Baby

4

January 18, 1990

They've been married for thirteen days and in that thirteen days, it's been interesting. It was certainly a big adjustment but it wasn't at the same time. There was one awkward moment at the wedding when the justice of the peace had them kiss, but as soon as they laughed awkwardly and leaned in it was like everything came back to them and Lindsey wrapped his arms around her, her melting into him. 

Lindsey was staying in one of the guest rooms. He had his own bathroom, he was doing his own laundry-that was the biggest thing that surprised Stevie-Lindsey had never done his own laundry before but he was doing it now. Lindsey had given her a wedding ring. It was a white gold ring with a two karat diamond on it a braided band very simple and plain and it was paired with a plain white gold band. She absolutely adored the ring and she felt bad for a millisecond that she hadn't gotten him one, but he said he didn't need it, and then she dropped it because she was just glad that she was wearing his ring. 

Stevie was a bundle of nerves as they piled into Lindsey's Mercedes and he drove them to the agency. Halfway there, he heard Stevie take in a shaky breath and he reached over and grabbed her left hand giving it a squeeze.

"It'll be okay." Lindsey soothes.

"I just...I want a baby so badly and we're so close but I'm so scared." She explains. 

"I know you are, I am too but it'll be okay." Lindsey nods pulling her hand up to his mouth and giving it a quick kiss right where her wedding ring is sitting. 

The adoption agency was a giant big brick building and as they pulled into the parking lot Stevie gulped again. 

"Hey, look at me. Look at me." Lindsey grabs her face in the car. 

"It'll be okay. I promise you it'll be okay. Whatever happens, will be okay. We'll be okay." Lindsey looks her right in the eyes his hands on her cheeks and she scrubs his forearms.

"Kiss me please." She whimpers.

He just gives a pursed smile and then he kisses her and he climbs out of the car and goes to let her out. 

She had tried to dress really professional, wearing her high heel boots a black pantsuit, with a white tank top, but she was walking like a baby deer and Lindsey physically had to put his arm around her to steady her as they walked into the building. 

"Little Loves Adoption Agency, How Can I help you?" The lady at the desk asks.

"We're the Buckingham's we have an appointment at 2:30," Lindsey explains.

"Oh yes, right this way. Marge will be right with you." The lady leads them to a waiting area where another younger couple was also waiting and Stevie looked at Lindsey with the most dejected look. 

"It'll be okay," Lindsey whispers. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Buckingham." An older woman calls Stevie and Lindsey...Lindsey stands up but he has to physically pick Stevie up and help her move and they follow her into an office. 

"Hello, I'm Marge Cullman. I'm the one that's going to be handling your case. I see that you've provided me with your marriage license and I just want to ask, why do such newlyweds want to adopt a baby together?" She asks.

"Um...Well, I was...I can't have children." Stevie shakes her head.

"Oh, uterine cancer? Ovarian Cyst problem?" 

"Yes, but no...I did get Ovarian Cysts when I was younger. I haven't had one in about four years but, that's not the reason...I was married before, this is my second marriage and I got pregnant but my husband ah...he didn't want kids so he, he pushed me down the stairs I call it a forced abortion but the doctors said it was a severe miscarriage. I was pretty far along. There was something about the placenta and tearing but it ultimately boiled down to my uterus practically being ripped to shreds. It's so scarred up, that if I were to get pregnant again, there's no way I'd be able to carry a baby full term." Stevie bullshits an excuse and she really hopes that they don't look into her medical history. 

"And we're both in our forties so even if we were to try it might take a while and the clock is ticking," Lindsey explains.

"We know that the adoption process could take a while so we just wanted to...we wanted to do this as soon as we could." Stevie jumps in. 

"Well alright shall we get started with the application process?" She hands them a pack of papers. 

"Lindsey I don't know what our income would be?" Stevie looks at him.

"I'll be blunt, I know that you two are famous...so just give the best estimate." Marge winks and Stevie takes the pen and starts filling it out. 

"So what are you looking for?" Marge inquires after they've handed her back the stack of paperwork. 

"A baby." Stevie smiles.

"Angel, I think she wants an age... I'd say anywhere from newborn to a year, what do you think Steph?" Lindsey questions.

"Yeah newborn to a year." Stevie nods.

"And what exactly are you looking for any specific gender, race?" 

"I just want a baby." Stevie gnaws on her lip.

"White Caucasian...we'll stay with white caucasian," Lindsey explains. 

"Alright, I have a book you guys can look at." She goes over to the bookshelf and pulls out a binder. 

"All of these kids are in your care?" Stevie asks.

"Yes, all of them are in our care. We don't have any children on the premises but we update this and the end of every business day. If it has a green dot on it, they're being held...and what I mean by being held is that we've scheduled dates to meet with prospective parents. If it has a red dot they've been adopted and a yellow dot means that they're available. We update the binder totally at the end of every month." She explains.  

Stevie and Lindsey flick through the pictures and Stevie shakes her head in defeat.

"None that speak to you?" She questions.

"No." Stevie sighs.

"Hey, don't get defeated. We still have a few more hurdles to go through I just wanted to show you that and get a feel of what you could be looking for in a child." Marge pats her wrist.

"Okay." Stevie nods.

"Is there anything we should know before we background check you?" Marge inquires.

"I'm three years sober. I went to Betty Ford in 1986." Stevie explains.

"Alright, I'll make note of it. You will have to go through some drug testing before we can approve you." 

"I know, I'll pee in a cup right now if you want me to." Stevie nods.

"Well, that's good. Because legally...I have to have you do it before I can even submit your application. But then afterward it'll be random until you are approved or declined." She nods. 

Stevie stands up and follows Marge out of the office.