"I'm not tired though..." Pierce mumbled, not at all enthused when his mother mentioned a story and then bedtime as soon as they stepped into the foyer of their home.
They had been having too much fun. First they got hot chocolate, then they walked around a couple of stores, saw Santa, got dinner and then warm pastries... Neither of the kids were ready for the day to draw to a close.
"Oh," Stevie laughed softly, helping Lyric pull off her jacket. "But we have such a busy day tomorrow, so we have to be well rested." She reminded him, a very soft smile trailing across her face.
They might not have been super tired, but she was... physically and mentally. It took a lot to spend the day with her husband- the man she'd worked so hard to escape from just a few years earlier.
Not only were they being tugged around by two kids all day, but she was still so on the fence. She wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing by inviting him back into their lives, but she was really stuck between a rock and a hard place.
She just wanted him to know what he was missing out on in this life, with them... that was all.
"I'm sleepy." Lyric admitted, brown eyes hardly able to stay open as she leaned into her moms side.
Stevie giggled, nodding her head softly. "I know, sweet girl." She assured, having already been able to tell by how clingy she'd become on their walk home.
She wanted to be held the whole way- head on Stevie's chest and clutching her new teddy bear the entire way.
"Feel free to make yourself at home." Stevie told Lindsey as she slowly began to push herself up off the floor. "I'm going to tuck her in and I'll be back." She added, seeing how he was just lingering in the foyer, awkwardly.
He didn't know what to do... he'd never been a helpful dad, not even when they all lived together in California. He tried- he really did, but it was hard when he spent most of his time outside the house.
He didn't prioritize family time. He didn't make it home by dinner, and many times, he wasn't there for bedtime... He strolled in when it was convenient for him, which was one of their many issues in their marriage.
She was tired of living on Lindsey's time, when she had two people who needed her. She felt like she had to pick, which was unfair, but she, of course, chose the most important thing to her... her two children.
"Goodnight, Lindsey." Lyric smiled softly, waving her hand in his direction.
"Goodnight, sweetie." He chuckled, waving back lightly as he watched his wife and daughter disappear up the staircase.
He sank back, a gentle sigh escaping him as he stared into space for a moment.
He wasn't sure that he had ever seen Stevie so happy and content. All day, she was so calm and collected, even when Lyric got grumpy over spilled juice... Stevie just handled it, like a Saint. She didn't yell, or panic when their daughter began crying in public- she just spoke to her in a soft voice, reassuring her that her emotions were just big and even though it was frustrating, it was nothing that couldn't be solved. And in no time, Lyric was smiling again, happy and over it.
Lindsey knew she'd always been a caregiver, but he had never paid attention to just how sweet she was with their kids.
"I love you, Angel." Stevie had called her that since she was wrapped up in a little pink blanket and they were laying in a hospital bed.
Lyric was her angel- Stevie swore on it. She was sent to her mom to be the rock and the guiding force behind all the things that needed healing.
Her arrival pushed for their departure.
"I love you the most, mommy." She replied, blowing her a kiss as she laid with that new bear in her arms... she hadn't let it go since Lindsey had given it to her.
"I don't think that's possible." Stevie was standing in the doorway, staring through the room that was only lit by a crescent moon nightlight...
"You always tell me that anything is possible..." she lingered, creasing a brow lightly.
Stevie couldn't help but laugh, nodding in agreement. "Sleep well, dreamer." She whispered before she closed the door behind her.
She trailed back down the hallway, and then down the staircase, where Pierce's voice filled the air.
He was sitting on the living room carpet, while his dad sat across the coffee table from him, playing a board game. They were both so intense, watching as one another rolled the dice and then moved their piece along the board.
Lindsey could have been a good dad. He had it in him, and she knew that.
When she was pregnant for Pierce, they were both invested in their solo careers, but she'd slowed down as soon as two pink lines stared back at her... He didn't and he could have.
"It's time for bed, Pierce." She announced, wrapping her sweater around herself tighter as she stood in the door frame.
He sighed heavily, giving her a set of puppy dogs that occasionally worked... tonight was not one of those occasions. "Can-"
"No," she shook her head, not letting him continue. "It's time for bed." She repeated, giving him a weak smile.
"Good night, Lindsey." Pierce frowned, pushing himself up to head upstairs.
"Good night, buddy." He smiled softly, sitting back as his eyes met Stevie's from across the room.
She was so pretty, and he had forgotten just how pretty.
"I'm working for awhile tomorrow, so..." she shrugged, not sure what to expect from him. "You're off the hook for tomorrow, I guess." She chuckled, shaking her head softly.
He nodded, standing up to see himself out. "I really enjoyed today." Lindsey admitted, which is something he wasn't expecting to do.
He used to dread days like that with them... It was overwhelming. Two crying kids and a wife that complained about everything. He would have rather worked than have to deal with that, so that's what he did.
"Don't get too attached, Lindsey." She warned. "I'm not splitting custody." She didn't mean that he couldn't be in their life, but they wouldn't be traveling back and forth regularly... their life was with her until they were old enough to decide for themselves.
She created a safe place and he couldn't.
He held up his hands, eyes soft. "I would never do that to you."
