Keep on Smilin' (Jordan Knight/NKOTB/Justin Bieber Fanfic)

One

"I knew you were trouble when you walked in."

—Taylor Swift, I Knew You Were Trouble, 2012

~~Alyssa~~

Alyssa sighed deeply as she looked around her empty Chicago apartment one last time and held back tears. She'd transformed from a struggling eighteen year old musician with an infant in tow to a beloved public school music teacher with an eighteen year old daughter that was entering college.

She loved the sound of the cars zipping by and the hustle of life in the city. This had become home, but as much as she wanted to stay, she knew financially she couldn't. Her rent was rising and the budget cuts to the arts department had finally taken her job. She couldn't turn down an offer for steady pay and a full tuition scholarship for her daughter at the small liberal arts college in her hometown, even if it meant facing her greatest fears.

"Mom? You ready?"

Alyssa turned at the sound of Sophia's sing-song voice. Her brown eyes sparkled with excitement and her lips were turned upwards in a smile that brought dimples to her cheeks and mirrored her father's. Alyssa's heart twinged at the thought of him—he'd been her first love and while she figured that she had long faded from his mind, every time she looked at Sophia she saw him.

"Yeah, just making sure we have everything. You're sure you're okay with this? Leaving all your friends? Going to another country? Living outside the city?" Alyssa went through her long list of inquiries one last time. She half-way hoped Sophia would protest and she'd be able to use her daughter's disgruntlement as a way to justify staying.

Nevertheless, Sophia's smile never faded and she pulled her dark brown hair into a ponytail as she lifted an eyebrow, "What friends, mom? I never fit here. I'm just the weird animal girl that sings. Ever since Carlos was arrested for 'vandalism'," She made air quotes as she referred to the graffiti that she insisted was art. "I haven't had anyone to hang out with. I'd like to go somewhere else, see something new. Canadians are supposed to be super chill. Besides, I can't wait to meet Grandma and Grandpa!"

Alyssa forced a smile. Her parents ran a horse ranch and inn in the middle of nowhere. They were both horse trainers and her father was also veterinarian. They were hard workers and welcoming to their guests, but they were also old-fashioned and conservative. They hadn't approved of their daughter "galavanting around town with a pop star" and were convinced it'd lead to nothing, but trouble. Her subsequent pregnancy and his relative absence from her life had only fueled their disapproval.

One night, after a particularly hostile argument, Alyssa had packed her bags and left town. They'd kept in touch via phone calls, mail, and eventually social media, but stubbornness ran deep in the Kincaid family and neither side was willing to admit they were wrong or make the trip to visit each other. Thus, she'd never gone back home—until now.

"Did you make absolutely sure everything is out of your room?" Alyssa asked.

Sophia nodded, "I'm all set, Mom. Let's go!"

Alyssa sighed as she looked around one last time before grabbing her final bag and following her daughter out of the apartment. As the door closed behind her, she realized that an entire chapter of her life was ending.

~~~~~~~~~~~

~~Sophia~~

The trip to Kincaid Ranch had been long and tiring, but the minute Alyssa pulled the rental car into the driveway, Sophia beamed at the sight of the horses that grazed lazily.