Sitting in the passenger seat with her hands in her lap, Karen stared over at him with a creased brow. "Are you alright?" She had to ask... the man had only said five words, if that, in hours.
In fact, all he did at dinner with Vivian and Carrie was sit, sip and listen... He did tell them goodbye, which almost shocked Karen.
He let out a deep sigh, raising a brow as he brought one hand to his forehead to rub away a headache. "I'll be fine." Lindsey wasn't a hundred percent certain of that, but he had to try.
"It wasn't as bad as I had imagined it would be." She admitted with a soft shrug. "I mean, she was nice and..." she lingered for a moment, suddenly at a loss for words. "And pleasant."
His eyes traveled towards her, finding himself thankful for her, and that wasn't common. "I really appreciate you for tagging along today." He announced with a gentle nod.
Karen shifted in the seat, not exactly sure how to respond to that... Usually they weren't cordial with one another. "You and Stevie will figure this out. You always have." She had seen them go through much worse... much, much worse.
If anyone could do it, it was them.
"I'm really worried, Karen." He never, ever confined in her with things like that, but he just felt extra close to her that day... It was weird. "She's all on board now, but I know her too well." He mumbled. "She doesn't want to face Carrie." He didn't have to be told that, because he could see it in Stevie's eyes.
"Maybe she won't have to."
He chuckled, shaking his head in disagreement. "Vivian is part of our lives now, which means so is Carrie."
It was hard enough having another kid that he didn't know about, but it was ten times worse to think about how they would soon be forced to share dinners, college graduations, birthdays, and even a wedding with the woman he'd had an affair with, and that was almost overwhelming.
Sucking her lips in, Karen nodded. "I probably wouldn't say it like that when you talk to her about it." She warned in a soft, very sympathetic voice. "It'll all work itself out." She repeated, hoping to ease both of their minds just a little.
~~~
Don was quiet for awhile- just sitting next to her seemed to be enough. It was like all she needed was another person to make things a little easier, so that's what he was... He was just there, and she didn't expect much more.
"She would have been twenty- eight this year." She announced, staring aimlessly at the headstone in front of them. "She has missed so much..." she added, leaning forward to readjust the fairy lights she'd put out there a couple of weeks earlier.
It was hard to talk about Allison with anyone that wasn't Lindsey, because he understood... He knew exactly what she felt- he'd felt it, too at some point. But he didn't talk about it, not to her, and that made it lonely.
It made her feel like she was alone in grief that never truly went away. Maybe the days got a little easier as time moved forward, but the loss was still tragic. Not even the hands of time could fix a mothers broken heart.
Dons hand meet the small of her back, rubbing it softly. "She's here..." He wasn't much of a believer in that sort of thing, but he knew she was, and that's what mattered most. "She sees what's going on."
"That's scary." She let out a throaty, almost chocked up chuckle. "A lot has changed since she's been gone." That was no secret to anyone, especially not him.
Creasing a brow, his hand traveled to her shoulders. "Do you wanna talk about it?" He wondered, staring at the profile of her perfect face.
She was gorgeous- she always had been and that didn't go unnoticed by him... It was impossible not to stare at her.
Her eyes met his, tears built up to the brims as she shook her head. "Yeah, I want to." she whispered, casually sinking into his side. "But I can't." Stevie added.
She wanted to tell him, she really did, but she couldn't... She would have crossed a line, if she did.
Some things in a marriage are just sacred. It doesn't always have to be physical, but also emotional. And if she choose to share how she felt with another man, it would have been wrong. It would have felt like cheating.
She had a husband that loved her, and would listen, but she didn't want to beg.
Don nodded in total understanding. "I'm always here." He assured, kissing the top of her head lightly.
"I know." She admitted. "And I really love you for that." She loved him for other reasons, too...
He let off a soft smile, still holding her close but looking down for a moment. "I love you, Stevie."
~~~
With two empty wine glasses in hand and a bottle in the other, Stevie trailed down the walkway towards his studio.
She had only been home for half an hour, after having spent quite a while with Don... She felt guilty, she always did.
"Hey, there." He was sitting on the sofa, door open just enough to catch a glimpse of her heading that way.
She was already in her silk nightgown, matching robe tied around her waist, and a pair of bunny slippers that Clancy had gotten her... She was always keeping her mother up on all the "current trends."
"My handsome man." She gave him a faint smile, slipping through the door and closing it right behind her.
Lindsey shifted, setting the papers he'd been looking at off to the side to give her all his attention. "I missed you today." He grinned the moment she curled up next to him, making herself right at home under his arm.
She'd already set the glasses down on the stand, deciding she wanted just to be held for a minute, instead.
Nodding her head, she sank into the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry I didn't go with you," she admitted as she slowly reached out to grab the throw blanket on the arm of the sofa. "I should have been there for you, and Vivian." Her voice was gentle, tossing the blanket over their legs before she slid in a little closer.
"Don't do that to yourself." He shook his head, leaving a soft kiss on her temple.
"How did it go?" She wondered, even though she wasn't sure she actually wanted to know.
She wasn't going to ask him anything too serious, only because she didn't want to argue with him... They hardly ever did that anymore. So she told herself that she'd save all the serious questions for Karen, who she knew would tell her the truth, even if it was devastating.
"It was alright." He shrugged a shoulder. "Vivian said that she really wants to go with us, so..."
She couldn't help but smile softly, happy to hear that at least. "I'm so glad." Her head met his chest once more, a sigh escaping her when his fingers got lost in her hair.
Looking down at her for a second, he rubbed her neck. "Will you sing for me?" He whispered as his eyes began to grow heavy.
With another faint giggle, Stevie nodded. "Always..."
