One More Time

Part 15

Exhaustion and the lack of sleep couldn't wipe the smile off Lindsey's face. He became a father. He held his son in his arms and he wasn't ashamed to cry. Only at the moment the blue bundle was placed in his arms Lindsey realized he hadn't even thought of names. Yeah, he should have probably discussed it with Stevie, but he had named his son soon after the boy was born. Eric Buckingham. Well, Eric Morris Buckingham.

Lindsey wasn't allowed to bring Eric home right away of course, so Sharon told him to go home and get some rest, which she herself most definitely craved. Lindsey was a bit resistant, understandably, but he could barely keep his eyes open, so he did decide to leave after all. 

Unlocking the front door, Lindsey entered his and Stevie's home and he right away went to look for her. However, she was nowhere to be found. Clearly, she wasn't home. Lindsey frowned, wondering where she might have gone to. At first his guess was Phoenix, but for some reason he doubted it. 

Then he saw a note in her unmistakable writing, left on the nightstand on his side of the bed.

I'm sorry. I need to get away for a while. I hope you can understand.

Love you, 

Steph

Lindsey crumbled up the note, then tossed it back where he had found it. What made her leave? Where did she go? How long had she disappeared for? All kinds of questions filled Lindsey's mind as he sat hunched over, head in his hands. He understood, he truly did, he knew how badly the loss of their baby affected her, but running away? And from what? Him? That Lindsey didn't get. 

Meanwhile, Stevie was in her condo she had purchased long before she and Lindsey got back together. She used to live there with David, until she forced him to leave, after learning about his infidelity. Lindsey didn't know she had it, no one really knew, and he surely had no way of finding her. She didn't feel great about her decision to leave, but she had to. Her heart hurt and she absolutely couldn't pretend she was waiting for Lindsey to bring home his son. His. She couldn't make herself think of the boy as theirs. Stevie needed time on her own, she couldn't move on just yet.

Her mother's words still echoed in the back of Stevie's mind, her mother was always right. Now was no exception. Despite how much she knew Lindsey loved her, she had a feeling that he would choose his son over her. It wasn't her plan to leave Lindsey, she didn't want that, she just needed to grieve for a while longer. It bothered her that he didn't seem to understand. 

Looking at the sonogram of her baby, Stevie smiled sadly, touching it. There was nothing really there and yet there was so much. Everything. Closing her eyes caused the tears that had brimmed in her eyes to fall. She wasn't sobbing, she cried silently, letting go little by little. She knew she had to. She couldn't say the loss of her baby girl was harder, but she had felt her kicks, she had heard her heartbeat... It tore Stevie's heart in two when she was told her girl had died and she remembered it like it was yesterday. She remembered how the moment ruined her life with someone she truly thought she had a good chance with. Therefore, she couldn't let it repeat again. She didn't want to lose Lindsey too. Running away might have not been the best idea, but all she could do was hope he would let her back in.

Stevie was brought back to the present moment, when a key slid into the lock and someone on the other side turned it. Her heartbeat picked up pace and she held her breath, what the hell? The only other person who owned a key was... David?

Getting up from her seat Stevie walked out of the room and into the hallway and she found herself to be face to face with David. She released the breath she was holding and seemingly relaxed. But she still had no idea why he was there.

"Stevie? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. I thought this was my place." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"Well, I'm finally moving on. I'm leaving the city, I need a fresh start and I remembered a few things I had left behind." David explained and now it made sense. He then took a good look at her, his eyebrows creased. "Have you been crying?"

"I... no." Stevie lied, looking away.

"Yes, you have. And you're here. Are you and Lindsey fighting?" David still cared deeply for her. 

"Not exactly, no. Look, David-"

Closing the distance between them, David stopped right in front of her, looking down into her big brown sad eyes. "Sweetheart?"

And she broke down again.