Until the End of Time

22

When Karen gets back, most of the guests have dispersed except for the high schoolers who are still hogging the pool, but Lindsey promised her that he'd be there awake and alert watching them like a hawk until they all left or ended up crashing in one of the rooms in the house. Stevie accepted the plastic bag from Karen and she headed upstairs to take them. 

It was halfway through her fifteen minute wait time when a knock came at the door. She opened it slightly and smiled when she saw Kaci on the other side. "Hey, what's the matter baby?" 

"Momma, I'm tired and ready for bed." Kaci scrubbed her little brown orbs.

"What time...nine o'clock. It is past your bedtime." Stevie nods looking down at her watch. 

"Song and Story?" She asks.

"We'll start with a Story and see if you stay awake for it." Stevie bends down and collects her in her arms. It's a challenge as Stevie is tiny and though Kaci is skinny, she's clumsily tall but Stevie still manages to carry her every once in a while. 

Kaci doesn't stay awake to hear the end of the Princess and the Frog, so Stevie just tucks her in and leaves her door open slightly and makes her way back to the master bathroom. Her time isn't ringing anymore, but it shows that the fifteen minutes had run down so she grabs at the tests. On all five of them, two faint lines appeared. 

She was sitting on the edge of the tub when Lindsey walked in at two in the morning. 

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Look at the counter." She states.

He just raises his eyebrows and goes over and takes her into his arms.

"You don't seem to happy about it." He looks at her.

"I'm terrified. There were risks with Kaci and now there are going to be more risks with this one." She shakes her head.

"We'll make an appointment next week okay. You just can't worry about it. Steph you've wanted kids your whole life and now you're about to have five. That's pretty amazing." Lindsey coos rubbing her back.

"Lindsey, my album comes out next week. My album is out next week and I go on tour in July. I'm touring from July until September. That's the majority of my pregnancy. With Kaci, it was only a few months. I'll be due in January" Stevie shakes her head. 

"Stevie, stop worrying about it. We're going to have a new baby in the new year and it's going to be amazing." He kisses her forehead.

***

June 10, 1994

When Stevie gets home, she throws her purse on the island and she stares at her family who was watching TV in the living room. 

"Hi, mom." Will waves.

"Hey." she sighs.

"What's wrong?" Leelee questions fixing the bun on the top of her head.

"I have to tell you something but I want to wait to tell you, but I can't wait to tell you." She sighs plopping next to Lindsey on the couch and removing her bulky boots.

"Uh-oh that doesn't sound good, please tell me you aren't dying." Stella looks at her.

"I hope not. Kids. I'm eight weeks pregnant. But I don't want to get your hopes up." She lays her head on Lindsey's shoulder.

"Why is the baby sick?" Stella questions holding back her happy expression. 

"No, not exactly. I'm fine and the baby is fine but I'm 46 years old and my pregnancy is what's known as High Risk. I still have an 85 percent chance of miscarrying in the next four weeks and even though the doctor is allowing me to tour, she wants me to take it easy because after I'm 12 weeks along I still have a 50 percent chance of miscarrying or the baby might be born...well dead." Stevie looks down at her hands.

"That's not going to happen Steph." Lindsey sighs rubbing her back. 

"What does that mean?" Kaci asks crawling onto her dad's lap. She had been playing barbies on the living room floor. 

"It means you are going to be a big sister," Lindsey tells her.

"So I won't be the baby anymore?" She pouts.

"You're all my babies. Even William." Stevie grabs her little nose causing her to giggle.

"William's a baby?" She laughs.

"Yes, William's my baby." Stevie nods.

"Well, I'm excited. Is that why you were sick at my graduation?" He asks.

"Yes. That's why I was sick at your graduation." Stevie nods. 

"I would think you'd be the most upset about it." Lindsey shrugs.

"Why because I'm almost 19. We know you have S-E-X it's not a shock. And besides babies and little kids are good chick magnets. Any time you need a babysitter I'm in." William holds his hands up.

"We'll hold you to that." Stevie winks.

"Yeah, I can be more involved with this baby." Stella grins.

"You were involved with Kaci." Stevie looks at her.

"Yeah, but I couldn't be left in the same room alone as her. I'm 14 now. So I should get the same treatment William got when it comes to this baby. I won't even complain about diaper duty." Stella smiles.

"Stella, you don't understand diaper duty is nasty. I'm still traumatized." William whines. Kaci had a major blow out when he was holding her and it not only stained through her diaper and onesie but his clothes as well to the point where Stevie had to wipe his stomach off while he scrubbed his hands because his hands were covered in poop. 

"Alright, with that in mind. What's for dinner?" Lindsey asks.

"What do you want?" Stevie questions. 

"Whatever you cook me." He grins kissing her causing the children to groan out in disgust. 

"Liver and gizzards then?" Stevie looks up at him.

"Ew, what the fuck. No! Steak. I'll grill it." 

"DADDY SWEAR JAR!" Kaci says loudly hopping off of her father's lap and running to the counter where the swear jar is sitting. The older children developed a habit of swearing at school and at first, it was okay because Stevie and Lindsey swear in front of the kids all of the time but it was getting out of control and Kaci had started saying some of the words. 

Lindsey groans but digs out a dollar from his wallet and sticks it in the har. When it gets full Stevie and Lindsey count it and split it between the kids as an "allowance" it defeats the purpose but at least it's fair. Most of the money comes from William, Lindsey, and Stevie anyway.