It Stays As It Was Left

99.2000.2001

July 1999

Becca and Stevie sat on the couch, watching TV on the low volume as Zoë took her second nap of the day. She was almost three months old and Stevie had been in bliss the whole time. She loved being a mother, and loved that she was lucky enough to spend all day with her baby. She knew that it was hard for Lenny to be away from Zoë as she went through all her milestones, so she was glad that she didn't have to experience that kind of sadness.

Although, she was secretly happy that Lenny was so busy and unable to be around the house that often. Ever since the whole fiasco with Janine, things had been very strained between the couple, and Stevie really didn't want to deal with that now that Zoë was around. Maybe when she was little bigger and Becca coud handle babysitting her, Stevie and Lenny could work everything out; but right now, all she wanted to worry about was being a mom, even if it meant not speaking to her husband for days on end.

Stevie reached forward and grabbed the remote, changing the channel as Dave's face appeared on MTV to cartoon network. Becca scoffed, but stayed quiet as the girls watched Johnny Bravo, chewing on her lip as she twirled a piece of hair around her finger.

"How are things goin' with you and Lenny?" She asked suddenly and Stevie turned to her with furrowed brows.
"Things are okay," She said slowly. Becca had never asked her about Lenny and Stevie always assumed she never would. "Why? Do you think something's wrong?"

"Just wondering," She rasped. "You've been tellin' me about how rough it's been for a few months, now. I haven't been seein' him around. Are you two even still together?"
"Of course we are!" Stevie exclaimed before quieting as she listened to Zoë's whine over the baby monitor. "He's just been busy. That's all."
Becca went quiet and nodded her head, allowing the woman to watch TV in quiet. Stevie narrowed her brows and reached over, tapping the woman lightly. "What's wrong?' She asked. "I've never seen you so quiet."
Becca sighed and turned to Stevie with a serious expression, worrying the woman. "I saw Lenny messin' around with some girl at the club a week ago."
"No, you didn't," She immediately denied. "Lenny would never do that to me."

He wouldn't, Stevie decided. There was no way he would be fooling around with some random girl while his wife sat at home with their three month old daughter. He wasn't that kind of guy, but Becca also wasn't the kind of person to lie about something like that.

"I did," Becca confirmed. "He was wearing those stupid sunglasses and everything. Messin' around with some blonde chick, I left before he could see me."
"No, he's not," Stevie denied again. "Things aren't great between us, but he wouldn't cheat. Okay, Rebecca?"

"I know what I saw, Stevie," Becca narrowed her eyes, annoyed that her best friend wouldn't believe her.
"Whatever," Stevie waved her hand in dismissal as the sounds of Zoë's whines came through the baby monitor. She was awake from her nap and this was the perfect opportunity to end the discussion that had quickly turned sour. "I've gotta get the baby."

"We're not done with this conversation, Stevie-Bird," Becca warned and Stevie rolled her eyes, standing from the couch and walking towards her bedroom.
"Yes, we are."

-

November 1999

"Are you fucking kidding me, Lenny?" Stevie screeched as he pushed open their apartment door, spooking Becca and Zoë. "Madonna? Really?"
Zoë's eyes lit up at the sight of her parents and Stevie's anger melted just enough for her to send her daughter a smile as she babbled out her greetings. She hadn't begun to talk just yet, but had started to sit up on her own and scoot herself along the floor, which Stevie thought was the most adorable thing in the world.