It felt like déjà vu, it really did. Kim and Stevie had stood together in a dimly lit hospital hallway and received bad news on a few occasions, but the one that Stevie kept going back to was the night they'd lost Robin.
She felt the exact same way, it was almost unreal. Her knees felt weak and her stomach was in knots as they stood there and cried over someone they both loved dearly.... It was too familiar.
It was like the world was caving in around them again, which was so overwhelming.
"Do you know why I named you Constance?" Her voice was just above a whisper as she sat in the chair only inches away from her daughters bed.
In was a relief to see that her eyes were fluttering as her long hair laid in two braids. And she even had a peacefully look written across her face, which came as a small comfort.
It looked like she was just taking a regular old nap.
Biting down on her lower lip, the older woman sank back as the tears filled the brims of her eyes. "I knew you'd be the most constant thing in my life." Stevie's voice was so weak, it was hardly even audible. "My two girls..." she added, shaking her head softly as she looked down at the floor.
She had been crying since she'd seen her, all tucked under a warm blanket that her dad had brought her from home, along with a teddy bear from Matt and a million flower arrangements surrounding her... She was loved so deeply and Stevie was reminded a million times that evening.
She leaned forward, taking her babies hand in hers as she finally looked up at her once more. "You are the first person I ever loved unconditionally..." Stevie was a mess- she had been since she'd gotten that call, but especially now that she'd gotten a moment alone.
She had sent everyone else home- everyone except for Kim, of course, who was talking to his wife on the phone out in the hallway. But other than that, it was just the two of them... Stevie and her daughter.
"And I'm sorry that I wasn't here for you." She whispered, so upset about that. "I should have been right here, holding your hand the entire way." Stevie's thumb ran back and forth across Constance's knuckles, eyeing the tattoos on her arm.
She loved art and even though Stevie wasn't a huge fan of it being permanent, she always thought Constance had the coolest sleeve.
"Hey..." Kim trailed back in, voice low as his two hands met his ex wife's shoulders to rub them. "You doing okay?" He knew she wasn't good, but he figured he'd ask just so she knew that he cared.
They had a rough run, like many people that go through a divorce but that didn't mean that they couldn't try to be civil for the sake of their three kids.
"No." She shook her head, reaching back to hold onto his hand.
He leaned down to kiss her head, patting her arm softly with the hand she wasn't squeezing. "Sing for her?" Kim could be gentle and soft when he wanted to be, and that was one of those moments... He was feeling defeated too, after all- Constance was his girl. "That always cheered her up." He reminded her, even though she could never forget.
When they were separated- when the twins would have to go to their dads for the week, or the summers they'd occasionally spend apart, Kim would call her in the middle of the night. Constance would be awake, well after her bedtime, crying for her mom. And Stevie, no matter where she was or what she was doing, would spend an hour or more on the phone with her, singing her to sleep.
They were the very best of friends in the truest sense of the word.
She let out a tear filled chuckle as her eyes remained on her sweet daughter. "I will always sing for her..."
~~~
"Did you hear about Constance?" Carol was standing in the center of the foyer, having not even said "hello" to her husband before she started in.
Setting his bag down on the floor, he let out the deepest sigh. "Well, good morning, Carol." Lindsey was exhausted... to say the least.
Once he got Stevie to the airport, he went back to the house, made sure everything was locked up and taken care of before he figured out what he was supposed to do next.
After partaking in a couple of glasses of scotch, the first thing he did was call their realtor and the next thing he did was arrange a flight back to California to be there for her... For both of them.
"Ann is gonna go up to the hospital to see Stevie and the girls today." She continued, almost like she didn't realize that he wasn't really in the mood.
He slipped around her, kissing the side of her head as he headed for the kitchen.
She was close behind him, carrying her cup of coffee with both hands wrapped around the mug. "I did send Constance a flower arrangement, but-"
"Do you want to ride with me to the hospital?" Lindsey cut her off, not trying to be mean, but also not wanting to waste too much time.
She nodded her head, holding up her index finger before she disappeared down the hallway. "Let me just get the card I got for Stevie." She shouted, heels hitting the hardwood floors the entire way.
He raised a brow, running his hand from his forehead down to his chin as he allowed another sigh to escape him.
