Picking up the Pieces

20

Christine was walking in with some more vegetables as everyone was flooding down the stairs and out of the office. 

"You know she told me you lot would be coming but I didn't believe her for a second. Here love," Christine grins handing the bag to Stevie. 

"I assume these are for when you move back in here to take care of my child?" Stevie asks. 

"You'd assume correctly. She loves my corn." Christine grins as Stevie laughs and leads the pack into the kitchen. Stevie could see in the backyard that Liz and Bill had the girls in the pool already.  

They all file out of the house and Stevie unrolls her umbrella on her deck, her and Christine taking their rightful places in their chaise lounge chairs. 

 "Momma, can I take the life vest off like Kenna?" Brielle calls. 

"I guess, but don't go too deep and an adult has to be in the pool with you," Stevie replies. 

"Daddy, will you come in?" Brielle asks. Lindsey freezes, gulps, but then nods and slowly makes his way towards the pool. He jumps in and Brielle immediately flocks to him wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. 

***

In the pool, as soon as Brielle wraps her arms around him, Lindsey feels a sense of hope and a flutter of love through his heart. He squeezes her tightly and she nuzzles into his neck like Stevie used to do.

"You better hold on," Lindsey says. She smiles and does before Lindsey flips onto his back and starts floating. 

"We're like a turtle." She grins. 

"Kind of." Lindsey smiles expertly moving through the water. 

Eventually, everyone else including Christine makes there way into the pool and Stevie is left sitting under her umbrella with Sulamith.

"Come on Momma." Brielle yells. 

"Yeah, Come on Aunt Stevie," Makenna calls aswell.

"I'm okay. I have to keep working on dinner." Stevie shakes her head looking into the house. She had gone in several times to stir the macaroni and cheese, and Karen was due at six with a rotisserie chicken. 

"It's fine love, come on in the water's great." Christine joins the girls. 

Stevie just shakes her head and goes back to leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes slightly. Sulamith starts barking and almost in an instant Stevie is being hoisted into someone's arms.

"LINDSEY!" She calls. 

He just laughs and carries her over to the pool.

"Do NOT throw me in. we need to take off my wrap and my hat." She growls.

Lindsey shrugs and Mick leaps up out of the pool taking her hat off and untying and unwrapping her wrap. That's when Lindsey eases down into the water with her. 

"At least you didn't throw me." Stevie huffs when her bottom hits the water. 

"I thought about it." Lindsey laughs letting go of Stevie. 

"Yay! Momma." Brielle leaps towards her mother and wraps around her like she was doing with her father earlier. 

"Have you had fun baby?" Stevie questions. 

"Yeah. Daddy's a great swimmer." Brielle says as Lindsey smiles and goes over to his daughter and the woman that he undoubtedly still loves. 

***