Learn to Love Again

8

Being the last Saturday they were in San Francisco, Lindsey insisted on taking everyone out to Trattoria for Italian. Everyone was sitting around the table and stories were being passed around when a waitress walks up to the table.

"Hi, I'm Carrie Carter, I'm taking over for Danny your waiter is there anything I can...Oh Mr. B, Hi." The waitress looks at him.

"Carrie, how are you? How's school?" Lindsey questions standing up and hugging her.

"I'm good.  School would be better if you were my AP Gov teacher instead of Mr. Quick, he's horrible. We were all really sad when you announced that you were leaving." Carrie explains.

"I know, but I had to." Lindsey shrugs.

"And the new swim coach is brutal. Ironically his name is Jack Poole, he's a hard-ass." Carrie chuckles.

"Oh Lindsey, Jack Poole, I remember him he was your biggest competition in High School." Stevie nudges his arm.

"Yes, he was, he was always on this strict swimmers' diet that I swear, was kelp and fish." Lindsey smiles.

"I think he's still on it?" Carrie wrinkles her nose.

"I wouldn't put it past him, does anyone need anything?" Lindsey looks to the table.

"Oh, yes. Honey do you think you could get me a Caesar salad. Danny already took our orders and I passed on the salad, but I think I actually would like one." Stevie grins at the sweet girl that reminds her so much of her own child sitting to her right.

"Certainly Mrs. Buckingham...right?" Carrie looks at her.

"Yes," Stevie states quickly.

As the girl walks away Jeff smirks looking at the two.

"Mrs. Buckingham?" He asks.

"Why not, I have his child anyway." Stevie smiles.

"Stephanie Buckingham does sound super pretty." Ruth winks.

"Mom!" Lindsey gasps.

"I'm just saying, dear." Ruth chuckles.

***

As April came to a close and May descended upon them quickly, Stevie was getting ready to get back on the road, Lindsey was attending multiple meetings about the state standardized tests that he would soon have to Proctor, and Anna was feeling the full effects of High School.

At this point in the little family dynamic, Lindsey was spending the night at Stevie's house on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sunday, and the occasional Monday if he was feeling up to it. At this point, Max had taken up a permanent residency at Stevie's home and though Lindsey was sad going home to an empty house when he was home, he felt ten times better knowing that Stevie and Annabelle were semi-protected with the giant German Shepherd roaming the halls of Stevie's home.

She angrily walked into her dad's classroom after school on a Tuesday and was throwing her bags around.

"Jesus, what's gotten into you?" Lindsey questions.

"Everything. Mrs. Crawford said that my latest art piece wasn't up to standards and I had to redo it by Monday, I have a stupid report due in Biology tomorrow, that I have yet to start. I'm failing your president quizzes in its entirety and what do these comments on my last English Paper mean?" Anna spits.