Cowboy Bring Me Back

28

December 26, 2013

The day after Christmas saw Stevie in the livingroom reading the poetry book the kids got her. Lori was painting her nails, Christopher was in the kitchen teaching Lola how to cook something, Chili and cornbread maybe, and Alec, Jessi, Colton, Livinia, and Lindsey had disappeared. The landline rang and Stevie put her page down and answered it. 

"Hello," 

"Stevie it's Karen." 

"Yes dear, I have caller ID what's up?" Stevie rolls her eyes.

"Well, we were just called by Linda Rondstadt's people," Karen tells her.

"Why? I don't think I've ever met Linda Rondstadt, love her music but I've never met her." Stevie shakes her head.

"She's being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10h, and because of her Parkinson's she can't sing. And she doesn't want to fly, so the Rock Hall wants to do a medley of her hits with several other artists who she loves and inspires. Carrie Underwood and Bonnie Rait have already been confirmed and she wants you to sing too." Karen explains.

"Linda Rondstadt wants me to sing a tribute to her..." Stevie looks wide-eyed as Lori stops what she was doing and Lola bolts into the livingroom plopping down right next to Stevie. "At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony." 

"Yes. I need an answer soon though."  Karen explains.

"Karen there is only one answer of course I'll do it. Figure out details and pass them on to me." Stevie states.

"Will do, Merry Christmas boss." 

"Merry Christmas." She hangs up the phone and Lola grabs her arm.

"I love Linda Rondstadt, can I go with you." She begs.

"Sure...you, Colton, Livinia, and Lindsey can all go. I'm just in shock is all." Stevie shakes her head.

Lola just launches in for a hug and Stevie returns it, as Lindsey and the other kids get back. 

"What's going on?" Lindsey asks.

"Stevie was just asked to sing at Linda Rondstadt's Rock Hall induction. Lola is a giant fan of Linda Rondstadt and Stevie said you all could go with, to watch the performance." Lori explains. 

"Well Shit where's it at?" Lindsey asks.

"Brooklyn New York." Stevie pulls away from Lola. "Now where did you all go to, I woke up alone this morning and I didn't really appreciate it." 

"Jessi, Alec, Colton, and Liv went to the center for a morning ride. I was there for work purposes. Then we connected and we went into town to Nordstroms." Lindsey explains.

"Why?" Stevie crinkles her forehead.

"because when we moved I found something." He smiles dangling a little blue birthday bag in front of her.

"And we looked at it and decided we still wanted to give it to you, but we wanted to update it, and it gave dad an excuse to use the new wallet you got him for Christmas," Livinia explains holding up a gold birthday bag this time.

"What?" Stevie asks sitting up straighter on the couch.

"This was the gift dad took us to buy sixteen years ago." Colton hands it to her and she opens it.

The first thing she grabs at is the card and she opens it to see the handwritten scratchy mess of Colton's signature, but Colton was four he couldn't spell his name so all it was Cotn. Next to Lindsey's scratchy Welcome Home Mama. She dug further into the bag and she pulled out the candle first. 

"An Illume candle...they don't make this scent any more it was always my favorite." She smiles smelling it. Then she pulled out the earrings. 

"Oh, they match my necklace." Her hand falls to her chest where the gold crescent moon was sitting.

"Colton picked both of those things out for you he said he wanted to get you the earrings because they matched your necklace." Lindsey nods.

"Sweetheart I'm so sorry you couldn't give me this sixteen years ago." She looks up at him and he just shrugs giving a sad smile.

"S'okay, I'm giving it to you now." He nods.

"I got you something this time though." Livinia hands her the golden bag.

Stevie opened up the gift to reveal a white coffee mug with little gold moons and stars on it. "You drink coffee and tea a lot and Daddy has a lot of fun coffee mugs so I wanted to get you a fun one too." 

"Honey it's beautiful thank you." Stevie smiles.

"There's more." She points in the bag.

Stevie just smiles and pulls out another jewelry box to reveal a bracelet with little definitely cubic zirconium diamonds on it. 

"Thank you, baby, They're beautiful all of your gifts but you didn't have to do that. Yesterday was Christmas and you got me so much stuff already." Stevie states looking up at them. And it was true. She got a few poetry books, a couple of journals, Livinia made her a photo album of her childhood, They bought her a couple of new blankets, some bath bombs, and lotions and a few shirts and skirts. 

"Well we already had the earrings and candle and since Liv was too young to have a say, she wanted to get you her own gifts." Lindsey shrugs

"Well, I appreciate it. Really I do. I'll cherish them." She smiles at her kids. 

"So..." Lola changes the subject. 

"What?" Stevie asks.

"What song of Linda's are you going to play?" She inquires her hand coming up to her chin.

"I don't know. I've covered It's So Easy before...the Buddy Holly version though. So I might do that one. But all of her songs are good, I'm just happy that I get to sing one." Stevie shrugs.

"But like you'll actually take us to New York with you?" Livinia asks.

"Of Course. Why wouldn't I?" Stevie crosses her arms.

"Honestly, I've never been out of the state of California," Livinia tells her.

"Lindsey what did you do to these poor children?" Stevie crosses her arms.

"I just couldn't afford it and someone had to run my business." He states.

"Alright, well I know what we're doing next summer." She rolls her eyes.

"You'll be on tour." Lindsey states.

"And they can come with me," She tells him.

"We'll see when that time comes." Lindsey states.