"Good morning, Mr. B." Janie greeted Lindsey with a big smile as soon as he stepped through the French doors of the packed restaurant.
"Good morning." He gave her a gentle wave, handing her a cup of coffee.
"You're the best!" She gushed, taking a much deserved sip.
It had been a busy afternoon and with Stevie leaving later that evening, everything was suddenly rushed. They had booked themselves for two weddings that Saturday, but Lindsey had told Crosby that they would fly out Wednesday... Things were moving quick, too quick.
"Everything going well?" He glanced around the dining area, watching as the waitresses maneuvered in between people and tables.
I'm the years that led up, Stevie did breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the restaurant, but after their kids moved out and she decided she really liked sleeping in, they shifted it all to just dinner on the weekdays and lunch on the weekends. It was better that way for everyone. She wasn't as young as she was when they opened the doors for the first time thirty years earlier and it also gave her and Lindsey a lot more time to spend with one another.
"She's very overwhelmed." She shrugged, brow creased a tad. "Are you sure she's feeling alright?" Janie had asked him the day before if Stevie was okay... she seemed stressed out and they were all a little worried.
"She's okay." Nodding his head, Lindsey slid his hands in his pockets.
"Hey, Mr.B!" Jason stepped out from the kitchen, holding out his hand for a quick shake.
"Hey, buddy. Coffees on the table." Lindsey patted his back as he headed into the kitchen.
It was loud, like always. There was the sound of the staff in the far back tossing in boxes of fresh produce, while everyone talked over each other to figure out what was supposed to come next.
But even with all the commotion and chaos, his eyes fell right on Stevie. She was leaning up against the counter, reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose as she went over her orders.
"I hear things are kind of hectic around here." He grinned, setting her coffee down next to her.
Looking at him over the edge of her glasses, her lips turned up immediately. "I know I can always count on you, handsome." She picked up the paper cup, taking a quick sip before her hand met his chest. "It's insane around here." She wrapped her arms around his waist, head resting on his shoulder for a moment.
"I know." Kissing the top of her head, he rubbed her back softly.
"We're short staffed this afternoon since Maria had her baby a few days ago and Aaron woke up with a migraine." She shrugged, motioning around the kitchen. "And I called Kash, but him and Elise were doing something." She started to trail off, getting side tracked just a little.
Lindsey slowly stepped back, taking his jacket off to put in the closet. "Well, I'm here to help for a couple of hours." He knew she didn't want to leave behind a mess, but they also had a plane to catch and a child waiting for them to arrive... Something had to give.
She smiled softly, handing him a notepad and a pen. "You can wait on some of the tables, or pick up a spatula."
~
It was late, almost midnight when their plane finally touched down in Chicago. There was a snowstorm that decided to arrive the very same night, which made everything ten times worse. We should just go back home, she had said it a few times during turbulence and then again when Lindsey was trying to get them to their hotel... she had counted all the times he had driven in the snow since they'd gotten married- it was zero. Zero times and she let him know that.
But just as Stevie was going to ask him to pull over and just let her walk the rest of the way, they made it to the hotel.
"Get some rest, dear." She was already in bed, eyes closed as she tried to block out the sound of him pacing around the room.
She was tired, and though she had tried to close her eyes on the plane- every time sleep was even in reach, the wind would rock them just enough to make it uncomfortable. However, Lindsey couldn't even think about sleeping... He was suddenly the anxious one.
"I will, baby." He took a seat on the sofa, just until he heard her breathing start to even out and then he slipped out of the room, making sure she was locked in before he went down to the lobby.
~
Standing in the bathroom mirror, she fluffed up her hair one last time before spraying herself with perfume. She had spent almost an hour pacing around the room, trying to ease her mind.
She was nervous, really nervous to see him. She hadn't been in the same room as Crosby in years and she had never been blessed enough to meet his wife. She didn't know how she was supposed to do it...She didn't even know how to talk to her child anymore.
She was pulled back into reality at the sound of the lock clicking, Lindsey stepping into the room. "Where have you been?" One hand met her hip as she stepped out of the bathroom.
He was in the same clothes he had worn when they landed, and even though he hadn't slept all night, he still didn't look tired at all. "I went downstairs to have a drink." His words caused her heart to sink as she watched him sit down on the edge of the bed.
"It's ten in morning, Lindsey." She didn't know how long he had been gone, but she was certain he was down there a lot longer than just one drink.
"Are you ready to go?" He wasn't going to bicker with her... he felt like he needed something to get himself through the day, so that's what he did.
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Stevie slowly trailed towards him. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart." She knew that no matter what, they would make it through that two days together.
~
Across the city, in a two bedroom apartment, Crosby and Lucy were preparing themselves in a totally different way. She had spent all night cleaning the entire house- she kept saying she wanted his mother to be impressed, while he assured her that they weren't perfect... she didn't have to be either.
"Should I put them in the pink vase, or the clear one?" Lucy was standing in the middle of the living room, holding up a bouquet of flowers as she went back and forth between the two.
"I don't know." He chuckled softly, closing the living room curtain he had been staring out of. "But you better hurry, because they're here."
