Baby

13

May 19, 1990

Six hours by yourself, goes by super quickly, especially if your driving. But six hours turns into twelve when you factor in a two-year-old and a four-month-old. They finally pulled into Barbara and Jess's house at eight in the evening and everyone was fed up, tired, and hungry. Lindsey had refused to stop for dinner because they were two hours out and bedtime was generally eight but it was now nine because Arizona is an hour ahead of California. 

Stevie thanked the heavens above when they pulled into her parent's driveway and she quickly pulled Cordelia out of the car and Lindsey followed suit with Misty. They didn't even attempt to get their luggage and all of their baby's needs they just grabbed their kids and went up to the house.  Stevie didn't even knock she just stuck her key in the lock and pushed through. Walking towards the living room where she could hear everybody. 

"How the hell, did you move so much when we were little?" Stevie huffs falling back on the couch as Cordelia just clings to her like a sloth.

"Momma seepy." Cordelia whines.

"I know Sunflower, I know...but we still have to eat something." Stevie sighs giving pleading eyes to her mother. 

"What'll she eat?" Barbara asks.

"Whatever you put in front of her. As long as it's cut up really tiny and not...Well, you've had children you know what a toddler can eat." Lindsey comes in himself also plopping down on the couch as Lori directs her attention to Misty screaming in the baby carrier.

Lori quickly takes her out of the carrier and starts rocking her.

"Lori there's a bottle in the...dammit, Lindsey. it's still in the car." She states.

"I'll go get it." Lindsey groans standing up.

"I'll come with you son, help you get the luggage." Jess stands up and follows Lindsey to the car patting his back as he catches up to him. 

Barbara brings in three bowls of homemade Chicken noodle soup placing them on the coffee table and Stevie falls to the floor with Cordelia in her arms situating herself in front of the table to start feeding her. 

"Which one is her bowl?" Stevie asks.

"The right one...I only heated it up for about forty-five seconds. I heated yours up for a minute and a half." Barbara explains.

"Anyway, everyone this is Cordelia June and Misty May." Stevie smiles. As Cordelia waves. 

"Delia, this is Barbara, Chris, and Lori...the man that left with daddy is named Jess." Stevie smiles. 

***

When Stevie gets back down after getting the girls situated in bed, Barbara looks at Stevie and Lindsey who had curled up on the couch. Lindsey eating his own bowl of soup. 

"She looks...she looks like she actually is yours and Lindsey's." Barb smiles. 

"I know...we saw them and immediately it was like these are our kids." Stevie sighs nuzzling into Lindsey's arm. 

"So how are you two?" Jess questions. 

"We're good. We're really good." Lindsey kisses her head.

"I know we're like married...but we've I think we've gotten back together in a sense." Stevie plays with his fingers.

"Like romantically, sleeping together, kissing each other..." Lori lists.

"Lori." Stevie scolds.

"Well look at them, Lor...I think they're sleeping with each other again." Chris points.

"You two are horrible, I'm going to bed with my girls." Stevie groans standing up and making her way back upstairs. 

Cordelia, Lindsey, and Stevie are sharing the queen at Jess and Barbara's and the queen is substantially smaller than their King so when Lindsey walks into the bedroom, Misty starts whimpering and he feeds her real quick and then he looks at the bed. Stevie's lying curled up around Cordelia and Lindsey sighs before wedging himself between the wall and Cordelia. The way that Jess and Barb had the bedroom laid out is that the bed is pushed against a wall. He's uncomfortable but he just sighs and kisses his girls before he closes his eyes. 

***

Stevie's 42nd birthday had come in a flash, and they woke up in the morning at the same time, Lindsey being kicked in the chin, Stevie being punched in the stomach.

"Ow" Stevie whimpers

"What the fuck?" Lindsey asks seeing the foot of Cordelia moving by his chin. 

"How, how did she..." Stevie just looks at him.

"I have no idea..."Lindsey shakes his head.

"Where's Misty?" Stevie starts to panic sitting up in bed looking into the empty cradle. 

"Maybe one of your parents came and got her." Lindsey sighs.

"Shit, we left the baby monitor downstairs last night." Stevie shakes her head.

"So they probably came and got her. Go, check it'll make you feel better. I'll get Delia up." Lindsey kisses her. "Happy Birthday." 

When she wraps her black silk bathrobe around herself she makes her way downstairs and she swoons when she sees her father sitting on the couch with Misty holding her up and talking to her. 

"Hey, daddy..." Stevie smiles.

"Huh, look, there's your momma...it's momma's birthday today. Can you say Happy Birthday Momma." Jess coos causing a small giggle to come out of Misty. 

"How come you didn't wake us little butterfly?" Stevie asks sitting down next to her father and running her finger along Misty's cheek.

"She was just making noises and I heard her on the monitor so I brought her down, made her up a bottle and we've just been bonding down here," Jess explains.

"Her eyes are turning brown." Stevie sighs lightly tracing around Misty's eyelid. 

"Did you want them to stay blue?" Jess inquires.

"Selfishly...because while they weren't blue denim-like Lindsey's they were close to his color." Stevie sighs.

"Stephanie, I have to ask you something, and please don't take it the wrong way...what'll happen if you have to give them back?" Jess asks.

"I'm hopeful that we won't. It'll kill me daddy if I have to give them up." Stevie sighs. 

"That's what I'm worried about. Then what's going to happen to you and Lindsey." Jess pokes. 

"I'm in it for the long haul with Lindsey..." She shrugs.

"Would you two try for a baby if this falls through?" 

"I don't know dad. I just don't want it to fall through." Stevie sighs laying her head on his shoulder, taking Misty's small hand in hers.