Baby

14

June 6, 1990

Lindsey was downstairs reading the paper when the doorbell rang. He knew it was their final visit and he was almost excited because he was ready to adopt those girls and legally change their name and to be a proper family. 

"Mr. Buckingham it's quite where is everyone?" Marge inquires.

He just motions with his head and leads her up the stairs pushing the master bedroom door open. Stevie was laying on her side of the bed slightly elevated by pillows sleeping, Misty was right on her chest, her little red romper covered butt stuck in the air slightly. Cordelia's head was on her shoulder and she was wearing a little pink rhinestoned top with black leggings with pink bows at the ankles. 

"Oh, it's nap time." Marge chuckles lightly.

"Yeah...Steph's back at work so she's been putting in some late nights." Lindsey nods.

"So she's making a new album?" 

"She is..." Lindsey nods.

"How are you handling the girls by yourself when she's at work?" 

"We're fine...when Stevie's going to work late I just state firmly to Cordelia that mom can't read tonight because she's not here so daddy can only read her one book before she has to go to bed." Lindsey shrugs. 

"Is Cordelia adjusting well to Stevie being back at work?" 

"I think so...but it's sad because like....She'll want Stevie to play Dolls with her but then I have to remind her that Mom's at work and she gets a little sad but she plays with her dolls by herself." Lindsey shrugs. 

"Well, that's all I need right now...Bring the girls down to the Agency tomorrow, we'll sign all the papers and we'll start the cour proceedings.

"We get them?' Lindsey gasps.

"You get them...we still have to recontact the remaining family members and inform them that we have a potential family for adoption if they'd like to keep their decision the same or if they'd like to reconsider. Usually, they don't...but there are always those small cases. And if they do want to reconsider than we have to take it to court..." Marge sighs.

Lindsey closes his eyes in defeat but nods. "I won't be able to tell her...I'll have to wake her up so you can tell her." Lindsey sniffles.

"If that's what you want." Marge nods.

So Lindsey does, he takes Misty from her and puts her in the cradle which wakes her up and she gasps seeing Marge standing in her bedroom. 

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry I..."Stevie starts.

"No honey, you're fine...Lindsey wanted me to tell you something." Marge states.

"What?" Stevie inquires.

"They're yours...tomorrow afternoon you and Lindsey are going to come down with the girls and we'll go ahead and send the papers in. There'll be a court date to make everything official with a Judge...so go ahead and get an adoption Lawyer." Marge smiles.

"There ours? They're really ours." Stevie gasps.

"Yeah...we do have to call their remaining family members again, to make sure they really don't want the kids. If they do...then we have a whole other trial to get through." Marge sighs.

"So they're still not ours." Stevie sighs sadly looking down at Cordelia and caressing her hip.

"It's not often that decisions are changed." Marge tries to assure her. 

***

Lindsey and Stevie decided to celebrate getting their kids by taking them to the beach. Stevie had dressed Misty in a white tanktop sundress with red crabs on it, navy blue anchors, light pink whales, and gold starfish. Their was a matching diaper cover and she put a light pink sunhat on her head and as Stevie was sitting on the sand on the towl under the umbrella with Misty watching Lindsey and Cordelia in the water she was so happy, and she couldn't believe that she was in that position and she could imagine almost perfectly, yearly trips like this to the beach even though she wasn't necessarily comfortable in her black one piece out in public but she wanted these memories with her kids. She had finished snapping a picture of Misty when Lindsey and Cordelia came running up. 

"Mind if I dip her toes in the water?" Lindsey points to Misty.

"Just don't submerge her." Stevie warns.

"Never." He chuckles kissing her and grabbing Misty,

"Mamas castle." Cordelia points to the beach toys. 

"Sure we can make a castle." Stevie grins crawling to the edge of her towel. When Lindsey got back he took a picture of Stevie Cordelia and the girls and Stevie had the biggest brightest grin on her face. 

The next day, Stevie dresses them in their best. Misty gets placed in a gold tunic with white pants that have gold dots on them and she puts little gold flats on her feet. She wrangles Cordelia into a Blue peasant dress with yellow, pink, and white small flowers. She puts her jean jacket on her and slides her feet into a pair of white sandals. 

They have their final formal meeting papers are signed and shipped to a judge, Marge meets their lawyer and then Marge takes a picture of the girls with Lindsey and Stevie and then they're off but as Stevie buckles her seat belt she looks at Lindsey and says, "Why does my stomach feel like a storm's about to hit?" 

***

June 15, 1990

Stevie answered the phone and when Marge spoke to her, her face fell and Lindsey quickly rushed over to her. Stevie says a quiet thank you and then she just stares at the counter and starts crying.

"What? What happened Angel..." Lindsey trails off.

"Their...their mom's brother and sister in law...are...they're petitioning for full custody...we have to go to court on June 25th with the girls." Stevie states and Lindsey just takes her into his arms.

"Oh, Angel...They can't do that. I won't let them do that...we have the best law team...it'll be fine." Lindsey tries to soothe.

"Lindsey, the judge is going to rule in their favor...they're the girls' biological relatives..." Stevie cries. It was then that Cordelia toddled into the kitchen. She was dressed in her little bathing suit because Lindsey was going to give her a swimming lesson that afternoon.

"Momma, what matter?"

"Oh nothing baby, nothing..." Stevie bends down and picks her up in her arms cradling her close and squeezing her impossibly tight. "What are we going to do Lindsey?" 

"We're going to hold them close and make every moment count." Lindsey sniffles pulling Stevie and Cordelia into his arms. 

That night after Lindsey and Stevie put the girls to bed, Stevie disappears into the Rotunda and she just starts plunking the keys. Lindsey can hear her crying and he wants to do everything in his power to make sure she's okay, but he knows that when she gets like that she wants to be left alone so he just goes into the bedroom and he plucks Misty out of the cradle and cuddles her close. Stevie wrote that night, with her heart on her sleeve she wrote a song and she just sobbed into the piano.

Don't take me to the tower
And take my child away

It was I who was
The hourglass
And the sands of time like
Shattering glass went past me
Like a tunnel to the sea

And I who went to sleep as two
Woke up as one now only you remain
You'll close your eyes and travel back
To the time when the light went fading fast
And the words you'll never, never forget, oh no
As you slipped away

Goodbye baby
I hope your heart's not broken
Don't forget me
Yes I was outspoken
You were with me all the time
I'll be with you one day

And I who went to sleep in tears
Woke up in tears, for all of the years
And I who never, never said goodbye
As I slipped away

Goodbye baby
I hope your heart's not broken
Don't forget me
Yes I was outspoken
You were with me all the time
I'll be with you one day

Goodbye baby
I hope your heart's not broken
Don't forget me
Yes I was outspoken
You were with me all the time
I'll be with you one dayYes, I'll be with you one day