Chapter 46

“Watch the foot,” I warned Natalie the following evening as she lowered my legs over the side of the bed.

“I know,” she said, grabbing my sliding board to wedge beneath me. “You poor baby. I still can’t believe you dropped a bowling ball on your foot!”

“Can’t you?” I chuckled. “C’mon now. You’ve seen how accident prone I am.”

“Well… yes,” she admitted with a sheepish grin. “I guess I shouldn’t be that shocked, huh? But I still feel bad for you.”

“Don’t. It doesn’t hurt, and it obviously hasn’t affected my mobility much.” I shrugged as I looked down at my legs, which were dangling limply off the edge of the mattress. “At least this costume is loose enough to fit over my boot.”

“Yes, and slippery enough to make transfers easy.” She stroked the satiny, white fabric that was draped over my thighs with her fingertips. “You ready?” she asked, her hand lingering on my knee.

I nodded. “On three. One… two… three.” Taking a deep breath, I dragged my upper body across the transfer board while Natalie helped guide my lower half from the bed to the seat of my power chair. “You were right,” I said, releasing my breath with a sigh of relief as she repositioned me, pulling my hips back to help me sit up straighter. “That was pretty easy. Maybe I should wear polyester more often.”

Natalie made a face. “Or maybe not.”

I laughed. “So, how do I look?” I asked, holding out my arms. “Like a marshmallow?” I sure felt like one, thanks to the multiple layers of clothing I had on underneath my costume. The old me wouldn’t have needed to wear a sweatsuit and long underwear to watch a parade in forty-five degree weather without freezing, but we both knew the new me would be miserably cold in minutes otherwise.

Natalie fastened my seatbelt, then stepped backward to study me from a distance. Frowning, she replied, “Honestly, right now, you look more like a mental patient.”

“Gee, thanks. That makes me feel great about going out in public like this.”

“It’s just a lot of white.”

“It was your idea!”

“I know. And it’ll look much better once we put the rest of your costume on,” she said confidently. “Just give me half an hour to get myself ready first. By then, Dawn should be done, and she can help me decorate your chair. Do not look in the mirror until I tell you to.”

“All right… I guess I’ll just sit here and roast while you get dressed,” I replied, already feeling uncomfortably warm. “Could you at least crack a window open for me?”

“Of course.” Natalie opened the window closest to my bed, letting a cool breeze into the bedroom. Then she gathered an armload of clothing from her suitcase, grabbed her makeup bag, and retreated into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

I turned my attention to the TV, which was tuned to the football game. The Chiefs were already losing to the Raiders, thirteen to six. Natalie and I had watched her Falcons win their game against the Eagles earlier that afternoon, but I didn’t hold out much hope that my team would make a comeback. While the Falcons were undefeated, the Chiefs had gotten off to another dismal start that season, losing five of their first six games. They’d finished last in their division in all but one season since Kristin died, which made me doubt that the Big Guy in Heaven had any influence over sporting events on Earth. I knew if Kristin could have, she would have put in a good word for her favorite team.

With the Chiefs still trailing by a touchdown at halftime, I turned away from the TV and rolled across the room. Parking my chair next to the open window, I looked out across the idyllic farmland that surrounded my old Kentucky home. The colorful leaves had begun to fall from the trees, and the crops had been harvested from the fields, reminding me that winter was on its way. As much as I loved Kentucky, I couldn’t have been happier about having a second home in southern California to escape to when the midwinter gloom got to be too much for me.

I never used to mind winter, but ever since I’d gotten hurt, it had been the hardest time of year for me. My body couldn’t handle the bitter cold, and my wheelchair didn’t do well with the ice and snow that came along with it. But it was my mood that suffered the most during the dark winter months. I wasn’t sure whether it was because of seasonal depression or grief brought on by the anniversary of the accident – probably both – but, once Christmas was over, I always wished I could just go to bed and hibernate until spring.

But, of course, I couldn’t do that, especially not now that I had gone back to work. The Backstreet Boys were going to be busy for the next few months, finishing our album and planning for a tour to promote it. My calendar was filling up with studio sessions, meetings, rehearsals, performances, and promotional appearances. While Natalie now helped with most of my daily care tasks whenever she was in town, Dawn had taken on more duties as my personal assistant, working closely with our team in L.A. to make accessible travel arrangements for me. After being gone for almost a week with the Boys, I was glad to have a few days at home to recharge before I had to fly out to Anaheim for our Disneyland appearance.

