Some Things Never Change

Family, Part I

Lindsey sat in their bedroom and watched Stevie getting ready for the night. She had just removed the rest of her make-up that had not been washed away yet from all the crying she had done that day, and got into her nightie.

Lindsey still couldn't fully understand what had happened only a few hours ago.

The test results had been positive and he actually was Sara's father. When Stevie had read it out loud to them, he had heard the words but even now he still couldn't believe it. He and Stevie had a child together. It was the one thing in the world he had always wanted but hadn't dare to even dream about for years. Never had he thought that this wish would actually come true one day. Sure, this wasn't the way he had planned it to happen but when had things with him and Stevie ever happened the way they should have?!

Sara, Stevie and him hadn't stopped crying happy tears when they had found out about it. They had held each other, all three of them entwined in a neverending hug. Relief washing over them.

Shortly after, they had driven home and had spent hours of talking. It had been needed. All of them had had two awful weeks behind them and needed to get those words out.

Stevie was just about to slip next to him under the covers when they heard a soft knocking at their bedroom door.

“May I.. May I come in?”, they heard a nervous, quiet voice saying.

Stevie shot Lindsey a look and he answered: “Sara, sure. Come in.”

Slowly, the door opened up and there she stood. Sara, dressed in a dark blue nightie, barefooted, her dark hair its usual curly mess, her eyes still red and puffy from all the tears she had shed, her arms shyly wrapped around her belly.

“Hey..”, she mumbled and looked at them, “I don't wanna... bother you..”

“You don't bother us.”, Lindsey said quickly and smiled at her.

Stevie nodded in agreement and asked: “What's wrong, Sara?”

“I.. Gosh, I know I'm way too old to even ask that...”, she bit nervously her lip.

“Wanna stay here with us?”, Lindsey suggested and held his hand out for her.

“May I?”

“Of course.”

She ran happily into his arms and climbed in the middle of the bed, Stevie laughingly got in on the other side of the bed. When they were all lying cuddled up underneath the blankets, none of them couldn't stop smiling. This was what all of them had secretly always whished for.

Lindsey turned on his side, facing Stevie, and wrapped his arm around Sara. The girl cuddled with her back up against him and Stevie grabbed Lindsey's hand that rested  on the blanket.

It didn't take long until Sara fell asleep in Lindsey's arms. Her hand had joined her parent's and their fingers lay entwined between them.

Lindsey listened to Sara's breathing and looked over to Stevie who was smiling brightly at him.

“I love you”, he mouthed at her and placed a kiss on their daughter's hair.

“I love you, too”, she mouthed back and reached out her hand to stroke softly over his cheek.

The next morning, Sara had to get back to school and Stevie, who had for the first time in a very long time, got up early to join her at the breakfast table, was now tidying up the kitchen since Sara had left.

She let the dog outside and sat down in the garden, watching Shadow sniffing around. It was going to be a beautiful day. It was still chilly but the air was fresh and the sun shone beautifully through the trees onto the grass. She stayed for a while, processing the day before and the night they had spent as a family in her bed. Sara was THEIR child. The one thing, she had always thought to never be able to give Lindsey, she had given it to him 16 years ago. It still hurt that they had missed all those years together but they would make up for the loss of time. The only thing that mattered right now, was that they were together and that they loved each other.