"Look at all these flowers..." Stevie announced as she stepped into the hospital room, carrying her purse in one hand and a bag of Clancy's belongs in the other.
Within just a few days, the room had turned into a small green house. She had been sent so many bouquets, cards, balloons, stuffed animals and well wishes that it was almost incredible.
Clancy was loved far beyond measure by everyone around her. She was magic and grace all wrapped in a single person, which made her mother more proud than anything.
"Hi, mommy." She was one of those few people that could get away with calling their mom that in their twenties and not sounding odd. "Aren't they beautiful?" She smiled lightly, trying to move up a little further.
She wouldn't admit it, but laying in that bed for the last few days was very defeating for her.
She had a broken wrist, a broken leg, serious bruising, a cracked forehead, and she'd even had another seizure.... Something she hadn't had in years.
Nodding her head, the older blonde set the bags down in the chair before she trailed towards her daughter. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl." She leaned down, pressing her lips to Clancy's forehead.
"Where's dad?" She wondered, trying to move her bangs out of her face but finding it hard without any hands to do that.
Stevie reached out, gently moving her blonde hair to see her sweet face. "Daddy dropped me off at the door, and he's going to get you something to eat." She was in a hurry to get to the hospital- she didn't want to go sit and wait for take out with him.
She nodded softly, eyes falling down to the blanket. "He's just a friend." Clancy hadn't said a word about a couple of days earlier, and neither had either of her parents.
"Honey," she shook her head, holding up her hands in defense. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's not our business." Stevie wanted to know- of course did she, but she didn't want Clancy to feel obligated to share.
She was twenty- three.. she was allowed to have a life and secrets... Lord knows, everyone else around her did.
"He's fifty- six..." she began, which almost knocked the wind right out of Stevie. "But I know, that you know that." Clancy could see that look in her mothers eyes- the look of concern, but not voicing it.
"And he's married..." Stevie nodded, raising a brow softly but not judging... she never judged her children, even if their morals didn't always align with hers.
"We're only friends, mom." She wasn't lying when she said that- she never lied to Stevie. "I met him at an art gallery a few months ago." She knew that her mother didn't ask, but she wanted to share it with her. "We both like music, painting, traveling and he's a doctor..." she shook her head. "He didn't a wear a ring for weeks, so how was I supposed to know?" Her voice cracked as this feeling of embarrassment washed over her.
She wasn't necessarily embarrassed to tell her mom, because she understood everything, but it was hard to grasp that she was so naive.
The hardest part of moving across the country was being away from Stevie. Of course, she missed everyone else as well, but her mom was everything to her. She was her best friend, her protector, the most supportive person in her life, and all the other great things. And when she was home, with her parents, Stevie knew everything, so telling her about the situation she had found herself in wasn't anything new.
There was never secrets, even when she was a teenager... Stevie was just one of those mothers that made it easy to tell her everything, because it always stayed between them.
Clancy knew everything was safe with her mom.
"We've hung out quite a bit, but..." she shook her head, knowing how wrong it was. "Nothing more than just a shared love of art, and good conversation." She admitted.
Stevie shrugged, eyes weak and tone of voice soft. "What can I say?" She didn't really like it, but who was she to tell Clancy what to do? "You're a hopeless romantic and you get it honestly."
Stevie knew what it was like to be in love and she could tell, just by the way she spoke of this older man that Clancy was just that... She was in love, with someone that wasn't destined for her.
"But I know it's wrong." She whispered. "And that's why I got so upset when I found out about dad." She mumbled, tears filling those big blue eyes. "You're the toughest person in the whole wide world, and I just can't imagine what you've felt, what you've gone through." Clancy had spent the time back home reliving her last few days in New York.
It all destroyed her, but not at the same time. She knew that things happen in life that are uncontrollable and unfair, and what happened to her parents was nothing short of devastating... So she didn't blame anyone for the actions and mistakes, because life happens and things unfold in mysterious ways.
She was just thankful that they were hers and she was theirs. That's all that mattered to her.
"Oh, my sweet Clancy." Stevie cradled her face in both of her hands, gently wiping away those tears with her thumb.
"All the way home, I kept thinking... how could he do that to you?" She whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "And what was Carrie thinking? Why would she do that, when she knew he was married with kids...?" She continued, which caused Stevie to sink down slowly.
"I haven't been perfect, Clancy." She quickly threw in, just so they weren't sitting there, throwing Lindsey under the bus for finding comfort in the arms of someone else. "I wasn't always the most available person in the world, not even for your dad." She admitted something that wasn't much of secret anymore.
"But you still didn't deserve it, and neither would his wife." Clancy shrugged. "I would be no better than Carrie..." she added, raising a brow softly.
Stevie let out a sigh, looking into those sweet eyes that held so much fear and emotion.
And suddenly she remembered looking into that same set of eyes the night she was born- the most perfect six pound baby in the world. She had promised Clancy that night that she would protect her forever, from all the bad things in life and even though it wasn't always easy, she really did do her best.
"Your father and I have worked so hard to overcome all the things that life has thrown our way," She announced. "And I have never blamed him for anything..." she didn't, not then and not now. "We are complicated, confusing, chaotic, and maybe a little dysfunctional at times, but we love each other." She assured, even though it was obvious to everyone around them. "So please, I'm begging you... don't be mad at him for any of this. We have spent the last eighteen years forgiving one another, and he feels terrible for all of it." Stevie didn't usually put words into his mouth, but she knew...
She knew how upset Lindsey was, and to be mad at him for mistakes he made years earlier wasn't fair.
Clancy cracked a soft smile, taking her moms hand in hers. "I am so proud of you." She told her. "You are the best mom in the world..."
Stevie's heart sank, knowing deep down that Clancy did remember... She remembered it all, but she never held it against her.
"Knock, knock?" Lindsey's voice caught their attention as he stepped into the room with a take out bag in hand.
They both looked back at him, tears in their eyes but weak smiles on their faces. It looked like he'd just walk in something emotional... and he had.
"Everyone alright?" He creased a brow, coming to a holt in the center of the room.
Nodding her head, Stevie held out her hand for him. "We're good, Linds." She pulled him in, slipping her arm around his waist as she leaned into his side.
Clancy nodded softly, watching as her dad left a gentle kiss on Stevie's head.