And speaking of Disney…

“Are you about done, babe?” I called through the closed bathroom door, glancing at the clock on my bedside table. It was almost six. The overcast sky was growing dark outside my window as the sun went down, its weak, dying rays struggling to penetrate the thick layer of clouds that hovered over the horizon. “We’d better get going soon.” Our plan was to head downtown, where we would meet up with the guys, grab some dinner, and find a place to watch Lexington’s annual Halloween parade and “Thriller” reenactment. If we waited too long, we wouldn’t get a good spot.

“Almost!” Natalie called back. “Give me just a few more minutes to finish my makeup!”

“Okay.” I was getting antsy, but I knew I couldn’t complain. It wasn’t her fault she’d had to help me into my costume before she could put on her own. I wondered how Mason and Dawn were doing down the hall. “I’m gonna go check on the other two. Be right back.”

“No, wait!” Natalie pleaded. “Don’t go anywhere! I want you to see me first.”

I sighed. “All right. Fine.” I returned my attention to the TV, trying to concentrate on the halftime report until I finally heard the door open with a click. When Natalie walked out of the bathroom, my jaw dropped. “Dear God…”

She gave me a seductive grin, striking a sexy pose in the doorway. “What do you think?”

I drank in the sight of her like a man dying of thirst, my eyes panning down her body and back up again, admiring every detail of her costume: the pretty turquoise color of the airy harem pants that billowed around her legs, the tiny, midriff-baring, matching top she wore with it, and the nude catsuit she had on underneath, which clung to the curves of her body. The costume was beautiful, and she looked incredible in it, but once I locked eyes with her, I couldn’t look away from her gorgeous face. Her brown eyes were framed by a thick layer of smoky black liner and mascara, making them appear larger, her eyelashes even longer and fuller. She had applied extra bronzer to her forehead and cheeks, giving her skin a warm, sunkissed glow. The long, black wig she wore pulled back over her own brown hair with a bejeweled headband completed the look, helping to transform her into the iconic Disney character she had wanted to be for Halloween.

“I think that was worth the wait,” I replied, grinning back at her. “You make a damn good Jasmine!”

“Thank goodness!” She sagged with relief. “I had a lot to live up to, seeing as how I’m gonna be standing next to the guy who actually was Aladdin,” she said as she walked over to me.

I laughed. “Yeah, well, I looked a little different back then,” I said, glancing down at myself. “I doubt Disney would hire me the way I am now.”

“They already did hire you to perform next Sunday,” she reminded me. “C’mon, let’s put the rest of your costume on so we can take some pictures before we go. I can’t wait to see what Dawn and Mason look like!”

“Me neither,” I muttered, snickering to myself. I leaned forward so Natalie could tie a gold sash around my waist and fasten my long, white, purple satin-lined cape to the shoulders of my white tunic.

“I’m gonna let this hang over the back of your chair,” she said as she adjusted the cape. “It looks better that way. Otherwise, it’ll just get bunched up behind your back, and no one will even see it.”

“Okay. Just as long as it won’t get caught in my wheels.”

“Nah… it’s not that long. It should be fine.” She picked up the last piece of my costume, a white turban with a large, purple plume on the front, and put it on my head. Then she backed away to admire the full effect. “That’s so much better,” she said, a big smile spreading across her face. “You don’t look like you belong in a mental ward anymore.”

“Well, that’s good,” I said, smirking back at her. “So, can I see myself in the mirror now?”

“Not yet. Let me grab Dawn first. Sit tight.” She stepped out into the hallway. “Hey, Dawn?” I heard her call. “We’re all ready in here! How ‘bout y’all?”

I didn’t hear Dawn’s reply, only Natalie’s sudden outburst of high-pitched, hysterical laughter. A few seconds later, I saw what was so funny when Dawn walked into my room.

