And in the end, there was one. He sat on his deck, taking in the view of his gorgeous backyard. Not that it mattered anyhow. He had no one to share the view with. She was gone.
He closed his eyes, trying to ease the pain that seemed so fresh. The memories wouldn’t fade. They came rushing back at him in a tidal wave. Each memory seemed to rub salt in the already sore wound.
JC had gone first. Much too young they said – so much talent with so little time. He was the producer everyone wanted. He was the man with the golden touch. Once the group went their own ways, he focused on the behind-the-scenes aspect of the business. He was the Grammy man. He didn’t just produce pop, he dabbled in every type. He had finally settled in a serious relationship right before the accident. He was traveling back to the states from London, getting ready for a trip with his girlfriend when the plane went down. The rest of the group was broken up at this news. They were in the process of compiling a greatest hits album, along with a few new tracks. The album was finished without him, and went on to break their old record of first day sales.
A few years later Chris died. His company, Fuman Skeeto, went to become the next big name. It branched out to include formal wear. They supplied outfits for most artists who went on tour, plus they started outfitting the stars at premieres. He had reunited with his former girlfriend, and had a great relationship, getting married. He was in a car with his wife, on their way to a meeting, when a drunk driver struck them. They both died instantly. MTV was having its 40th anniversary, reuniting groups to have a TV special honoring the station. *NSYNC, minus JC, was going to perform. Then this tragedy struck two weeks before. Instead of shying away, the three remaining members performed as a tribute to him, promoting alcohol awareness.
More years passed. Then it happened again. Lance had a stroke at his office and passed away. His production company had gone to manage many up and coming artists. They often had managed most of the artists JC had produced for. Along with managing artists, he had gone on to produce movies. Lance was a hard worker, dedicated to his job, but he managed to marry and have a family. His company continued on without him, continuing where he left off.
After completing the *NSYNC documentary, looking back on their success, Joey had a heart attack. He seemed to recover quite well. At this same time, MTV was having its 50th anniversary. Joey was able to attend this along with Justin. Not long after that, Joey had another heart attack, this one more severe. He didn’t recover from this, and passed away. He had appeared in quite a few movies, and had begun directing some movies for Lance’s company. He had married and had a big Italian family.
Now it was just Justin. It had been that way for quite a few years – 36 to be exact. He had married and had a small family. He had had a successful solo career, reuniting with the group a few times before JC had passed on. It seemed as though everyone in his group had died young. For a time, he had feared for his own life, wondering when his time would be up. Those thoughts had vanished when he became a grandfather.
Now, on this sunny Florida afternoon, he remembered his friends and all the good times they had.
“Dad, you all right?” his son asked him, coming out to join them. Justin turned to see his oldest son walking over towards him.
“Your mother loved the backyard on days like this,” Justin said, returning his gaze to the flowers. “Your mother loved lilies.’
His son nodded. “I know she did, Dad. They look so beautiful this year.”
“I can’t take care of them the way she used to. You’ve been doing a good job.”
“I’m sure she’s watching them from wherever she is now.”
“I’m sure she is. I’m sure she is.” He nodded slowly.
His son put his hand on Justin’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Dinner’s almost ready. I’ll come and get you when it is.” Justin’s gaze never wavered from the lilies. His son went in the house.
He was now alone again. He was alone in the world. His band mates were gone, and his wife was gone. He had had a long life. His eyes suddenly felt heavy. He fought to keep them open, but succumbed to the need.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The crowd was buzzing with excitement. The show was going to be amazing.
Justin opened his eyes, not knowing where he was. He heard the dull roar of the crowd. He saw JC walking towards him.
“Justin! We’ve been waiting for you for a while. C’mon! We have to do the hackey.” JC waved his hand, motioning for Justin to follow. Justin looked down at himself – he looked young and was in costume for a show. Shrugging, he followed JC.
JC led him to an area just off stage. The whole group was there. Lance held the hackey sack in his hand. He tossed it to Joey who kicked it to Chris who kicked it to Lance who kicked it to JC who kicked it to Justin. Justin kicked it back to Joey.
“Hackey,” Joey said with a grin. “We can’t keep the crowd waiting any longer. Now that you’re here, Justin, the show must go on.”
Justin felt tears coming to his eyes. The group gathered for a group hug.
“We’re glad you’re back, J,” Chris said, his voice sounding hoarse. Justin looked to see tears in all of his friends’ faces. It had been too long.
A stage manager told the guys it was time to go on. They put their earpieces and microphones on hurriedly, and hustled out onto the stage. The familiar strains of “It’s Gonna Be Me” wafted through the air. Justin moved automatically, from years of training, to the song. He felt almost complete. The only thing missing was her.
He glanced down into the audience. His breath caught in his throat. She was dancing along to the music in the front row. She met his gaze and grinned.
They put on their greatest show that night to a crowd filled with friends, family, and fans. The show was perfect. He was back in his element with his friends and family. He was home.
