*•FATHERLY KEVIN•*


PROLOGUE
Adelle picked up the phone nervously. "Go on!" Her bestfriend Pam encouraged her. Adelle dialed some digits.
"Hi, Mom?........Yeah I'm fine. Actually, Mom, ...........I'm pregnant."
 
 

"So? How did she handle it?"
"Not smoothly, but she's okay."
There was silence.
"What're you going to do now?"
"I really don't know....... I think I'll raise this baby." Adelle sobbed. They hugged.
"Come on, you're a brave girl! You can get through this! And if you can't deal, I'll be there for you."
"Thanks, Pam! You are my bestest friend!"
"I know."

SPRING, 1998
"Let's get back to the hotel! This place is getting crowded!" Lonnie yelled and at the same time, protecting AJ from possible nasty scratches or breaking rib lunges from the teenage girls surrounding them. For Kevin, this was an ordinary scene.
The Backstreet Boys made their excape, not so successfully because Kevin accidentally hit down someone on his way running towards the bus.
"I'm sorry! Are you hurt?" The lady cringed when Kevin helped her get back on her feet.
"No, not really," she gave him a blaming look. Kevin moved to touch her shoulder.
"Ouch!"
"Does it hurt much?" Kevin asked worriedly.
"Kev, hurry up! The girls are coming!!!" Brian called.
Kevin grasped her hand and led her into the bus.
"What are you doing?!" she screamed.
"I'm sorry but, I'm kidnapping you!"
 

"Denise, can you check this woman's shoulder? I'm afraid it's broken."
"My name's Adelle and I think my shoulder's alright, thank you. Just wounded." the girl confided Denise. Rather uncomfortable with Kevin's grip, she drew her hand loose.
"I'm really sorry, Adelle, I wasn't looking where I was going." Kevin appologized.
"Never mind. I wasn't looking either."
"For a second there I thought you were pissed!"
"Yeah. People say I'm very appologetic."
They both smiled and they were too busy looking into each other's eyes that for a moment they forgot that there was an audience watching.
"Hey Kev! When are you gonna introduce yourself?!" AJ, being the Ladies' Man that he was, gave instructions on the matter he's good at.
"Oops... hehehe... Sorry again," Kev said. His face went red. "I'm Kevin. Um, nice to meet you."
"Whoa! Nick, look! Kevin's blushing! That's very rare!" Brian caused half of the bus listening laughed.
"Don't pay attention to that monkey over there. He's not in a good condition. Anyway, about this trip..."
"That's okay, really. You don't have to appologize for everything. And I see you guys are pretty known to the girls back there, I'm flattered that you picked me to company you into this bus. Are you someone important I should know?"
"Well actually, we're just a group of peeking toms that got caught in the act in the ladies' toilet." Brian allowed himself to answer Adelle. Kevin stiffed his jaw and gave Brian an 'I-don't-wanna-kill-you-because-you're-my- cousin-but-I-will-if-you-can't- shut-up' look while the rest laughed again. AJ and Nick pretended to peek into the hole formed between their thumb and forefinger, and Howie was laughing.
"Interesting group you have here!" Adelle couldn't hold back her laughter too.
"Oh I can tell you more about us if you care to sit with me!"
"Sure."
 

