The couple of days following her release progressed without incident. Kevin ensured that Abigail got plenty of rest and he thought she was doing remarkably well for everything that she had been through. Abigail still had a few issues that were nagging her, but she insisted she was going to talk to Dr. Steep.

Kevin had invited the other guys and the girlfriends over the day after she was released from the hospital and Abigail was excited when Kevin suggested she invite some of her own friends. That was also when Kevin had suggested inviting her closest friends out on the road with them for a weekend while she was on tour with him. Kevin always amazed Abigail. He was an extremely thoughtful person and was doing everything in his power to help Abigail forget about the horrific events that happened just days ago.

Preparing for the barbecue kept Abigail busy, which she seemed to thrive on. As soon as she had a quiet minute to herself, she found herself reliving everything again and she always became upset. Kevin planned the barbecue in hopes that Abigail would take interest in helping him plan. He hated the thought of Abigail sitting around and tried his best to keep her distracted, while at the same time ensuring she got plenty of rest. He could easily get used to living an easygoing life, but it would soon be over and the craziness of touring was just around the corner.

Since the barbecue was during the week, Abigail was a little disappointed that none of her friends could attend, but she was still excited about having the Backstreet Family over. She had taken the time to plan the whole menu and insisted that she do all the preparations. Kevin let Abigail take control thinking it was a reassuring sign that she was interested in doing something. His plan had worked.

It was that afternoon, when Brian and Howie noticed that Abigail never left Kevin’s side. At first they just brushed it off assuming that Abigail was still having some problems dealing with everything, but they became a little concerned when Kevin said he was going to go to the beer store with AJ. They watched as Kevin took Abigail aside and assured her that he would only be gone for a short while and that he’d see her when he returned. It was almost as if she retreated back to being like a child whenever she felt threatened. They decided to just let it go when it seemed like Abigail was able to mingle with everyone while Kevin was gone.

Abigail knew it was unreasonable to expect Kevin to spend every single minute with her, but when he announced he was going to the beer store with AJ, she panicked. She knew full well that she wasn’t going to be left alone, but it was as if she couldn’t control the emotions and fears that surfaced. As soon as Kevin reassured her that he would be right back, she was able to calm down and relax a little. Before she knew it, he was back by her side again.

Brian was able to catch Kevin alone for a few minutes later that afternoon and asked how Abigail was doing.

“She’s doing a lot better than I thought to be honest. The most difficult times for her are when she fears she is going to be left alone and when she is awakened at night by nightmares. It even takes me a while to calm her down after those.” Kevin said, shivering when he recalled the blood-curdling scream that had wakened him up the night before.

“That would explain why Abigail looked a little upset when you said you were going to get beer with AJ.” Brian said.

“I just had to remind her that everyone else was here with her and that I wouldn’t be gone for long.” Kevin said, unaware that anyone had noticed.

“Aren’t you concerned that she’s going to become a little too dependent on you?” Brian asked.

“No I’m not. Abigail suffered through a very traumatic event and her psychiatrist has recommended that she remain with someone that she can trust for the period of at least one month. She’s just starting to go through the emotions of post-traumatic stress, so the next couple of days are extremely important to her recovery. Over the coming weeks I’ll have to encourage her to do more and more things on her own. In the end our goal is to make Abigail strong enough to deal with this on her own and become independent again. Dr. Steep will assess her progress after one month and we’ll determine how to proceed from there.” Kevin said.

“That seems like a lot to take on with the tour and everything, don’t you think?” Brian said. He was skeptical about Abigail joining them when she appeared to be so needy.

“What are you getting at Brian? I thought you agreed it was best that Abigail spend time with me on the road.” Kevin said, confused about Brian’s change of heart.

“I do agree Kevin. I just think it’s a lot to take on while we’ve got a full tour and promotional schedule, that’s all.” Brian said.

“We’ll just have to deal with it. I will not turn my back on Abigail now. I love her and I need to see her through this.” Kevin said, determined to live up to his obligation to the group and Abigail. There was no doubt it would be difficult, but then again nothing in his life had been easy.

“Ok, I’ll back off. It’s obvious this is important to you.” Brian said, when he realized he was just upsetting Kevin.

“Yes, it is Brian. Trust me ok. Abigail and Dr. Steep all ready know that this can’t interfere with my schedule. Now stop worrying and get back out there and enjoy this beautiful afternoon.” Kevin said, letting Brian know that the topic was not up for discussion any more.

The remainder of the afternoon passed peacefully. Kevin stayed close to Abigail which kept her calm and no one else questioned his ability to juggle the tour and Abigail.