A Deceiving Passion

A Little Fear

"Mom, aren't you hungry?" Rhea asked, having noticed that she wasn't really eating.

Dinner would have been prepared and served to the family; Karen would stay and while all seemed to be well, Stevie didn't have much of an appetite, not after putting everything together that was regarding her family that she was, in fact, very spaced out, staring at nothing in particular as she held her chin on her laced hands.

She didn't say anything about what had been bothering her, but what her assistant had said truly weighed on her just like everything else that she didn't mean not to respond.

"Mom?" Amarice stated once more, gripping onto her hand gently.

The blonde then blinked and looked between her two daughters because at first she couldn't differentiate their voices, but then she realized the oldest was holding her gently.

"I'm sorry, what?" she cleared her throat.

"You're not hungry?" Rhea then questioned again.

Looking back over at the teen, she shook her head. "You know, what? I'm thinking so hard right now that I haven't thought about food this passed week," she smirked. "I appreciate you guys making dinner, it was so good, the few bites that I had. I'll probably eat later, though."

The boys knew their mother to have a light appetite so they weren't that concerned.

Although, Lindsey kind of pursed his lips, watching her casually from the distance only because he really felt that there was something off; she was terribly sad out of nowhere and he wondered if it had anything to do with the nightmare she had about Sofia, perhaps leaving the other kids in general or the overall feelings of everything she was going through between her two lives.

Even though, he really wanted to hate Brian, he knew the man was right; she did fall for him---maybe by mistake considering she was brainwashed---but Sharon and Lori were right: The marriage wouldn't have been valid, but her feelings would have. And they were. As much as he hated to admit it, Brian was also right about getting her some kind of therapy when he had hoped she would just be okay once she saw her kids.

Dinner would get wrapped up and the kids started taking their plates to the kitchen, although Stevie was the first to offer to clean up and when Lindsey offered to help, even Karen---she kindly rejected them, and respectively told everybody to leave her to it. She only dismissed any help because there was a lot she had on her mind and frankly, it was a form of therapy. It gave her something to do while she thought and she had loads to think about.

But before she dove into cleaning, she got another moment alone with Karen and she started making plans right away, about needing to go back to Greenland; hoping she would accompany her in doing so, so they could figure out what they were going to do with the set of three when the Fleetwood Mac tour was due.

Karen didn't know all the details; all of the things Stevie had in mind, she didn't really know the entirety of it all, just the loose version of what Sharon and Lori had told her.

And of course, Karen agreed to help her boss; she couldn't wait considering it had been a year since she she was of help to the singer.

When the singer was downstairs, washing the dishes, cleaning the counters and cleaning the dining room, in complete mom mode as she had been for the last year---she was at total ease because it gave her time to hash out all her thoughts in her head.

After time was flying by, Lindsey did come downstairs to meet her only because he was wondering what would take her so long.

But then, he took in the whole first story and realized how spotless it was.