Kevin and Adelle spent the rest of the day unseparable. Before they knew it, they had fallen in love with each other. After that day, they frequently met up for lunch or dinner. After several dates, Adelle told Kevin a secret.
"I can't hide it no longer from you although I know you'll leave me as soon as you know about it."
"Just tell me. Whatever that is, I'm ready, because my love for you is strong enough."
"I hope you can keep those words, Kev............................ I'm two months pregnant."
".............................. Oh my God.You are not kidding?"
Adelle shook her head.
"Whose baby is it?"
"An ex-boyfriend of mine. We broke up just after I told him about the pregnancy."
"What?! How could he? Walk out from his responsibility like that! Where does he live?" Kevin snatched his car keys. "Kevin, he's not in the neighborhood. I met him in England 2 months ago when I visited some friends. We lost control and it just happened! It wasn't entirely his fault."
"I don't care! That son of a bitch is still gonna have to take responsibility!"
"No, please Kevin, leave it like this! I'm not mad at him or anyone, I'm happy and I'm gonna raise this child alone!"
"But you're only 22!"
"But I'm a grown woman!" After that, she tried to change the subject, "Oh no! I just remembered something...."
"What is it?"
"My mum's coming down to my apartment tomorrow, and she insists to see the baby's father! I haven't told her that I'm going to be single-parenting my child!"
"In that case, I'll...." Kevin stopped, noticing a faint smile on her lips. "Wait a minute..... Why are you saying that to me only a day before tomorrow, huh? You're trapping me into this!" Kevin pointed jokingly.
"Yes and I've made it!" Adelle laughed. "So will you do it?"
"Tell your mum that I'm the father? For how long? I don't care even if it's for forever, though."
"You really mean that? How nice of you, Kev! But I'll only want you to meet my mum tomorrow, after that, you're free to go. I'll handle it from there."
"Is your mum a serial killer?"
"No, but she bites and doesn't let go."
"Whoa..... I'm up for it if she looks like Cindy Crawford!"
"You're crazy!!!"
They laughed.
 

The next day, Kevin kept his promise and he stood by Adelle when her doorbell rang.
"Mom! So happy to see you!" Adelle greeted a forty-something woman, who looked like a reflection of a much more mature Adelle.
"Me too, honey! Oh just look at you, and how's the baby?" she bent over to kiss her daughter's belly.
"Mum! You tickled me!" Adelle laughed. "Oh Mum, I want you to meet someone...."
"Hi, um, Mrs. Robinson.... It's great to meet you." Kevin tried his best to be amazingly polite.
Mrs. Robinson watched Kevin closely. He suddenly felt a little guilt grew inside of him. 'What's wrong?' he wondered. But Adelle's mother smiled and stepped closer to him, and finally she wrapped her arms around him.
"It's so nice to finally meet you too, Kevin!" she cried. Kevin widened his eyes at Adelle. She mouthed "She's a great mother!". Kevin smiled and returned Adelle's mum's hug.
"So are you going to live here or move into a bigger home?" Mrs. Robinson asked.
"Mum! We haven't talked about that yet!"
"We haven't planned anything. But we will, soon." Kevin enjoyed his role as a good father-to-be.
"I'm very happy Adelle got herself a very responsible young man like you, Kevin."
"Thank you. I'm flattered. Adelle's a great woman too, Mrs. Robinson."
"Please, call me Anna."
"My mother's name is Ann!"
"Really? I'd like to meet her one day!" Anna said cheerfully.
"Yeah. I hope so."
The conversation went on, Kevin and Anna gradually became friends. At noon, she decided to leave. She gave Adelle and Kevin another hug and then she left.
"Wow! You're so damn convincing that I almost forgot that you're not the real father!"
"I hope I could be one day," Kevin proposed.
"Maybe. One day." Adelle smiled when a tear almost escaped her eyes.

The doorbell rang again.
"I'll get it!" Adelle sprung to the door wondering who could that be. She found Pammy standing outside, ready to give her a big bear hug. "How did it go? Tell me!" Pammy shouted. "It was awesome, Pam. Come on, I want you to meet him!"
Adelle brought Pammy to Kevin, they introduced themselves and then had dinner together.
"Wow you are soooooooo lucky, girl," Pammy whispered Adelle on her way out. "Psst! He might hear you!" Adelle pretended to freak out. But she whispered back. "Yeah, I guess I am lucky. He's the greatest man I've known...... After Simon left me."
"Forget that dirt, Adelle, he ain't worth a piece of your mind! Anyway, catch ya later!"
She yelled to Kevin, "Take care my Adelle, would you?"
"I will!" Kev replied from the kitchen.
 


