Say You Will Part 2: The Tour

Epilogue: Made Me Miss It Where I've Been (Finale)

Scottsdale, Arizona
Sunday, November 27, 2005
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"We're all ready to start it, baby. What's taking you so long?"

Stevie sat on the sofa beside her mother and held the remote control in her hand. Christopher and Lori sat on the loveseat adjacent to the sofa, Jessi in the old recliner that had once belonged to her grandfather, all of the Nicks family feeling that even though Jess was no longer there to share these moments with them, he was still there all over the house as they'd gathered together tonight to watch Lindsey's recently-released concert for Soundstage. This had been their first Thanksgiving without Jess, who'd passed away over the summer just after his eightieth birthday, and Lindsey had told Stevie upstairs in the bedroom on the night of the Fourth of July, which was two days after Jess' birthday and had been the usual Nicks family celebration in the yard, that he couldn't believe his good fortune that he had made it back there to be with them for the holiday, both of them knowing because of his heart condition that this was going to be Jess' last birthday/Fourth of July celebration on earth. They had gathered together on Thursday for dinner, Barbara handing the cutlery over to her son to take over the carving of the turkey, and Friday and Saturday had been about leftovers, movies and sitting around and reminiscing about holidays past, Jess featuring prominently in many stories and Barbara hugging Lindsey and telling him she was so happy that Jess had lived long enough to welcome him back to the family after all this time...and that he'd lived long enough to watch as Lindsey had gotten down on one knee in the backyard as the fireworks had lit up the night sky in Arizona, presenting Stevie with a diamond ring and asking her to marry him.

"Trust you first initial feeling, Stephanie," he had said as the grass stained the denim on the right knee of his jeans. "Please marry me so I can live the rest of my life with the crystalline knowledge of you."

Stevie could hardly see Lindsey or the ring through her tears, and Barbara stood off to the side in tears herself. The barbecue had wound down and now only family was left in the backyard, including Will, LeeLee and baby Stella, whom Lindsey's custody agreement stipulated he could bring to Arizona for the holiday to get them used to the blending of the two families. Watching Stevie playing with the kids in the pool that day, seeing Stella in her little pink bathing suit and sun bonnet being glided through the water in Stevie's arms as she'd squealed, "Floateeeeee..." to Stella's little baby giggles had brought tears to his eyes.

"Linds..." She bent down to him, her hand touching his shoulder as she watched a teardrop hit the grass in the illumination of the fireworks no one was watching anymore because they were watching two people who'd been in love for over thirty years finally getting engaged. "Yes...of course I'll marry you, baby, yes!"

Lori took her cue and pressed play on the stereo so that the sound of "Crystal" could fill the backyard. Stevie helped Lindsey to his feet as she had the night in Wisconsin when his guitar had been out of tune...the night their lives had suddenly changed. Lindsey gently slid the ring onto Stevie's finger, kissed her finger and then her whole hand, and only then did he pull her into his arms as everyone clapped, their song playing...

"I turned around, and the water was closing all around...like a glove...like the love that had finally, finally found me...Then I knew, in the crystalline knowledge of you..."

Lindsey stood in the kitchen, placing ice cubes into a tall glass. He called back to Stevie, "You asked me to pour you an iced tea, and God forbid I come back with iced tea in the glass with no ice, angel...that's what's taking me so long." He smiled to himself, remembering how angry she had been years ago in France, when they'd been recording Mirage and she couldn't find iced tea or ice to save her life. He entered the living room and handed Stevie her iced tea, then sat down beside her. She took his hand, and their fingers laced together perfectly in his lap.