"What's the emergency?" Lindsey rushed in through the door, when Stevie opened it to let him in. "You didn't explain anything, you got me worried!"
"Oh, Lindsey..." She pulled him in a hug and he was completely lost. "We'll talk later, just the two of us. But it's Nicole. She asked me to call you."
"Are you serious?" He couldn't believe his ears. Stevie's confirmation would have been enough, but Nicole reassured him herself, as she joined the two in the hallway. "I don't know what to say..."
"Why don't you go have a seat, I just need a glass of water."
"Okay, sure!"
"And mom? Could you give us some privacy?"
Stevie nodded, although she wanted to be with them. She knew it was more important for Lindsey and Nicole to talk first. "You'll be fine." Stevie said, hugging Lindsey again, when their daughter went to the kitchen.
Neither one of them started speaking right away. Lindsey was prepared to give Nicole all the time in the world until she was ready. He was still wondering what had to happen for this sudden change of heart.
"Do you love my mother?"
The question threw him aback at first, but he nodded, firmly adding. "With everything that I am."
"Why weren't you the one to propose to her?"
"I... well, um... a lot was going on between us at the time. We were better off separately. But I loved her then two, I've never stopped. I tried so hard to find the perfect replacement, but she's just... there's no other woman like your mother."
"Did you want to have kids with her when you were together? Did you ever think about it?"
"We both did and quite often actually, when all we had was each other. We used to lie on our mattress and fantasize how our life would change in five, ten, twenty years. We thought we were going to be huge names in music by the time and we were, just not the way we had planned it."
"Did you ever hate her?"
"What?" Lindsey gasped, even more surprised. "Nicole, never... No matter what was happening, I never hated Stevie."
"Then why did you let her marry that monster?" She began crying and he didn't know how to act. "He beat her, he called her names, he definitely hated her... Why would you let that happen? She doesn't deserve that!"
"Nicole, I don't really understand what you mean."
"Sorry, I just... I know it's not your fault, but what I saw today... I can't keep it in me any longer."
"What did you see today?"
She shook her head, wiping her tears away. "You can talk to mom about that."
"Are you alright?" Lindsey was so out of his depth at the moment. He wanted to comfort her, but he feared she might pull away and it would hurt him.
"I'll be fine." Nicole nodded and looked up at him again. "Did you know? Well... that I'm your daughter?"
"Not up until recently. I had no idea for more than twenty years, the same way as you."
"I'm sorry I was so cold towards you when we came over, but understand me, Lindsey. I was in shock, I still am."
"You think I wasn't? I'm not proud to admit I was in utter denial..."
"I don't think you would have done a worse job in raising me, but I knew him as my father from day one. He did love me, he was a great dad, but... I never knew he treated mom so horribly. I can't stop thinking that if it was you in his place from the start, she wouldn't have to have gone through all the pain. I'm just..." She exhaled heavily. "I'm upset and angry, and shocked. It's a turmoil of emotions I'm going through and I'm not really sure what I'm saying here."
"Let it all out, whatever it is you're feeling. Trust me, I'm not sure myself how to deal with this. There's this fact, you're my daughter and none of us can simply ignore it now, but I feel like you have a father already and you're not a little girl anymore, how am I supposed to jump in just like that?"
"From now on, I refuse to even see that man."
"What happened, Nicole?"
"He hurt my mother. I didn't believe it when she told me this before, but today I saw and heard everything myself. He's a horrible, disgusting man and I have no love left for him."
"So, I guess there's an open slot for a dad then?" Lindsey tried to joke as the mood wasn't very uplifting.
Nicole smiled a little, shrugging her shoulders. "You shouldn't expect me to start calling you dad."
"I understand."
"But I do want to get to know you as my father."
"I can't ask for more, Nicole. Thank you for letting me in."
"A hug?" She opened her arms and it genuinely made him happy. He didn't hesitate for a second, putting his arms around his daughter. "Go find mom now, she needs you too."
Lindsey got up from the couch and turned right to go up stairs, thinking Stevie was in her bedroom, but he almost bumped straight into her. He opened his mouth, but she shushed him and took his hand, leading them to one of the guest rooms.
"I'm so happy right now, Linds!"
"That was emotional." He sat down on the bed, pulling Stevie onto his lap. "But it was good, we needed that."
"Yes, you did, baby." She lowered his head to her chest and started combing his hair with her fingers.
"What happened with Joe today? Nicole absolutely despises him."
"Well..." Stevie sighed, resting her chin on top of his head. "I came home and found him with a woman. I don't know where that bravery came from, but I wasn't afraid of him, I talked back to him and naturally he hated that. Like always, he called me horrible things and then grabbed me, making me kneel in front of him. He was forcing me to..."
"I get the idea."
"So, Nicole heard everything and finally, she started seeing Joe for who he truly is. She sobbed her heart out, then asked me to call you."
"I'm not leaving your side, he might decide to come back. I don't want him to cause you any harm ever again."
"You know, I would like it if you stayed with me for more than just that one reason!"
"Of course, but your safety comes first. I love you, Steph, seeing you hurting is the worst."
"Make love to me."
"You're getting funnier with these requests!" Lindsey laughed. "Some might think moments like these aren't appropriate for love making, don't you think?"
"We're not some, Linds. We're not like other people."
"We do what we want to."
She nodded and leaned in for a kiss that he was more than happy to return.
