When I See You Again

VI. What You Could've Had

After spending most of the afternoon sleeping and getting ready, Elijah finally went over to Stevie's. When he got there, he was somewhat prepared to hear an argument, to say the least. He knew Lucy wasn't gonna leave Stevie alone about being with somebody and not telling her. He approached the front door after letting himself through the gate that seemed to be like a mile away from the house. He knocked on the door and Karen opened it and smiled at him.

"Hey, sweetie," Karen stepped aside and let him in.

"Hey," he walked in. "I'd hate to ask, but what's being talked about?"

"Well, I am assuming you've heard most of the drama?"

"Oh yeah," he paused. "She is freakin' out about the guy that was over."

Karen bit the inside of her mouth.

"I told her it wasn't really her business and-"

"We've all been telling her that." Karen added.

"Oh well..." Elijah shrugged. "Where are they?"

"Upstairs. I'll go get them," Karen said. She ran up the stairs to get Lucy and Stevie. When she got upstairs, her boss' door was shut and she could hear them talking---but not yelling, thankfully. She then knocksd on the door before allowing herself in. "Hey, Elijah's here," she notified the ladies.

"Alright, I'll be down in a second," Lucy said. "Thank you."

"Uh-huh," Karen shut the door and headed back downstairs---leaving the mother and daughter to talk.

—

"Mama?" Lucy asked softly.

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to ask you something?"

"What is it?" Stevie was putting her makeup on, at her vanity.

"I've never really asked about this and I was just wondering if you could tell me anything about my father?" Lucy paused.

Stevie was somewhat in shock by that question. Though, she knew her daughter would eventually get curious. Almost twenty years later---she didn't think her daughter would get curious. Most kids get curious from the age of ten to about their mid teen years. She never expected questions now. "Well uh... " she paused. "What do you want to know?" she  sort of hesitated.

"Um... well, where'd you meet?" Lucy asked.

"In high school," Stevie answered very brusque. She turned in her vanity chair to face her daughter.

"Were you married?"

"Yes, we were," a slight smile came over Stevie's face.

"How long?"

Stevie counts on her fingers. "Mm... sixteen years."

"Wow, that's a long time."

"Yeah..." Stevie let out a sigh.

"Were you together, when I was born?"

"No. We divorced in '87," Stevie hated telling her that part.

"Same year I was born?"

Stevie nodded slightly.

"Was it because of me, you divorced?"

"No, no, no. You had nothing to do with it, baby," Stevie wanted to make sure she knew that, because it wasn't her fault.

"Well, why did you divorce?"

"Uh, lots of reasons," Stevie sighed heavily thinking about it. "We had a rough time in the later years. We were still in love but we thought it would be better to separate. All the drugs went to our heads and--"