At first, I almost didn’t recognize her – because she was blue from head to toe. Her whole face was painted blue, all the way down to the neckline of her light blue bodysuit, which she wore with baggy, blue sweatpants and a red sash. She had blue gloves on her hands and thick, gold bands around her wrists. Even her head was blue, her strawberry blonde hair hidden beneath a blue swim cap with a tiny, black ponytail on top that matched the swirly, black goatee she had glued to her chin for a Genie look that was simultaneously impressive and terrifying.

“Holy shit, Dawn,” I said once I’d picked my jaw up off the floor for the second time. “You really committed to your role – that, or you’re ready to audition for the Blue Man Group.”

If looks could kill, the death glare Dawn gave me was enough to bury me six feet under. “Anything for you, Kevin,” she said dryly, though I saw her lips twitch at the corners.

“Hey, don’t blame me,” I said, holding up my hands in defense. “This was all Natalie’s idea.”

“And wasn’t it a good one?” Natalie beamed. “Wait till you see your son! C’mere, Mason, and show Dad your costume!”

Mason trudged into the room with his furry head hanging down and his long tail dragging on the floor. Clearly, he wasn’t happy with his costume either, but I couldn’t help smiling when I saw him in the cute little monkey suit Natalie had found for him. With a red vest and a purple fez on top, he made an adorable Abu.

“Smile, son!” I said cheerfully. “Aren’t you excited to go watch the Halloween parade and get some candy?”

“Yeah, but I wanna be Jango Fett,” Mason whined.

“I told you, that’s for Wednesday when we go trick-or-treating. Tonight, we all get to go as Aladdin characters, and we’re gonna have so much fun!”

But I could tell by the pouty look on his face that Mason was not convinced.

Working together, Dawn and Natalie put the finishing touches on my costume by assembling the “magic carpet” Dawn had constructed out of cardboard and an old blanket to fit around my power chair, managing to hide most of the frame beneath clouds of cotton quilt batting. When they were done, Natalie finally let me move in front of the full-length mirror so I could see what I looked like.

“Not bad,” I said, feeling pleasantly surprised as I faced my reflection. The Aladdin costume Natalie had bought online wasn’t as high-quality as the one I’d worn when I worked at Disney World, but it didn’t look bad on me. In fact, the wide, gold sash disguised my quad belly quite well, and the flowy, white pants hid the bulky walking boot on my foot. Thanks to Dawn’s craftsmanship, my wheelchair actually added to the costume rather than taking it away from it, making it look cooler and more creative. “Y’all did a great job putting this all together while I was gone,” I told the two women. “Everybody looks awesome.”

Natalie climbed carefully onto my lap so Dawn could take some photos of the two of us together. Then we posed for a few with Mason.

“Here, Dawn, why don’t you let me take some of you with Kevin and Mason?” Natalie suggested when she was done. “Or maybe we could set up a timer to take one of all four of us?”

“Oh, that’s okay. I’m sure we can get one of the guys to take a group photo for us at the parade,” Dawn said. “Speaking of which, we should probably get going.”

“Fine, but don’t think you’re gonna get out of being in the picture, Dawn,” I teased her. “I want photographic evidence of you in blue-face.”

Dawn flashed a sheepish grin. There were even flecks of blue paint on her teeth. “Oh, don’t you worry. I wouldn’t dream of trying to weasel my way out of that,” she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Once everyone was ready, we went downstairs and out to my truck. Dawn climbed into the back with Mason while Natalie rode next to me in the passenger seat. As I drove us downtown, she popped a CD into the player and pressed the button to advance the track.

“Oh my god,” I groaned when I recognized the ballad she’d put on. “Did you really bring the Aladdin soundtrack for us to listen to on the way there?”

“Sure did!” Natalie replied proudly. “But not just for us to listen to. Obviously, we have to sing along!”

Her enthusiasm was so infectious that I couldn’t resist. Before long, I was belting out, “Now I’m in a whole new world with you!”

“Unbelievable sights…” Natalie knew every word of Jasmine’s part. “Indescribable feeling! Soaring, tumbling, free-wheeling… through an endless diamond sky! A whole new world…”

“Don’t you dare close your eyes,” I inserted, fighting to keep a straight face.

“A hundred thousand things to see…”

“Hold your breath; it gets better.”

“I’m like a shooting star,” she sang, her voice high and sweet. “I’ve come so far. I can’t go back to where I used to be…”

“Is five too young to feel embarrassed by your parents?” I heard Dawn ask Mason in the back seat as I harmonized along with Natalie.

