"When did she ask you that?" Lindsey was sitting in one of the sun beds out on the back patio, eyes melting into his wife's instantly.
She was sitting by the edge of the pool on her yoga mat, having just spent the last half an hour procrastinating her workout.
With a deep sigh, she slowly reached out to touch her toes. "She asked me that on the way to school a couple of days ago." She mumbled as she stretched her arms up in the air a moment later.
Creasing a brow, he sank back into his seat a little further. "Adopted, huh?" Lindsey didn't actually know what to say... That was quite the assumption.
"You already know why I think she asked me that." Stevie pushed herself up on her knees as her hands fell flat on the mat in order to kick one leg out straight. "We're old." She repeated for the millionth time within the decade leading up to that moment.
Rolling his eyes softly, Lindsey held out his hands. "You always tell everyone else that age is just a number, Stevie." He reminded her. "This is no different, okay? We aren't even old." Lindsey mumbled, a gentle shrug following his words. "We're just...." he kind of trailed, trying to find the right words to use. "You know, we're just wise and really seasoned."
With a soft smile, Stevie looked up just to see that cute grin on his face... He didn't really believe that, he was just trying to make her feel better. "Seasoned?" She questioned as she nodded her head lightly. "More like over cooked, baby." She gave him a little wink as she turned over on her back to calm her racing heart.
He let out a laugh as he brought his coffee cup up to his lips to take a sip. "Old or not, you still take my breath away." He shrugged, totally certain of himself when he said stuff like that.
He loved her just the way she was- he always had, even though she was incredibly hard on herself more often than not.
Stevie turned her head to one side, a sheepish giggle escaping her. "You're just trying to make me blush." She playfully rolled her eyes as she flipped over completely to sit up.
She dabbled in everything at that point- yoga being one of the few extra hobbies her husband actually knew about.
"I can tell that it's working though." He watched her push herself up off the mat to trail towards him.
"I don't think this will be the last of Evee's questions, honey." She sighed, taking a seat in the sun bed next to him a moment later. "What do I tell her if she asks again?" Stevie wondered, eyes drifting towards the pool as she started to zone out in thought.
She couldn't figure out why Everleigh would even entertain the idea that she could be adopted. She looked just like the boys- so much so that it was almost scary. And she was never treated differently, not in the slightest... She was their daughter, whether biology proved it or not.
"Tell her the truth, Steph." Lindsey tossed his hands out to his side, not sure what else she was expecting. "You gave birth to her, therefore, you're her mother." He reached over, patting her thigh out of reassurance. "And you've always been the best mom to all four of our children, honey." He lingered, hoping that he would be able to ease her mind just a little bit.
But she was always worrying, always. It started when Evee went to kindergarten and Stevie was the oldest mother at orientation. And that went on for every grade, every field trip, every parent/ teacher conference and every birthday party... Stevie stressed over being the oldest mother, which really made Lindsey feel for her.
He didn't understand what she was going through, but that was probably because he didn't really care about what other people thought of him, especially not some woman in the school drop off line that was twenty- five years old with two kids, carrying around a thermal cup and wearing cheap sunglasses... There were other things to worry about in his opinion.
"Let it go for now?" His eyes grew gentle as he gave her a soft squeeze.
Nodding her head, she tangled her fingers in his. "I won't worry about it anymore." She assured, even though that probably wasn't the truth.
~
"Wait, wait, wait!" Stevie tossed her head back, a deep laugh escaping her as she reached out for his arm. "Only, like a tiny bit of oil." She reminded him as she sank back into the kitchen counter to watch... she was just observing, even though he was doing it completely wrong.
It was evening, after the restaurant had closed for the night when Alex and Stevie had found themselves in the kitchen, like they did a couple of times each week... basically whenever she could sneak away from the house long enough for her husband not to question where she had disappeared to.
"I think you might be better at ballroom then I am at making pasta." He half grinned, titling the bowl of noodles over the colander to drain.
"You're getting there, honey." She assured, patting his arm lightly. "It just takes a little practice." She gave him a simple shrug, raising a brow as her eyes continued to follow his motions.
"Practice and a really good teacher." He had these deep brown eyes that really spoke to her- he was so genuine.
"Oh, you're just being sweet now." She chuckled lightly as she casually crossed her arms over her chest.
"So? Have you decided about the competition?" He asked while he carefully shook the strainer over the sink.
"Do you really think that I'll be able to do it by then?" She had thought about it a lot... she had even considered asking her husband his opinion on it, but she was too nervous, even though she knew she shouldn't have been.
"Oh, for sure." Alex gave her a gentle nod. "We have a great chance at winning it."
~
Lindsey's jaw settled, eyes on the road as he headed back towards the house. "I thought your mom had asked you not to go to the beach at night." He was so tired that his head had started pounding.
He tried to have more patience, he really did, but sometimes it was hard. Lindsey would pick her up no matter what- in the middle of the night and a even a million miles away, he would be there as fast as he could be. But he was also trying to back his wife and the rules she put in place... It was almost impossible being the middle man with those two- it was just nerve wracking.
"We were only there for like half an hour, dad." Evee was lying, even though she always played it off pretty well.
Running his palm from his forehead, all the way down to his chin, Lindsey let out a heavy sigh. "Just listen to your mother, Evee... please." His hand hit the steering wheel a second later, trying to think of some lecture that Stevie would give.
He had nothing. No advice, no concerns... nothing.
"She makes up crazy rules sometimes, you know that." Everleigh adored Stevie, but that didn't mean she always agreed with her... She was a teenager, it came with the territory.
"Just cut her some slack, okay?" He didn't always agree with everything either, but he also knew he would be on his wife's side no matter what...
After all, they were a team and they were supposed to tell each other everything.
