Until the End of Time

23

July 10, 1994

Stevie was on the tail end of her twelfth week and the beginning of her thirteenth week and she was about to head out on tour. Her first concert was in Los Angeles on the 14th but she was getting into tour mode which meant that even though her family would be at the gig that night and it was only a seventeen-minute drive she was staying at a hotel. The four seasons to be exact. Simply because it was close to the gig location and she had rehearsals. 

 "Stevie I don't think you should go. I'm just not comfortable with it." Lindsey says in the entryway as she brings her suitcase down.

"Lindsey, I went on tour when I was pregnant with Kaci. I'll be fine." Stevie sighs.

"Steph you passed out two days ago. We literally got back from the hospital yesterday. I'm sorry I just don't want you to go." He tells her.

"I hadn't slept in a couple of days. I'm fine now and I'm going on this tour. I'll sleep I promise you I'll sleep. But Lindsey I'm booked I can't back out now." She tells him. 

It was at this point that the kids slowly started filtering into the entryway at the sound of their parents arguing. 

"STEVIE YOU CAN GIVE THEM A REFUND. YOUR HEALTH AND THE BABY'S HEALTH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!" He raises his voice. 

"LINDSEY I HAVE HAD THIS TOUR BOOKED FOR MONTHS. I'M NOT GOING TO BACK OUT AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR. I'M PERFECTLY FINE AND THE DOCTOR GAVE ME THE OKAY! YOU'RE OVER REACTING!" Stevie yells back.

"I ALREADY ALMOST LOST ONE CHILD AND I DON'T WANT TO ALMOST LOSE ANOTHER." 

"I'M NOT KRISTEN. I WOULD NEVER RISK MY CHILD'S LIFE FOR MY OWN PLEASURE. YOU TOLD ME THAT KRISTEN DRANK, SMOKED, AND PARTIED ALL THROUGH HER PREGNANCY WITH STELLA. I DON'T SMOKE AND I DON'T DRINK WHEN I'M PREGNANT SO DON'T YOU DARE GO COMPARING ME TO THAT WOMAN." Stevie hisses.

"THAT WOMAN IS THE MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN DON'T YOU DARE BADMOUTH HER." He growls.

"YOUR CHILDREN...WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR KIDS HUH...OH YEAH, THEY AREN'T MY KIDS. THEY'RE KRISTEN'S EVEN THOUGH THEY'D RATHER HAVE ME AS THEIR MOTHER. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPARE ME TO ONE OF THE WORST MOTHER'S IN THE WORLD." Stevie scowls. 

It was then that a loud smack echoed through the entryway and Stevie's hand caressed her cheek while Lindsey looked down at his hand in shock.

"Dad," Leelee said drawing the attention of everyone. 

"Kids I...Steph, I'm so..." Lindsey starts but a car horn honks outside and Stevie closes her eyes the tears falling like a waterfall and she just runs out of the house with her bags in tow. 

Karen loads her stuff up as Lindsey starts exiting the house and making his way down to her. She quickly crawls in the car and as soon as Karen is in and Lindsey's almost to them she tells the driver to step on it and her car peels out of the driveway. 

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?" Karen asks.

"He hit me. Karen, he hit me." Stevie takes her compact mirror out and examines her face where an angry red handprint is etched onto her left cheek 

"He hit you?" Karen gasps.

"We got in an argument. Can you believe this Karen we've been together nine years and we haven't argued once? But you know how I was in the hospital a couple of days ago because I passed out. The baby and I are healthy and fine the doctor just said I was overly fatigued. But Lindsey doesn't want me to go on the tour and I'm not about to back out and we got in a fight and somehow we ended up on the topic of Kristen and when I called her one of the worst mothers in the world he hit me." Stevie explains.

"Well, you're right. She is...why do you think his reaction was to smack you?" Karen asks.

"I have no idea." She wipes the tears out of her eyes.

"Do you think he has feelings for her?" She asks.

"No. They've been separated since...since 85. It's been ten years, I don't think he still has feelings for her but I don't know...The first day we met he told me he was going to marry me one day. Here we are sixteen years later and he still hasn't married me and I don't know why he's not proposing." Stevie shakes her head.

"Oh, are you upset that he's not popped the question?" Karen asks.

"Kind of.  I'm about to have two kids-five if you count his other three- and I thought that we'd get married right after Kaci was born but we didn't." She sniffles. 

"Hear me out Stevie, maybe you guys should spend some time apart. I don't know Lindsey that well, but it sounds like he's happy with this safe arrangement you have going on. If you walk away from him for a while maybe it'll make him realize that you can still walk out and you can take at least two of his kids away and he'll wisen up and start thinking about popping the questions." Karen suggests. 

"I guess you have a point." She nods.

"Alright, now dry your eyes. We have that gig at the Roxbury on Friday and we need you in a good mood." Karen sighs.

"Karen, they're going to be there...Karen, I want you to call Lindsey tomorrow and tell him to have a bag packed for Kaci. She's coming with me on this tour. You're going to watch her while I'm on stage." She turns to her.

"Stevie are you sure?" Karen asks.

"Yes, I'm sure. She's touring with me. She doesn't start school until next year so I'm not worried about her missing anything. I'm going to step away for a while and I want her with me when I do." Stevie tells her.

***

The next morning, Lindsey having not slept at all because he couldn't sleep well without Stevie was doing some paperwork in his office when the phone rang. 

"Hello, this is Lindsey." 

"Lindsey, it's Karen. Stevie's assistant." 

"Yeah I know who you are, is everything okay...Dammit, I told her not to go." He starts.

"No no, she's fine. They're fine. I'll be by to pick Kaci up around three Stevie wants you to pack her clothes. She's requesting that Kaci tours with her." Karen sighs.

"What, No. I'm not letting that happen. The road is no place for a little kid." Lindsey states.

"Lindsey I'm just following orders." 

"You listen to me, Karen Johnston. That little girl is staying with me. If Stevie wants her on tour-fine-but she's not getting her until Friday night." Lindsey slams the phone down. 

It was then that he turned to the picture of Stevie on his desk. "Oh god, did I lose all three of you yesterday? Why the fuck did I hit you?"