Love You Enough

I Can Explain

Stevie's mother called her after Lindsey had spoken to her briefly about what had happened and that Stevie was spiraling out of control. He left out the part about their new pregnancy, not wanting to worry Barbara any more than she was.

"TeeDee bird, it's your mama."

"Hello, mommy" Stevie said, picking up the phone and hearing her mother's voice right away. She was crying again and nothing was helping. The morning sickness had picked up and she was feeling just as bad physically as she did emotionally.

"Lindsey told me everything. I'm so sorry, my girl"

"What did I do to deserve this? Am I a bad person mama?"

"No, you're kind, sweet, gracious and helpful. You have a big heart and you're forgiving...you're a great person. Your father and I are so proud of who you are."

"Why did someone take my baby? Why isn't my son home with me?"

"There are very bad people in this world, Stevie and they do things to people who don't deserve it." Barbara explained the happenings like one would to a small child who wouldn't understand motive otherwise. "There is no reason why someone would take your son from you. His place is with you. Whoever did this will pay for it one way or another" Her mother's voice was firm with a hint of anger. Stevie had never heard her talk like this before.

"It's been so hard to focus on keeping healthy. I'm worried sick. The morning sickness has gotten dramatically worse and I'm so scared, mama. This is the worst possible time."

"Morning sickness?" Her mother questions. "TeeDee, you're expecting?"

"Lindsey didn't tell you?"

"No, he must have forgotten"

"When you said he told you everything, I thought you knew. I'm so sorry. That wasn't the way I wanted to announce it." Stevie was sobbing now.

"Calm down. Congratulations, honey."

"Thank you" she whispered into the phone.

"Let this little one bring you joy in your pain. Leo will come back to you and be a wonderful big brother. They will be close in age so they just might have a built in best friend. Your pregnancy is a gift, Stevie."

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do. I can't wait to tell your daddy that our little girl is going to have another precious baby. He will be so happy"

"Thank you for being so nice to me. I haven't been coping well and I haven't been myself for months. I feel so bad for all I have done, so guilty."

"Don't be. You are trying your best and what has been handed to you isn't easy to deal with. Don't be hard on yourself. I love you more than you could ever know"

"I love you too mommy. Will you call me again tomorrow?"

"Of course I will, sweet girl. Try to eat and rest as much as you can. Your children are counting on you to be strong. It's okay to cry but you have to fight"

"Thank you. Good night"

"Good night, TeeDee"

Stevie hangs up the phone, able to smile for the first time in months. She gets out of bed and wraps her arms around Lindsey from behind. "I love you. Thank you for being here for me"

"I love you too. I will always be here for you. No matter what. How was your talk with your mom?" He turns around to face her.

"It was good. I, um, accidentally told her I'm pregnant" she says.

"Yeah, I didn't tell her. I didn't want her to worry"

"Great..." she said sarcastically.

"Well at least it's out in the open."

"That's true."

"Feeling any better?"

"I guess a little, I'm still sad"

"Me too"

"But I hope that maybe one day we can be happy about the baby. She didn't do anything wrong"

"No...she?"

"It just slipped out" she tells him

"I will trust your instincts"

"I could always change my mind"

"Keep me in the loop" he says and she gives him a warm, loving glance.

"I will"

"Would you like to try to eat?"

"Sure, what are you making?" She asks.

"I'm not sure yet. Craving anything in particular?"

"Nothing besides ice cream"

"You crave ice cream pregnant or not" he says, teasing her.

"That's not true. Okay it's kind of true" She smiles and tears well up in his eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"You are so beautiful" he tells her. "I've missed you and your smile that could light up a room. I know things are so incredibly hard but you're my rock, Steph. I hold onto you when I'm falling apart"

"And I fell apart too. I'm sorry"

"We are both in so much pain, but I hope we can heal. Our boy will be home someday"

"Yes he will" she confirms.

-------

The black haired woman is woken up in the middle of the night by a wailing cry.

"Devon" she says sleepily, getting out of bed to tend to him in his makeshift bed at her brother's house. She picks the boy up and he's burning up. "Oh no, you have a fever! Let mommy help you" She takes the baby to the bathroom and runs him a cool bath. The screaming doesn't cease. Roger stumbles into the room, watching the scene in front of him.

"What are you doing?" He asks, startling her.

"Devon has a fever" she says.

"If its bad we should take him to the ER."

"I want to try this first" she says, knowing they will ask too any questions at the hospital that she couldn't answer.

"Alright, Im going to watch some tv in the living room. You let me know if you need any help"

"Thanks, Roge" she says, watching him go over her shoulder. She goes back to tending to Devon in his bath, feeling his forehead for changes but nothing helped. He was still crying so much and she was starting to get really nervous.

Roger sat in his easy chair and turned on the early morning news. The anchor was discussing a kidnapping, the child missing was a baby belonging to two celebrities, rockstars. He turned the television up seeing pictures of Stevie and Lindsey on the screen. He listens carefully, hearing the baby is a boy and would be about six to seven months old now. The anchor mentioned the boy had been missing for three months and Roger's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Things were starting to make sense for him. His sister suddenly had a baby no one knew of, she had been there for three months already and her baby was the right age. What sent him over the edge was footage taken from Dodger stadium of Stevie and Lindsey carrying the baby around. Roger's new nephew was the victim! He stood up and marched upstairs, tearing down the hall. He found his sister and the baby laying in bed. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. He glared down at her and she sat up, instantly awake and on high alert.

"Roger..."

"I'm onto you....you're sick, just like mom and dad said!" He says, yanking her up from the bed by the arm.

"Wait, I can explain" she yelps, trying to wriggle out of his grasp.

"Then you'd better start."