"How is he?" Levy stepped into the suite first, carrying a bunch of pizza boxes in one arm, while he used the other hand to hold a case of beer... just the essentials.
"Yeah, how's he feeling?" Crosby was right behind him, bringing his mom in for a quick hug before he stepped in the room completely.
Smiling softly, Stevie held open the door for her youngest- the straggler. "He's doing pretty good." She had promised Lindsey that that was all that she would say to them- no details, just the basics... he was alright and that's all they needed to know. "But,"
She lowered her voice as she reached out to grab ahold of Crosby's arm, stopping him from going any further. "I didn't tell your father about what happened the other night," she lingered, eyes meeting each set of blue eyes before she continued. She just wanted to make sure they were listening and if they were staring, usually that meant she had a little attention. "So we just won't talk about it, okay?" She was still whispering, but her voice had grown a little stern.
It wasn't that she was keeping secrets from Lindsey, because she definitely wasn't. In fact she couldn't wait to tell him that she'd finally stood up for herself- hell, he'd be thrilled, but she also didn't want to get him too worked up right after a serious heart attack. And she also didn't want him to know that the boys had caught wind of something that just wasn't relevant anymore.
Whatever happened between Donna and Lindsey was completely swept under the rug... She was over it.
"Of course, mom." Levy was perfectly fine not bringing up the insanity that took place in the waiting room, probably because the thought of Lindsey "fooling around" infuriated him more than just about anything.
"Perfect," winking lightly, she patted Crosby's arm, silently telling him that it was okay.
He was worried, she could tell but no matter what had happened, Stevie just wasn't mad at him, or anyone else for that matter- not even Lucy.
She was young, and Stevie knew, from personal experience that sometimes, on the occasion, young people have a tendency to feel entitled... she had been there with her own boys before, so she understood. But she also couldn't have drama around her husband at that time, not after such a traumatic event just days earlier. His health was far more important than anything else in that moment.
"Now, go see your dad." She chuckled, motioning for them to all head further into the suite.
Stevie watched from the doorway as the boys scattered throughout the living room- Levy setting things down on the table, Kash giving his dad a quick hug, while Crosby took a seat next him on the couch.
All of her favorite men, getting along- something she had wanted for far too long.
"Steph?" Lindsey's voice pulled her back into reality, a gentle grin welcoming her the moment her eyes met his. "Come sit with us, baby." He watched her venture through the room, hand meeting his knee as she fell into the space right between her husband and her oldest son.
"So?" Levy leaned back into the table, cracking open a can of beer to ease his nerves. "When are we heading home?" He asked before he took a long sip.
They had decided- Kash, Elise, and himself that Levy would stay with their parents until they were ready to go back out West... whether it just be Lindsey for the time being, or Stevie too. Either way, she wouldn't have been able to get him through security all alone and Levy was the only one who could take a couple of weeks off of work to be there with them.
"Daddy has a couple of follow up doctor appointments, but they said if everything goes smooth, we can leave by late next week." Stevie glanced over at Crosby, who was more focused on catching the can that Levy had tossed his way.
Elise smiled softly, happy to hear that she was finally going back home. "Good."
-
All the kids, minus Lucy, spent the entire evening in their parents hotel suite, hanging out, watching tv, eating dinner, and even helping them adjust to their new schedule.
Stevie suddenly had a lot of responsibility- a lot more than before. She was in charge of Lindsey's medicine, figuring out a new diet to stay healthy, and there were moments that he was still in need of some assistance when it came to moving around. Of course, he could walk, but he couldn't go run a marathon, and he was still very sore.
It wasn't until almost midnight when they all headed out... all of them, except for Levy, who was their new roommate for the week. He had been crashing on Crosby's couch, but Lucy was starting to give him an endless migraine, so he asked his parents if he could stay on the couch in the other room... Of course, his mother couldn't say no- she couldn't let him stay with Lucy.
"Lindsey?" Stevie came out of the bathroom, having just spent the last hour showering, doing her hair and eventually getting ready for bed.
"Yeah?" He was sitting on the edge, pulling his t- shirt over his head slowly.
Sinking her knees into the mattress, Stevie crawled up the bed. "Feel this," she was right behind him, waiting patiently for him to turn to the side, so she could take his hand in hers.
Lindsey creased a brow, chuckling softly once she'd placed his palm on her stomach, where the baby was moving around like crazy. "Oh, wow." It had been a long time since he'd felt anything like that... It was still magic.
"Isn't she wild?" Stevie pushed some of her loss curls behind her ear as she stared down at his hand, slowly circling her tummy.
"She?" He rose a brow, a gentle smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth instantly.
Biting down on the inside of her cheek, she lightly fell back into the bed. "I mean..." she shrugged her shoulders, trying hard not to act like she cared too much. That wasn't her baby, she knew that, but it was so hard. She had fallen in love. "Who really knows." She lingered, even though she was almost certain of herself.
It was different- all of it was, obviously, but she just felt different carrying that baby. It could have been stress, or the simple fact that that pregnancy wasn't "normal," but a part of her felt like it was because it wasn't a boy this time.
"It's gonna be hard, isn't it?" He slowly sank further into the sheets to lay back, letting out a content sigh once her head met his chest. It felt like it had been forever since they'd cuddled.
"Way harder than I could have even imagined."
