High Priestess

5.1

December 18th, 1978

Adjusting to life with a new baby was hard, and even though Robin, Sharon, Minnie, and Lori kept telling her she didn't need to come back to work she had come back the first of December her baby in tow. Lindsey was in the studio most days anyway and as much as she loves Roxy, it can get boring home alone. But was also nerve-wracking was her parents and Lindsey's parents meeting for the first time. Christmas was right around the corner and Stevie realized that she hadn't spoken to her family since she married Mick and it hadn't even occurred to her to tell her parents that she was having a baby. 

Stevie had gotten to work first, and she had Emlyn tacked to her chest in a baby wrap. She was sleeping soundly in her little confinement dressed in a burnt orange long sleeve top with black polka dots on it and a little bow at her left hip. She had a pair of black little baby stretchy pants on and some orange socks as it was winter. In her little brownie-blonde strands of hair was a headband with a black bow on it. As Stevie was organizing some of the shelves she picked up a piece of amethyst and the baby started doing an inchworm move. Stevie cocked her head to the side and looked down at her baby who was still fast asleep as she was inch worming but as Stevie put the amethyst down the baby stopped moving in her sleep. Stevie looked between the stone and her baby and then she plucked the amethyst up again and the baby started moving again. 

"Well Emlyn, is the Amethyst going to be your stone?" Stevie whispers tucking the specific stone into the wrap with the baby and Emlyn calms but a small smile tugs on her lips and Stevie bends down slightly to kiss her little head. 

It was then that the door above the shop rang and Stevie turned to see Lori and Sharon walking in. 

"Did you two carpool or something you never get here at the same time." Stevie states.

"We did, can I hold the baby?" Lori inquires.

"Yeah, come take her from me. But keep the amethyst close to her. She seems to like it." Stevie untucks the baby and the stone. 

"Stevie you and Lindsey made a pretty baby." Lori huffs.

"Alright, something's wrong," Stevie states her hands falling on her hips the little baby wrap just hanging off of her. 

"Well, do you remember that Tarot you did on me?" Lori bites her lip looking down at the baby. 

"I do...I take it you approached the man." Stevie takes the wrap off and goes to place it behind the counter with her baby bag and purse.

"I did, and now he wants me to meet his family over Christmas. He lives here in town but I guess his parents are flying in and his sister lives here and he wants to bring me around to meet her and I'm just...i'm terrified." Lori explains cradling the baby in her arms.

"Lori it'll all be fine. You love him, I'm sure you're going to love his family. He has a sister so maybe you'll meet his sister and find something in common with her. It'll all be fine." Stevie assures.

"I hope so." Lori sighs.

"It will...I know it will, Sharon smirks.

"Right, psychic." Lori points and Sharon winks. 

"So if Sharon thinks it's going to be okay, it'll be okay." Stevie smiles.

"Oh Steves, I was just thinking about this...maybe the black I saw when we discussed moving out here to begin with was because of Mick." She points.

"I mean it's possible...it was such a dark time." Stevie shrugs.

"Have you and Lindsey talked about it?" Sharon asks.

"No, we haven't talked about it in the slightest. And I don't want to. I'm trying to keep it all pushed down. Not necessarily held in because I write about it all of the time, but I don't want to relive that with Lindsey. It's too...it's too heartbreaking." Stevie sighs.

"It's going to come out eventually." Lori looks at her.

"I know, but I don't want it to come out right now." Stevie shakes her head.

"Well alright, Robin and Minnie are going to be late so we should probably open the shop and get started with our day," Sharon explains. 

***

December 20, 1978

Lori and Christopher had only been dating for a few months so it was nerve-wracking when she accompanied him to pick them up at the airport. They would be staying with Christopher at his small home, a two-bedroom two-bath, and Lori was also kind of staying there as well. 

"So this is where I guess my sister lives," Christopher says when they pull up to the gated home in a beach suburb. 

"Where you guess, have you not been to your sister's home?" Lori questions from the backseat. She was sitting back there with Barbara as that was the thing-the woman stayed in the back the men in the front. 

"My sister doesn't even know I live in Los Angeles. We lost contact after 1976." Christopher explains.

"And she just out of the blue invited you to come to her house?" Lori inquires.

"No, she invited my parents...my parents invited me," Christopher explains.

"Now I feel like an intruder." Lori pouts falling back into the seat.

"Relax, she'll love you." Chris sighs.

They walk up to the front door and ring the bell. and they just stand there and wait until graciously Stevie opens up the front door and Lori reacts first. 

"Stevie, what are you doing here?" 

"Lori...I live here what are....YOU'RE DATING MY BROTHER!" Stevie gasps.

"If his name is Christopher yeah." Lori nods.

"Did he not tell you his last name?" Stevie chuckles hugging Lori.

"No, but to be fair he doesn't know my last name either and when I tried to get it out of your mother by saying Hi Mrs.... She cut me off and said Barbara dear, call me Babara." Lori states.

"Perry, Christopher, her name is Lori Perry. And you were worried about meeting his sister." She points out.

"Well, I mean...I didn't know it was my boss." She looks down sheepishly.

"Stop it Lori, we both know I'm not your boss," Stevie warns.

"Okay, my friend and co-worker," Lori replies.

"Better. Hi Chris, Mom and Dad. It's been a while...A LOT has happened." Stevie sighs.

"Well I would hope seeing as you haven't called us in two years," Barbara warns taking her into her arms.

"Okay, I will tell you why I promise...But first, you need to meet my husband, and um...and my baby." Stevie states.

"Your baby?" Jess' eyes go wide.

"My baby." Stevie nods.

"The kid is the prettiest baby I've ever seen." Lori holds her hands up.

"Yeah, I've been bringing her to work for a month now." Stevie nods.