Settling Down

13

May 12, 1991

Stevie was stood at the doors to the theater where Emily's dance show was. She was so proud of her, it was the second and final night of the show and she was a gorgeous blue fairy. Her solo was perfection, as well as all of her other dances and Stevie wanted to get her some flowers. Intermission was over and the flower people were about to start packing up, and the second half of the show was almost over, she just wanted it to be perfect. 

She hemmed and hawed about it for a while but then she saw some dyed Daisy's with a little blue fairy emblem in the bouquet so that's what she grabbed and when she slid up next to Lindsey he gave her a look.

"I couldn't resist." Stevie whispers showing him the flowers.

He just nods and wraps his arm around her. She had been living with them for about three months now and she was in a good place with Lindsey. They had gone out a couple of times, but mostly they were spending time as a family, taking the girls to the park, the zoo, the aquarium. Stevie was at a point in her career where though she was still hugely famous and if it was publicly announced that she was going to be somewhere paparazzi would no doubt show up, but if she kept it on the down low they'd be perfectly fine and no one would really bother them. They kept their plans so under wraps that sometimes even the girls didn't know what they were doing or where they were going. 

They had decided that Stevie was going to stay with them until she embarked on her tour. After she got back would be when they figured out what the next steps were going to be, because it was clear that if Stevie kept living with them that they would need a bigger house because it was tight. With the three of them, it was cozy, but with four of them, it needed to be bigger. That's just how it was. 

After the Finale, Stevie went and got Emily checked out...She had been there since the beginning, she checked her in for all four of her rehearsals, checked her out for all four of her rehearsals, she watched them all and she felt so much like Emily's mother that people were referring to her as Emily's mother. The woman that had taken the yearly dance pictures, had watched Stevie do her hair and makeup during picture week and at one point had told Emily to look at her mom for one of the poses she had to do. 

She was waiting for Emily to emerge when the picture lady approached her. "Emily Buckingham's mom right?" 

"Um, yeah...yeah...do you have her pictures?" 

"I do...if you could sign here for them." She hands her the stack a piece of paper and a pen. Stevie signed for them and then she opened them up and she just looked at the pictures. Emily was gorgeous and even though Stevie didn't physically give birth to her, she was so proud of her. 

She was taken out of her trance when she felt Emily come up next to her. 

"Hey could job baby." Stevie pulls her into her arms for a bone crushing hug. 

"Thanks." Emily smiles.

"Your daddy and I got you some flowers." Stevie rubs Emily's biceps still in the hug. 

"Really, dad's never gotten me flowers before." Emily beams.

"Yeah, we got you some flowers. C'mon." Stevie leads her out to the lobby.

"Wait, are those my pictures?" 

"Yeah." Stevie hands her the envelope.

"They turned out really good." 

"Yeah, they did is acting something you'd start considering because you were really good." Stevie smiles.

"Yeah, I might go for a casting call next year...it depends on the show and the characters." Emily shrugs. "And, Ms. Kate asked me if I wanted to help her teach next year. Like the little kinder tappers and balleters." 

"I think you should. Hell I still do ballet. And I can do the splits, so it might do you some good." Stevie nudges her as they approach Lindsey and Stella.

"Hey kiddo, good job baby." Lindsey kisses her head.

"Thanks daddy, and thanks for the flowers...I really love them." She coos taking the bouquet from him. 

"Stevie picked them out." He points.

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah." Stevie nods.

"Thanks mom."  Emily gushes and Stevie is taken back by the word.

"I'm sorry was it too soon I..." Emily starts babbling.

"No, no...No I just wasn't expecting it. I'm okay with it." Stevie sniffles pulling Emily into a hug looking up at Lindsey who's just as shocked about it as she is. 

Their little family moment was interrupted by the Martin's coming up to them. 

"Hey Carrie, Jack." Lindsey waves,

"We always take Lizzie out to dinner after her show on Sunday...would you guys like to join us?" Jack Martin, Lizzie's dad asks.

"I didn't take anything out." Stevie shrugs looking at Lindsey, as she and Emily break apart. 

"Sure we'll join you." Lindsey nods.

"Wait, is Stevie are mom now?" Stella asks after a moment.

"Stella, you don't have to call me mom if you don't want to..." Stevie plays with Emily's hair.

"I kinda want too." Stella shrugs.

"I'm okay with it sweet girl." Stevie nods. 

"Okay Mom." Stella smiles.

"You don't talk about your real mom." Lizzie states as the group makes their way out of the venue. 

"My real mom died a year ago. She had a heart condition. Dad and Stevie have only been together for a few months, but she's I think, honestly more like my mom than my mom was. After Stella was born she kinda forgot about me." Emily shrugs.

"She didn't...okay yeah, she kinda did...Carol was nineteen when we had Em so she was still a child herself. I mean, I was ten years older but I was no better so by the time we had Stella, Carol was a little bit more...prepared so she and Stella bonded a little bit more and did more things together." Lindsey shrugs squeezing Stella's neck a little bit. 

"Well, I know your mom wouldn't have it any other way. Stevie's great with you girls." Carrie assures.

"Yeah she is...I love you Steph." Lindsey leans over and kisses her.

"I love you too."