“Holy shit, are we the first ones?” JC asked in amazement as he logged onto the Zoom meeting.

“If you guys go on tour, I’m personally hiring someone to keep you on schedule,” Colleen teased as she leaned over to kiss JC.

“Jesus! There are children present,” Chris exclaimed as he logged on.

“Then we better uninvite Joey,” JC joked.

“Merry Christmas!” Nash screamed at the screen.

“Merry Christmas, buddy. What did you ask Santa for?” JC asked.

“A rocket!” Nash exclaimed.

“Well, maybe you should let Uncle Lance know that too,” JC informed him. “You know he trained to be a cosmonaut.”

Nash squinted his eyes, trying to figure out the word JC had used. “It’s just like an astronaut but Russian,” Chris informed him.

A gasp left Nash’s mouth as his eyes went wide. “Is Uncle Lance a spy?!” he whispered loudly.

“Well, he was definitely pretending to play for one team as opposed to the other when he was younger so that’s possible,” Chris considered as Karly’s hand flew into focus to smack him.

“Can’t trust him for five minutes,” she smiled and shook her head.

“Oh, are we making fun of Lance?!” Joey asked excitedly as he caught the tail end of the conversation. “Back up, I want to join in.”

“Lance has screaming twins at home. Isn’t that enough torture for the moment?” JC tried to save his friend.

“Never!” Chris and Joey said in unison.

“Hey hey,” Justin smiled as he joined the call, Phin in his lap, who waved excitedly. “Wait, JC’s already here? Surely this is a sign of the apocalypse.”

“Or just a good woman keeping him in line,” Joey winked.

“Well now we know what your problem is, Fatone,” Justin chuckled.

“Hey, I got a good woman, just not that kind of one,” he smiled.

“Salute, fuckers!” Brihana exclaimed as she slid into view and downed a shot.

“What are you doing?!” “Oh God, stop!” “Joey, she’s a teenager!” The three band mates yelled.

“Not a teenager, I’m twenty one now,” Brihana smiled then watched the shocked expressions on the men’s faces. “Wait? Lance isn’t here?” She huffed and turned to her father. “God, I wasted that whole performance!”

“Calm down, just means we can do a shot together when he joins,” Joey threw an arm around his oldest child. Brihana smiled and laid her head on her Dad’s shoulder. 

“But Mom, it’s boring,” Silas whined from off screen. 

“You get to see Nash,” Jess could be heard encouraging him.

“Hey buddy,” Justin turned to the side. “How about I let you open my present when it’s my turn?” Silas slowly slid into view with a pout on his face as Jess sat down next to him.

“Geez, one child acting like a sullen teenager and one young adult that should still be a sullen teenager,” Chris surmised then turned to his son. “No growing up for you. You stay exactly this young and this short.”

“No!” Nash laughed.

“Sorry guys,” Lance said exasperated as he finally logged on. “We tried to get them both to calm down but Michael’s taking the grenade so I could join.”

“Jesus, when’s the last time you slept?” Chris teased.

“October,” Lance deadpanned, eliciting laughs from all the adults. “Alright, truly not trying to be rude but can we get going on this? I don’t want Michael to be eaten alive.”

“Here’s to parenthood, you idiot,” Joey clinked his glass with Brihana as they both took their shot. “One day you’ll get to do this with them…when you’re in your sixties.”

“That’s terrifying,” Lance shuddered.

“What? The idea of being that old, your kids that old or drinking with your children?” Justin asked.

“The idea of another Fatone with ready access to liquor,” Lance commented.

“Alright, does anyone know who goes first this year?” Chris interrupted. Each guy shrugged as Karly and Jess shook their heads.

“*NSYNC order, you morons,” Karly yelled. “Justin went first last year so it’s your turn,” she turned to her husband. “I swear, I’m taking over organizing.”

“Please do, we’re obviously useless,” Chris chuckled as he got up and grabbed a small wrapped box. “It’s clearly not a piano.”