“Aww, are you feeling left out, Dawn? Don’t worry – we’ll put on your song next!” I called back to her, grinning into the rearview mirror.

“Absolutely not, Kevin,” she replied flatly, giving me that death glare again.

Thankfully for her, it didn’t take us long to get downtown. We found the four other guys waiting by one of the food trucks, although if I hadn’t known what to look for, I wouldn’t have recognized them. We had gone to the Halloween store earlier that day to get them costumes that would cover their faces so they could enjoy the parade without being approached by fans.

“Don’t you think people will figure it out?” Natalie asked, looking around the crowded sidewalk. “I mean, you’re not exactly inconspicuous yourself. What else are fans supposed to think when they see you here with four other people?”

“Who, these fools?” I tipped my head toward my bandmates. “They’ll blend right in.” Howie and AJ had both come as superheroes: Howie was wearing a Captain America costume, while AJ had squeezed himself into a skin-tight Spiderman suit. Nick had picked something scary, of course – with his broad shoulders and tall build, he made a convincing Michael Myers in his black jumpsuit and expressionless white mask. And Brian really did look like a marshmallow – the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, to be precise.

“That’s a cool costume,” Dawn said, poking Brian’s white belly. “How’d you get it to stay so… puffy?”

“There’s a battery-powered fan inside to keep it inflated!” he replied, sounding every bit as gleeful as his grinning headpiece.

“Wow… what will they think of next?”

“Wait’ll you see my real costume,” Nick told the rest of us. “It’s fuckin’ badass! I’m gonna kill it this Halloween.”

“Watch your mouth, Nickolas,” I scolded him. “You shouldn’t cuss like that with little kids around.”

Nick shrugged. “My bad.”

“All right, I’ll bite: What are you gonna be, Nick?” Natalie asked.

“Pinhead from Hellraiser,” he replied proudly. “Best horror movie ever.”

“Never seen it. Sorry,” she said, giving him a sheepish grin. “I don’t really like scary movies.”

“That’s a damn shame,” said Nick. “Thankfully, my girlfriend does. She’s going all out with me.”

“Just like my man did for me.” Natalie squeezed my shoulders. “Doesn’t he look handsome?”

“Ohmygosh, yes! So handsome!” Nick gushed in an effeminate lisp, which sounded even funnier coming out of his creepy mask.

“Sexy Kev,” added AJ, making a sizzling sound as he touched my chest.

“I dunno about me, but how about my beautiful Arabian princess?” I asked, wrapping my arm around Natalie’s waist.

“You all look amazing!” Howie said sincerely. “Aren’t you gonna get cold in that costume, though, Natalie?” His eyes drifted down her body.

She shrugged. “Kevin can help keep me warm,” she replied, leaning closer to me.

“If I don’t freeze to death first myself,” I added with a chuckle. Despite my many layers, I already felt the chill in the air.

We waited in line for food, then went further down the street to find somewhere to sit and eat. Dawn set up the lawn chairs we’d brought from home while Brian unfolded the ones he’d borrowed from his parents, arranging them in two rows along the curb so we could watch the parade. We all laughed at his attempt to wedge himself into one of the chairs. “How are you even gonna eat those?” I asked, looking at the tray of nachos in his hand.

“Like this.” He lifted his headpiece and raised a tortilla chip to his mouth, holding the tray right under his chin to prevent any of the cheese from dripping onto his white costume.

Natalie sat next to me, clutching a corn dog in each hand. I couldn’t grip the narrow stick of mine, so she held it for me while I took a bite. The nostalgic flavor of the salty hot dog combined with the slightly sweet, warm, deep-fried batter that surrounded it was worth the humiliation of being fed that way. “Mm, that’s good,” I said, swallowing. “Thanks, babe.”

Mason was too excited to eat much of his own corn dog. “When’s it gonna start?” he asked, craning his neck to gaze eagerly down the street.

I was glad that he’d stopped pouting about his costume. “Soon, buddy,” I said, checking the time on my phone. “It’s supposed to start at eight.”

