With one leg crossed over the other, Stevie stayed curled up in the chair with a cup of coffee in one hand and sheet music in the other. "I really like that." She announced, foot bouncing along to the melody of the cords as she stayed partially wrapped up in a throw blanket.
With a soft smirk trailing across his face, he stared over at her intently. "I think you sound great, Steph." Lindsey didn't pass out compliments very often, but he had to that morning... He had really missed her at work, even though it was always a little more chaotic when they were together.
Chuckling lightly, she brought her cup up to her lips to take a sip. "Thank you, Lindsey." She replied, cradling the mug close.
It usually took a lot of convincing to get her down to their home studio, or even to meet up with the band. She usually made up excuses- she didn't feel well, she was tired, she didn't have any motivation, and sometimes she'd just lock herself in her room to drowned out the world around her. It wasn't easy to get her to do what had once come very naturally to her.
However, to his surprise, she was the one that asked him to join her downstairs that morning.
She had gotten up early with the kids, helped Carrie make breakfast and even tagged along to drop them off at school. It had been a productive couple of hours for her, and when she got home, for the first time in a long time, she felt like she had it in herself to get some work done.
"I can't remember the last time we did this, just you and I." Stevie couldn't help but smile- it had been years.
"We've always been a pretty great duo." He teased as a soft laugh escaped him yet again.
With a gentle nod, she leaned over to set the loose pieces of paper on the coffee table. "I talked to my therapist the other morning about you." She sort of shrugged a shoulder as she bit down on her lower lip.
"Oh?" Raising a brow, Lindsey set his guitar off to the side, making sure she knew that he had given her his full attention.
He was trying too, he really was. He was trying to be more understanding and more open, which hadn't always come easy.
"I really want to thank you for being so patient with me, Lindsey." Stevie glanced up, eyes melting into his deep blue orbs instantly. "I know, as a husband and a father this hasn't been easy on you either and I've been very insensitive." She had never, not in all the years that had followed since Alli's passing, said anything quite like that. "And I wouldn't have blamed you, not for a single second if you had decided to just walk away from me though this." She knew it was hard for him- it had to have been. "But I'm so thankful that you've given me a second chance at this life with you and our babies." She added as thick, glossy tears filled the brims of her eyes.
That took a lot for her- a lot of thought and a lot of courage, but it felt right.
She'd lost herself and with that, he'd lost his wife and their kids had lost their mother. It wasn't fair and she was ready for that to change.
Sinking down, Lindsey suddenly felt like the worlds biggest jerk in the whole world... She felt all of those feelings and he couldn't even stay faithful to her.
"You have nothing to thank me for, Stevie." He couldn't look her in the eyes anymore- it made him feel far worse about the mistakes he'd made. "We've been dealt a pretty unfair hand the last couple of years, but we've made so much progress in such a short time." Pushing himself up off the floor, he set his cup down on the coffee table as well.
Without much thought, Stevie slid off the accent chair and took the couple of steps toward him. "I love you." She whispered, staring up at him as she slipped one arm around his waist.
For the first time in a long time, Stevie wanted to be held... She just wanted to feel close to him.
Letting out a soft sigh, he felt her melt into him a little further as he wrapped her in his arms. "I love you." With one hand in her curls, he pressed a couple of gentle kisses to her forehead. "I love you so much, baby." His voice was soft- so much so, he was worried that it would crack.
Biting down on her lower lip, her head rested comfortably on his chest as she took in that moment.
It had been so long and those couple of minutes felt so good. They were getting there, slowly but surely.
Swallowing hard, she let out another sigh. "I have to make rice crispy treats for the game tonight." She patted his back, silently telling him that she was ready to let go. "Crew told me this morning that he signed me up this week." She added with a tear filled chuckle.
He kissed the side of her head one more time before he took a couple of steps back. "Do you need some help?" He wondered as his eyes casually drifted to the floor.
It didn't necessarily feel awkward, but it did feel very different for them. Those emotions and sweet little moments had once been very common in their marriage, but after hardly even speaking for so long, it was kind of hard to grasp that second that they had just shared.
"I'm okay, Lindsey." She didn't want him to baby her, not in the slightest. "Carrie is up there, so if I need anything, she'll be there." Grabbing her cup, she started to head through the room.
Nodding softly, his eyes followed her to the door.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," she paused in the doorway, one hand on the frame as she turned back to look at her husband. "I'm going out to dinner tomorrow evening with Lori, Sharon and Mary." It had taken a lot of convincing, but she was ready... She was ready to be somewhat normal again.
His lips turned up and he nodded his head. "I'm glad... It's been awhile since you've all been together."
~~~
"I don't wanna go to his stupid game." Lola held out her hands as she stood in the center of the kitchen.
"Lola, it isn't stupid." Stevie shook her head as she focused more on putting the rice crispy treats into little decorative plastic bags.
"They're just going to lose, anyway." She argued. "I mean, dad's the coach, they can't be good!" Lola added with a tone full of pure annoyance.
Shifting awkwardly, Stevie's eyes finally drifted towards the deep blue orbs. "We're all going to support your father and your brother, understand?" She wasn't good at being strict, but she also didn't want to hear anymore about it either.
With a light scoff, the teenager rolled her eyes in such a dramatic way, it almost hurt. "Why are you doing all of this?" She motioned around the kitchen, where Stevie had spent the last couple of hours. "You don't make rice crispy treats, or go to games..." she lingered, scrunching up her nose. "You just sleep all day and make yourself cocktails!"
"That's enough, Lola." Lindsey's voice crept through the room as he trailed in from the studio. "Don't be disrespectful." He creased a brow, not at all impressed with her behavior.
Her jaw settled as she watched her father move closer to her mother. "This is so weird." She mumbled as she shook her head in disbelief. "I wish you'd just go back to bed." She told Stevie in the coldest voice possible.