“We switched this year,” Justin grinned. “That’s from me…from us.”

Chris opened the box to find nearly two dozen plastic cards. “My line of credit is fine. Did you confuse me with Joey?”

“Just shut up and read them,” Justin chuckled.

Chris pulled out a card at random that stated Karly Kirkpatrick - MoSH - Annual Pass. “Huh?” Chris turned the card so he could read it.

“It’s a pass to the Museum of Science & History here in Memphis,” Justin explained. “There’s one for each of you, plus some others.”

Nash quickly reached into the box and dutifully pulled out numerous cards to show them to the audience. Passes to the Memphis Botanical Garden, the Tigerman Karate Dojo and Museum, Sun Studio, the Fire Museum, the Children’s Museum and the Memphis Zoo were all included.

“Since we’re only three hours away now and you’d have a place to stay, thought maybe you all could come to our neck of the woods, or we can go to you, or meet in the middle,” Justin said as Nash continued showing the contents of the box.

“Certainly beats the trek to Montana,” Chris smiled. “Thanks man, super appreciate it.”

“There should be one more thing in there just for you,” Justin stated and Chris searched around. “I’m told it’s the best golf course in Memphis.”

“This is your golf course, jackass,” Chris laughed as he pulled out the Mirimichi Golf Club membership card.

“Used to be, sold it years ago, but it’s still really good. We didn’t get to golf as much as we wanted this year so now you got a standing offer.”

“And, um, Karly,” Jess cleared her throat and spoke up. “I thought maybe when the guys were out, we could take in some of these places with the boys…or pawn them off with their fathers and do a Lady’s day.”

“Yeah, Jess, I’d really like that,” Karly smiled back genuinely.

Justin reached his hand over to Jess’s and squeezed it lovingly. It was a start. “Hey Silas,” Justin addressed his oldest son. “Were you paying attention? Since we moved, you and Nash are going to be able to hang out a lot more.”

The gloom began to lift off of Silas’s face. “So…can I get the new Little Big Planet so Nash and I can play it when he comes over?!”

“I’ll check with Santa if he can squeeze it in,” Justin smiled and ruffled Silas’s hair, who quickly corrected it. Justin did the same action to Phin, who giggled loudly. “I’m with Chris, no more growing,” he told his youngest.

“Alright Joey, you’re up,” Chris called over.

Joey pulled up a box shaped like it would house a tv then placed it on his seat and stood so people could see better. “I know you didn’t wrap this.”

“Of course not!” Chris answered.

Joey pulled off the wrapping paper and unsealed the box, a flurry of packing peanuts flying into the air. “God, you’re such a slob,” Brihana laughed.

“Hush or I’ll make you pick up your sister from her slumber party,” he jokingly warned. “What in the hell?” Joey asked as he began to remove the present from the box.

“You think you’re easy to shop for but you aren’t,” Chris informed him. “Since you’ve been extra obsessed with Vegas recently and all our recording has made me pretty nostalgic, I thought you’d appreciate this as much as I did when Karly came up with it.”

Joey was already a little misty eyed when he finally turned the portrait around for everyone to see. At first glance, the infamous picture of The Rat Pack in front of their names on The Sands Casino marquee shown within the frame. However, it was quickly apparent that the men were replaced with each *NSYNC member from some various event where they were wearing a suit and it was now their names that appeared on the sign. The coloration had been changed to match the era the original was taken.

“Chris, this is SO cool!” Joey finally got out. 

“Well, you know, we still gotta figure it all out but just think of it as something aspirational for right now,” Chris grinned.

“Why am I Peter Lawford?” Lance jokingly complained. “He’s the one that got kicked out.”

“Because someone had to be,” Chris quickly shut him down.

“Yeah Lance, quit complaining,” Justin joked.

