Stevie awoke with a hangover and a bad attitude. Bianca had been crying for hours and had not settled down since Lindsey left. Stevie threw the covers off her bed.
The carpet warmly welcoming to her weary heels. Each step she made down the hallway was agonizingly painful, physically and emotionally. Her head and stomach pounded as she contemplated the what ifs.
What if Lindsey never comes back. What if he's left the city. Or the country. Or
"...what if he's right here." he said, leaning on the couch in the front room. "Don't look at me like I'm a mind reader. You think out loud, Steph."
She shook her head and laughed a little.
"What, no 'don't call me that' anymore?" Stevie looked at him with her arms crossed and rolled her eyes defensively.
"Shut up, fag." She walked over and pulled him by the arm into Bianca's room. She flipped on the light switch. Leading Lindsey to see Bianca's favorite color, pink.
Pink frilly curtains. Pink crib. Pink stuffed animals. And a pink crying baby.
"Pinky paradise." He said. Bianca looked up with a confused look on her face. Her crying turned to laughter, almost instantly after she saw him. "Hello there, girly."
"You can pick her up if you want."
Lindsey took this as a blessing. He walked over to her crib and reached out his hand to her. She grabbed it and started to climb up his arm. He then picked her up and cradled her.
"She normally doesn't..."
"Normally doesn't what?"
"Like that."
Lindsey looked down at her face. "Looks like she likes it to me." He brought her into the front room and sat on the couch. Stevie laid with her head in his lap and instantly started to drift away into a well deserved slumber.
Lindsey had it all. Both of his girls, sound asleep. He felt in charge. Everything felt... right. Everything except for Carol Ann still calling him about missing their date.
