Silver Springs: A Holiday Love Story

The Sound Of My Voice Will Haunt You (Part 2)

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
(12:45 pm)
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"Sssh...there are two sleeping six-year-olds in the next room. Please don't be the one who stops that."

Stevie had just closed the door on Robin and Will asleep in their new t-shirts from the day they'd just had in Golden Gate Park that said San Francisco and had pictures of the bridge on the back. The kids had passed out from exhaustion from their day out, which had been something nice they'd all done together after Will left the Say You Will tour and went home to his mother.

"I'll be as quiet as a church mouse...or John McVie," Lindsey said as he held out his arms to his wife, who giggled at his joke and melted into his arms.

"I'm exhausted," Stevie said into his chest as he rocked her in his arms at the door to their part of the hotel suite. "I think this is why people have kids in their thirties and not their fifties, baby."

"Awww come here, my sweet, exhausted girl," Lindsey said, leading her toward the bed. "Come with me and I'll hold you and play with your hair...you'll be asleep in a few minutes."

Stevie nodded like the two sleepy children she'd just put down and immediately settled into Lindsey's arms on the bed, feeling his fingers running through her hair and listening to his heart beating. She could hear the rain pounding against the windows and she nestled in closer...Lindsey knew she needed his arms around her when it was raining.

"Hey Stevie..." She felt his kiss at the top of her head.

"Mmmm...?"

"Remember that night when I wrapped my coat around you to keep you warm in the park?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"I should have kissed you that night," he said. But her eyes were closed, and he could feel her breathing growing heavier. "Sleep, angel, it's okay. I'll always keep you warm, Stephanie."

Stevie's eyes were opening slowly. She could see a ceiling made of tiny white tiles. She was lying on a high bed, and when the room began to slow down from spinning on its axis she recognized two of the three faces that were looking down at her in concern.

"Mom? Mom...Mom, it's Robin...can you hear me?"

"Stevie...Stevie...Mom?"

"Mrs. Buckingham, I'm going to shine this light in your eyes..."

"I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes...and the wonder of it all is that you just don't realize how much I love you..."

Eric Clapton was singing "Wonderful Tonight" on the stereo in the living room of the old rental condo in Santa Monica. The Christmas tree provided the only light in the room beside the fireplace. Robin was finally asleep in her crib, and nearby in a little pink dog bed, Sara Belladonna was sleeping with her paws on her new little puppy sister, Sulamith.

Stevie was lost in the warmth of Lindsey's arms as they swayed softly to the song alone in the dark, a stolen moment in between a crying one-year-old and the Nicks family Christmas in Arizona they left for tomorrow morning. He'd sung her the lyric about "brushing her long blonde hair" and now his hand was on the back of her hair as it cascaded like sheets of golden silk down the back of her green silk pajamas. The last time she'd worn them, they recalled, Robin was still in her belly. She exhaled and held him closer.

"...and then I tell her as I turn out the light, I say, 'My darling, you were wonderful tonight...'"

"Mmmm my only dream," Lindsey whispered down into her hair.

"It all came true, baby."

"I am so in love with you...my sweet girl..."

She never wanted the song to end.

"Stevie!"

That came from Will, whose voice broke through her dream. She tried to sit up but her head was killing her.

"What was..."

"You fainted, Mom, but you're okay now." Robin had her hand on her mother's arm and was smiling at her.

"Robin...honey, your dad..." Stevie began to tremble again, suddenly remembering what she'd been told just before she'd hit the floor.

"He's fine, Stevie," Will said, also smiling. "The nurse told us about his problem with the anesthesia too, but as soon as the orderly and I brought you in here, Dad started to come out of it. He's waking up now down the hall...recovery..."

"Get that light out of my face," Stevie told the nurse who stood with her kids around her bed. "Thank you." She looked at the man who was the spitting image of Lindsey and said, "Help me down, kid. I promised I'd be there when he opened his eyes!"

With an arm from Will and an arm from Robin, Stevie got to her feet. The kids stood outside the recovery room, as the rule was only one person at a time because of Covid restrictions. Lindsey was lying alone in a room with three empty beds, a machine monitoring his heart, an I.V. filling him with fluids and medication, including the opiate pain relief they'd discussed beforehand. Stevie's eyes filled with tears of relief and joy and she smiled as she took his hand, sitting down in the uncomfortable chair at his side. She kissed each one of his fingers individually. Lindsey was opening his eyes.

"Hey Stevie..." She couldn't help the little giggle that escaped her when she heard that. "Hey Stevie...look...I told you I'd still be your Silver Springs."

Stevie began to sob softly as she lowered her face to his. She kissed his lips gently and then touched her forehead to his. "And I promised you I'd be here but I couldn't promise I wouldn't be crying."

"Look at us...keeping our promises." He smiled as she raised her head again to look down at him.

"You did it, sweetheart." She kissed his hand. "I love you so much..." She was fully crying now.

"I love you too...my only dream."

Stevie curled her legs beneath her in the chair so she could rest her head beside his on the pillow, their hands still clasped together. They both closed their eyes, reunited and breathing in sync as always.

Outside in the hallway, beside the door, Robin and Will shared a long hug and a few tears of their own. They left their parents alone; they knew from twenty-five years on earth that Stevie and Lindsey recharged best together lying beside each other.

The only thing missing, they agreed with a chuckle, were the dogs.

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