I Think I'm in Trouble {Reimagined}

LXV.

Barbara and Jess would arrive to their daughter's house, more than happy to greet her after what seemed to be such a long tour even though it was one of her shorter ones.

As they entered the home, they looked around to see everything as it was when they left.

"If you're looking for Stevie, she went to her studio to make a few calls and to take a nap," Robert mentioned. "Want me to give her a call?"

"No, that's alright, I'll head over and grab her," Barbara smiled, settling her purse down before making her way to walk back out of the house.

When she made it to her daughter's one bedroom apartment, she knocked.

Within a few minutes, Stevie opened the door and she smiled.

"Hi, mom," she walked out just to hug her warmly.

"Hi, sweet girl, how are you? Look at you," she beamed, pulling away as she took her hand. "Gorgeous girl."

She shook her head, "I'm so happy to be home."

"I'd imagine," she nodded. "I was coming to get you, but let's talk first."

She agreed and stepped aside for her mother to enter her more private space.

"I feel like you have an idea that something is wrong...." she was sure to mention, knowing her mother was not oblivious to the situation, though playing along.

"Well, Shannon was very clear that she was tired of men and their whims and with that, she left."

"Robert told me..." she sighed. "Have you heard anything recently? Is she for sure coming back?"

"I couldn't tell you, baby, but I know she's at the house and she's been working really hard. I talked to her this morning, she said she would call me tonight or tomorrow morning."

She nodded, biting her bottom lip. Shaking her head, she brought her fingertips to her temple and relieved yet another sigh.

"Did she find out about you and Lindsey?" she then wondered.

"Well, yes, isn't that obvious?" she wondered, furrowing her brow.

"Well, not with Shannon. She had been on two dates with two different people since we've been back," the woman assured. "But I mean, I guess it makes sense considering she knew you were coming home and she decided to leave anyway."

She shook her head, "Yes, she knew I was coming home from being up north. I went to go see Lindsey's mom, we told her the news about us and the baby."

"Aw, how did she react?" she smiled.

"She was thrilled, so happy. We invited her and Jeff for Christmas since it's just them, Lindsey was worried considering the drama of everything but my hope is that with somebody like Lindsey's mother around, the mother of the person she really likes, I was hoping she'd behave better with me, but I guess I can't prove that theory if she's not here."

"You know she's hardheaded... But eventually she'll get over it."

"Yeah, but will she? Not only did we lie to her, but the man she is head over heels for is the man I was cheating on her father with. And it is as bad as it sounds, on top of it, I'm pregnant."

"You are tired and overly stressed when you shouldn't be. Leave things to me, okay? I will take care of Shannon and I will make sure she at least listens to what you have to say, but from there, she can decide what she would like to believe or not."

She nodded.

"For now, you're gonna enjoy your children, enjoy the holidays and everything else... I am so excited to see Ruth after all these years. We're gonna enjoy our time together before we have to leave and before the baby comes."