The Years Disappeared

You were wrong

"I know." I said a little too firmly, socially correcting myself I added, "Sorry, I just meant...I love your music." I blushed.
"Oh thanks that means a lot."
"I'm sorry to intrude this late but it's the only time me and Lindsey could speak today."
"It's fine, coffee anyone?" They both accepted the offer politely and I grabbed the shawl over the back of the couch to wrap around me as I waked barefoot into the kitchen.
I rushed upstairs to cover myself more as the coffee machine heated up, retraining to the lounge with a tray.
"Is that a guitar?" Don said as he looked through the open doors to the conservatory, where the end of one of Lindsey's electrics was just visible as the moon shone on to it.
"Just my trusty, old Fender."
"You never said you played, man!"
"Well, a little," he shrugged.
"He's amazing," I insisted, shooting Don a he's-just-being-bashful look.
"We should jam sometime! You ever write stuff?"
"We released an album in the 70s. We were a duo actually."
I sat down across from them.
"Yeh, yeh we did."
"Buckingham Nicks. The label gave us zero promotion so it flopped."
"Buckingham Nicks? Holy shit it's a small world! I heard that record at sound city! Why'd you guys quite, those songs were great- still are!"
"Lindsey got into Stanford pre-Law, then we had Bella, and it just sort of..." He nodded interestingly.
"Well, Lindsey here is helping me so maybe I can help you guys in the future?"
Lindsey laughed, waving off Don "I...I'm a lawyer now...I..."
"Stevie?"
"I...I mean I never really stopped writing, so..."
"It's something to think about." We sipped in silence for the next few minutes, until I announced that I needed to check on the children and then sleep myself. They both bid me goodnight, Lindsey adding 'baby' on the end of his farewell, it having no positive effect as I was still seething with him. Forgetting to lock the bedroom door behind me, I ripped off the nightgown and huddled on the shower floor as the red-hot water flattened my hair onto my bare chest as I began to cry a little, thinking of our past and worrying for our future. I squealed as the water became freezing, flicking it off and jumping out of the shower into a fluffy towel robe from the heated rack. I took care in my skin routine after dying myself off, though I must've taken longer than I'd expected, as I found Lindsey fully clothed in his suit and and socks fast asleep  on my side of the bed when I left the bathroom. Huffing, I changed into my nightgown again and lay down on his side of the bed, not able to fall asleep as Sara began to cry across the corridor. Lindsey shot awake, the bed shaking.
"Ugh shit, I fell asleep like this." Before I could say anything he was up and on his way to calm her down. I smiled to myself as I heard his baby-talk to her through the monitor, not being able to be mad with him in that moment. I stiffened up when he came back in, facing away as if asleep, hearing him undress, his belt hitting the carpet with a thud.
"Stevie?" He whispered as he clambered under the sheets. I breathed long and slow as if unconscious. "Baby I can tell you're awake."
"Yes, because you're keeping me awake!" I grumbled, repositioning myself.
"Are you OK?"
"No."
"Why?"
"You know full well why! You let that woman into our house while I was in a different state, yet you expect me to trust you!"
"It's work Stevie!"
"I don't care anymore! You're killing yourself there Lindsey, and in doing it you will kill me!"
"I love you but it's my job, we have four kids to pay college tuition for."
"Are you serious...We are hardly short for cash."
"You know what I mean."
"We have a big, fancy house, the best food, the best clothes, but what for? For you to spend your life in an office fucking another woman because you see me for three minutes a day."
"Stevie please, that was a lifetime ago."
"Three years is hardly the average lifetime!" I hunched over in tears.
"Stevie, you are the best thing that ever happened to me." He kissed the back of my neck, holding me, "I would do anything to make you happy, I just need to finish this case, for Rupert."
I huffed.
"After this, where do you want me to take you? We can go with the kids somewhere, but I thought we should go somewhere just us for a few days first, anywhere you want."
"I dunno."
"Think about it."
"O-ok." I felt guilty. "What time are you home tomorrow?"
"Nine at the latest I think."
"We haven't sung together for ages, and I wrote so much when you were away."
"I'd love to hear your poetry, it was always better than mine."
"But you had the guitar skills honey."
"And the rest," he squeezed my sides and I giggled, swatting him away, rolling over to find his head above mine and leaning to kiss him, running my hand down to his crotch, so many emotions bubbling to the surface as I moaned into his mouth.
"I'm tired baby, sorry." He said apologetically, cupping my face. "And I have to be up in like four hours."
"I...Ok." I fell asleep with his hands in mine, waking to find him gone- as always.