It's Up To You

Part 20

~ Months later ~

Lindsey kept glancing at the time, as he nervously paced around the house, going from one room to another. While he was anxious, his baby daughter Jade was lulled to sleep by his nonstop walking. The girl opened her big brown eyes again, staring at her father.

"You're worried too, huh?" Lindsey half smiled. "Mommy should be back soon. Hopefully." He added. "But I'm sure your big brother is staying with us. Your Mummy's taken such good care of him always, hasn't she?" Lindsey rambled on as if the baby was going to answer him. 

Another hour passed and Lindsey sighed heavily. He took Jade to the nursery and lay her down in the crib, not before kissing the top of her curly head. Leaving the door ajar, Lindsey went to check on Matthew, whom Lindsey found playing cars in his room.

"Hey, buddy. Are you hungry?" Lindsey asked, sitting down beside Matthew. "I could make you something or we could wait for Mom to come back?"

"Wait." The boy nodded. "Play with me?"

Lindsey smiled, taking one of the toy cars. Anything to pass the time and keep his mind occupied. 

Another thirty minutes or so went by, when a loud slam of the front door could be heard. It woke up Jade, so Lindsey went to the nursery first, taking the girl into his arms, before descending the stairs, Matthew following behind him. 

The state Stevie was in took Lindsey aback and suddenly, he wasn't sure what to do or say to her. Her eyes were puffy and read, traces of mascara on her cheeks. "Babe?"

Stevie didn't say anything, kneeling down in front of Matthew, pulling the boy into her arms. Matthew didn't hesitate, hugging her back, although, he wasn't really sure why the tears. "Oh, my baby..." Stevie finally said, hugging him tighter for a moment longer, before getting up on her feet and moving to take Jade over from Lindsey. "I missed you, baby girl." Stevie kissed Jade's nose, as the girl wrapped her little fist around her mother's finger.

"Steph?" Lindsey spoke up at last, catching her attention. "I'm kind of anxious to know how it went?"

Cocking her head back, Stevie exhaled heavily, before a quiet... "I won." 

"What? You did?" Eyes wide, Lindsey stepped forward, closing the gap between them, wrapping his arms around Stevie, who still held their daughter. Lindsey then opened his arm, smiling at Matthew. The boy happily joined them. "Oh my God, Stevie, I'm so happy for you!" He said, pressing a kiss to her hair. "I told you! I just knew it."

Shaking her head slightly still in disbelief, Stevie sniffled, pulling back. She led the way to the living room, all of them sitting down, as Lindsey sat Matthew on his lap. 

"I never want to go through anything like that again." Stevie said, as she rested against the back of the couch, laying Jade on her chest. "My God... That... that a-hole..." Stevie chose not to say the actual word in front of the kids. "He took so much from us. He took over a year from our lives. When we should have enjoyed the time, the experience of expecting a child, we had to worry about a custody battle, which he knew he wouldn't win."

"I know." Lindsey sighed, nodding his head. "And I'm so sorry you had to go through that, sweetheart. But that's all in the past, Steph. We can finally move on." Lindsey smiled, seeing the corners of Stevie's lips turn up a little too. 

"I still can't believe it... Kim didn't even so much as glance at me after we were told I won the sole custody. I expected him to be mad, call me names... nothing." Stevie shrugged. "He literally just walked out."

"Maybe his own son isn't as important to him as he made it out to be." Lindsey said sadly, looking at Matthew. Lindsey thought of the boy as his own and he was the only father Matthew had known for a while now. "I could run you a bath, while I make something to eat for us?"

"I'd love that." Stevie nodded and Lindsey went upstairs, giving Stevie a kiss on his way out.

Lindsey wasn't really capable of much in the kitchen, but he could make spaghetti with tomato sauce and cheese, which lately had been his specialty, so that was what he started working on, once Stevie got into the tub. Jade had once again dozed off in her crib, while Matthew was with Lindsey in the kitchen, drawing.

"I feel so relaxed." Stevie said, entering the kitchen some time later. "I definitely needed that. Thank you." She rose on her tiptoes, pecking Lindsey on the lips. 

Dinner was served a short time later, the whole family together. Lindsey couldn't stop smiling. He didn't believe it was still possible for him and Stevie to get back together. And they were going so strong as well. Maybe they finally grew up and learnt to communicate with each other. It wasn't that they didn't argue at all, but their arguments were nothing like they used to be and they always managed to solve any problem they came across.

After dinner, Lindsey stayed behind in the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Stevie bathed and nursed Jade, then lay her in the crib for the night (or at least for a few upcoming hours). Matthew was tucked into bed soon too, Lindsey being the one to read him a bedtime story.

"Nothing compares to this." Lindsey said, coming into the bathroom, where Stevie was, having changed into her nightgown, going through her nightly routine. 

"Compares to what?" She asked, looking at him through the mirror.

"Us being a family; eating dinner together, putting kids to bed, getting ready to lay down for the night... The small, yet such important things." Lindsey kissed her neck, when he approached her from behind. "I love you, Stephanie, and I thank you for being my best friend, my partner, my lover and the mother of my kids." He wasn't sure where he found the courage, but he took Stevie's hand in his and slipped a gorgeous engagement ring on her left hand, all the while their eyes locked.

Teary eyed, Stevie turned around in Lindsey's arms, giving him a kiss on the lips. "I love you, too. My best friend, my partner, my lover and the father of my kids." She echoed, smiling at him lovingly.

THE END

~

As always, thank you for reading this story, commenting and voting! I hope you liked it. It changed from what I initially imagined it to be, but I hope it didn't disappoint!