Stevie hated to leave in the middle of Sara's birthday party and so did Lindsey of course, but the next day was Valentine's day, also their first one as a married couple, he wanted to make it special and whisk his wife away from their every day life. He didn't say much only that he was able to get reservations for the evening and they would have to leave at noon at latest. They wouldn't get to spend much time there, but at least they could wake up and care about each other on the Valentine's day morning. Whenever they were going somewhere like this, it usually involved a flight, but Lindsey was tired of them while touring with Fleetwood Mac or on his own.
"What's up with you, Steph?" Lindsey asked, not taking his eyes off the road. He didn't have to look at her to know she wasn't entirely herself. He searched for her hand and laced their fingers together and they remained like that in her lap.
"I feel I'm a bad mother."
"Why?" He stole a quick glance at her and turned his attention back to driving. "Because we had sex in the kitchen while our daughter was in the house or that we left on her birthday?"
Stevie appreciated his effort to make her laugh and she did a little. "Both. But the latter more so."
"I'm sorry you have to go through this, I should have got you pregnant a few days later then, so our baby would have come in to this world not right before February 14th."
"Like you said, she's seventeen now and spending her birthday with her mommy and daddy is probably the last thing she cares about, but..."
Lindsey lifted their joined hands to his lips and kissed the top of Stevie's. "Baby, she's fine. She told you that and you know what a horrible liar she is, therefore you know she was being honest."
"Right, you're absolutely right." She nodded and tried not to think of it as much. "Everything is just fine. Sara isn't a tiny baby anymore, she can spend a night on her own."
"Yes, and the friends she has over are great kids. Nothing to worry about."
"I love you and thank your for keeping me sane."
"You're most welcome, Steves, and you know I love you too." Lindsey faced her and his eyes calmed her down at the exact moment she looked into them.
They stayed silent for the most part of their ride, except when Lindsey laughed at Stevie when she turned on the radio and heard her own voice on it and immediately switched stations. She rolled her eyes at that of course and relaxed into the passenger's seat again, when Tom Petty's voice came through the speakers. Lindsey was the one doing the eye rolling then.
Lindsey informed there was about half an hour left on the road and Stevie was glad. She though it might be pleasant to exchange a plane flight to a car ride, but after about an hour, which got them nowhere, she was ready to take her words back. She was looking out the window, when she felt the car slow down and she thought they might have arrived, but nothing was around them, she turned to Lindsey, who had stopped the car on the side of the road.
"Linds? Is everything ok?" He didn't reply and she was starting to get seriously worried. "Lindsey, talk to me? What's wrong?"
After taking deep breaths for a minute or so and a gulp of water, he answered her question. "If I'm honest, I don't know. Or I do..." He hated the panicked look in Stevie's eyes. "It's gone now, baby. I'm good." He started the car again, ready to continue the last bit of their journey.
"Lindsey, no! Tell me."
"It's nothing."
"You had a fucking a heart attack not even a year ago, every smallest thing is something."
"You don't have to overreact, Stevie."
"Well, I'm sorry that I care about you." She turned the other way.
Lindsey didn't say anything for a few long moments, because he was scared as he knew she was too. "It's... I'm not saying I'm feeling the same as I did then, before I got sick, but... Remember, when the doctor said I could start feeling not necessary pain, but get this uneasy feeling in my chest?" She barely nodded. "This was what happened a moment ago." He caught a tear that escaped from her eye with his thumb and pulled her in his arms. "Please, don't cry, Steph. I'm ok. This doesn't mean anything."
"You don't know that, the doctor wouldn't have mentioned it if there weren't any reason."
"You're afraid of it happening again as I am, but we shouldn't think the worst, baby. Maybe this is not at all related."
"Did you feel it just this once?" He shook his head and she wanted to smack him. "Why didn't you tell me? And you say this isn't related?! Lindsey, you're being a child! This is very serious, you know it. You have to see the doctor, I won't calm down until you do."
"What, you just want me to turn around and go back into town to visit one now?" She was surprised how much sarcasm the tone of his voice held. "Stevie... I promise to do something about this the day after tomorrow, ok?"
"Not something, you'll see your doctor and I will make you stay in the hospital, tied down to the bed if I must if that's what is needed to have you healthy."
He smiled and his hand tangled in her hair, drawing her lips closer to his. "If that's what it takes. Now... Can we go on with my plans for you?"
She kissed him again. "Yes, we may."
~
Lindsey managed to get Stevie less paranoid only after the second bottle of wine after they got to the place he had rented for them the night before. It was nothing that special, but he just wanted her to have a night off and forget about things back at home, he wanted her to relax and enjoy herself, which she did, with a little help from Lindsey himself of course.
She woke up, much earlier than she usually did or rather she was woken up, but she didn't mind. She could have Lindsey kiss her all over until she opened her eyes every morning. They didn't spend much time messing around with the morning pleasantries, before he turned her on to her back and settled between her thighs.
When he finally collapsed on her chest, he wanted to move off her and to his side of the bed, but she didn't let him and he raised his eyebrow, confused. "It feels nice." She simply said.
"And what we just did felt oh so horrible?"
"No." Stevie shook her head and ran her fingers through his curls. "No, that was amazing, but... I love this level of intimacy. I love having you so close to me."
"Stevie, I'm in you." They both tried hard not to laugh, neither wanting to ruin the moment.
"I love you. You have no idea how much I love you, Lindsey."
"So do I, baby." He lowered his mouth to hers and they shared a long, lazy, yet emotion filled kiss. "Happy Valentine's day."
"Happy Valentine's day." She had never smiled at him as sincerely as at that moment and he hated himself for ever doing something to hurt her.
