We Didn't Agree To This

Let me explain

"You're pregnant?" Lindsey grinned widely, but Stevie paid no attention to his question.

"What the hell, Lindsey?! We should get divorced?" She jumped to her feet, wanting to be away from him. "Why?"

"Steph, calm down. Let me explain." He pleaded for her to listen, but she was pacing around the room, concentrated only on what he had said. 

"What's there to explain? You want to leave me! And now you want to leave me with our child!"

Standing up himself, Lindsey approached her carefully, grasping her hands, holding them in his, as he spoke softly. "Baby, I don't want to leave you. Can you just listen to me, please? I'm not saying we should get a divorce, because I don't love you or anything like that. I'm saying we should do it, because the exact opposite." Frowning, Stevie looked at him, not at all understanding what he meant. "Steph, our marriage started out as a complete sham. I didn't get to propose to you, you didn't get to have a beautiful wedding, the wedding you wanted and deserved." The more he was talking, the calmer she became. "I just want to do it the right way, baby, that's all."

All of a sudden feeling lightheaded, Stevie sat down again, Lindsey doing the same, taking his place beside her. He didn't say more, allowing her to process everything. He more or less expected her to go nuts and she had every right to, but he was glad she let him explain himself fairly easily. 

"So, you're not leaving me?" She finally asked.

"Of course not, I'd be mad to do that." He smiled at her, wrapping one arm around her middle and pulling her closer to himself. 

"Why would you choose today out of all days to come to me with this idea?" Stevie's eyes welled up with tears, the realization hitting her hard, that if he truly wanted to, he could walk away just like that.

"Because like I said, I forgot what today was and again, I'm really sorry." He said, kissing her temple. "When you, uh... reminded me, I changed my mind, I thought I'd wait and talk about this with you some other day, but clearly, you know me well enough to know something was on my mind."

"My God, Lindsey... I thought I lost you."

"No, no don't think that. I didn't know how else to approach this subject, so just coming out with it would be best I reckoned. Of course, if I had known that you were carrying my child, I would have never done that." He then smiled again. "Can we finally talk about our baby?"

"Can you believe it happened so quickly? I mean, we were just talking about trying and the next thing I know, I'm holding a positive pregnancy test. I am scared, though..." Stevie admitted, circling her arms around Lindsey's waist. 

"I understand why you might be, but things don't necessarily have to go the same way they did the previous time. If needed be, I'll tie you to the bed for the remainder of the pregnancy. I'll cook for you and bring you food to the bedroom, I'll carry you to the bathroom and all. I swear I'll do everything you ask of me, you need me to do, so we get to hold our baby."

Smiling weakly, with tears in her eyes, she tilted her chin up, pursing her lips, asking for a kiss, as she then settled down in her previous position. "I had one doctor's appointment so far. It's still very very early, but..." Shrugging her shoulders, she continued. "It all seems to be going according to plan. I feel different, too, this time. Then I just felt... I felt heavy, if that makes sense, I felt sick, I... I couldn't get excited. I mean, I don't have to tell you, you were there by my side. And now, the past five weeks have been nothing of that sort. I don't want to get my hopes up, but..."

"But you can't think negatively either. Talk to me, okay? I want to know what's going on with you. Yes, I'll smother you with care and you'll hate me, you'll want to kill me, but it won't matter to me. I just want us to welcome a healthy baby at the end of those nine months."

"I want that too, so badly." Stevie sighed, burying her face in his chest, as he tightened his grip on her. 

After a moment, Lindsey still wanted to get some sort of an answer from Stevie on what he had suggested. "So... are we going to pretend, I haven't sad anything?"

"No, we won't. I do understand why you would come to me with something like that, but... I don't know, Linds. I trust you, I believe this is the reason why you want us to divorce, so we could then get married the proper way, but I really am not sure about the whole thing. I'm carrying your child, the upcoming months will be stressful enough. To go through divorce as well? When are we going to remarry? If I could get married the way I wanted to, it sure wouldn't be when I'm six or seven months pregnant. After the baby is born? I hardly think planning a wedding would be on my to do list any time soon."

"And those are valid points, I get what you mean, I do." Lindsey nodded, growing quiet. 

"Please, don't get upset. To be completely honest with you... yes, our wedding was an utter circus, but that's behind us now. I'm quite happy with how things are today. We changed. We fell for each other and we lead a pretty good life as a married couple, don't you think? I'm not sure that I want to do this all over again."

 "I shouldn't have even brought this up." Lindsey sighed heavily. "It was stupid of me."

"No, it wasn't. Like I said, I understand it, it's just that I don't think it's necessary."

"Right. Well, forget it."

"I'll think about it more carefully instead, okay? I promise."

"If you wish to." 

"Linds..." 

"No, it's fine. Really, it's all good. We're good." He forced a smile, kissing her briefly on the lips. "I think it's time to take Bella out for a walk." Lindsey freed himself from Stevie's arms and got up on his feet, whistling for their dog, reaching for the leash.

Stevie knew he needed some time alone, so she didn't call after him or follow him, sighing sadly, as she placed a hand over her belly, which was yet to start getting bigger. She thought today would be such a happy day...