Picking up the Pieces

18

Stevie had her hair up in a french twist and she was cleaning up the dishes in her Santa Monica home when the gate buzzed. 

"Lindsey?" She questions into the intercom.

"Yeah." He calls back. 

She buzzes him in, dries her hands and goes to unlock the front door. Before she lets him in all the way she stands in front of the door. 

"I want you to know that that little girl is sound asleep upstairs. If you start yelling and wake her up, I will not be happy with you. I also want you to know that Christopher is here as well and if you threaten me with anything. I'll make sure he hurts you." She growls. 

"Okay." He says throwing his hands up in the air. 

"Alright, take your shoes off." She hisses opening the front door wider. 

When he's sat on the couch he turns to her. "Bree Lindsey Buckingham?" He asks. 

"Brielle Lindsey Buckingham...actually, Bree's her nickname, but it does flow slightly better with Buckingham. She was born on August 1st, 1998 so you can't tell me that she is not your child." Stevie replies. 

"Stevie I...I don't understand." Lindsey says.

"Lindsey, she was conceived on December 4th. When we made love for the very last time. Right before I told you that you had to do the right thing and get back together with Kristen for William's sake. You fought with me about it and when I wouldn't budge you left me lying naked in that hotel bed. I found out I was pregnant in late January, after the Grammy's. We had broken up, and I figured that I would have a better chance of being a single mother than Kristen would. Because believe it or not Lindsey, I know you. You would've chosen our baby over William in a heartbeat. She was farther along than I was. My miscarriage rate was way higher because I was forty-nine. I didn't want to get your hopes up and watch you break up with Kristen, only for me to have a miscarriage. When we met Kristen she couldn't even toast a piece of bread or make a cup of coffee. Can you imagine her raising a child by herself? I was just more equipped for it. I was heavily pregnant when William was born, when we ran into each other at the store when you picked out William's crib, I was going to pick up a high-risk pregnancy vitamin. When we bumped into each other at the Gynecologists office, I had just found out I was carrying a little girl. " Stevie explains. 

"So it was a scar on your stomach." He sighs. 

"I had a C-Section, yes. I was going to get one anyway no matter what day she decided to enter the world, but I fell getting out of the bathtub on August 1st. She wasn't due for about nine more days so she was healthy when she was born, but when I fell. I partially landed on my stomach and the placenta started tearing away from the uterine wall. It was rushed and it wasn't done as neatly as a normal C-Section, but we're both okay." Stevie says. 

"I just...why, why didn't you tell me," Lindsey asks tears welling up in his eyes. 

"The truth is...I was scared, we were broken up and if I was totally wrong and you didn't leave Kristen to get back with me, and I took her to Michigan you'd try and gain full custody of her and she was my last chance at being a mother. Especially after Don forced me into that abortion. I bought my home in Michigan when I was around five months pregnant. Lindsey, she's flourishing there. She's getting all A's in every one of her subjects. I know she's only in Kindergarten and it doesn't really count but still. Her class has twenty students in it, and she's top of the class for reading. I read to her every night and she's measuring at a second-grade level. She loves to write, I have a box full of her stories under my bed back at home. She loves singing...her favorite song is Go Your Own Way. She sings it at the top of her lungs when I get her ready in the morning to go to school." Stevie shakes her head. 

"She's four...i've missed so much and I can't believe that you'd think I'd take her from you." Lindsey states. 

"Would you have?" Stevie questions. 

"I probably would've tried but saw how upset it made you and backed off." He replies.

"Lindsey, she knows you're her father. I've told her all about you and I've shown her videos and played your songs. I even have a picture of us from the seventies hanging up by her bed. In both of the homes I own." Stevie explains. 

"Um...I, I bought her this at Walmart. I was hoping I could give it to her." He sniffles showing Stevie a little rabbit stuffed animal. 

"Okay." Stevie nods standing up. 

"Really?" He asks. 

"I'll take you up there but she's a light sleeper, just like her father so try not to wake her up. Because she has my sleep habits. If you wake her up sooner than she wants you too you'll get a full-blown Buckingham tantrum and they're pretty bad." Stevie explains. 

When Stevie walks Lindsey into Brielle's room he falls to his knees and just gazes at her. He places the little stuffed animal next to the wall and he gently places his hand against her cheek and he kisses her forehead. When they walk out of the bedroom, Chris is standing against the wall. He sighs and pats Lindsey on the shoulder. Stevie grabs ahold of his bicep and leads him into her room. 

As soon as the door is shut Lindsey turns into a blubbering mess. 

"She looks just like you." He cries. 

"She has your hair." Stevie shrugs sitting next to him and placing her hand on his back. 

"Steph...I." He sniffles. 

"Stop it. I can't keep her from you anymore. I can give you my address but Lindsey if you take that little girl away from me I will never ever speak to you again." Stevie warns. 

"Do you have any pictures or anything...I missed so much." He asks. 

"Not here. They're all in Michigan but what do you want to know about her?" She asks. 

"Everything." He shakes his head. 

"Well, she does ballet and tap. She's in Girl Scouts with her friends from school. We have a pool and I've taken her in it several times and she can swim, but I've started her on proper lessons. Her coach says that when she's six she'll be able to compete and he thinks that she'd be an amazing competitive swimmer. Her favorite color is purple. She loves animals and she wants me to get another dog. She's a righty. Loves Mexican food. I started her early on that one. Her favorite animal currently is the giraffe. Her favorite movie is Lilo and Stitch, but her favorite Disney Princess is Belle from Beauty and the Beast, her close second favorite Disney movie." Stevie shrugs. 

"Can you bring her to the studio tomorrow?" Lindsey asks. 

"Lindsey no, we're filming and I don't want her exposed to the public eye. I like my little kingdom up North and I like keeping her hidden." Stevie shakes her head. 

"Can I at least meet her properly at some point?" Lindsey asks. 

"She's only here for the week. She starts getting ready for bed at seven-thirty and she's asleep by eight. They're flying back to Michigan next Saturday." Stevie explains. 

"Alright. I'll try." Lindsey nods.