We Didn't Agree To This

Believe me

With a heavy sigh Stevie gave up on more sleep the following morning. Not that she had much of it during the night. She realized she probably overreacted, but she couldn't understand why Lindsey was so keen on knowing whether Carol's baby was also his or not. The woman hadn't come to him for four months, she clearly wouldn't have later on. Maybe she knew for sure it wasn't Lindsey's? But now that he offered himself as a father... Stevie feared that her perfect family life wouldn't be that perfect if Carol were to come into the picture as well. She wanted Lindsey to be dedicated to her and their child, she didn't want to share him.

Getting out of bed, Stevie didn't bother changing out of her nightgown, she was going to return to the bedroom anyway. A small part of her hoped that Lindsey had too much to drink since she wouldn't talk to him and that he was sleeping it off, but she had no such luck, finding him sat at the kitchen table, having breakfast.

"Good morning." He said, but she didn't reply, putting the kettle on to make herself a cup of tea. "I wasn't going to do this the minute you woke up, but Stevie, are you five? Can we please sit down and talk about what happened yesterday?"

"I don't know, maybe I should just go away again instead, like you so wanted me to yesterday?"

One of them had to be a grownup in that situation, Lindsey trying to remain calm. "I'll start off by apologizing to you. I'm sorry I told you to leave, I shouldn't have done that. You have to understand, Steph, there's a great chance Carol's carrying my baby and I can't just ignore that."

"Then why don't you go to her. I'll be fine."

Shaking his head, sighing, Lindsey took a moment, before continuing. "It's not about that. What you have to understand is that it's not about Carol, not at all. I only care for that child. I don't want to leave you, because I love you and I love our baby."

"How do you suppose this is going to work then?" Crossing her arms over her chest, Stevie leaned against the kitchen counter. "Is she going to move in, are you going to be spending days and nights at hers? You know, a week here, a week there. You're going to paint the nursery for our baby, then drop everything, get in the car and do the same for Carol's?"

She was still very obviously fuming, but at least they were talking. "Of course that is not how it's going to be. First of all, I'm going to talk to her. I'll see how she's dealing with everything and do what I can to help, be it financial support or taking her to an appointment."

"Now that's where I have to say no, Lindsey. I can't stand the thought of you doing that." Stevie's demeanor suddenly changed, as she became more upset than angry. "Expecting a child together is so... so intimate. This is between you and I. I want to cherish these months, I want us to be going for checkups, tiny clothes shopping, nursery shopping, thinking of names, imagining how our baby will look like... It tears me apart thinking that while you're here one minute doing all that with me, the next you'll be doing that with her."

Taking his chance and approaching her, Lindsey pulled Stevie in his arms, holding her, while he talked. "Baby, that's not at all what's it going to be like. What you described, that is exactly what you and I will be doing. When it comes to Carol, I will only make sure she's fine and she doesn't have to struggle on her own, that's all. That is if she let's me."

Pulling away, Stevie made some space between them. "And have you thought about it if the baby isn't yours? You'll spend all these months by her side and what if the baby isn't yours, Lindsey? It would be like you wanted to be there for her no matter what."

"That's a possibility, I know it is. But I can't show up after they're born, then demand a paternity test and if it's positive, then I'll stick around and if it's not, I'll just go away and pretend nothing's ever happened." Silence followed and Lindsey didn't push Stevie, while she sat quietly, stroking Bella's fur, the dog clearly sensing her distress. After some time, Lindsey came up to her again, kneeling in front of her. "Baby? Say something, please."

"You already know how I feel about this, Lindsey. I'm not happy, that's what I can say. But obviously you don't care about how I feel and you're going to do what you want, so..." She shrugged her shoulders. 

"I don't like the situation either, Steph, but I'm telling you this once again; it's not about Carol, it's about a child who could be mine. I want you to understand that. You're right, I will still go and see her, and talk to her about it, but it would mean so much to me if you supported me. I'm still going to be with you, I'm still going to be your husband."

"And what if-"

"There is no what ifs." Lindsey cut her off, guessing what she had on her mind. "You're the woman that I love, you're the one I will always always come back home to."

Stevie smiled weakly, bringing her hand up to touch the side of his face. "I want to believe you."

"Do, baby. Believe me."

Lowering her eyes, she went quiet again for a moment, then looked back up at him, giving a small nod of her head. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yes, but when you go to her, I go with you."

While Lindsey wasn't exactly sure how this was going to work, he thought he achieved so much already, he wasn't about to argue further. "Alright, deal." Getting up, he kissed her on the lips and then again. "Thank you."

Stevie just smiled, but on the inside she wasn't happy about this at all, though, she understood where he was coming from too. She had to support him, she just didn't know where this was going to lead them and frankly, she was afraid to find out.