Bluebird

11

December 29, 2010

Annabel didn't know how to feel. It was the night before they were supposed to be flying home. She was torn because she was going to miss the time she's had with Lindsey, because she may never get that chance again, and then she was sad that she was leaving Hawaii. it was an absolutely gorgeous island and if she could afford to live there, she would in a heart beat. But then again, she missed her home, and her job. Her apartment wasn't much but it was her home. 

They were eating dinner, Kristen had made some nauseating shrimp thing. She definitely wasn't much of a cook, and William and Lindsey had actually done most of the cooking, but Kristen wanted to cook so she was cooking. Samantha and Annabel had run out of their food, because it's not that they underestimated what they'd need. It was simply that ten year old Stella and sixteen year old Leelee had been eating all of their stuff. And Kristen had drank all of her alcohol. 

As they were picking at the dinner, because no one really wanted to eat it, Lindsey cleared his throat. "So um, you might be wondering why we brought you guys to Hawaii for Christmas." 

"Kinda." Will nods.

"Yeah, what gives....we usually go to the horse tournament on Christmas." Leelee states.

"Well your father and I have something to tell you." Kristen sighs.

"Yeah, go on." William motions with his hand. 

"Um in the New Year, daddy isn't going to be living at the house anymore." Annabel about choked on her drink when Kristen said that. 

"Why?" Stella asks, she was still really young so she probably didn't understand it. 

"Mom and I are getting a divorce Stellabella." Lindsey admits. 

Suddenly feeling very unwelcome in the room, she pushes her chair back and grabs Samantha's arm. They quickly vacate the room and head up to their shared guest room. 

"Why did you take me away from dinner?" She asks.

"Because, it's a family situation, it's none of our business." 

"It's your business though isn't it?" Samantha asks.

"What?" Annabel asks.

"That second night we went to Fleetwood's Lindsey's niece introduced herself as Cory Buckingham. So I asked William if their last name was Buckingham. You changed your last name to Buckingham when you moved to Los Angeles, but you introduced yourself as Bekker. It's your business isn't it?" 

"Lindsey Buckingham is the name of my father on my actual physical birth certificate, yes. But I don't know if he knows or not." Annabel bites her lip. 

"That's why you've been getting close with Lindsey isn't it?" 

"It's not like I'm trying to Sam. That's just how it's happening. He's approaching me hanging out with me. We have a lot of the same likes and dislikes. It's authentic. I'm not trying anything." Annabel explains, but as she says it her face falls because the tension in the room thickens. 

"You're mad at me."

"I'm not mad." Samantha grows defensive. 

"It sounds like you are." Annabel crosses her arms.

"I just, why didn't you tell me when we met him? I'm dating your brother." 

"Half brother. You're dating my half brother. I didn't tell you when we met him, because I don't think he knows that I'm his kid. Quite frankly, I don't know if I want him to know. His life is perfectly fine without me and he and my birth mother gave me up for adoption, so it's not like they cared about me." Annabel explains.

"Well still, it would've been nice to know." Samantha huffs before storming out of the bedroom.

Annabel rolls her eyes and falls face first on the bed groaning. After a minute of partially suffocating herself with the mattress, she pushes herself up and goes to her bag to start getting things ready to leave in the morning. 

***

It was awkward boarding the plane the next morning. It would be stopping in Los Angeles, Kristen, The kids, Samantha, and Annabel would be getting off and Lindsey would be staying on the plane while they refuel and then he'd be heading to New York. The Buckingham's were a mixture of pissed and sad, Samantha still wasn't talking to Annabel and yet again, Annabel found herself alone in the corner of the plane. She was listening to music and using a coloring app when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She startled and looked up to see Lindsey smiling next to her. She smiles back unplugging her headphones. They don't say anything for a while and then Lindsey finally does.

"It's me isn't it." 

"Hmm?' She asks cocking her head to the side. 

"It's me, I'm your biological father aren't I..." 

She looks at him and then she opens her photos on her phone. It wasn't by any means safe to have a picture of her birth certificate on her phone, but she did and she pulled the picture up and handed it to him

Certificate of Live Birth-State of California 

Name of Child First-Annabel

Middle-Alice

Last-Buckingham

Sex-Female

This Birth-Single

Date of Birth-November 15, 1986

Hour 24 hour clock time-0645

Place of Birth-Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Street Address-8700 Beverly Blvd, 

City- Los Angeles, CA 90048

County-Los Angeles County

Name of Parent First-Lindsey

Middle-Adams 

Last-Buckingham

Relationship-Father

Birthplace State County-California San Mateo

Date of Birth-October 3, 1949

Name of Parent First-Stephanie

Middle-Lynn

Last-Nicks

Relationship-Mother

Birthplace State County-Arizona Maricopa County

Date of Birth-May 26, 1948

It was rounded out with their signatures and Lindsey just looked at her and bit his lip. 

"How did you figure it out?" She asks.

"We're too much a like...and not to mention you kinda look like Stevie Nicks." 

"Do I?" She asks.

"Just a little bit." He holds up his fingers in the 'tiny bit' motion. 

"Um, Annabel...I know you probably have a lot of questions and I will answer all of them. But the plane is about to land. Um, here's..." He grabs her hand. "My cell-phone number. And I wanted to give you this as a Christmas Present." 

"Your guitar?" She asks.

"I have plenty of them. So don't worry about it. There's um, something on the back." He nods with his head. 

She looks at the back of the guitar and gasps when she sees the necklace that she was looking at in Hawaii. She just knew  he was watching her the whole time they were in that store but she never expected him to buy the necklace she kept looking at. 

"Thank you." She smiles throwing her arms around him in a hug. 

"Of course." He says into her ear rubbing her back and then pulling away and kissing her temple.