"Hey Mom," Rachel said when her mother answered the phone. "How are you?"

"I'm doing good." Diane Bass replied. "How is everything in California? How's Kenzi?'

"Everything is good, real good. I'm finishing up the illustrations for the next book. Have to go over them with Mel to make sure everything is good. Then she'll get it send off to the publisher."

"That's great news! When's the next book due out?"

"If there are no issues, I think August," Rachel furrowed her brow in thought. She was certain that was the month Melissa had told her the next installment was due to hit the shelves. "Mel's already working on the next one."

"I don't know how she finds the time to write all these books," Diane said, shaking her head slightly. "Especially with two year old running around."

"I think she lives on caffeine," Rachel laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised to walk in to her house one day to find her taking it intravenously."

Diane laughed. "I remember those days when you and Lance were babies. Stacy was four at the time. I don't know how I would have managed if she was any younger."

"Oh come on Mom, you're a super hero. Besides, if we got to be too much, we could have always sold Lance." She chuckled listening to her mother laugh over the speaker. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine sitting at the kitchen table of the house she grew up in, a glass of sweet iced tea in front of her. Her mother next to her. She would be flipping through the local paper reading the news about people she grew up with while her mother filled her in on the local gossip. She missed Mississippi.

"Mrs. Turner still brings up the want ad you gave her to place in the newspaper for Lance."

"If only she had just placed the ad instead of calling you, he would have gone to some other family," she chuckled at the memory.

"You would have missed him." Diane said knowingly.

"No I wouldn't. Well...maybe just a little."

"Maybe just a lot."

"Yeah. Don't tell him though."

Diane laughed, "Of course not. How's Kenzi doing?" She heard her daughter sigh over the phone and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know what to do, Mom."

"Tell me Sweetie. Trust me, there isn't a problem out there that I can't help with. I think I've seen it all with you, Lance, and Stacy."

"I think McKenzie is starting to wonder about her father and I don't know what to do."

Diane fell silent. It wasn't what she was expecting her daughter to say. She assumed McKenzie was going through a typical teenage stage and her problem would be of the teenage nature.  She had been wrong about one thing. This was something she hadn't seen with her kids. The topic of her granddaughter's paternity was a sore subject.  When her youngest daughter came to her with the news, she was shocked. She never expected any of her kids to become pregnant out of wedlock.  It was probably the most disappointed she had ever been in one of her children before. Looking back, she hadn't reacted to the news well. She had a lot of growing to do as a person even with having three kids in their twenties at the time. 

Rachel had needed her. So she did what any good mother would do.  She stepped up and took care of her daughter.  It hadn't been easy.  Sometimes her daughter would be so distraught with the pregnancy, she'd cry for days. Diane told her husband, it had been hormones. She hadn't been so sure that was the case. Maybe partially, but she knew there was something else. Something that had been bothering her daughter. No matter what she tried, Rachel never spoke about who was the father of her child.

There were many nights, behind closed doors, where she had discussions with her husband, Jim, about it. Jim was ready to drag his daughter down the aisle to marry the person who got her pregnant. They had no suspects except for the four men she spent all of her time with. Diane didn't want to believe that one of them would have gotten her pregnant and not stood by her. She spent a lot of time with her son's bandmates.  She had to accompany Lance to Europe since he was a minor. During that time she got to know them all. She grew to love them like sons. She thought they were typical young adults. Some of their antics she could only shake her head at.

Jim had been angry. There had been times when he wasn't able to hide his anger from Rachel. Those were rough times; trying to play referee between her husband and daughter.  Her daughter needed her, but Jim was her husband. During a particular nasty fight, Jim had tried to kick Rachel out. Diane could still remember the devastated look Rachel sent them; the tears rolling down her face, her stomach round with their grandchild. She could still hear the small child-like voice, broken with tears, saying, ‘I don't have anywhere else to go'.

