Who Are You?

VIII

Aria had her forehead pressed against the car window, as she watched Lindsey walking towards the front door of where her grandparents lived. She had never met them before, but she was still so excited, she wanted to go with him.

"Why is Lindsey going there without us, Mommy?" Aria asked Stevie, who sat in the front. 

"Because, umm... because we can't just barge in there, baby." She really had no better answer.

Lindsey took off his sunglasses and knocked on the door a few times and waited, before Barbara opened up. He didn't get a word in, when she opened her mouth. "You found her?"

Lindsey nodded and walked inside the house, following Barbara. "But there's something I have to tell you first."

"Well, what is it?"

"Stevie's different."

"How do you mean?"

"She was involved in a serious car accident some years ago and, um... She lost her memory, she doesn't remember one thing about the life she lived before it happened."

Barbara gasped and Lindsey thought he'd have to catch her as she seemed about to faint. "Where did you find her? Does she know who you are?"

"In France. I was there on vacation and by complete accident I saw her on the street. Now she knows me, yes, I've been telling her about everything since the day we met, I've shown her photographs, we listened to music together... I'm doing everything I can think of to help her return to how she was. The only thing that resurfaced for her was a lyric from one of our songs, but besides that..." He trailed off, feeling as if he had shocked enough. "Stevie will tell you the rest herself and there is a lot to tell, but so you know, we came back to California together and she's been staying with me the last couple of days. Well, she and... and her two daughters."

"My Stephanie is a mother?" Barbara sat down, somehow trying to process this information.

"Yes. They're outside, I'll ask them in now." Before he left, Lindsey added. "I know it hurts you immensely, but... she's not your Stephanie, Barbara. At least not yet." He sighed, knowing how hard it must be to hear. "Let her talk, okay? She really... she looks like Stevie, sounds like Stevie, but she's not her."

Barbara nodded, tearfully and tried to compose herself, before Lindsey returned with Stevie and her girls. 

"Let's go inside." Lindsey said, as he opened the door for Stevie. "Your mother is quite shaken up right now, but... there's no other way around this."

She took his hand, clenching it tightly. "Be there with me?"

It was quite erotic in a way, how he slid his arm around her waist inside her jacket and drew her closer, when he nodded and pressed a kiss to her temple. "You know I will be, holding your hand if you need it." Then he opened the door for the twins and led the way for them into the house.

Barbara managed to tell Jess about what was going on by the time the four walked in and he was in the living room, waiting to see his firstborn daughter after so many years. The second Barbara caught sight of Stevie, she couldn't fight back tears any longer.

"Can I please hug you?" Her lower lip trembled as Stevie let go of Lindsey's hand and took a step towards her mother. "Oh, my sweet girl..." Barbara cried, holding her daughter tightly. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

After a moment Barbara guided them to the living room, where Stevie greeted her father as well, then everyone sat down, Aria climbing onto Lindsey's lap, while Mabel clung to Stevie by her side.

"I can't believe I'm a grandmother to such pretty girls!" 

"This is Aria and this is Mabel." Stevie said, taking Lindsey's hand again.