Jess and Lindsey ended up taking the three boys out to golf for the afternoon, which was Stevie's idea. She wanted them to get out of the house for awhile... She felt like if they were all cramped up for too long, tensions would grow high and she didn't want that, not again.
She wanted some calm since there had been a storm the night before, so for the better half of the day, it was just her and her mother, hanging out at home.
It was nice... Something they both really needed at the time.
However, by dinner, the house was flooding with people once more and after a very disorganized meal of loud conversation and mild bickering, Jess and Barbara decided to take all the kids out for ice cream.
And since it was just the two of them, Lindsey convinced her to go for an evening swim... it was rare but sometimes she was easily persuaded.
"I definitely think it was something that we should have talked about before hand." She was sitting on the edge of the pool, still wrapped up in a towel and just letting her feet dangle in the water.
It was only nine, so the summer sun was just beginning to set, but she still wanted to turn on the fairy lights, so it was lit up enough to see one another.
"I can't allow them to just walk all over you for next three months." Lindsey was on an inflatable floaty by then, already having done more laps than she could keep track of while she chatted about other drama...
She always had a lot to tell him, so before she started in on his idea to take the boys on the road, she had to give him the scoop about her friends first... Just causal husband and wife chitchat. And he was always good at that, because he just sat back and listened- nodding his head and agreeing with her, even though he had no idea what she was even talking about.
He was a good sport.
Biting down on her lower lip, she sank back as her two hands stayed pressed into the concrete to hold herself up. "I'm gonna be all alone then." Stevie wrinkled her forehead, already a little nervous about that.
She couldn't remember the last time that she had been alone for any real period... she wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself.
He chuckled, eyes closed as he drifted by her. "You can always go with us." Lindsey wanted her to tag so bad, but he knew the chances were slim to none.
She had stopped touring with them shortly after Kash was born and right before Crosby went to preschool. She wanted them to have a normal life- one where they went to school every day, came home, did homework, ate a good meal that she cooked, and then at the end of the night, they read bedtime stories and talked about their days.
That's all she wanted for those boys and she gave them that. She handed them the perfect life, with the perfect mother and they still took it for granted more often than not.
She couldn't help but giggle. "One day, I'll go with you again." She was certain of it.
She figured when the kids were all grown up and it was just the two of them at home, she would end up on the road too... She loved it but she loved him more.
"But not now, Lindsey." She added, sitting back up to pick her wine glass up off the ground next to her.
"When we're old and boring?" He teased, finally look over at her with a soft smile dancing across his handsome face.
She scoffed, also grinning a tad as she slowly dropped the towel that she had wrapped around her. "I don't know about you...." She lingered as she carefully pushed herself off the edge to slip into the warm blue water. "But I don't plan to get old and boring..." she admitted, brown eyes growing incredibly soft as she began to venture his way.
With a mischievous grin on his face, he flipped right off the floaty, hitting the water with a splash to meet her half way.
Tossing her head back, she let out the sweetest laugh as she wrapped her arms around his neck to be held.
"I don't know..." Lindsey replied, looking right into her eyes as he carefully lifted her legs up to go around his waist. "Sitting around, watching the news in rocking chairs with gray hair and wrinkles sounds kind of fun with you." He told her, which caused little butterflies to form in the pit of her stomach immediately.
He wasn't always a romantic, but when he wanted to, he knew exactly how to sweep her off her feet.
"I am in love with you." She whispered, heart beating a mile a minute... she didn't know how he still had that power over her.
He chuckled, nodding lightly. "I'm really in love with you, too." He assured, slowly swaying her back and forth as he left a couple of soft kisses on her head.
~~~
"Did you go for a swim?" Barbara smiled lightly, wrapping her sweater around herself tighter as she took a seat at the patio table.
Stevie was out there with a cup of tea, wet hair, and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was already in pajamas by then, but the night air had still grown chilly.
"Lindsey and I did, yeah." She nodded softly, eyes a little sleepy but still so happy to have her parents there for a couple of days... Not long enough, but their company was always appreciated.
Barbara crossed one leg over the other, staring at her favorite girl in the whole world. "Are you doing better?" She wondered in the most sympathetic and gentle way she could.
They had talked about it very briefly on the phone and since she was so far away at the time, Barbara really didn't want to pry too much. But since they were together, finally, she knew that she could pull out all the typical mom cards and play them fair.
She nodded, gaze traveling down to the ground as she shifted in her chair. "Why doesn't he want to have another baby with me?" She whispered, rolling her eyes lightly at herself because the tears were already beginning to form. "I thought we had fun raising babies together..." she added, shaking her head softly as she brought her hand up to her face to wipe her eyes.
It was bothering her... it really was.
Biting down on the inside of her cheek, Barbara waited a moment before she replied. "It might not be about that, TeeDee." She cracked a soft smile, reaching out to touch the blondes arm. "Have you ever considered the idea that maybe he just wants some time with you...?" She was being soft and kind, trying to get through to one of the most stubborn people she'd ever met. "You've been raising kids for eighteen years...." She lingered, really putting an emphasis on it. "Maybe it's time to give yourselves back to each other."
