"Is it okay if I have just one glass?" Stevie held up her index finger, a crooked little smile trailing across her gorgeous face.
After walking for half an hour, sitting on a bench for twenty minutes, and then finally catching a cab, they had found themselves at a nice restaurant in downtown Chicago.
He cracked a grin as he let off a light nod. "Honey, I don't mind." Lindsey had told her a million times that she didn't have to tip toe around alcohol because of him.
She could stop herself, he couldn't.... and besides, he'd already had a couple of drinks at the Pier, but she didn't know that, of course.
She thought about it for a second and then she shook her head. "Never mind.... That was so selfish." She couldn't believe she had asked that- it was insensitive. "I'll just get-"
"Sir," he cut her off, holding out a hand to catch the waiter as he trailed by. "Can we get a bottle of red wine, please?" Lindsey's eyes never left hers, watching as this shy shade of pink washed over her cheeks.
"Absolutely," the younger man assured, before he ventured back towards the bar.
With wide eyes, Stevie leaned in. "A bottle...?" She chuckled with a soft nod.
"You deserve to relax and take a moment for yourself sometimes, baby." He couldn't remember the last time she'd actually let herself have a little fun... it felt like ages.
She hardly did much of anything that didn't circle around their family, not like she used to. She was always doing stuff- always working, going places, hanging out with people, learning new things... She rarely even hung out with her very best friends anymore, even though they still had a standing Friday afternoon together.
She was the only one that didn't go, and it really made him feel bad.
"I relax...." Stevie wrinkled a brow as she lifted a shoulder to shrug.
"When?" He wondered with a soft smile. "When you close your eyes at night?" He added, reaching out slowly to take her hand.
Biting down on her lower lip, her eyes fell to the table cloth.
"Here you are." The waiter set the bottle down on the edge, after pouring only her a glass. "Enjoy." He added before he disappeared into the crowd.
"Are you sure you're okay?" She hadn't had a drink in front of him, just the two of them in years... Like ten years, so it felt really wrong.
"I'm fine." He repeated, "Now let's talk about something else, okay? Like how's the kids? Our house still standing?" He teased, hoping to lighten the mood just a little.
Cradling the glass in one hand, the index finger of her other hand traced his palm. "I talked to Elise and she assured me that everything was going alright." She didn't really believe that, not in the slightest.
"They're all good liars." He didn't believe it either... It was impossible to.
She brought the glass up to her lips, taking a sip before she replied. "I also talked to Elise about coming back out here if Ev wants to do this trip again." Stevie announced in a very mundane tone.
He creased a brow as he shifted in his seat. "What do you mean?"
Sighing heavily, she stared into her favorite set of blue eyes. "I can't do this again, Lindsey." She shook her head, trying hard not to let it get to her. "As much as I want her to know Lucy, she's my daughter." She had to blink a couple of times, determined not to cry already. "And this is too hard for me." Stevie admitted something she'd tried so hard not to show... She wanted to be supportive, but it wasn't easy.