A terrible coincidence, or was it one terrifying moment for Kevin, as Simon Jenkins showed up on Adelle's door just a few days later.
"Hi Adelle. It's been a long time...." he muttered.
"Yeah. And you're not welcomed here, so go!" Adelle wanted to bang her door right in front of Simon's nose. Though in the same time, she wanted him to stay. She didn't know whether she still loved him or that she was just thinking about her baby. She chose to let him in. They talked and soon Simon asked her to marry him, because he wanted to take responsibility, and that he loved her.

Kevin arrived as soon as Adelle called him.
"Kevin, I really didn't know what to do!" she cried. Kevin felt like crying too. "So you accepted? Like nothing's ever happened to us?" "But this is his baby, Kev!" "I can be his daddy! I love the child! Probably even bigger than his love!" "You don't understand!" "I understand perfectly! You were just using me!" "No, Kev! I meant it when I said I love you!" "Yeah, I loved you too. But it seems your love for me fades away in time."
Kevin turned his back on Adelle. She cried, but it didn't bring Kevin back.


WINTER, 1998
Kevin hurried into the store, trying to avoid the freezing wheather outside.
'Of all the guys in the band, why am I the one to be in charge tonight?' he asked himself. They were staying at a producer's huge mansion because there weren't any hotels in the little town they were at, and they had run out of junkfood. So here he was, in the middle of the night still walking around in a -30° temperature.
He brought two Coke cans, a couple of beers, Ginger ale, and a bunch of snacks to the cashier. He waited behind another customer who was also paying. For a second Kevin thought he had met that lady somewhere, but decided that she might be a fan he had met at the concert the other day.
She was on her way to leave when Kevin suddenly regained his memory. "Pammy!"
"Who are-  Kevin! Omigod! Nice to see you here!" Pammy hugged him. Surprisingly he hugged her back, no regrets was made. They both realized the sudden closeness and they drew apart.
"What are you doing here?" Kevin asked.
"I'm visiting....um, ah," She stuttered, "My friend."
"Your friend?" Kevin felt a weird feeling in his stomach. "Which one?"
"Um, what about you, huh? What are you up to here?"
"Just doing my job. Pammy, is it Adelle?"
"How.. how do you know?!"
"You're no good at covering," he laughed. "Is she in town?"
"Yes. She is. With Simon."
"Oh. Their honeymoon, or.... they bought a house here?"
"Actually, yeah, they moved here right after.... they got engaged."
Kevin noticed her eyes were trying to avoid his.
"Pam, it's okay. I'm happy for them two, you don't have to worry!"
"I just, I don't want to..... hurt you, you know?"
"It doesn't hurt me a bit. I'm happy for them if they're happy."
"Oh."
"Do you want to pay for those, mister?" An old man on the cashier stared at them impatiently.
Kevin and Pammy exchanged looks and laughed.
 

Kevin wanted to meet Adelle, so the next morning Pammy took him to a big two story house that looked so comfortable and happy. Kevin felt he was intruding, but Adelle welcomed him warmly.
"I'll just, be in the kitchen, ok?" Pammy excused herself before Kevin and Adelle started catching up each other's stories.
"You seem happy. Are you?"
"Yes, Kevin. I am. Just look at my tummy! It's big, huh?"
"Wow.... Yeah, you're gonna have a kid as big as you!"
"No kidding!"
"How's Simon?"
"He's great. He tries to cover his mistake in the past. He's being a wonderful father."
"That's good. I don't have to rescue you then."
"Thanks, Kevin. You still care for me, even though I was really mean to you."
"Hey, you were really motherly, you know. The kid should be thankful to you! Anyway, um,"
"What?" Adelle smiled at a blushing Kevin. "About Pammy, isn't it?"
"You're a good guesser! Um, does she have a boyfriend?"
"She's totally free! No husband, no boyfriend, no ex-boyfriend, and especially no babies!"
They laughed.
Adelle invited Pammy in, and they talked together. About high noon, Kev and Pam excused themselves.

"Do you want some coffee?" Kevin asked Pam, who immediately replied, "Sure! I love coffee!"
 

• THE END •