Darkness had fallen across the land. The eight o’clock hour was close at hand. Before long, we could see flashing red and blue lights flickering eerily across the faces of the buildings in front of us as the Lexington police and fire department led the parade down the street. We watched as a line of festive floats and high school marching bands went past.

Despite the cold temperature, I felt my face heat up when I recognized the name of the Mexican restaurant where I’d taken Natalie for my ill-fated birthday dinner on the side of a Day of the Dead float. Turning to her, I asked, “You think those are the same guys who serenaded us on my birthday?” I tipped my head toward the mariachi band that was playing on top of the float, wearing traditional Mexican charro outfits with wide sombreros, their faces painted like sugar skulls.

Natalie giggled. “I think so,” she said, giving me a sympathetic smile. “Let’s hope they don’t recognize us.”

Thankfully for us, the streets were so crowded that it was easy to blend in, even in our elaborate costumes. We had gotten many compliments on our Aladdin theme, but it was mostly from kids and their parents rather than BSB fans. If the adults recognized me, they didn’t make a big deal about it. And while Natalie was beautiful in her costume and Mason looked equally adorable in his, it was Dawn who attracted the most attention of all of us. Little kids kept coming up to her, fascinated by her blue face. “She’s secretly loving this,” I told Natalie as we watched her pose for pictures. “She’ll never admit it, but she is.”

The other guys seemed to be having a good time as well. There were so many other superheroes in the crowd that AJ and Howie could fly under the radar. Brian’s costume got a few laughs and photo requests, but no one seemed to realize that the Marshmallow Man was really a Backstreet Boy in disguise. Nick stayed in character all night, remaining silent as he stood ominously behind the rest of us and refused to sit down. It was rare that the five of us got to go anywhere together without being swarmed by fans. “Maybe we should wear masks more often,” I heard Brian mutter behind me.

One of the most surreal moments came when the Tates Creek High School marching band played “Everybody” as they went by us. “Daddy, it’s your song!” Mason shouted as soon as he recognized the music.

“Shh! Don’t blow their cover, kiddo,” Dawn whispered to him, then winked at me.

“Pretty cool,” I said, glancing back at Brian with a grin. “You know you’ve made it when marching bands start playing your music.”

“They probably just wanted to pay tribute to their most famous alumni,” he replied. I could tell he was smiling underneath his headpiece.

The other guys kept a low profile while Mason danced on the curb, imitating the moves he had seen them do in concert. I had as much fun watching his reaction to everything as I did the parade itself. He loved listening to the marching bands, bouncing along to the drumbeats. He also enjoyed retrieving candy from the side of the road, although he would quickly retreat to me or Dawn whenever someone in a creepy costume walked by. “I hope he won’t be afraid of the dancing zombies,” I muttered to Dawn as Mason shied away from a sinister-looking clown who was handing out Dum-Dums suckers. We had shown him the “Thriller” music video that morning to get him ready for the reenactment that night; he seemed to enjoy it, but seeing something scary on a small screen in broad daylight was different than seeing it brought to life in the dark.

Once the last float had drifted past, the audio from the “Thriller” video began to play out of speakers that lined the street. Leaning forward, I could see a Michael Jackson impersonator in the iconic red leather jacket and pants emerge from the historic Kentucky Theatre up the street, accompanied by a woman who was dressed like the girl in the video. As the music played, they made their way slowly down the street toward us.

“He’s pretty good,” I heard Howie say approvingly as we watched “Michael” saunter around his partner, performing some of the King of Pop’s iconic moves as he lip-synced along to the song. We had all grown up listening to Michael Jackson’s music, but, of the five of us, Howie was his biggest fan. Earning his seal of approval was high praise for the impersonator.

As the song went on, transitioning from Michael’s singing to Vincent Price’s rap, performers in zombie makeup began to emerge from the crowd, moaning and groaning as they staggered toward the two actors. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mason climb into Dawn’s lap. “You know it’s just pretend, right?” I heard her say as she wrapped her arms protectively around him. The zombies swarmed out onto the street, gradually getting into formation with Michael at the front of the pack. As the eerie string music crescendoed to its peak, the lead actress let out a high-pitched scream. Right on cue, Michael and the zombies launched into the famous choreography from the video. Mason seemed to relax as he watched them dance, and Dawn loosened her grip on him.

