Timeless

56

2000-June-Lindsey

Time flies when you're having fun and boy has it been fun. Stevie's tour for Trouble in Shangri-La has finally come to an end. Emmeline is two. Sara is on her second year of Med School. Mason just graduated and he did enlist in the Army even though his mother had a conniption. She wanted him to gap a year and "re-examine his commitments". But in true Buckingham fashion, he didn't.

I took Josh and Emmeline to my meeting today, it was just with Mick and he'd been wanting to see Emmeline. Mason was sent somewhere in Kentucky for boot camp last week. Stevie hasn't really slept well since he's been gone. He called last night so for the first time in a hot second Stevie finally got a decent amount of sleep. I wasn't going to let two young children jeopardize that.

As we pull into the house, there's a mustang that I am not too familiar with sitting in my driveway.

"Who's that?" Josh asks.

"Son, if I knew I'd tell you," I state getting out and going to grab Emmeline.

As we walk in, I hear my wife's infectious laughter coming from the living room. We walk in there and my stomach falls and rage boils up inside of it. My wife is sitting very close to Don Fucking Henley.

"Great. Pack you things Josh, we're moving." I say.

"Oh, Lindsey stop it. Don was here asking me if I'd go on tour with him." Stevie states.

"Stevie, you just got back from a tour." I sigh.

"I know. But it starts in September and goes until March. It would be called two voices and we'd share the billing." Stevie explains.

"Alone...with him...I mean it's your choice. Emmy, Josh, and I will be here. Won't we Emmy?" I direct my sentence to the baby in my arms.

"Daddy." She laughs looking at me and hugging my neck. I kiss her cheek and set her down.

"Go play sweetheart," I tell her. She toddles over to her toy box and grabs her toy blocks. Stevie gets down on the floor to play with her.

"Well Don, when do we start rehearsing?" She asks.

"I'll call you. Probably in August. Steves, she looks just like you." Don coos. I gag and Josh quietly chuckles. He's my little partner in crime.

"Yes, she does. She's her mama's mini-me." Stevie coos tickling her and kissing her chubby cheeks,

"I'm going to go. I can't wait to work with you again." Don says leaning over and giving her a kiss on her cheek and patting Emmeline's head.

After dinner, Josh takes Emmeline upstairs and Stevie pulls me aside.

"You're not happy about me going on tour with Don." She says.

"No, I'm not. Stevie, you slept with him. Actually had sex with the man. The affair was highly publicized. After twenty years it's finally died down. Our kids don't know about it. What happens when everything is brought back up. Three of our four do know how to read." I tell her.

"But Lindsey, I really want to go." She looks at me.

"Stevie, I can't stop you from going." I sigh.

"I love you. I'm married to you. I won't let anything happen." Stevie looks at me.

I just shrug and start the dishes.