He watched her slip into the front seat with Sara still clinging to her. Taking the diaper bag from her he closed her door and then threw it in the boot. Once he got in his side, he started the car and noticed her staring at him again. "What is it?" He asked with a smile, though still looking at the road "what's wrong with my face hmmm?"
"Oh nothing," she replied of course there's nothing wrong with your face, it's perfect, sweet Jesus... Oh Stevie get it together. "you cut your hair," she said quickly to cover up.
He chuckled and ran a hand through it,
"yeah I thought I'd have a change, what do you think?"
"I loved your long curls." She said, brushing her free and through his hair to which an involuntary shiver ran up his spine. He cleared his throat and sat up straighter, hoping she wouldn't notice. She did.
Taking her hand from his hair she giggled, "I see I can still make you do that." repeating his earlier comment. "But I do think it looks good, you do look good, Linds."
"Yeah you look good too Steph." He returned with a smile and looked at her for a second before focusing back on the road. "Which one is it again?"
"45, the fifth house on the next block."
As they were getting close she started to panic, she didn't want to say goodbye to him again. "Do you want to go for coffee sometime?" She said quickly, fearing rejection.
"Yes I'd love to, what's your number I'll call you." He said happily, like he'd been wanting to say the same thing.
As the car pulled into her driveway she wrote down her phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Lindsey. "Call me, anytime I'm home all day today." She said with a smile. Going to open her door, he stopped her, "ahh, hang on." He said, getting out of his door and running over to open hers, "my lady." He said in a mock English accent while opening her door for her.
She got out, pulling Sara with her, giggling then gently tapping him on the face. "Oh you're such a gentlemen," she said sarcastically. Grabbing the diaper bag out of her car she paused, "shit I forgot the pram."
"No worries, I'll pick it up when I go back to Keith's and I'll get it to you." He said, quickly finding a solution.
"Are you sure, it's pretty bulky." She said with a chuckle.
"Nope, all good, it folds doesn't it?" She nodded, biting her lip in thought God, I love it when she does that... He thought to himself no, she's married, hands off. He immediately scolded himself.
"Ok," her voice brought him back to reality, "that would be really nice, thank you so much Lindsey." She said sincerely.
"It's really fine Stevie, it's just a pram," he said with a smile.
"No Linds, thanks for everything, you've been so nice to me and I know we didn't exactly part ways on great terms but I'm really happy we can be friends."
"I think the same Steph, I've missed you." He replied. She contemplated for a few seconds before lunging forward to give him a hug, innocent enough, seeing as she still had her two year old still plastered to her hip but he did managed to get in a whiff of her hair and her sweet smelling perfume which made him giddy.
She pulled back after a while and smiled. "I'll see you later Linds." She said with a quick kiss on the cheek.
And with that she disappeared into her house, leaving Lindsey standing there, not sure if he was more stunned or just happy to see her again. With the promise of of seeing her another time, he got back in his car and drove to Keith's, almost bursting with happiness. He was so excited to tell her about what he's been up to, he really wanted to make her proud of him, that he finally made it, even though it saddened him that she wasn't with him.
As Stevie walked in the front door of her house she called out to Don and got no answer so she quietly walked upstairs and placed Sara in her cot before heading to her room to see if he was up yet. Surprise, surprise he was still asleep, but he usually headed to the studio at about that time so she decided to wake him, just in case he was meant to be at work.
She walked over to his side and gently stroked his hair, "Don," she whispered, "Don," she said slightly louder and he flinched a little but just rolled over. She started shaking him, getting frustrated at how long this was taking, "Don! wake up!" She said loudly and he finally poked his head up.
"Hey Steves," he said groggily with a half smile that quickly turned into panic when he had a look at the clock. "Jesus! It's 12 o'clock! I was meant to be in the studio an hour ago!" he yelled, jumping out of bed and pulling on jeans and a shirt, before running downstairs where Stevie followed him into the kitchen.
"Don calm down." She said, trying to sooth him, "just call in sick, spend the day with Sara and me." She tried not to get too hopeful, he never wanted to spend time with her when he could be working at the studio.
"I can't, we have a deadline Stevie, that means something!" He yelled in frustration, trying to make himself some coffee.
"Here, let me do that, you need a shower, you stink." She offered, to which he just got even angrier.
"No Stevie, I don't have time for a shower! I needed to be there an hour ago, if you had of woken me up a little earlier, we wouldn't be here would we!"
That made her snap, she was fed up. "Well I'm sorry that I'm not your fucking mother, you're a grown fucking man Don. You would have thought that by now you would be able to wake up on time yourself, you can't blame me for you being irresponsible and drinking all night so you can't wake up and go to work the next day, I can't control what you do so I'm not responsible for your hang over."
He was a little stunned at her outburst, but they were becoming more frequent over the past few weeks so he just brushed it off.
"I don't have time for this, I'll see you tonight." He said quickly walking out the door.
"Please don't be too late." She pleaded, following him out so she was standing at the front door
"Didn't you just say you weren't my mother," he said, unlocking his car and getting in. That made her even more angry but he was already driving away so she went inside to make the most of her alone time. She drew herself a bath and lit some candles, making as relaxing atmosphere as she could. She stepped into the bath and felt all of her tensions slowly fade away until she was left with one thought. And that though was staring right at her with those blue eyes.
