Fireflies (Double Love Series Part 2)

Long Distance Winners

Santa Monica, California
Friday, December 16, 2022
(11:00 pm)
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"So we're landing Tuesday afternoon at two, and then there's the insanely long drive into the countryside."

Stevie sat on the terrace off the living room, talking on Lindsey's phone to Christine and looking in through the sliding glass doors at the most precious sight she'd ever seen. Lindsey had taken up residence on one of the sofas in his jogging pants and t-shirt, feet up on the chaise end and Lily at his side, chowing down with abandon on an enormous slice of pumpkin pie and watching a marathon of The Twilight Zone on the big screen TV. The house was dark except for the blue light of the television and the twinkling white lights from the gigantic nine-foot Christmas tree in the living room that Stevie had insisted upon putting up the week after Thanksgiving even though they were spending Christmas in England, and she felt a pang of love in her heart so strong it almost took her breath away. Our little family, just like how we started fifty-two years ago. Just me, Lindsey and a little white dog.

"Have you set up the car and everything already?" Christine was talking to her from Mick's living room in Maui, where she and John had been since Thanksgiving.

"Karen called the place a few days ago," said Stevie. "Lindsey was adamant about renting a car, like for ourselves to drive, so we'll have wheels the whole time we're there." She sighed. "Apparently he wants to drive through the countryside and be romantic with me while we're there...I guess to make up for the time we were both touring separately and didn't see a lot of each other."

"John's attempt at romance was this trip to Maui but we didn't get much walking-along-the-shore time because he wasn't feeling all that great." Christine lowered her voice, and Stevie knew it was because she was not alone - John, Molly, Mick and two of his daughters were all underfoot. "He'd kill me for discussing his medical issues because he knows that'll just make people shine a light on him...and you know he hates that...but he was sick on his birthday and stuck in bed, and since then it's been up and down. I told him he's legally required to be healthy on Valentine's Day to put the ring on my finger and then he can be as tired as he wants...but honestly, Stevie..." Christine paused, exhaled into the phone. "I'm a little scared."

"Oh, Chris..." Stevie had been listening to Christine's updates of John's condition ever since his cancer cells had spiked and he'd been through another round of treatment over the spring and summer, which was how they'd reunited in the first place. When John was feeling better they'd made the rounds in the media - People magazine, The Talk, Good Morning, America!, Today, Live With Kelly And Ryan, talking about how they had come to rekindle their relationship after a decades-old divorce during the highly-publicized Rumors breakup era. Stevie knew she and Lindsey would be taking that ride soon.

"I'm sorry...I don't mean to get heavy on you on a Friday night," Christine said. "This is what I signed up for...just freaks me out some...I try not to dwell on it but I am well aware of our ages and how he's doing." She paused a moment and then, in a lower tone, a seriousness that made Stevie a little uneasy, she said, "Tomorrow isn't promised, Stevie. When you hang up with me, go inside and hug that man who's in the house waiting for you and sit with him as he watches his Twilight Zone...and tell him you love him."

Stevie felt her lower lip quiver, the very idea of what Christine had been going through since John had been sick making her think of the day - hopefully at one hundred years old in their sleep - that she lost Lindsey. She struggled not to become weepy. She said, "Oh I intend to, Christine...I intend to."

They stayed on the phone for a little while longer, and finally John, at Mick's in Maui, called out to Christine to ask her if she was coming to bed. Stevie took that as her cue to go inside and pay attention to Lindsey. He was still eating his pie when she closed the terrace door and walked back into the living room, pulling her long black cardigan closed from the December chill in the air over her own pajamas - gray drawstring pants and the Rolling Stones t-shirt they'd shared for decades. The shirt was threadbare and worn and probably needed to be phased out, placed in the back of the dresser drawer and kept as only a memory now, but she just couldn't; when she wore it she felt like she was home, felt like the worn-out cotton touching her skin was Lindsey hugging her the whole time she had it on. She curled up next to him on the sofa, the dog getting up and finding a new spot on the other side of the sofa to make room instinctively for her mom, and Lindsey immediately dipped his fork into the remaining pumpkin pie and fed her as if it were wedding cake. He watched her close her eyes and then open them slowly, licking her lips where the tiniest bit of orange had landed, and he kissed her lips tenderly just to be sure she got it all.