It had been that moment when everything washed away from her. Her daughter was pregnant.  Her daughter was going to have her granddaughter.  They needed her. She immediately went to her daughter and gathered her up in her arms. She held her through the tears - both hers and Rachel's.  Drying her daughter's tears, she told her youngest that she wasn't going anywhere. She could stay as long as she like. The house would always be her home. It had taken her husband a couple days longer to come around. She happened upon them on the back porch one night. Her husband had pulled Rachel into a hug. She didn't interrupt the moment and never asked what had happened. She was just happy everything was working out.

"Mom? Are you still there?"

Diane shook her head, bringing herself out of the past and to there here and now. "Sorry Sweetie. What makes you think Kenzi's wondering about her father?"

"I saw her science notebook last night. She had made a chart about blood types. It was one where you figure out the father's blood type by knowing what the mother's is and the child's. She was asking what mine was and what hers was. She said it was homework..."

"What is? Is that what they are talking about in class? Blood types?" Diane questioned, trying to gather more information from her daughter.

"Yeah," Rachel sighed. "She told me they were talking genetics and DNA and blood types. She's trying to pull me to a blood drive the school is having on Saturday since she found out that my blood is always in need."

"You should go and donate," Diane told her daughter. "Bring some good karma."

Rachel snorted. "I could always use that."

"I think you might be reading too much in to a simple question for homework," Diane said. "It doesn't sound like she's asking about her father."

"But what if she does?"

Diane's heart broke for her daughter. She wished Rachel would just talk to her. She wished Rachel would open up and tell her everything she is keeping bottled up regarding to McKenzie's paternity. She didn't understand the secrecy. Diane knew it was bothering her daughter.  It hung over her never allowing her to truly be happy. As far as Diane knew, Rachel had never discussed McKenzie's father with anyone.

"Well Sweetie, you're gonna have to prepare yourself for when that time comes. You've been lucky so far, but one of these days McKenzie's going to ask you about her father and you're going to have to tell her. She has the right to know who he is. You're going to have to be honest and truthful with her."

"I don't know if I can," Rachel spoke softly.

"I wish you would talk me," Diane's heart broke hearing sniffles on the phone. "If you don't want to talk to me, talk to Lance or Stacy... Trust me Rachel, you have a lot of people who will stand in line to lend you their ear."

"I can't..."

Diane bit back a sigh. She'd been hoping to get lucky, that her daughter would just spill everything she'd been holding inside. "You know I'm here when you do want to talk."

"I know Mom. I love you."

"I love you too Sweetie."

"What are you and Daddy doing in a couple weeks?"

Diane wasn't surprised by the change of topics. She was used to the fast switches whenever McKenzie's paternity came up. "We don't have anything scheduled. Is this about the trip Leighton was talking about? Let me tell you, you had Stacy so mad."

"Oh trust me, I know she was mad. I barely had hello out of my mouth before she was tearing in to me. Kenzi just had an idea and ran with it before I could even stop her."

"If you're thinking of a trip, you know your father and I are down with going anywhere. You know we wouldn't turn down a chance to spend time with you and Kenzi. I don't think Stacy's going to be able to get away on such short notice."

"I figured as much." Stacy had her own bake shop in Jackson. She did incredible cakes. She couldn't believe how great the designs turned out.  It didn't matter what idea people brought into her place, she'd do it. "I was thinking we'll just come to Mississippi for the week to visit. I talked to Lance and Michael and they're coming too."

"Oh that sounds wonderful." Diane smiled at the thought of having all her kids back home for a week. "I'll have to get the house ready."

"Like the house isn't ready right now."

"Hush you," Diane said, her mind already thinking what she needed to do around the house. The bedrooms needed straightening and a good dusting. She'll have to strip the beds so the bedding is fresh and run the vacuum.  She needed to make a grocery list and stock up on food to feed the four extra mouths that would be staying with them, plus items for a family dinner with Stacy and her family.

"I can practically see the gears turning in your head Mom." Her daughter giggled over the phone. "It's a good thing we just didn't drop in as a surprise."

