"Stevie, stop." He set the phone down on the hook as he pushed himself up to stand in a hurry.
But by the time he was up on his feet, she had already backed herself into the bedroom, locked the door behind her to start throwing her things into her bag... She was distraught instantly and she wasn't even exactly sure why.
Lindsey was dating a thirty- five year old woman... Hearing that she was pregnant shouldn't have been that shocking, but to Stevie, it felt like the end.
It made her feel sick to her stomach right off the bat.
"Open the door, Stevie." He jiggled the knob, letting out a sigh when he realized that he was locked out.
She shook her head, almost like he could see her through the wood as she quickly picked her clothes up off the bedroom floor.
She knew she was overreacting... After all, they were still, technically tied down to other people, so she couldn't actually be upset with him. But that didn't stop her from wanting to escape and in the moment, that was the only thing that felt right.
She wanted to run back to the safety of her own little world.
"Come on, baby." He creased a brow, leaning into the frame as his knuckles met the door a couple more times.
She paused for a moment, tears still rolling down her cheeks as her hands dropped to her sides. "Don't say baby." She told him in such a soft tone of voice, it was clear just how sad she was.
"I'll break the fucking door down, if you don't open it." He warned, not even saying that in a harsh way... Just letting her know. "I've done it before." He reminded her of something she couldn't forget, even though she had tried for years.
Shortly after they had lost Brady, Stevie locked herself in her bedroom and after a couple of days of not coming not, or answering calls, Chris summoned Lindsey to come help him get her out. And since she'd always been so headstrong and set in her ways, Lindsey had to break the door down...
He might have been twenty years older at that point, but he was certain he still had the arm strength if he really needed it.
"Damnit, Stevie." His forehead met the door, biting down on the inside of his cheek as he took a moment to think. "I just wanna see you for a-" he almost fell forward when the door came open, totally catching him off guard... he really didn't think she would let him in so soon.
"I have to go home." She announced, brown eyes so full of tears, they were literally drowning. "This has all been way too much for me." She finally admitted as she walked backwards to the bed to continue balling her clothes up and just stuffing them into her suitcase.
She was overwhelmed, she really was and not because she didn't love her family, but because she had never done any of that before... She hadn't played the role of a mother since her daughter was just learning to walk, so to be thrown into the mix of everything wasn't easy, but she was trying so hard.
"Come on, Steph." He shook his head, standing in the center of the room as he took a moment to just watch her. "Just stop packing for a second and let's talk about this." Lindsey was trying his best to be level headed... he had gotten so much better at that in the last two decades.
Having kids really calmed him down and if being a dad really teaches you anything, it's patience, and understanding... Two things he needed in a time like that.
"You just said that this is all too much for you, so let's just talk it out." He repeated, holding out his hands to try and calm her down a little.
He had seen Stevie worked up many times before, but this time it was a little different for both of them... It felt like they had really had a chance to be together and she was so devastated that it was already coming to an end.
"You're going to have a baby with someone else..." She wrinkled a brow, obviously more heart broken than she was mad. "I can't compete with that, Lindsey." Stevie shook her head as her hands finally fell and she dropped the dress that she wore that day to floor. "I'm in my fifties now. I can't give you babies and honestly, I don't want any more kids." She brought a hand up to her chest, not giving him a moment to intervene as she rambled on. "And I should be upset with you for getting my hopes up, but I can't." Her tone shifted and even though she was bawling, she was speaking a little meaner. "I can't be mad at you, because I'm so in love with you." She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself down.
Lindsey wanted to reach out and pull her in, he really did, but he knew she wouldn't have liked that, not before he explained. "I'm not having anymore kids either." He stated as his eyes scanned over her sweet face.
She was still so beautiful to him.
"Bullshit!" She shouted, pointing her index finger at him. "Don't you dare lie to be like that, Lindsey." Her eyes shifted and even though there were tears, there was also anger. "I heard her on the phone, so don't-"
He reached out, taking the hand that was pointed right him in his. "Stop talking for one second, you stubborn ass woman." He pulled her closer, looking down into her eyes as he slipped his other hand around her waist.
She tried to pull her wrist back, but he gently brought it closer as his thumb ran back and forth, trying to soothe her.
"I can't have anymore kids." He restated in a soft tone of voice, trying his best to get through to her in a different way than he ever had before.
Fighting never worked for them. Yelling, screaming, naming calling- it never ended well and he really wanted it to end well this time around.
Using the hand that he was holding, she wiped her tears away as she shook her head softly. "What do you mean?" She mumbled, so caught up in the moment, she couldn't even process what he was hinting at.
"I had my family." Lindsey nearly whispered as he watched her eyes begin to travel his face as well. "You already gave me everything and I didn't want to experience it with anyone other than you." He knew it might have sounded a little cheesy, but it was true.
He had never admitted that to anyone... No one expect for Barbara, who had sat in the waiting room. She was the only person that ever knew.
She creased a brow, heart beating a little faster as she brought the hand that he was holding up to his face softly. "I'm sorry." Her voice cracked as she let herself sink into him to be held.
He instantly wrapped her up in his arms, kissing the top of her head as let out a sigh of relief. "Don't be sorry." Lindsey assured, running his fingers through her soft blonde hair. "Don't ever be sorry, baby."
