Everybody Finds Out

Part 5

The following few days went much better. Lindsey was quickly getting used to seeing Stevie and Harry first thing in the morning, sitting at the kitchen table. While the boy ate his breakfast and did his best to tell some story, she enjoyed a cup of coffee, listening intently with a smile on her face. Lindsey kicked himself each time, it was his fault he didn't have this every day of his life.

This day was no different, when Lindsey came down. He saw Stevie cleaning the spilt milk around Harry, while he continuously repeated he was 'sowy'. Lindsey's one hand settled on Stevie's shoulder, the other ruffled Harry's curls.

"Good morning." 

"Morning, Linds." Stevie smiled up at him.

"What happened here?" Lindsey asked, pulling out a chair on his son's left.

"An overenthusiastic story telling." She explained and stood up to throw away the soaking paper towel.

"I wonder, where he gets that from." Lindsey grinned, making Stevie roll her eyes as she washed her hands.

"I'm sowy, Daddy." Harry looked at his father, his lower lip trembling.

"Oh, it's okay, buddy. It happens." Lindsey waved it off, adding. "You just have to be more careful."

Leaning against one of the kitchen counters, Stevie watched the two. She was definitely the stricter parent, but she didn't really expect Lindsey to scold their son on the rare occasions they got to be together. She understood why, but it stung a little anyway, when Harry's eyes would light up just a tiny bit more, when he saw his father. The feeling quickly went away, however, knowing of the amount of love Lindsey held in his heart for their boy.

"Are you okay?" Stevie heard Lindsey's voice and she frowned. 

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I've been trying to get your attention for the past two minutes." Lindsey shrugged and she realized that he probably knew, what was going through her mind.

"Oh, sorry. I just..." Stevie breathed in heavily, leaving the sentence unfinished. "Are you hungry?"

"Always, you know that." Lindsey replied. "But it doesn't mean that you have to make me breakfast, Steph."

"It's not a big deal. I was going to make something for myself anyway."  She said, moving over to the fridge.

"In that case." Lindsey shrugged, nodding his head. 

Lindsey remained seated with Harry, while Stevie took out some ingredients for a quick breakfast. It was still rather early, Mick and John were nowhere in sight, which gave them the illusion of the moment being their reality. Neither chose to bring it up, instead, they decided to enjoy it quietly. 

Then the doorbell rang. The band members, assistants and other personnel had keys. Lindsey lifted his eyes up at Stevie, his eyebrows slightly creased, she gave a shrug of her shoulders.

"I'm not expecting anyone." Stevie said, slicing a tomato. 

"I'll be right back." Lindsey kissed the top of Harry's head and rushed to answer the door, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Surprise!"

Stevie heard the shrill voice and her whole body went numb. Serves her right for dreaming. She tried to zone out and ignore the voices, but it was impossible. 

"Kristen, wh-what are you doing here?" Lindsey swallowed uneasily.

"I've missed you. Can't I just come over to spend some time with my husband?" Stevie cringed at her overly saccharine voice.

"This is not a summer camp, you know. We're actually working." Lindsey said. "I can't just drop everything to spend time with you."

"I know that, but I could just... hang around." Kristen shrugged, already attached to Lindsey like a leech.

"Where are the kids?" 

"They wanted to see their grandparents." Stevie sighed in relief. Of course she didn't like Lindsey's wife unexpected appearance, but at least, she didn't have to face those sweet babies, she couldn't possibly hate his other children. "So."

"What?" Lindsey still stood by the door, he hadn't even invited Kristen to take a seat. 

"What were you so busy with this early that you can't drop to be with your wife for a little while anyway?"

"Uh..." Lindsey didn't know what to say, but Stevie said it for him, unable to resist the temptation.

"Linds, breakfast is ready!"

Kristen's eyes narrowed immediately. "Now it makes sense."

"Well, Stevie's a part of Fleetwood Mac. You couldn't have expected her not to be here." Lindsey shrugged and turned to head back into the kitchen.

"What the hell is she doing, making you breakfast?" Kristen hissed, following behind him.

"People eat, Kristen." Lindsey shrugged and then smiled brightly at the plate Stevie had prepared for him. "You really shouldn't have."

"No worries." Stevie smiled back at him. "Oh, hi, Kristen."

"Hi." The younger woman squeezed out through gritted teeth, her eyes on the completely innocent little boy in the adults' mess. "I see, you've decided to be a mother to your son. Haven't you just come back from a huge tour?"

Lindsey froze, seeing the fire flash in Stevie's eyes, but she kept her cool. "I have and Harry was with me, so I'm not really sure, what you're implying here."

"I could never do that to our children." Kristen lay her hand on Lindsey's shoulder. "Dragging them all over the country like that."

"It's a good thing you don't have to then. You're not the one working to keep a roof over their heads, right?" Stevie replied, that forced smile back on her face. "Come on, baby." She held out her hand for Harry. "Let's take Sula outside."

Kristen kept her mouth shut until she and Lindsey were left alone. She sat down beside him, glaring at him until he turned to look back at her. 

"Having a nice time, pretending they're your family?" 

"I'm not pretending." Lindsey shrugged, only now digging into the sandwich Stevie had made for him. "I don't want to hear it, Kristen. If you don't like it, you can leave."

"Don't get any ideas." Kristen warned him, but Lindsey couldn't count the times that she'd said something like that to him. It no longer truly bothered him.