Flicker

24

July 6, 1995

Stevie stayed in New York for prior commitments, moving from the hotel to their one-bedroom apartment, and Lindsey took the girls home. When she woke up to make her way to a meeting she had to steady herself on the pillow. Her hand immediately fell to the stomach and in a dizzy haze, she bolted to the bathroom.

As she was leaning up against the tub in the bathroom, she thought back to what she ate the day prior. She made a smoothie for breakfast. Strawberries, Raspberries, and blueberries...all relatively normal. Lunch she had a Montecristo sandwich, again all relatively normal...The only thing she could think of that made her sick, was the sushi she ate with Margi the night prior, at dinner.

Another wave of nausea filled her and she flung herself back against the toilet...it was going to be a long day. When she finally had a moment of clarity she called Karen and informed her that she wouldn't be in and to cancel her meetings.

Stevie woke up to something being thrown on her bed. She opened her eyes and glared at Karen. "I asked for saltines..."

Karen chucked another box at her and that one she caught.

"Does Lindsey use condoms?" Karen crosses her arms.

"Karen!" She gasps.

"Does Lindsey use condoms?" She repeats.

"We've been married since 1978, seventeen years...what do you think?" Stevie questions.

"Then I would take those tests." Karen points to the first bag she threw on the bed.

"What makes you think I'm pregnant?" Stevie sighs opening the box of crackers, her stomach was growling.

"Stevie you have a glow to you...your breasts have gotten a tad bigger, It's more noticeable when you aren't wearing a bra like yesterday, like now...and Aubree told me that your door was locked the morning of your opening. It was just an observation. You might not be pregnant I don't know." Karen.

"Well, I didn't cycle in June, but I thought it was because of an ovarian cyst. There were a couple of weeks there where my stomach just felt uncomfortable if I sat or laid in certain positions which is what happened the first time I had an ovarian cyst." Stevie shrugs.

"Anyway, I have to go back to work...I suggest you take those tests." Karen points. 

She scowls but once Karen leaves she makes her way to the bathroom and takes the tests. As she looks down and her hand comes in contact with her stomach, she laughs. "Son of a bitch."

She goes about her day like normal and when she shows up at work, Karen looks at her. "Was I right, or was I right?" She asks.

"You were right. But I'd have to be in my third month, and the first symptom other than the ones that you listed that I didn't even realize was the puking and it only just started today." She explains.

"All pregnancies are different." She shrugs.

"I guess." Stevie sighs. 

As she sat down at her desk she examined the two pictures that are sitting there. This baby was going to be born sometime in January. When this baby comes, Aubree would be four turning five, Tenley would be turning two. It was going to be a lot of work but now, now they were outnumbered. And the way that Aubree reacted when Tenley was born was still very fresh in her mind. 

With a little reluctance on her part, she called Karen into the office.

"What do you need?" She asks.

"To go home. I want to leave tonight, I know have meetings and everything but I really need to go home." Stevie sighs.

"I'll arrange it all and I'm sure everyone will understand." She nods.

"Even if I have to pay for them to fly out to Los Angeles for the meetings," Stevie tells her.

"Alright, I'll let everyone know. When do you want to leave?" She asks.

"As soon as possible. It's about three now, no later than five." She tells her. 

***

When Stevie walks into her house she can smell pizza and she laughs. Lindsey can't cook much so she really doesn't want to know what her children have been eating for the past three months. When she walks into the kitchen, Lindsey's back is to her and the view to and from her kids is blocked. She sneaks up behind him and wraps her arms around his waist and kisses his shoulder blade. He startles but once he recovers he turns around and wraps his arms around her.

"You're not supposed to be back until next month." He tells her.

"Lindsey, something happened and I needed to come home." She replies looking up at him. 

"What happened?" He asks.

"Something wonderful happened." She answers.

He just gives her a look and she digs in her purse before handing him the pregnancy test. He looks at it, and his eyes go wide and then he looks at her.

"Are you serious?" 

"Dead...I still have to make an appointment but I think it happened the night before my opening." She smiles. 

"We've gotta tell the girls." He sighs.

"I know we do. Where are they, I figured they'd be eating on the other side of you." She points to the two empty chairs on the island where pizza is set out on a plate. Tenley's cut up in tiny-ish pieces. 

"They're playing in Aubree's room, I had Ray go get this for us. I was just about to call them down." He replies wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. 

Lindsey called the girls down and the sisters, though they started out rocky were now best friends and when Stevie saw them holding hands as they walked into the kitchen her heart swelled. But what made it even better was when they saw her and started running. 

"MOMMA" They both cheered. Stevie in her white tight dress and brown leather jacket knelt down and they practically tackled her to the floor. 

"Oh, my babies I missed you so much!" She cheers kissing both of their little cheeks and squeezing them tightly. 

When they got the girls situated in the chairs on the island, Stevie sat back and looked them over. Aubree's blonde locks were pulled up into a ponytail, and Tenley's brown curls were pinned back by a little barret and she just wanted to take it all in. 

"Aubree Lynn, so you know how Tenley is your baby sister?" Stevie questions.

"Yeah." She nods.

"Do you remember when she was a baby?" Stevie questions.

"She stole all of your attention." That one, that made her stomach drop a little bit.

"Um, Aubree...what your mom is trying to say is that it's going to happen again." Lindsey bites his lip.

"What!" She gasps.

"Yeah, there's going to be a new baby coming." He nods.

"Well send it back." She pouts.

"Baby we can't." Stevie sighs. 

"But I don't want it." She replies.

"I'm sorry, sweet girl but it's happening we can't send it back. But hey...your older this time, so you'll get to be mom's big helper alright." Stevie leans over and grabs her ponytail giving it a gentle, playful yank.

"What will I get to do?" She asks.

"Well, you can help me feed them, change their diaper, hold them more than you could hold Tenley, I'll teach you how to make a bottle," Stevie replies.

"Promise mommy." She crosses her arms.

"I promise sweet girl." Stevie nods wrapping her arms around her little shoulders.