"Are you alright?" Elise cradled a cup of hot coffee as she trailed into the living room.
Sighing heavily, Lindsey shifted on the sofa. "No," he admitted, watching her set the mug down on the accent table next to him. "Thank you," he gave her a faint smile, even though there was absolutely nothing inside him that was even remotely happy.
The younger woman pursed her lips, causing a little frown to trail across her face. "I'm sure she's really upset..." she knew her mother- in- law pretty well... probably better than all her children combined, actually.
"I haven't seen her that mad in a really long time." He assured with a set of very sad blue eyes.
He felt terrible... he really did. He didn't lie to her anymore- they'd gotten over that, but suddenly, there he was, far beyond secrets, yet still keeping them from the most important person in his life.
He knew he deserved all the anger she had directed towards him.
"Maybe she's had some time to cool off...?" Kash was standing in the doorway, tired eyes melting into his dads.
Lindsey had come knocking at a little after midnight and then they all stayed up talking for two hours after that. And of course, since there was trouble in paradise, no one slept very well.
When Stevie was upset, everyone was upset.
"She won't answer her phone." Lindsey had called her three times already and it wasn't even nine in the morning. "And I know she isn't still sleeping." He knew her too well- she probably didn't sleep at all.
"I can swing by the house on my way to work." Levy had stopped by for coffee after Kash had called to tell him their dad was camped out on the sofa...
None of them could even remember a fight between their parents that had been that intense that Stevie felt like she couldn't even sleep under the same roof as him... They knew it had to have been pretty ugly.
Lindsey sunk down, a little embarrassed, but more so upset that he'd hurt his wife that way. "I really hate this." He admitted, slowly leaning forward to take the cup off the table top.
"Well..." Elise was trying to sympathize with him, but deep down, she had already picked a side... "I'm sure she does, too." She lingered as she slowly took a seat on the couch across from him. "But I think it's gonna be okay." She knew that her in- laws marriage was too strong to let this get in the way of their love for one another.
It probably was a huge barrier, but it wasn't a deal breaker... not after fifty years.
"You've been married a lifetime, pops." Levy was trying as well, but he couldn't be as soft- it just wasn't in his DNA. "You know her better than any of us," he added with a light shrug. "You know what to do to make this up to her."
~~~
With two cups of coffee in hand, Lindsey trailed through the back door of the restaurant.
It was quiet- almost as quiet as it was at the house when he stopped there.
"There's my girl." He announced as soon as he trailed into the dining room, where his wife was sitting at one of the tables, going over orders.
Glancing up, over the edge of her reading glasses, her eyes met his instantly. "Hi..." her voice was gentle and maybe even a little sad.
She hardly slept at all the night before- she tossed and turned for hours before she finally decided to pull herself out of bed and get to work... She needed something to distract her.
