I Think I'm in Trouble {Reimagined}

CVI.

"Y'know, maybe this was a bad idea..." Kristen lingered as she stared out the window, hand falling to her tummy. "I haven't been feeling good as it is and I know you and Stevie are just trying to make me feel welcome, but I don't really know your family and from the things Jeff had told me..." she sighed.

"You'll be fine," Robert kind of smirked. "Besides, given that you haven't been feeling well---I'd rather you here with all of us than all by yourself."

She lifted her brow. 

"Stevie had wanted to talk to you and she hasn't really gotten the opportunity. She's not too into talking on the phone, but with everything that's been going on, even less..."

She felt bad considering she hadn't really given the singer her condolences; they really hadn't had the time to speak at all, not even at the funeral the week prior. 

"You were part of my son's life and the two of you created a new life... Everybody knew that and we've all been so excited. I'm sure my sisters will want to pamper you, along with Stevie's mom."

"I know everybody has been excited about the baby, but at the same time, I'm sure Stevie's mom is pampering Stevie, and that's perfectly fine..."

"Between you and me, it's been better with Lindsey's mom in town," he assured, eyes never leaving the road ahead.

Kristen kind of looked over, "Lindsey's mom..."

"Yeah, you remember Ruth? She was there on Christmas Eve..." 

"Mhmm," she kind of nodded. 

Of course she remembered Lindsey's mother; she had met her briefly before but they never got close, in fact, it was something to cause her a little more anxiety.

To that day, the only people who knew about Lindsey's and Kristen's relationship were themselves and Stevie. Jeffrey had known, but his knowledge of things didn't really serve any longer considering it really sort of ended her ties to them, but then there was the baby involved.

"Y'know, Lindsey, he had an older brother that passed a few years back and so Ruth was somebody who came when she learned about Jeffrey and she came out last week; she's been really helpful as far as helping Stevie deal with things on top of the other thing. She and Barbara get along great, but their relationship goes back to the sixties when Stevie and Lindsey met as teenagers," he explained things as though it was all private information, as though she had no idea, but he didn't know any better.

"That's nice," she replied. 

"If you need somebody to talk to, she'd be the lady... She also lost her husband back in the seventies... She knows what it's like to lose a partner," he reached over, settling his hand on hers.

"I wouldn't want to overwhelm her," she laced her fingers through his, finding comfort in his gesture only because she did feel most comfortable with him and or Shannon, even Nicholas.

It wasn't that she didn't feel comfort with Stevie; the woman was above and beyond when it came to being a mother, being a friend and so was Lindsey when it came to being a friend, but to keep things distanced and more pure, she did prefer Shannon or Robert, even if she had to lie about some details.

"I told Jeff a long time ago that I was an only kid, my parents are divorced," she shrugged. "I have my mom, but she is a little more self-centered since I've gone off on my own. Especially one I met--" she stopped. "When I was with the guy prior to Jeff," she explained. "She really liked him and was really mad when we had decided to go our separate ways and she was thrilled to know I met somebody new, a military man, no less, but at the end of the day, she doesn't exactly want to be there with me to help me. I say this because you guys have really made me feel at home," she explained. "When Jeff left, it was you and Shannon at my aid and when you guys left, it was Stevie and Lindsey and Nicholas' knowledge..."