Request: I don't know if this counts as "related folk" or not, so feel entirely free to refuse my request, but: Brian/Bono at the What's Going On video shoot.

One thing about being a parent, Brian knew, was that you always had pictures of your kids with you. Sometimes he opened his wallet at restaurants or convenience stores on the road, to pay for a bottle of Coke or a pack of gum, and wondered what it would be like to look inside and see a little face smiling back up at him.

He'd talked about it with his wife, or she'd talked to him about it, or some combination of the two where he couldn't remember anymore whose idea it had been, but so far they'd always agreed that he just wasn't ready for Backstreet to end, yet.

Brian fingered the wallet in his back pocket as he imagined the day, then said aloud to whoever would listen, "I'm getting a drink," and headed for the only oasis of quiet he could see in the middle of the overcrowded shoot. There was not enough room in this building for so many egos, even egos held in check for this one day, and too few places to get away to.

Quiet didn't mean alone, though, and as he grabbed a bottle of water, Brian was glad of it. He couldn't imagine a more motley collection of entertainers this side of the AMAs, but somehow it worked. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone pull their wallet out, a motion he rarely failed to catch. And saw Bono standing there with one of the producers, clearly taking a break from herding the cats.

Brian drifted his way closer to them, around the refreshment table and toward the wall one patient step at a time. A few moments later Bono caught sight of him, motioned him over to take a look. Any proud parent would, after all; it was in their nature.

"Me and Leighanne are thinking about one of our own," Brian said as he admired, mostly to be making conversation. "But not yet. Still so much I want to do with the group."

The producer drifted away again and Bono looked up at Brian, met his eyes with a dead seriousness. "Kids don't make you stop," he said after a moment. "They just make you change." Then he patted Brian's shoulder as he tucked the wallet away, and drifted off about his business, too.

Brian stood there and finished his water, then pulled out his wallet and stared at it for a little while.