"This is great. I can't wait to see you guys. How'd you talk Lance in to coming home for a week?"

"I played the uncle card," Rachel explained. "I just told him how sad Kenzi was and how much she missed you guys back home and how she wanted everyone together. He caved in seconds."

Diane chuckled. "I'll have to remember that."

"Can you let Stacy know? I'd call her, but she's still mad at me."

Diane laughed even as she agreed to call her oldest. "I think the kids are on spring break that week too. That will be wonderful. We'll have to think of some things to do for the week."

"I'll let you start planning. Once we have everything situated over here, I'll let you know when we're flying in. We'll probably just rent a car, so you don't have to bother picking us up from the airport. Be crowded with the four of us."

"Okay. I love you." Diane exchanged goodbyes with her daughter and ended the call. Nothing could take the smile off her face. Her babies were coming home!

*~*~*~*

"What...Briahna..." McKenzie said as Briahna grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall to her locker. "Where you waiting by the door for me?"

"Yes," Briahna said coming to a stop next to McKenzie's locker.

"What's going on?" Kenzi asked, putting in the combination and pulling her locker open. She started emptying out her book bag with the books she had taken home the previous night for homework. She hung the book bag on the hook. Looking at the watch on her wrist, she still had time before the morning warning bell would ring.

"You'll never guess what I found last night." Briahna grinned. She reached in McKenzie's locker and pulled a book out from the top shelf.

"Were you in my locker?" Kenzi asked, noticing the book was not hers.

"This morning. I was waiting here for you, but you were taking forever."

"I know, blame my mom," Kenzi rolled her eyes. "She's been talking to someone on her phone a lot. Like all the time. Seriously. And she yells at me for being on my phone a lot."

"Look!" Briahna opened the front cover of her history book where she had stuck the photos.

"What are these?" McKenzie asked reaching for the photos. She gasped seeing old photos of her mom and JC. They didn't look very old in the photos. "Where'd you find these?"

"Well you said your mom had boxes in the attic filled with old NSYNC stuff, I thought maybe mine did as well," Briahna grinned. "You should see our attic. Holy crap there is so much junk up there! I don't think there wasn't an item Dad didn't put his face on with the group."

McKenzie stared at the old photos. Her mother was dressed in a dark blue gown. Her hair was gathered at the top of her head in some hairdo she couldn't decipher. JC was dressed in a black suit that looked like it was too big for him. They were facing each other. Their front hands clasping each other. Rachel wore flowers on her wrist. "This looks like a prom photo. Like a school dance or something."

"I know!" Briahna bounced, a huge grin on her face.

"That doesn't make sense though..." McKenzie stared at the photos. In another photo it was a group shot of her mom, her Uncle Lance, JC, Briahna's parents, Justin, and Chris. She didn't recognize the girls standing with Justin, Chris, or Lance. "They didn't even go to school at the same time or even the same state. How would they have a prom photo?"

Briahna shrugged. "I don't know, but look at your mom and JC! They obviously went together!" She pulled a photo from McKenzie's hand and placed it on top. "See." The photo showed Rachel and JC dancing with each other on the dance floor. "They'd get kicked out of our school dances for dancing that close. Think you can ask your mom what the photo is?"

"I don't know... I told you what happened when she I was trying to figure out blood type." McKenzie stared at the photos while she tried to think of a way to find out the backstory to the photos. "I might be able to ask Uncle Lance... we're going to his house on Saturday after the blood drive. If I bring a bunch of old photos and put one of these in with them. He'll tell me."

"Take the group shot," Briahna said, pulling that one out of McKenzie's hands. "It will look less suspicious if it's one of everyone."

"Good idea!" McKenzie grinned at her best friend. The warning bell sounded and she quickly started grabbing the books she needed for the next couple of classes. Briahna took off to her locker with a wave. They'd see each other in third period for math. She looked at the photo of her mother and JC one more time. With a smile on her face she closed her locker and took off down the hall toward homeroom.