“Says the guy in Sinatra’s spot,” JC zinged him. “Hey, I’ll take Dean Martin any day.”

“Just don’t start drinking like him,” Chris quipped. “Well Justin, I was gonna put you as Sammy but we didn’t need another group picture you were in the center of.” 

Justin went to raise his middle finger but Jess stopped him. “Remember how long that took to unlearn last year?”

“Guys, can we…” Joey started. “I mean, this! This is a statement. It’s an album cover, it’s…”

“Joey, I hear ya but we agreed to talk about it in the new year,” JC told him. “We gotta let Lance have time with his kids.”

“Yeah, unlike you, DAD!” Brihana teased.

“No, I’m good. Let’s go, right now. Somewhere there is not constant crying,” Lance begged.

“Looks like you’re gonna have to log off this call then,” Brihana pointed at her father as he wiped a tear away as he continued to stare.

“Shut up,” Joey jokingly scolded. “I’m old and I miss singing with my friends.” Joey took one last look at the picture before beginning to slide it back in the box. “Your grandfather is going to lose his mind when he sees this.”

“Wait, did you read the plaque?” Chris asked.

Joey pulled the picture back out and laughed as he read the inscription at the bottom. “The Fat Pack…clever.”

“You couldn’t give one nice gift without making a joke of it, could you?” Karly shook her head.

“Hey! You’re the one who said I couldn’t get him a Bosley gift certificate,” Chris said back. “He’s not the spokesman anymore, they certainly aren’t going to do it for free again.”

“A reminder my birthday is in a month to the rest of you,” Joey pointed at the screen. “Ok Lance, you’re the next victim.”

“If you bought the gift, that’s definitely accurate,” Lance joked as he pulled up a large Fed-Ex box. “Considering what was in a box like this last year from you, this does not bode well.”

“Some of that stuff actually was pretty useful,” JC winked. Colleen gasped and smacked JC’s arm playfully.

“Oh, the “shut up, you idiot” slaps have begun. She’s definitely a keeper,” Chris laughed.

“Ok, so far this looks safe to show,” Lance said as he tipped the box forward to show the contents.

“You still couldn’t wrap anything!” Justin laughed loudly.

“He got to open the box, that counts for something,” Joey protested. Lance pulled out a heavy large gray fanny pack and then a matching second, both with “DAD” emblazoned across. “You only need to open one, they both have the same stuff inside.”

Lance began unzipping the various compartments to find a sippy cup, a mini tube of butt paste, wet wipes, apple sauce pouches, ear plugs, an eye mask and energy gum. “I already have a use for all of this,” Lance stated as he grabbed two ear plugs and put them in, sighing contentedly. He took them out quickly with a laugh. “Thanks Joey, this is really thoughtful.”

“There’s more in there,” Joey instructed.

Lance went back to the box and found Luke and Leia stuffed figures, a book entitled “Baby Owner’s Manual” and two half bottles of whiskey with a twin’s name on each. “So, do I drink this dependent on which one is giving me a headache?” Lance chuckled.

“That or to know which one needed more when they start teething. It’s all there in the book.”

Lance paged through the book and shot the camera a look. “Joey, this gives tips like “Do wash the baby; do not put the baby in the washer”,” Lance showed the pictures to everyone.

“I don’t know what your learning curve is. Figured I’d start basic,” Joey smiled.

“I would literally not be surprised that you needed this,” Lance quipped.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Brihana held her hands up. “Mom took care of me. Kloey’s the one that ended up in the washer.”

“I still don’t know how she got past me and crawled in there,” Joey scratched his head.

“Now I know that’s not true,” Chris challenged. “Joey’s never been near a washing machine in his life.”

“Joey…” Jess warned as she saw his middle finger about to raise. Joey lowered it and plastered an obvious fake smile on his face.

“Seriously Joey,” Lance cut in. “This is awesome, thank you.” Lance placed the box on the floor. “Alright JC, I got you this year.”