I Can't

Maybe it's best...

Thinking she was going to have some quiet alone time, Stevie was instead ambushed with questions from her two younger kids, claiming it was for some kind of project at school. Slowing them down, she managed to sit up straight again and get comfortable, before she could focus on whatever Anna and Daryl were talking to her about.

"Okay, from the start. What is this and why do you need me to do this?"

"We were talking about our dreams for the future in one of the classes today and as a home assignment, we were asked to sort of interview various people about who they thought they were going to be when they grow up and whether their dreams came true or not."

"And here you are torturing your poor mother about it. Can't your father do it?"

"With all due respect, you're way cooler than Dad." Daryl said, making Stevie laugh, hoping that Lindsey was nowhere around. He wouldn't like hearing that very much as he thought he was the coolest Dad there ever was!

"Well, fine. So, what's the exact question then?"

Anna looked down at her exercise book. "Right, you have to finish the thought. It starts like this, while I was growing up I dreamt about becoming..."

"Oh gosh, well I've dreamt about becoming about a thousand different things. I saw myself as a designer or maybe a manicurist, or a hairdresser. But when I started college, if I had stuck with it, I would have been some kind of teacher, I'm not even really sure myself."

"... but instead I've become a worldwide superstar!" Daryl added, pretending to write it down. "Seriously, a teacher? A hairdresser?!"

"What? I enjoyed it! I still do." Stevie shrugged, trying to reach for her cup of tea, finding it a hard task to do, thanks to her growing belly. "Could you..." She looked at each of the twins.

"What's the matter?" Daryl asked oblivious.

"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact I'm twenty four weeks pregnant! That could be it, don't you think?"

"Well, I don't really know what being twenty four weeks pregnant feels like, Mom." He stood up and picked up her cup, handing it to her. "Here"

"Thanks, sweetheart."

"You were just yelling at me and now I'm a sweetheart?"

"Yes. Get used to it, this is how it's going to be when you have a wife of your own and you knock her up."

"Yeah, I'm not sure I'll want to!" Daryl saw Stevie narrow her eyes at him, as he grinned and ran out of her sight, saying... "Love you!" Just before entering his room.

"Is that all with your assignment?" Stevie then asked Anna.

"Yes." She nodded. "It's a small task, but we need answers from a couple of people. I'll ask around some neighbors maybe, then Sara, Todd..."

"You could ask Mike too, he's just outside."

Anna gulped, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe."

Soon, the two of them were joined by Lindsey, who was wearing his swimming shorts and had a towel draped over his shoulder. "Care to join your old man for a swim? We could race!" He asked Anna.

"I'm not sure I want to, Dad. I haven't finished all my homework yet."

"Just say it like it is, you're not interested in spending time with your Dad anymore." Lindsey said, not actually meaning it, as he stood behind the couch, his hands placed on Stevie's shoulders.

"No, I do..." Anna trailed off, what I don't want is Mike around! "Okay, fine. I'll go change and meet you by the pool."

When Stevie and Lindsey were left alone, she showed him to sit down beside her. "Is it just me or Anna seems weird these last few days. She's acting somehow different."

Lindsey seemed to be thinking, as he then shrugged his shoulders. "I can't say I've noticed anything unusual in her behavior."

"I hope I'm imagining things, really. Just that she's always so chatty and now she's barely come out of her room for the past week or so."

"You know that she'll come to you, sweetheart, if anything. Doesn't she always?"

"She does." Stevie nodded. "At least I hope she does."

Anna came back downstairs, clearing her throat loudly to catch her parent's attention. "So, you're going or not?" She asked Lindsey.

"Yeah, of course. I thought I'd give you a head start." He smirked and giving Stevie a brief kiss, followed after his daughter.

Before jumping into the water, they agreed that the first one to swim the distance of the pool twice wins. Tossing aside the towel, Lindsey stood on the edge, telling Anna not to dare cheating and getting under water before his signal. Like any teenager, she rolled her eyes the whole time he was listing his 'rules'.

Anna won.

Lindsey sat down on the tiled stairs, his feet still in the water, as he was gasping for air, Anna chuckling at him. She patted at his stomach. "Someone's getting out of shape."

"Am not! Today is not my day, it's all..."

"Sure sure, Dad." She laughed, while he, being the mature adult that he was, splashed her with water.

"No, actually... I let you win."

That caused Anna to laugh even louder, as she animatedly fell onto her back. "That was a good one!" She put her hand on Lindsey's shoulder, with other pretending to wipe a tear of laughter away.

"You kids these days have no respect for elders." Lindsey shook his head, jumping to his feet, showing that he was not letting his age affect him in any way yet. "I'm going to bring us some ice tea."

"Okay." Anna said and remained sitting where she was.

Taking his time, Lindsey also went to the living room, telling Stevie how there was nothing to worry about Anna, that she was just fine as they were having a good time, which relieved Stevie greatly.

While outside, Anna jumped, hearing her name being called out. "Don't talk to me."

"Why not? Just for how much longer are you going to keep up this act?" Mike was near the pool area, trimming the bushes.

"I'm not acting. I don't want to talk to you."

"I told you that I do. I'm not letting you go that easily, angel."

"I'm sure you can find someone better than me."

"The thing is, I don't want to. I don't want anyone else but you."

She hung her head low, attempting to fight back tears, as she thought it was best not to respond. Thankfully, Lindsey returned in a moment, carrying two glasses of ice tea.

"Here you go."

"Thanks." Anna took it, avoiding looking at her father.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah... I'm fine." She faked a smile.

In all honesty, she wanted to tell Lindsey the whole truth, but she was so afraid. She couldn't bare to even imagine the hurt and disappointment in her father's eyes, feeling that she failed as a daughter. She was also scared of Mike, he warned her more than once not to tell anyone. Stevie couldn't handle it either and Anna was not going to do anything to cause any danger to the baby.

Maybe it was the best to just give in, not to keep trying to push Mike away...