Heart of the Matter

8

September 27, 2018

When Stevie requested that they stay the weekend at her house with her, everyone was walking on eggshells. Lindsey was included in the invite and they were just concerned because she all but demanded that they spend the weekend with her not just come on Friday and Monday for dinner because she was leaving on the first. 

Lindsey picked them up and as they were pulling up to the house, Stevie was sitting on her front porch waiting for them. She pulled herself up when the car pulled up and when they all climbed out of the car, she hugged each of them, her arms lingering around Lindsey longer than the other two. 

It was strange really, Lindsey was fired because of her and though he wasn't on good terms with the rest of the band, she was making an effort. Every week he's been over for dinner, and she'd start giving lingering touches and she'd sit next to him. He was nervous to see what the next four days held for them. 

Stevie showed them to their rooms and when they meandered downstairs after getting settled Stevie was talking to someone. And that's what freaked Kendall out the most. When they walked into the kitchen, Stevie was making lemonade at the counter and there was a dark-haired curly-headed woman leaning against the bar. There was the lingering smell of spice in the air and Lily bounded her way over to Kendall who scooped her up in her arms. 

"Oh look, it's dragon lady." Lindsey scoffs walking into the kitchen and making his way to the fridge to grab a beer. 

Stevie plucks it out of his hand and wags her finger "Dinner". She says coyly as the brunette practically snarls at Lindsey. 

"You know, I can sue you." Karen spits.

"Karen, this is Kendall Buckingham and her fiance Craig Wade." Lindsey states. 

"Nice to meet you." Karen holds her hands out. 

Kendall shakes her hand cautiously. "Pleasure." 

***

Stevie made enchiladas for dinner and afterward Stevie was pretty much curled up on the couch, her legs draped over Lindsey's lap. And Kendall watched them in awe. At one point they were so lost in the movie that Lindsey was absentmindedly stroking her calf. 

"Your parents may be divorced but they damn sure still love each other," Craig whispers in her ear.

"They definitely do. Do you think we'll be like that after fifty years?" She questions.

"Fifty years?" He cocks an eyebrow. 

"Well, even longer actually. They met when my mom was seventeen and dad was sixteen. They didn't start dating though until 1968. Mom was twenty, dad nineteen. My dad's turning 69 on the 3rd and she turned seventy on the 26th of May." She explains.

"And it took them to get married until the nineties?" He asks.

"I guess so." Kendall nods. 

***

That night after Kendall and Craig had gone to bed, Lindsey was helping Stevie clean up the dishes and everything. He was putting a plate away when he felt her hands on his hips. 

"I'm sorry." She whispers into his shoulder. 

He turns around and just wraps his arms around her. She tightens her hold around his waist and she nuzzles into his chest.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" He questions as they involuntarily start swaying. 

"All of it was my fault...I insisted that she sleep in the nursery. When we lost her, I pushed you away and drove you to sleep with those girls and I was the one that filed for divorce when I really didn't want one." She explains.

"You may have been the reason but I knew better. I shouldn't have slept with them and I'm sorry that I did. If it makes you feel better, I didn't want a divorce either." He kisses her head.

"Then why'd you sign the damn papers?" She asks. 

"I signed because I thought it would make you happy. You were so sad and it was almost like every time you'd look at me, even before my infidelities that you'd burst out crying. I thought it would make it better in a weird twisted way." Lindsey rubs his hand up and down her back. 

"Lindsey...kiss me please." She begs tears welling up in her eyes. 

He kisses her with so much love and passion that she lets out a moan. It wasn't long before she was pulling away and grabbing at his hand pulling him towards the stairs. 

***

Somehow, they wake up together the next morning, Stevie's leg thrown over his, her head on his chest. They just lay there wrapped in each other's naked bodies before Stevie starts raking her fingernails up and down his chest. 

"Morning." She whispers.

"We should probably get up, the kids may be wondering where we are." Lindsey grazes his fingers up and down her back. 

They share a shower and then Lindsey trails downstairs leaving Stevie upstairs to work on her hair and get dressed. Downstairs Craig is fixing a cup of coffee and Lindsey smiles at him.

"Stevie's still asleep too. Maybe that's where she gets it." Craig chuckles looking at the clock that reads eleven-thirty. 

"It's definitely where she gets it. Stevie's gotten up earlier over the years but there was a point in the eighties where she wouldn't wake up until two and wouldn't go to bed until around five in the morning." Lindsey explains making his own cup of coffee. 

"Well, how well do you know this house?" Craig questions.

"I lived here...what do you need to find?" Lindsey asks.

"Well I wake Kendall up with a cup of coffee in the morning and she takes it with Soy milk and sugar. I found soy milk thank god, but I can't find the sugar." Craig sighs.

"It's above the stove...in Stevie's baking cabinet." Lindsey goes over to it and pulls out the sugar. 

"See in our house we put it above the coffee pot." He laughs.

"I just don't have sugar because I drink my coffee black. My dad owned a coffee plant so my brothers and I were drinking coffee when we were like fourteen. My brother sold it off to Starbucks in the eighties." Lindsey explains.

"I didn't know that." Craig laughs.

"Yeah, when you go to the store and you see like the Starbucks grounds and things like that, it's produced in Daly City even though the coffee itself started in Seattle." Lindsey nods.

"Is that why Stevie only has Starbucks K-cups?" He asks.

"I think so but don't quote me on that. Did you put the soy milk away?" Lindsey asks.

"I did...why?" He questions.

"Stevie takes her coffee the same way that Kendall does...I figure if you're waking Kendall, we should probably wake Stevie because she's going to go ballistic if she loses precious time with her daughter." Lindsey states