Who Are You?

XIX

Lindsey tried his best to stay calm, as he concentrated on what Stevie and the twins were doing, but the bouncing of his leg didn't stop. It was almost Kristen's due date and he could get a call any time now. Stevie suggested him being with the woman for the last couple of days, but Kristen refused the offer, when Lindsey called her about it. He kept going into the nursery, to make sure everything was there and in its place. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered whether Kristen would change her mind again, once she saw the baby. He couldn't deal with that. He hadn't even seen his son yet, but Stevie was right, getting bits and pieces of fatherhood would never be enough.

"Linds." Stevie repeated for the forth time, trying to get his attention. "Lindsey!"

"I'm sorry, what is it, hon?" He finally heard his name. 

"It's for you." She said, holding the receiver in her hand. "It's Kristen." She added with a smile and Lindsey rushed to take over the conversation.

While Lindsey spoke, Stevie willed herself not to listen to it. After her girls were born, she wanted to have another baby, although she hadn't told Dave, or later Lindsey, about it. But then that tragic pregnancy happened and she was sure her last chance was taken away from her. Even though the doctor told her she shouldn't lose all hope, she decided that she wouldn't try again, because she couldn't deal with disappointment if she didn't conceive, or worse, another loss. And now, Stevie knew she was going to be a mother again, she din't have a lot of say in that, but she hadn't carried the baby, she wouldn't give birth to it. She didn't doubt she would love the boy, but still, it wasn't going to be the same.

"We have to go to the hospital!" Lindsey brought Stevie out of her thoughts.

"We?"

"Well, yeah... what, you don't want to go?" He asked, sounding disappointed.

"I, um... sure, okay." She smiled weakly. 

"Can we go too, Mommy?" Aria asked, with her eyes sparkling. Once they were told, the twins were very excited about having a little brother.

"But it might take hours for the baby to be born, sweetie."

"We'll be patient, I promise!"

"Will you now..." Stevie muttered to herself, then shrugged. "Okay, you can come with us."

After a quick change of clothes, the four of them were in the car, Lindsey speeding over the limit all the way to the hospital. They were directed to were they could wait through the delivery, once they got there. Aria not looking too excited anymore, with her surroundings. 

"You said we might wait for hours and we'll spend the whole time here?" 

"That's right, baby. I warned you, didn't I?" Stevie looked at her daughter pointedly, before the girl crawled into her lap, Mabel siting down by her side.

"You did, but I thought you just didn't want us to go with you."

"When did I ever not want you with me, sweetheart?" 

"Never."

"That's right. So, now you have to sit and by quiet. No whining, little miss!" Aria sighed heavily, laying her head on her mother's chest. "Linds? Aren't you going to go in there?"

"What, you mean..."

"In there, that's what I mean. I'm sure Kristen could use you there, even if all you can do is hold her hand and encourage her to get through it."

"Yeah, but she doesn't want me there. She told me. I'm not sure I want to be there myself anyway." Lindsey saw Stevie frown. "What?"

"You got her pregnant, at least you could go in and say, 'you're doing great!', childbirth is no fun, trust me."