“Awesome,” Howie said. Glancing back, I saw that he had removed his Captain America mask and was wearing a huge grin on his face as he bobbed his head along to the music. I smiled to myself, glad to be sharing the moment with him and the other guys. I remembered us watching this music video for inspiration on the set of our “Everybody” video and wondering what it would be like to have the same kind of legacy as the King of Pop. Although I knew we would never reach Michael Jackson’s level of fame and acclaim, I felt honored to have heard our song played at an event that paid homage to him.

“That was incredible!” Natalie proclaimed at the end of the reenactment. She had wrapped herself up in the blanket from my “magic carpet” to ward off the cold, but she was still smiling.

I nodded. “What did you think, son?” I asked Mason. “A little scary, huh?”

“I’m not scared!” he insisted, shaking his head.

“We’ll see,” I muttered to Dawn as we made our way back to my truck. I handed my keys to Natalie so she, Dawn, and Mason could get in and warm up while I said goodbye to the guys, who would be flying home in the morning. “Thanks for a fun week, fellas,” I said, giving each of them a hug. “Safe travels! I’ll see ya next weekend.”

Natalie put the heat on full blast as I drove us back to the house. By the time we pulled into the driveway, my truck was nice and toasty, and Mason was sound asleep in the back seat. Dawn carried him into the house while Natalie waited for me outside the truck. “It’s freezing out here,” she said, shivering as she folded her arms tightly across her chest.

“I know.” I waited impatiently for the lift to lower me to the ground, wishing it would move a little faster. “C’mon, let’s get you inside,” I said when it finally disengaged from my power chair. “I just wanna take a hot shower and cuddle up under the covers together. I’m cold, too – and tired.”

“Well, I hope you’re not too tired,” Natalie replied, her voice taking on a flirtatious tone. “‘Cause I could ride that magic carpet of yours all night.” She ran her hand up my leg, slipping her fingers into the gap between my thighs. I desperately wished I could feel where she was touching me.

“Oh, I think I’ve got enough energy left for that. Doesn’t take much, considering I mostly just lie there like a rug anyway.” I smirked, and she laughed, withdrawing her hand so I could roll up the driveway. “Just let me tuck Mason in first,” I added as I followed her into the house. “I keep forgetting it’s a school night.”

“Don’t take too long,” she said, holding the door open for me. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Leave your costume on,” I told her. “I wanna try to take it off you myself. I may have to use my teeth.” I flashed her another devilish smile, flicking my tongue.

“Scoundrel!” she gasped with a teasing grin as she turned to go upstairs.

I took the elevator. By the time I made it up to Mason’s bedroom, Dawn was already tiptoeing back out. “He woke up on the way in, but he pretty much passed out again as soon as his head hit the pillow,” she whispered as she shut the door behind her. “I think you can skip the bedtime story tonight.”

“Wow… you really are magic,” I said in surprise. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t have nightmares.”

“I dunno… if I had to witness my dad dressed up like a Disney prince, singing duets with his girlfriend, I would be pretty mortified. That might haunt Mason’s dreams forever.” Dawn grinned and gave me a playful punch in the shoulder.

“Aw, c’mon now,” I protested. “I thought we sounded pretty good together!”

“You did,” she admitted. “And you looked good together, too.”

“Thanks.” I smiled up at her blue face. “Seriously, thanks for being such a good sport and going along with Natalie’s Aladdin theme. I know it wouldn’t have been your first choice, but it made her night.”

Dawn shrugged. “What can I say? You ain’t never had a friend like me,” she said with a wink. “Goodnight, Kevin.” It wasn’t until she turned around to head off to her own room, muttering something about washing all the blue paint off her face, that I realized she’d been quoting the Genie’s song.

“‘Night, Dawn,” I replied, chuckling as I watched her walk away.

Halfway down the hall, she suddenly stopped and turned back toward me. “Aladdin was the first movie I ever took Michael to see in the theater,” she said in a voice so soft, I had to strain my ears to hear her. “It was one of his favorites when he was Mason’s age – he loved the Genie.” Her blue lips curved into a sad smile. “He would have gotten a kick out of seeing me dressed like this.”

I nodded, my eyes stinging with unexpected tears as I turned them toward the ceiling. “I’m sure he did.”

***