No One's A Fool (Revised & Complete)

Chapter 2

Usually, he can put her out of his mind. Most days, he forgets she even existed, as if she was a fever dream deep in the throes of his addiction days. But sometimes, the thoughts just come, and there's nothing he can do to stop them. These days, though, he's gotten good at keeping that lid closed.

And then something happens to take him off guard. Like today, where the child who could be Stevie's younger self shows up and stands before him, innocently asking for his autograph. It's on those days that the drink becomes harder to resist, as the shame of his past catches up with him – a reminder that he hasn't made all the amends he should.

He can still remember the last time he saw Stevie, her deep eyes boring straight into his soul. Back then, drink and cocaine in hand, he would have never let her know how much she'd meant to him. He could never have brought himself to tell her the truth – not then, and not in the years that passed.

She was happy with Mick, of that he knew. They had been together for more than twenty years, now. Anything Joe could attempt to do would never compare to the great Mick Fleetwood, and for that reason, he had never gone to apologize after he'd sobered up. He knew he couldn't look her in the eye and tell her how truly sorry he was. He couldn't even say hi when they passed backstage at an awards show, both of them pretending the other didn't exist. Many years of silence had passed between them now, and that was that. Sometimes Don would mention her, and his ears would prick up, trying to gather some information. On a couple of occasions, his curiosity got the better of him, and he Googled her. But more often than not, as they years between them continued to grow, he let her memory be.

Marjorie kept him from looking back too much. He loved her, truly, possibly more than he'd ever loved a partner before, and she loved him. She took care of him, making sure he stayed on the path. She knew Joe's history – including that chapter of it. It was good for him, knowing there were no secrets between them. With her, he moved on. But sometimes, his mind dragged him backwards. A cameo on a television show. A song on the radio. A tiny blonde-haired girl with pouty lips and guitar skills.

As he made his way back to his hotel room, he questioned his decision. Would it have been smarter to have kept his mouth shut, signed the autograph, and sent that child on her way? Was opening this door a good idea for any of them? Would Wrenna tell Stevie? His mind turned the questions over and over, but no answers came.