With her arms crossed over her chest, Carries jaw settled as she watched Stevie ready herself for the evening.
She had curled her hair, done her makeup and even picked out a dress to wear to dinner. She was really trying to look put together and happy... She wanted to be both of those things so desperately.
"Which shoes, honey?" She motioned towards the end of the bed, where she had set two pairs of heels out at the foot.
Shifting all of her weight, Carrie, half heartedly, drifted her gaze away from Stevie. "I think the cream would look best." She mumbled, obliviously not too enthused with the whole thing.
She had never, not in the three years that she had worked for them, seen her boss go that far out of her way for Lindsey... They didn't do things like that together and to say that she was jealous would probably have been an understatement. Carrie was annoyed.
"Are you sure you're okay with the kids tonight?" Turning around in the vanity chair, Stevie locked eyes with the younger woman. "I know it was very last minute and if you have plans, I can just call Karen." She assured, almost certain Carrie had enough time with the kids all week long... She needed a personal life, too.
Shaking her head, she let out a very forced laugh. "Don't worry, I had no plans tonight." She shrugged her shoulders casually as she leaned into the doorframe.
With a very appreciative smile, Stevie pushed herself up from her seat. "I've been meaning to give you something, dear." She trailed through the room in her silk pajama set, having decided to leave the outfit for last. "You're very vital to our family and I don't think, I thank you enough for all you do." Stevie's words were a little ironic to say the least...
"Mrs-"
Holding up a hand, the older woman silenced her. "I want you to have a moon." She stated as she pulled open the top drawer of her nightstand. "I know I'm not always the easiest person to work for..." she lingered as a soft chuckle escaping her. "I've been told that once or twice, so this is for putting up with me." Holding the box in one hand, Stevie used the other to motion for Carrie to turn around.
With a very soft sigh, Carries eyes fell to the fur rug. She felt bad... She felt really bad for the first time in a long time. "Mrs. B, that is so sweet." She brought the tips of her fingers up to the gold crescent moon, while she felt Stevie work on latching the clasp from behind.
"You deserve it, sweet girl." She assured as she stepped back, a very motherly smile trailing across her face as she watched Carrie turn back around.
Stevie was a lot of things- she was sad, she was defeated, she was angry sometimes, but above all that, she was a nurture. She was soft and gentle, even when she felt like she was crumbling.
"Mom?" Lola shouted down the hallway, sneakers hitting the hardwood as she hurried towards the master bedroom.
"Yes?" Stevie creased a brow as she headed for the door, only to flinch when her oldest met her there.
"I want to go out with my friends, they're going to the pier and dad said that I needed to ask you, because you-" she was rambling but as soon as her mother held up a hand, she quieted down.
"Not tonight." Shaking her head, Stevie watched this look of pure annoyance wash over Lola's face. "It's not safe down there at night." She added, trying to defend her reasoning as best she could.
"Dad let's me go down there all the time at night." She argued with a shift eye roll. "You just want to control me, like always." At sixteen, that was truly what the teenager thought... Stevie was just out to ruin her life.
"Bad things happen this late at night." She repeated, trying hard to stay calm and collective.
She wanted to tell her that no means no... Stevie was still the boss in that house, even if she didn't always act like it.
"Bad things happen in the day time, too." Lola was not afraid to argue, not with anyone, but especially not with her mom.
"I'm done talking about it." Stevie raised a brow as she headed back through her room to finish getting around.
"You are so unbelievable and unfair!" Lola yelled, tossing her hands out to her sides in frustration. "No one can do anything around here anymore, because of you!" Her voice was still loud and cold. "It isn't my fault you weren't paying attention to Allison and now you have to ruin everyone else's life, too?!" She was being over dramatic and very careless with her words.
The whole pier thing wasn't that big of a deal.
"Lola!" Carrie gasped, mouth almost hitting the floor. "That is totally uncalled for." She turned back to look at Stevie, but she had already disappeared into the walk in closet.
"I'm being honest." The younger girl was mad, but she also suddenly felt a little bad... She knew it took a toll on Stevie and it wasn't fair to use it against her like that.
"Go to your room." She didn't stick up for Stevie often, but after that nightmare, how could she not?
"Whatever." Trudging through the room, she slammed the door closed behind her.
Letting out a deep sigh, Carrie shook her head in disbelief. It was a mess- their whole life was a total mess. "Mrs. B?" She spoke quietly as she moved towards the closest. "Are-" just as she was getting ready to ask her if she was okay, the door slid open once more.
"I'm used to it." Stevie emerged a second later, wearing a deep red dress- one that showed off her perfectly shaped figure. "I'll see you later tonight, dear. Thank you, again." She was sort of in a hurry at that point- she didn't have time to sit around and worry about what Lola had said.
If she were to sit there and overthink it, like usually... she would have to just crawl right back into her bed and that wasn't what she wanted to do, not that night.
"Have fun." Carrie nodded lightly, following the blonde down the hallway.
Lindsey was waiting in the foyer, sitting down on the tile floor, painting Clancy's toes. She had begged Lola and after she had said no for the tenth time, she finally asked her dad to help... He wasn't very good at it, but he tried.
But the moment the sound of her heels hitting the floor caught his attention, Lindsey glanced up, only to totally freeze.
She was standing in the doorway in that dress, with her long blonde curls framing her gorgeous face and a smile... That smile he had missed more than anything.
Beautiful was an understatement- she was perfect.
"Mommy, you look like a Princess." Clancy was the first one to speak- totally in awe of her mother in that very moment.
With a low laugh, Stevie's eyes met hers. "Thank you, baby." She felt a little self conscious, but not enough to make her feel uncomfortable. "Your little toes look so good." She gushed, watching her husband pick himself up off the floor.
"Daddy tried." Clancy playfully shrugged her shoulders, which made her mother chuckle once more.
It had been a long time since Stevie had felt that at peace... She knew it wouldn't last forever, but for a moment, life felt good again.
"You look beautiful, Stevie." Lindsey couldn't stop staring... She looked like the woman he had fallen in love with many, many years earlier.
