Torn

Part 25

Nearly two months had passed since Stevie had last seen Dave. She often thought about him and occasionally the image of him walking out of her dressing room flashed before her eyes. Much like during their separation before that, he hadn't tried reaching out to her once. Good, Stevie kept telling herself, it was for the better. She hoped that he reconciled with his wife and they were doing their best to mend their relationship.

An invitation from Mick to spend Christmas in Maui came as a nice surprise and an even nicer distraction. Stevie didn't hesitate to accept, she didn't stop and ask if it was a Fleetwood Mac Christmas or the Fleetwoods' plus Stevie Christmas. Either way, she couldn't wait to leave her empty house that had been filled with so much joy and laughter not too long ago. It didn't matter much to her if Lindsey was going to be there too or his wife. An unlikely scenario, Stevie thought, remembering that party they all attended months ago.

It was a late evening before an early flight. Not exhausted enough to go to bed yet, Stevie pulled out a suitcase to pack for herself, which she didn't do often anymore. What else was she going to do? Add another sad entry to her journal, write another sad song? She'd been doing plenty of that lately.

A knock on the bedroom door pulled Stevie out of her thoughts. Knowing that it was Karen on the other side, she told her assistant to come in. 

"I was sure you were already asleep." Stevie said, folding her clothes as she placed them neatly into her suitcase. 

"Why aren't you?" Karen asked, purposely hiding something behind her back. "We've got an early flight to catch tomorrow."

"I know." Stevie nodded, shrugging her shoulders. "I wouldn't be able to fall asleep just yet. Is there something you want from me?"

"Oh, uh-" Karen shifted her weight from one foot onto the other. "Well."

Stevie frowned, her full attention now on Karen. "What is it?"

Karen took a couple of steps closer and held out a celebrity gossip magazine, which Stevie secretly loved reading. Confused, Stevie looked at the cover, however, nothing stood out. 

"Uh, thanks, but it's not the kind of reading I plan on doing tonight." Stevie said, giving the magazine back. Karen resisted an eye roll and told Stevie, which page exactly she should open. She froze for a second then slowly sank onto the bed. "Foo Fighters frontman and wife separate after 10 years of marriage." Stevie read the headline out loud.

Her eyes caught several parts in particular as she quickly scanned through the article, two of which seemed to be the most important ones.

'Sources say, the divorce is amicable.'

'Shared custody.'

Stevie remained silent. She told him to fix it. She told him to go back to his wife and beg her forgiveness. It was all her fault.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Karen spoke up after some time. "Or, I don't know, you could call him?"

"I don't understand." Stevie shook her head, staring at the candid pictures of Dave and his soon to be ex-wife. "I removed myself. I told him to fix it. Why..." She trailed off.

"Maybe he wasn't just infatuated, like you said." Karen shrugged. "Maybe it was real. It still could be." She added.

Karen lingered for a few minutes, but it didn't feel like Stevie was about to start talking or doing anything for that matter as her eyes remained glued to the magazine. Understandable, Karen thought to herself. Stevie had spent years with Lindsey and they immediately got into a fight at the mention of divorce every time and Dave just did it. Reminding of the time Stevie had to be up in the morning, Karen walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.