One More Time

Part 22

"He's finally asleep." Lindsey slumped down on the couch next to Stevie, breathing out heavily. 

"And then there's our little miss." Stevie cast her eyes down at Melody in her arms, eyes wide, her tiny fist in her mouth.

"She's just like Mommy then." Lindsey smiled, getting closer. He lay his head on Stevie's shoulder, his hand stroking Mel's soft hair. "You should go and rest while one of them is asleep. I can take care of Mel." Stevie then started laughing. "What's so funny?" Lindsey asked, unable to fight back a grin. 

"We're insane." She said. "Who has two babies at fifty?"

"We do, babe. When have we ever done things the normal way?"

"I suppose your right." Stevie smiled, sighing. She pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead. "I love her so much, Linds. And Eric. I've never known the kind of love I have for our children."

"I completely understand what you mean." Lindsey nodded, taking Mel's little hand in his. "She's the most gorgeous girl. She'll be trouble when she's a teenager."

"Oh God! Can you imagine how old we're going to be, when she's sixteen? Thinking about it already exhausts me. Knowing you, you'll be fighting every boy that looks her way."

"I sure as hell will." Lindsey agreed, sounding very serious. "Don't pretend you're not going to see every tiny flaw in any girl Eric brings home."

Stevie scoffed, shaking her head. "Bring a girl home? That's not going to happen very easily. I'll have to know they're serious about each other, I'll have to test her, make sure her intentions are good, then I'll decide if she's good enough for my boy and only then, maybe I'll let her cross our doorstep."

 "Exactly my point." Lindsey chuckled, kissing Stevie on the cheek. "And when we're going to be really really old, then we'll become grandparents." Stevie smiled, but Lindsey could tell she was a little sad. "Hey..."

"No, I'm just..." She shrugged, reaching for his hand, she entwined their fingers together. "I'm not sure if we're going to be around when Eric and Mel have kids of their own."

Lindsey instantly felt a lump of tears in his throat, she wasn't wrong to doubt that, but that wasn't something he wanted to think about. Shaking his head, he smiled, kissing Stevie on the lips. 

"Let's not go there. We've got a lot of things to do first."

"Yeah? Like what?" 

"Well, for example, a wedding ring is missing on this finger." Lindsey said, lifting Stevie's hand up. "An engagement ring is a good start, a promise, but I absolutely can't wait to exchange wedding rings with you too." He kissed the knuckle of her finger, with the evidence of his proposal. 

It was never a secret that Lindsey wanted to make Stevie his wife, but he hadn't been very lucky with it yet. However, when Melody was born, Lindsey fell in love with Stevie all over again and that love he had for her had never been stronger. There was no question - she was his happy ending just as much as he was hers. Barely a month after they welcomed their daughter, Lindsey asked the question and without a second of hesitation Stevie said yes. It wasn't anything grand, he knew they were way past that. It wasn't about showing off, it was only about the two of them. One night after they put the kids to bed, surprisingly at around the same time, Lindsey read Stevie a poem he'd written, which he rarely ever did, about her, his one and only, his Stephanie, then looked her in the eyes and spoke up again, will you marry me? Sure, he had proposed before, but Stevie felt like there had always been a reason to say no. She wasn't quite sure what it was though, just that little voice in the back of her mind, telling her, not yet. That time it was silent, there was nothing holding her back.

"We've agreed to wait." Stevie pointed out. "It's not that I'm second guessing my decision, I just want Melody to be our flower girl."

Lindsey smiled, his fingertips tracing a pattern on her arm. "I know and I'm totally cool with that. You said yes, Steph. I can wait a little longer."

A loud cry from upstairs interrupted them. "Someone wants to join in." Stevie said and Lindsey was already up on his feet. 

"Yeah, Eric hates to be left out." He laughed lightly and jogged up the stairs. 

Several minutes later, Lindsey with their little man in his arms, returned to the living room. He took his seat beside Stevie again and Eric was nearly falling out of his embrace, reaching for Stevie. 

"Of course! How silly of me, expecting you wanted to spend time with your father." Lindsey shook his head at their son, but he wasn't being serious. "Kid switch?" Lindsey looked over at Stevie, causing her to start laughing again.

"Sure." She nodded and Lindsey took Mel from her, while Eric made himself comfortable in his mother's arms, his cheek pressed to her chest. "Mommy loves you." She repeated those three words to both children time and time again. 

"Daddy loves you too." Lindsey echoed her words.

THE END

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