Heart of the Matter

6

May 26, 2018

Pulling up to the gate, Kendall leans out the window and types in 052498 and it opens. She slowly drives up to the house. When she gets out of the car and walks up to the door she can hear loud yaps coming from the other side and she sighs before smoothing out the flowing white lace knee-length dress. She rings the bell and slowly, it opens. Stevie's hair is pulled back in a french twist and she's wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, leggings, and a light blue kimono. 

"Kendall Rose right?" She asks.

"Yeah...I got your letter. I know it's kind of stalkerish but I needed to give you something and I thought the best way to do that would be in person." Kendall shrugs.

"Alright, come on in...take your boots off. They're cute but I don't like shoes in my house...watch Lily, she's very social but she likes to get under feet." Stevie warns opening the door wider as the small dog starts jumping up and down practically on her hind legs. 

Kendall does as she's told and follows Stevie into the house. 

"Tea?" Stevie asks.

"Um...Chamomille if you have it." Kendall smiles.

"I do, I take mine with honey." Stevie nods.

"Me too," Kendall states.

Once the tea is brewed and they're sitting in the living room on the red velvet furniture Stevie turns to the young girl. "First I want to say Happy Birthday." 

"Oh thanks, twenty...I've been alive for two decades. Happy Birthday yourself, you've got five on me." She giggles.

"I do. I'm 70 can you believe it...So what is it you wanted to give me?" Stevie asks.

"Um...this." Kendall states digging in her purse and handing Stevie the State of California document.

"This is your birth certificate." Stevie clarifies. 

"It is...Happy Birthday." Kendall nods. 

Stevie just gives her a weird glance and then opens the envelope. She scans over the words Kendall Rose Buckingham born to Stephanie Lynn Nicks-Buckingham, and Lindsey Adams Buckingham, on May 24th, 1998, at 2:02 AM 6 lbs 2 ounces, 20 inches long.

She lets out a choked sob and then turns to Kendall. She looks at her and then she just crumbles. She sobs into her hands and Kendall just moves over to her mother and wraps her arms around her. Stevie returns the hug and the two of them just start rocking with each other as Stevie cries into her neck. 

"I don't...I." She starts.

"I found everything out when I was 15. Pamela the woman that kidnapped me was killed in a car accident and as I was cleaning out the attic I found that a bunch of the Buckingham Kidnap clippings in a trunk. And a Psych report that no one in her family knew about. I kind of pieced it all together. She was a good mom, had her faults but I never suffered and I never would've guessed she kidnapped me. She took amazing care of me, I never wanted for anything. I don't know what drove her to take me though, I never figured it out and I was never able to ask her. But she's gone now, you don't have to worry about her or anything." Kendall explains. 

"And Lindsey does he?" Stevie asks.

"He knows...I told him the night of Musicares. He was about to throttle you when you accused him of sleeping with me." Kendall looks away.

"Oh my god...I accused him of sleeping with his daughter." Stevie gasps but starts laughing none the less. 

"But another reason I'm here is that I really need you to do something for me." Kendall gives a coy smile.

"What?" Stevie questions. 

She just holds out her left hand and Stevie takes it and gasps. "I've not met the man." 

"No...but he asked dad before he proposed to me," Kendall explains. 

"When CAN I meet him?" She questions.

"Well... I've got a red velvet cake roll in my car. He said something about watching baseball with dad at our condo this afternoon. The only thing would be that...dad's there." Kendall shrugs. 

"Let me call Karen and get some shoes. Can Lily come?" Stevie asks.

"Of course she can come...I've always wanted a dog but Craig wanted to wait until we were married and Pamela never let me have one. We live in a Condo though. It's only about five minutes away." She shrugs. 

"That's fine...next question, how did you get my gate code?" Stevie looks at her. 

"Dad told me. Said it was my birthday." She shrugs.

When they get in Kendall's car, she turns on the radio and just like that...I Hope, comes on the radio. She rolls all of the windows down, and she blasts the radio and sings it at the top of her lungs as she drives to the Condo. Stevie just laughs and with Lily safely tucked under one arm she records the young girl singing on her iPhone. 

***

When they get up to the Condo they can hear a loud "Son of A bitch" and a loud "Yes!" the women share a look and then Kendall pushes the door open. 

"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" Kendall questions.

"San Francisco just took a homer and now they're up by two. Hey Steph...STEPH!" Lindsey speaks.

"Um...yeah, Craig this is my mom Stevie...Dad, this is my mom Stevie." She stifles a laugh.

"Yeah, I figured that one out. It took two of us." Lindsey smirks.

Kendall shivers at that makes a noise in the back of her throat and goes to put her red velvet cake roll on the kitchen counter. 

"Hi Mrs. Buckingham, Craig Wade...it's nice to meet you. I'm a huge Fleetwood Mac fan." Craig shakes her hand.

"Lovely to meet you...I was rooting for you on Idol." She winks.

"Well, I appreciate that." Craig smiles.

"Who wants cake?" Kendall questions.

"What kind of cake?" Lindsey asks.

"Red Velvet Cake Roll," Kendall replies.

"What is it about red velvet cake...sure I'll have a piece." Lindsey sighs.

"It's good." Stevie shrugs.

"It's just chocolate." Craig points out.

"It may be just chocolate but I don't really like chocolate and red velvet doesn't give off that chocolaty taste," Kendall explains handing out the slices. 

"What's this?" Craig makes a face when Lily jumps on his lap.

"A rat." Lindsey states. The dog growls at him. 

"I think she's cute...Her name is Lily." Kendall takes the dog into her arms and snuggles with it. It licks her face but then starts sniffing at the cake on her plate. 

"Lily No," Stevie states firmly taking a seat next to Lindsey on the couch. The dog huffs but she eventually curls onto Kendall's lap and lets her eat the cake.