but that’s what it smells like to me.”

“I think I get what you mean,” Mack said, noticing Chris waving the card out of the corner of her eye. She glanced at it and snorted. Written in big, bold letters was: U R A TRAY-TOR!! “Hey Nick, I am going to have to call you back. I need to kill a certain Kirkpatrick.”

“Ok, call me tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but there’s a chance I might screw up the time difference, though.”

“Oh that’s ok, talk to you later. Bye.”

“Bye.” Mack hung up the phone and looked at Chris. “What is your problem? Ce qui dans le monde que j'ai fait pour que vous m'appelez un traître?”

“Uhh…I caught the part with the traitre,” Chris said with a heavy, fake, French accent.

Mack sighed. “Why are you calling me a traitor?”

“Because you’re in cahoots with Pretty Boy of the Backstreet Boys!” he replied, pointing an accusing finger at her.

“Cahoots?” Mack repeated. “Grow up, Chris. Nick and I understand each other, that’s all.” She grabbed her phone. “I’m going to call Trace now if you want to say something about him.” Chris didn’t respond, he just walked to the back of the bus, grumbling under his breath as the bus shuddered and the engine roared, signaling that they were finally starting their leave. She glanced at her watch trying to figure out what time it was. It was about ten there…so it was only 3 PM back in Tennessee. She pressed 3 on speed dial and waited for Trace to pick up.

“Hey Shrimp,” Trace greeted her.

“You’re not the much taller than me, Trace,” Mack sighed.

“Four inches taller, baby, makes all the difference,” he boasted.

“Yeah, whatever Tray.” She rolled her eyes. “So what’s up?”

“Just wanted to see how you were doing and wanted to make sure you didn’t kill Justin.”

“Not yet, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do it later,” she replied, tugging at the end of a blue strand of hair and frowning at it. “I think I called about when school’s over, right? How’s that going?”

“It’s boring without you guys here. Oh, I didn’t tell you, Rachael transferred over to our school.”

Mack smiled. Trace still referred to the town’s high school as ‘ours’ ‘cause he still couldn’t let go that Justin and Mack weren’t with him. “She did? When’d that happen?”

“This year. I’m so glad I know another Sophomore. I swear I was about to go crazy. Everyone I met couldn’t put up with me. Not like you guys, at least. It’s good that she’s J’s cousin or I would’ve driven her crazy by now.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Mack laughed. “Hey, when’s your Spring Break? That’s coming up soon, right?”

“Yeah, in April. Let me check my calendar.” Mack waited as she heard him moving things off of his desk. She laughed, remembering how cluttered his desk was. It was his junk desk, he just threw things onto it whenever he didn’t want to deal with anything. “Umm, our Spring break is from the 6th to the 16th.”

“No way,” Mack muttered.

“I’m looking at it right here.”

“That’s when we finally get a break. That same week. We can finally go home.” Mack was excited now. She sat up on the couch and started bouncing in excitement.

“Really?” Trace asked.

“Yeah! Man, I can’t wait to get back. I miss my bed and the pier and the beach and Disney and–”

“Wait.” Something in Trace’s voice made her stop. “When you said ‘home’ you meant Orlando?”

“Yeah,” she replied. Trace sighed. “What?” She asked, worried.

“Mack, I think…I think you should come home. Your real home. Memphis, home. You haven’t been back in so long and–”

“There’s a reason for that,” Mack interrupted him. “Is my mother there? In Memphis?”

“Yes,” Trace admitted. “But, Mack, before you say no, please just hear me out.” She sighed. “You need to come back. I feel…you lost the Southern in you. You’re not the same Southern Girl as you were before. You need to come back and…find who you are.”

“I know who I am, Trace,” she said.

“Do you? Somehow I think everything you’ve done up until now has been a façade. You don’t have to be someone else around me.” He sighed. “Please? I’m not asking just for me. I’m asking for Lynn and for Momma and for your mother. Please, come home. Your mother needs you.”

“Needs me for what?”

Trace hesitated. “I can’t say, that’s between you and her. Bluebelle needs you too.”

Mack’s heart lurched. “How is Bluebelle?” She whispered.

“She’s not doing so good since you’ve been gone,” Trace admitted. “We need you here to help us figure out what’s wrong. You’re the only one who can get her to calm down and do what we need her to do. Please come back for Bluebelle, for your mother, for me. Please. I…I really miss you.”

Mack sighed and closed her eyes. Don’t make me regret this, Lord. “Fine.”

“You…you’ll come home?” Trace asked.

“Yes Trace.” She beamed. “I’ll come home.”