Wide Open Spaces

Issues

Stevie and Lindsey hadn't been on speaking terms. They only communicated if it were about one of their children and they absolutely had to, but usually they would ask one twin to talk to the other parent for them. After the kiss at the diner and the fight that followed, they had separate bedrooms once again. It killed Stevie how quickly they deteriorated. How could she have been so stupid? She tried to move forward, to mend her relationship, but her cellphone was constantly ringing. It was always Brock. She would watch the light go from Lindsey's eyes and he would lose motivation to try to fix things with her. She wished she had never met up with Brock. If she could turn back time, she wouldn't have even entertained the idea.

Lindsey was at work all day and it was just Stevie and Iris, as the kids were at school. She had finished her housework and sat on the couch, turning on the tv. She couldn't concentrate as she flipped the channels. Nothing was that interesting so she turned the tv back off. She sighed, checking her phone. Another missed called, another voicemail. After a few more minutes of sitting there and letting herself overthink, Iris asked for her attention with a string of babbled syllables and she was all too happy to play with her. Her bouncy golden curls and pink pout get her every time, picking up her crawling daughter and kissing her all over. The baby giggled, grasping into her mother. She sat on the floor with Iris and tested her furniture cruising skills with a toy. She placed it on the furthest couch cushion and watched her side step toward it, holding on to the chair, then the couch. When she got bored of this, she crawled the rest of the way to the toy and stood up again to retrieve it. Stevie laughed and shook her head.

"You are just like your brother and sister! Eye on the prize. But you, my little darling, want to get to your goal the fastest you can. So determined." Stevie kissed her little head, playing another game with her. She walked the little stuffed bunny to her and Iris stared at it in anticipation as she sat on the floor. She clapped excitedly, watching the toy grow near. Stevie made the bunny kiss her daughter's nose and the baby giggled again. She was always so happy. Stevie was just about to do it again when the phone rang for possibly the millionth time. She rolled her eyes, getting up to grab the phone to look at the ID. She was sure she knew who it was, though. Once she made it over to where her phone sat, the ringing stopped. "Oh well" she said, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't care to answer anyway. She made herself a cup of tea, turned on the radio and watched her baby playing with her beloved bunny from the doorway. Iris loved music and began to bounce to the beat as she played.

I'm jealous, I'm overzealous
When I'm down, I get real down
When I'm high, I don't come down
I get angry, baby, believe me
I could love you just like that
And I could leave you just this fast

But you don't judge me
'Cause if you did, baby, I would judge you too
No, you don't judge me
'Cause if you did, baby, I would judge you too

She pulled herself away long enough to make a little snack, having barely eaten all day. She got out fruit and yogurt and began to eat it as she waited for her tea to steep.

'Cause I got issues
But you got 'em too
So give 'em all to me
And I'll give mine to you
Bask in the glory
Of all our problems
'Cause we got the kind of love
It takes to solve 'em

Yeah, I got issues
And one of them is how bad I need you

The song was almost too much but she endured the torment. She pushed and pushed Lindsey and sometimes he would push and push her. There was always turmoil, some sort of line that was always being crossed.