Taking Chances

7. Lucky Man

Coming home from the nail salon, Stevie and her daughter escaped to the master bedroom; the blonde assuring her daughter could help out with getting ready for her date.

"So, what's his name, mom?" Devyn asked as she plopped on the bed as her mom resided in the bathroom to run a bath. "I know dad said we shouldn't ask, but... I wanna know."

"His name is Ben... Please, be nice when he comes. I know dad's around and that is great... I guess," she mumbled under her breath. "You guys tend to get a little tough with people especially when it is a male and dad has been around in the past."

"We'll be nice," she assured. "How come you didn't tell us before?"

"To be perfectly honest, this was our first date and I wasn't going to bring it up at all," she stated as she prepared her robe. "I don't know how this sort of thing would go. It's been a very long time since I have been on a date and... I wouldn't even bring him home, not till things were really serious," she explained.

"What if things were really serious and we didn't like him?" the girl then asked.

"Then I'd not be with him," she shrugged. "Of course, I know you and I know that you are picky. So, I'd tell you to give him a chance and learn his personality first, but then because I value your guys' opinion, I would not be with somebody you disliked. I would never want anybody to mistreat the two of you... You guys are my breath."

The brunette nodded her head as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "What about dad?"

"What about him?" she asked as she made her way into the bathroom to finally slip into the tub.

"Do you value his opinion at all?"

Stevie actually stopped; her whole body pausing while she tried to think about that. "I guess... In some aspects, he is really smart. If he knew something was wrong, sure," she nodded. "Like me, you guys are his absolute world and he'd never want somebody to mistreat you." She then continued with what she was doing, getting herself situated in the tub.

Devyn soon got off her mom's bed and she went to sit on the floor, beside the tub.

"Everything I do, I do it with you guys in thought first," she assured as she swished the bubbles around.

"Yeah, I know that," the girl nodded. "So, how come you are going on a date? You're still married..."

"Mhmm... Dad and I, our history book is shut, kiddo. We're not getting back together and if we did, it would have to take a miracle. I know you've heard him say he was trying and I know you probably want me to be nicer, but I have other things to think about."

The girl kind of looked down, letting her head hang just a tiny bit because she definitely felt for her father only because she wasn't so certain of her mother and father's history.

"Look, it'll be alright and if your dad is telling the truth about everything he has said, then you'll see him a whole lot more. You'll get to spend time with us both, we'll just be..." she trailed, trying to think of her words.

"Divorced?" she kind of mumbled snidely.

Stevie bit her bottom lip a little to herself and almost shrugged since her daughter wasn't looking. "Yeah, I guess..."

"Isaac and I don't want you guys to divorce," she assured, shaking her head. "We love and miss dad and we miss being together."

"Since when do you miss being with your brother?" the blonde had to smirk as she let her head fall back against rolled towel on the tub.

"That's not what I mean, mom," she replied.

"I know," she lifted her head. "Divorced or not, we still love you guys and divorced or not we will still always be here for you, as a unit. We're never going to not, but you have to understand that I've not been happy for a very long time," she shook her head. "I have to do things for me and I don't."