Separated

Part 21

Mick Fleetwood had been some type of artist his whole life. He tried out music, when he was young first. He desperately wanted to become a guitar player, because it was cool and all the girls like that particular member in any band, however, he was only good on drums. Being a drummer didn't excite Mick all that much, so he dropped everything to do with music. One thing after another, he found photography. That form of art stuck with him and he became a quite well known photographer. He and Stevie met at one of his first exhibitions, when Mick had just started. It wasn't really an exhibition, it was more like his friend, who owned a bar, let him hang his pictures on the walls there. 

Right now Mick was training painting. He didn't take any classes, he didn't read any books. He had a corner to himself at his new place, where he spent most of his time lately. He'd put on some music, have a glass of red wine nearby and paint. Mick doubted he was good at it, but he didn't have a master plan of becoming famous for it either.

"Honey?" 

Mick sighed at the saccharine voice behind him. He continued working on his current piece, concentrating on a sunflower, held by a faceless woman.

"Mick, didn't you hear me?" 

"What is it, Stella?" 

Stella. The woman he had allegedly broken up with and told Stevie about it. Stella, Mick's girlfriend, nearly half his age. Ultimately she was the reason behind Stevie filing for divorce. Stella was more than happy that she no longer was the mistress and that she might possibly become the Mrs. Sure, Mick had some feelings for her, possibly just lust, which led to the affair. However, he had never been very good at being alone and that was the main reason why Mick was still with Stella.

Turning around on the stool he was sitting on, Mick placed his hands on his knees and waited, his eyes on Stella. She pushed herself away from the doorway she'd been leaning against and approached Mick. A smile slowly forming on her lips, she took his hands in hers and sat down on his lap. Mick couldn't say that Stella was a bad person or that she was after whatever money he had, not that he was wealthy, she was sweet towards him and caring, but he wasn't sure if her feelings for him were sincere.

"I've got something to tell you." Stella's grin grew wider and she wrapped her arms around Mick's neck.

"Yeah? What is it?" He asked, sounding the last thing from excited. 

Stella unclasped her hands and blindly searched for his, guiding it towards her belly. She placed his hand there and waited. Mick knitted his eyebrows, the message unclear to him. Maybe it wasn't that he didn't understand, he just didn't want to think about it.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

"I don't get it, what do you want me to say?" Mick shrugged his shoulders, seeing Stella's expression change, her excitement quickly changed to disappointment. "I just don't understand, tell me." 

"I'm pregnant, Mick!" Stella exclaimed, she was angry. It wasn't supposed to go that way. "But you don't care. You don't care about me, you don't care about anything if it hasn't something to do with Stevie."

Stella jumped up to her feet and stomped out of the room, leaving Mick a little shocked. Pregnant. He was going to become a father again. Did he even want to? He'd think about it later. Now, yes. Stella was right. Stevie was on Mick's mind. He closed his eyes and sighed, the image of her beautiful face quickly fading away along with any hope of ever getting back together with her.