Lotto

14

Time Jump

February 14, 1977

Being a parent was something that Stevie wasn't excelling at. Freya had just turned two and she was a little hellion. People weren't lying when they talked about the terrible twos. But right now, right now it was a moment of peace, Stevie had just got home from work and Freya was stacking her blocks in the middle of the living room floor. 

"How was work?" Lindsey asks looking up from his nightly paper.

"Fine, how was your day?" Stevie asks. 

"Uneventful." He states. That was always the extent of their conversations. They weren't the most lovey-dovey couple in the history of couples so it was a struggle at times trying to bring their daughter up in a loving environment. 

Lindsey was going to say something else when the phone ring. It was sitting on the table by the end of the couch Stevie was sitting on she grabbed it and cleared her throat before proceeding with the conversation.

"Hello, The is the Buckingham-Nicks residence how can I help you?" Though her students called her Mrs. B, because it was easy for them to pronounce, her name was still Stephanie Lynn Nicks-Buckingham. 

"Stevie it's Jeff." 

"Oh Jeff, how are you do you want me to hand you over to Lindsey?" 

"No, not yet...I have to tell you something." 

"Go on?" Stevie asks.

"My mom had a heart attack. " 

"What?" She questions peering over at Lindsey and they made intense eye contact. 

"She had a heart attack just like our dad did, but she's still alive. In ICU in critical condition they did open heart surgery. We waited to call because we wanted to...well frankly we wanted to make sure she was going to be okay. Lindsey didn't handle it well when our dad died and he won't do well when our mom dies and we just needed to potentially prepare." Jeff explains. 

"I'm so sorry," Stevie sighs and at that Lindsey scoots down to her. "Um, Jeff Honey, here's Lindsey." 

Stevie watches as she can see his heart physically break and she cautiously lays her hand on his bicep and scoots even closer to him wrapping her other arm around his shoulder her face going right into his neck. 

"Um, we'll...we'll um, we'll leave right now...Bye Jeff, I love you too." 

"Baby I'm so sorry." Stevie sighs.

"She's still alive, but I need to go to her. What do you have to do to get time off? If you can't I understand I just..." He asks.

"I'm going to call my boss right now, why don't you go upstairs and start packing for us. We can stop at McDonalds or something on the way." Stevie rubs his shoulders.

"Okay." He goes to get up but she stops him. 

"Hey, I love you Lindsey." She looks him in the eyes.

All he does is he crumbles he starts crying and she pulls him back down on the couch and holds his head against her breasts, and she just soothes him. 

****

Driving through the night was long and hard but luckily two year old Freya had fallen asleep in the backseat around eight letting them drive straight through the last four hours and they pulled up to Ruth's house around ten-thirty. The porch light was on, and they could see a couple of cars in the driveway and she assumed Lindsey's brothers were with her. 

They cautiously got out of the car and Stevie took a hold of Freya carrying her into the house while Lindsey grabbed the bags. Stevie and Freya didn't have the best relationship. The only time that Freya would even let Stevie hold her was when she was sleeping. She'd much rather have her father's attention than her mothers. 

Stevie went in first and gave a sad smile to Eliza who was sitting in the rocking chair. Eliza and Stevie didn't get along so even if Freya wasn't in her arms she certainly wasn't going to hug her.  But she did hug Jeff and Greg. 

"Where's Daryl?" 

"She took the kids home. Daryl's um...she's pregnant so she wasn't feeling too good." Jeff nods. 

"Well that's some good news." Stevie shrugs.

"Yeah I guess." He nods.

"Hey, it's okay to be excited about it." Stevie tells him.

"I know it just feels wrong being excited when my mom's sick." Jeff shrugs as Lindsey comes in and wraps his arms around his  brothers. 

"She wouldn't want you to feel that way Jeff." Stevie sighs.

"I know, if you wanted to put her to bed, you guys are staying in Lindsey's old room. Do you remember where it is?" He asks.

"I do. I'm going to let you guys be alone right now. I'm tired, because I did most of the driving, and I want to get her settled." Stevie smiles again.

"Thanks for being here Stephanie." Greg smiles.

"Of course, we're family." Stevie squeezes his hand and makes her way upstairs. 

***

They only stayed for a couple of days and most of their time in San Francisco was spent with Ruth in the hospital but Stevie did meet up with her brother and sister-in-law for lunch.  But they were on their home when Stevie clears her throat. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's scary and it's sad not having my dad around anymore and with my mom being sick it just...it was a shock." Lindsey sighs.

"I never met your dad, how and when did he die?" 

"February 14th, 1974.  He died alone in the gas line, I can't...I can't fathom it. He had a heart attack while he was waiting in the gas line. And now my mom did...it's scary, but it made me realize something Steph." He sighs putting the blinker on to merge.

"What did you realize?" Stevie inquires.

"I realized that every single moment is precious and the time that I have with Freya is limited." He shrugs.

"What do you mean it's limited?" Stevie asks concern lacing her voice.

"I could have a grand mal seizure at any given moment. And you never know what could happen, I could slip into a coma or I could fall hit my head suffer brain damage I don't know, its just something that we have to be aware of any moment could be my last and I need to soak up as much time with her as I can so she'll have those memories." Lindsey shrugs.

"Don't even say that Lindsey. I can't do this on my own." She shakes her head.

"But even if I never have a seizure again, she is going to grow up, in a blink of an eye she's going to be going to school and she's going to start learning how to ride a bike, and then drive, and then she's going to graduate and grow up start her own family make her own life. Our timing with her like this is limited. And I want to remember it and I want her to remember it." Lindsey sighs.

"She will Lindsey." Stevie grabs his hand and interlaces their fingers.