November 28, 2002
"I love the desert. You can pump gas in these little places and no one cares who you are." Sheryl climbed back into the car and dropped a candy bar from the store into Stevie's lap. "Happy thanksgiving, baby."
"You shouldn't have." She leaned over to kiss her before opening the wrapper and taking a bite. As Sheryl pulled out of the station back onto the desert road, she nudged Stevie and opened her mouth and Stevie held the bar up for her to bite into it. She did the happy little dance she always did when she ate candy and Stevie laughed.
"How far from here? About another hour?"
"Pretty much. Just follow the signs for Phoenix, I'll direct you once we get into the suburbs."
"Awesome." She put a CD in the stereo and the unmistakable strains of Whole Lotta Love thundered around the car.
"YES!" Stevie cranked up the volume and started gyrating in her seat.
"Damn girl, have we got time to pull over? I want to see where this is going."
"I fucking love this record! I used to play it all the time when I was cleaning Keith Olsen's house, he had this huge speaker system. It was unbelievable."
"Did you ever hang out with them? Zep? Y'all must have crossed paths in the early Mac days, right?"
"Not really. Well, there was this one time in '77. In Arizona, actually, after their concert..." she trailed off and shook her head, lost in thought.
"Oh?"
"Doesn't matter. Different time." She started singing along and Sheryl joined her.
It had been around 6 weeks since they had gone public with their relationship. The response was mixed, but supportive overall. They had been inundated with requests for interviews but had avoided them so far - Stevie would be doing promo for Say You Will soon and hoped she could cover any burning questions then before being able to divert the subject back to the album and upcoming tour.
They had, of course, had some negative comments and threats from the expected corners of society, and this was anticipated, particularly by Stevie ("they already said I was going to hell for doing coke and making decisions about my own body, it couldn't be any worse"). But their first official public appearance, a benefit they were both booked to perform in at The Wiltern, had been a huge success, and when Sheryl joined Stevie on stage to perform Sorceror and If You Ever Did Believe they received one of the biggest responses of the night. Otherwise, they were yesterday's news; the crowd of paparazzi outside the house had thinned over time and eventually disappeared altogether, and they were starting to happily settle into their new normal.
Closer to home, things had been rockier. Both of their families had been understandably upset at how they found out. Once Sheryl had explained the reason why, her parents quickly came around, and the whole family were planning to travel to LA for Stevie's annual 'Nicksmas' Christmas party.
Stevie's parents, much older and more conservative, had had a harder time with the relationship. Jess and Barbara had both met Sheryl many times and liked her very much - Stevie had pointed out bitterly that had she been a man they'd have thought she was a perfect match for their daughter. They just couldn't get their heads around the idea of the two of them being romantically involved.
Stevie had suggested they spend time together so they could see for themselves how perfectly natural and happy she was with Sheryl. And so they found themselves making the 5 hour drive - at Sheryl's insistence, Stevie would have jetted - from LA to Phoenix for thanksgiving. Stevie's brother would be there, along with his daughter and ex-wife, who happened to be one of Stevie's best friends and long-time backing singers. Between them and Stevie's dog Sulamith, currently curled up sleeping in the back of the car, and who Barbara was besotted with, Stevie felt there would be enough of a buffer to avert any crises.
~
The mild Arizona fall afternoon found the Nicks family out on the back porch. Barbara was flitting around in her apron like something possessed, playing hostess and preparing dinner whilst refusing any and all offers of help. Jess was in his rocking chair, watching his 11 year old granddaughter and namesake attempting to get a bemused Sulamith to play fetch in the back yard. And Stevie, Christopher and Lori were trying to teach Sheryl how to play a very complicated card game Stevie and Chris had invented as kids. They were drinking iced tea which Lori had spiked with tequila, and were growing more vocal with each sip.
"You know, it's really sweet that you two get along so well," Sheryl said, nodding at Chris and Lori. They had separated the year prior but had remained friends, spending as much time together as they could as a family with Jessi.
"Well, we go way back," Lori smiled, her lilting Texan accent getting stronger the more iced tea she drank. "We were friends long before we uh, you know." She winked at Sheryl, who giggled.
Stevie once again attempted to get them all to concentrate on the game.
"Kind of like you two, huh?" Lori spoke over her sister-in-law. "You were friends first. Always better that way."
"Not always, in my experience," muttered Stevie with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"Oh right, yeah, I forget. Which one are we referring to?" Stevie flicked her the finger and she stuck her tongue out in response before they both laughed.
"Stevie, I've never seen your nails so short," noticed Chris. "How come you cut them down?"
"Oh my gawd, Christopher!" screeched Lori as Stevie and Sheryl collapsed into giggles, and after seeing the blank look on his face, proclaimed "see this is why we broke up, the guy is clueless about female anatomy!"
They were still laughing when Barbara appeared, looking flustered.
"Here Bunny, have a drink," said Lori, pouring out a glass of iced tea and winking at Sheryl as Stevie rolled her eyes.
Barbara gratefully accepted the drink and more or less downed it, oblivious as to how much alcohol was in it.
She turned to Stevie and tried to speak but coughed loudly, looking at the glass with confusion as her daughter tried to keep it together.
"Ahem, hem...Teedee, could you take your bags out of the den please?" She croaked out. "I really don't know why you brought so much, you're only here one night."
"Well there's Sheryl's stuff too -"
"Uh, excuse me, I brought one backpack, thank you!"
"- I'll take it up to my room."
As a token gesture, Barbara 'helped' by carrying her vanity case up to her room. Stevie stopped in the doorway to the bedroom and looked around.
"Mom?"
"Yes, dear?"
"You redecorated."
"Yes, what do you think?
"I think that I only see one single bed."
"I always said you had better eyesight than you let on."
"No, mom - where is Sheryl supposed to sleep?"
"Oh that's all fixed up fine, sweetie - she's in the guesthouse with Lori out back. Chris put another wall up so it's a two bed now, it looks so smart honey, I put some real pretty paper up -"
"Mom, are you kidding? We live together!"
Barbara's face scrunched up the exact way it had when the taste of tequila had hit the back of her throat.
"Look, what happens in your house is up to you Teedee, but your father wouldn't like it. You know the rules, unless you're married-"
"Oh, yeah. Like when you got married in November and I was miraculously born in May? Those rules? Give me a break, mom, I'm 54 years old! And besides, we can't get married, can we?"
Barbara had put her hands over her ears and was humming to herself in the infuriating way she had always done when Stevie had to say something she didn't want to hear.
"Mom. Mom! It's not like anyone's going to get pregnant either, is it!? MOM! Forget it, we'll go to a hotel."
