I watched the door close behind my eldest son and Tamara's niece. I sat down on the edge of the bed, and a small smile played on my lips. Rebecca was just what Ike needed, especially now. Girls had such a hard time dealing with being in my boys' presence. They took it in stride though, while Jess and Avie believed the girls should be committed.
And here was Rebecca... A kid at heart, together she and Zac had a tendency to cause mischief. She'd always be telling Taylor to let go and relax, reminding him that he is in fact still a kid. And then there was she and Ike... One minute they were goofing off and wrecking havoc, the next they were engrossed in a serious conversation. With her, my Ike could be a normal, run-of-the-mill teenager. He's lucky to have a friend like her.
Friend. The word weighed heavy in my brain. One friend was missing: a girlfriend. But right now, that just wasn't possible. I fear what she could possibly suffer at the hands of the fans. Ike, on the other hand, said it wouldn't be fair. 'I can't expect her to just sit there and wait for me while I drop in and out of her life,' he said. I sighed. Those are not the words of your average sixteen-year-old boy.
Walker looked up from his paperwork when he heard me sigh. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"About what?"
"The boys."
"What about them?"
"Well, it's Ike mostly, but... I can't help but worry. Do they even know all they're missing? I know they love music, they're dedicated to it, and it's what they want..."
"But?" Walker prompted me.
"If they never got signed and toured and everything, and twenty years later they looked back, they wouldn't regret not doing this. Sure, they may think it would've been nice, but they wouldn't REALLY regret it. But they ARE signed and they DO tour. I'm just afraid twenty years from now they'll look back and regret not being regular teenagers," I poured out everything.
My husband enveloped me in his arms. "I know it all seems so crazy right now, but it'll level off. And anytime the boys want to walk, we will."
"I just want my babies to have it all. Does that mean I'm crazy?"
Walker smiled. "No, it means you're a mother."
I rested my head on his shoulder. "You know, when we were Ike's age, we were dating. Our biggest worry was getting kicked out of the movie theater. His is proper interview etiquette. I just wish he could find a girl..."
"Oh, now I get it. Rebecca got you thinking all this, huh?"
"Don't you see? It's what she represents. They're not Hanson the band around her, they're just Ike, Tay, and Zac." I paused. "I... I... I'm not EXACTLY sure what I'm trying to say. I just know I'm concerned. Is that so wrong?"
"No, it's so right. Keep being concerned. That way, when we make decisions, we'll have the boys' best interests at heart." Walker offered me a smile. "Feel better?"
I sighed. "Yeah, a little. Guess I'm still adjusting. The boys have seemed to, so I guess that's all that matters."
I stood up and crossed the room to the window. I looked out over the streets of London. I couldn't help wondering what Ike and Rebecca were up to.