"Get your socks off the bathroom floor." She was sitting on the bed, packing both of their suitcases while Lindsey laid on the sofa, nursing a headache.
On their last full day in the city, Stevie decided she didn't want to sit around their apartment again, so she brought up the idea of a shopping trip with Lucy. Since Lindsey already got to know her somewhat, Stevie felt like she should probably be civil too. And they spent all day together, actually getting to know one another. Lucy had a lot of questions for her mother- in- law... a lot. She wanted to know everything about her marriage and all about Crosby as a child. Stevie spared her some, simply because she worried if Lucy knew what might be waiting around the corner if their child is anything like her husband, she might have bailed.
Crosby and Lindsey spent their day doing what they do best- playing guitars and sipping straight from a bottle.... They were both three sheets to the wind by the time the women arrived back.
And of course, especially since they hadn't gotten over their argument from the night before, Stevie and Lindsey bickered all the way back to the hotel. Since she was behind the wheel and Lindsey was in charge of directions, they got lost twice and he kept nagging her. It was a nightmare and just because he was so rude the night before, he got to hear all about it that morning before he even got the chance to have a cup of coffee and with a hangover from hell.
He groaned, pushing himself up slowly- very slowly. "I'm done drinking." He mumbled, a slight hint of nausea hinting him as soon as he stood up.
Chuckling a little, she bit down on my lower lip. "My poor baby." She was teasing him... He deserved it.
"Shh," he trailed through the room, hand still resting on his forehead as he pushed one foot in front of the other.
"Drink some more water," She watched him slip around the bed as she folded another t-shirt.
It had been a pretty alright trip. She didn't actually get to have any one on one time with Crosby, but she felt like she couldn't blame that on anyone else besides herself. There were a couple of instances where she could have talked to him, but she didn't know what to say.
She felt like she didn't even know the man that stood before her when she was in his presence... She didn't know how to talk to him, because she didn't know him.
When she looked at him, she could still remember the morning he moved out. He had graduated high school two weeks earlier and she had hoped, after such an exciting accomplishment- he would decide to go to college that upcoming fall. But he told her that he was wasn't interested in school- he wanted to do music. And she was fine with that, because she knew that school wasn't for everyone. There were really wonderful careers out there that didn't require a college degree and Lindsey was a prime example of someone who had worked his way up in the musical industry- Crosby had a role model. But that morning, the morning he moved out, he had come home at three, ready to fight with his brother.
He said Levy had been seeing one of his old girlfriends and before she could get in between them to calm him down, Crosby had already yanked Levy right off the sofa. They were wrestling around the living room floor, knocking over anything and everything in their path... even their mother.
She was hysterical, begging for them to stop. Levy was the one that ended up popping her in nose, not on purpose, but simply because she had intervened a little too far and instead of hitting his brother, he got her. It wasn't until Lindsey and Kash had heard Stevie yelling before they hurried down stairs to break them up.
She had enough after that. She told Lindsey that they couldn't do it to themselves any longer... Something had to give.
"I'm ready to go back and take a nap in our bed." Lindsey literally collapsed on the bed next to her, handing over his socks as he closed his eyes.
"I know," she was ready to go home too, even if she was going to miss their oldest.
"I-" before he got the chance to finish his sentence, a knock filled the room around them.
Creasing a brow, she looked back down at him, watching as he tried to get eyes readjusted to the light once again. "Okay," she slowly started to slide out from under all of their clothes, but he reached out, tugging the hem of her blouse to stop her.
"I'll grab it." He rolled back over, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed to head for the door.
Stevie lingered in the middle of the room, making sure she had picked up everything they'd brought in.
But the moment Lindsey puller open the heavy wooden door, her heart skipped a beat. "Hey, dad." It was Crosby standing on the other side, hands in his pockets as he greeted Lindsey with a small grin.
"Hey, come on in." He pulled the door open a little wider, welcoming their son into the messy room. "Hey, mom." He gave her a soft smile, wrapping her in his arms as soon as he was within reaching distance.
She was stunned for a moment, but then she allowed herself to melt into him. "Hi," She whispered, taking in every second of their hug.
He slowly started to pull away, which caused her to do the same. She didn't want to make him feel like she was pushing. "I just wanted to come by and thank you for doing this for us." His deep blue eyes meet hers and suddenly she didn't see the troublemaker... She saw the baby that she got to hold for hours the day he was born and the little boy that wanted to be wrapped up in her arms each night before bed. She saw the first person she had ever truly loved more than life itself.
And somewhere, deep down, she saw a man.... a man that wanted a family of his own.
Nodding softly, she never looked away. "Of course." Do you ever feel like your heart is beating in your brain? That's exactly what she was feeling in that moment.
"I knew I could count on you." He had never said anything like that to her..., never. "Anyway," he shrugged lightly, still wearing that handsome smile. "I hope you both have a safe trip home and I'll call you." He assured, holding out his hand to shake his dads.
"We had a really great time, Crosby." Lindsey pulled him in for a quick hug.
"Lucy just adores you two." He chuckled, eyes wandering back to his mother.
"She's so sweet," She returned the smile, still trying to process all of that.
"I'll see you later, mom." Crosby gave her one last wave before he turned around.
Lindsey guided him to the door, still sharing mild conversation before their son disappeared down the hallway, leaving Lindsey standing in the doorway. "Are you all right?" He asked as he steps back inside.
Sinking down on the very edge of the bed, she stared down at her hands as she started twisting her wedding ring around her finger. "I have to do this." She was so set on not doing it, but after that? After he came in to thank her... how could she say no?
"Stevie," shaking his head, he bent down to be level with her. "Don't do this because you feel like you have to." Lindsey kept replaying her words in his mind all night- she was going to be fifty- eight... that worried him, a lot. And by the time he woke up that morning, he had decided that she made the right decision- she shouldn't do this
Her hand met his cheek, bringing his eyes up to hers. "I'll be fine, Lindsey."
