Separated

Part 18

Stevie hadn't been in a situation that awkward for a long time. It wouldn't have been as bad if Jade hadn't witnessed it. Jade knew Lindsey and even though she was only six years old, she had to have questions, for example, why Lindsey was at their house early in the morning, wearing just his jeans.

"Why don't you go and put your things down, sweetheart?" Stevie smiled at her daughter, who looked over at the other two adults, then without a word, she ran up the stairs and into her room.

Facing Mick, Stevie took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'll go put on on some clothes."

Mick stood in the hallway alone, Lindsey followed after Stevie. The two men didn't even know each other, they had never met before, but Mick felt an instant dislike towards Lindsey. It was very clear to him that the man was sleeping with his ex wife. His ex wife, whom he still had an interest in.

"Stevie, I'm so sorry." Lindsey apologized as soon as they entered the bedroom. "You said, you weren't expecting anyone and it became quiet, I wanted to make sure that everything's okay. I should have stayed up here, I-"

"Lindsey." Stevie placed her hands on his bare chest. "Relax. You have nothing to worry about. I wish Jade hadn't seen you, but I'll talk to her later. Mick..." She shrugged. "Well, quite frankly I don't care much about what he thinks."

It seemed that Lindsey had been holding his breath while Stevie spoke, only breathing out, when she stopped and smiled at him. "Really? You're not upset?"

"No, everything's fine." She emphasized, going to look for clothes. 

Pulling down his shirt over his head, Lindsey asked a question, which seemed the least relevant at the moment. "Is Mick British?"

"Yeah." Stevie replied, now wearing a pair of jeans and a top. "I used to think that the accent is sexy. I don't anymore." Lindsey laughed lightly, still surprised at how calm she was. "I think, you should go down with me. After all, Mick wants to know about Amber."

"If you're sure." Lindsey wasn't really. 

"Come on." She said, taking him by the hand.

Mick was still standing by the front door, with his phone in one hand, his eyes glued to it. He looked up, hearing steps getting louder and coming his way. He put his phone in his pocket and clasped his hands in front of him, waiting patiently. 

"Can I get you anything?" Stevie asked and Mick shook his head, his gaze kept shifting over to Lindsey. "Well, then." She said, leading both men into the living room. 

"I don't believe we've met." Mick addressed Lindsey at last. "I'm Mick, Stevie's ex husband. Although, I'm sure you already know that."

"I do. I'm Lindsey." It was awkward to say the least. "I'm Stevie's-" He stopped himself, before he announced himself as Stevie's boyfriend.

"Lindsey and I are seeing each other." Stevie said, causing Lindsey to raise his eyebrow. Were they really? "He's also Amber's father."

"I have never heard Jade talk about any of her friends as much as she talked about Amber." Mick started explaining, how he found about the other girl. "Jade told me that Amber comes over to play all the time." He then added, giving Lindsey a look. "Now I know why, so her father can play too."

"Mick, cut it out." Stevie told him. "You have no right to be jealous or at least show that you are."

"Sorry." Mick said, but it didn't sound like he meant it. "What I want to know is what does it mean, when Jade says that Amber looks like her?"

"It means that the girls are twins." Stevie replied as if she wasn't about to receive a bunch of questions from Mick, starting with what and how. 

"Are you joking? Is this some kind of a prank?" Mick frowned. If it was, he didn't find it funny.

"A terrible mistake was made, when the girls were born." Stevie began and her cool, calm and collected facade vanished. She felt Lindsey take her hand in his, before she continued. "We were told that one of the twins passed away..." She proceeded to tell Mick everything that she and Lindsey were able to find out about what happened. Mick listened, not saying a word. It felt at times that he had zoned out and Stevie wasn't sure if he heard everything she had to say. "If I hadn't taken Jade to the park that day, the same time Lindsey was there with Amber, we would have never known."

"My other daughter..." Mick paused, quickly wiping under his eye. "She's alive? Nothing had ever happened to her? She's..." Stevie saw that he was genuinely shocked and very emotional. She hadn't seen this side of him for years. 

"Amber is just fine, Mick." Lindsey joined in the conversation. "I've been raising her alone, since she was one after my then wife left. But I promise you that Amber is a healthy, happy kid, she's always been my priority, I've always put her first."

"Do the girls know any of this?" Mick asked after some time. "Does Jade know that Amber is her sister?"

Stevie opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Jade came into the room, her chocolate eyes wide, reflecting her mother's. "Amber is my sister?"