Parallel Universe

There's only one way to find out

September 1987

This wasn't how Tom knew his wife at all. Stevie had been in rehearsals for the last three weeks and no matter that he could understand that she was upset about Lindsey leaving, he couldn't really understand that she was coming home crying more often than she wasn't. He had a little time until she was back home, but he already knew that she would be a mess once more. She had called about an hour ago, and he had been able to hear the tears in her voice.

He was thinking about what might really be the reason behind her behavior. He knew she felt guilty about the whole situation. Even he had guessed that Lindsey wouldn't be over the moon with happiness when Stevie had told the band that they had married. Tom had known that Lindsey would give her a rough time. But that he would walk out of the band and the tour that had already been booked, he hadn't guessed.

Why she felt guilty he didn't know. It wasn't as if she had still been having a relationship with Lindsey at that point. That had ended a decade ago. And they both had been with other people ever since. In fact, Lindsey had a girlfriend at the moment. The guilt Stevie felt about Lindsey leaving the band because he hadn't been able to handle the news of her being married now was incomprehensible for Tom. She was allowed to make her own decision, live her life as she wanted, being with whom she wanted. And if she decided to marry, it was her decision and her prerogative.

The sound of the front door slamming made him come back to reality, just as Stevie calling out for him.

"Living room, babe."

She came in, hands still on her face. He knew she was trying to hide the tears he knew she had cried once more.

"Can you just hold me?"

"That bad again?"

He asked, but did as she wanted. He pulled her down to rest next to him on the couch. Her arms went around him, her face came to the crook of his neck. And Tom could already feel the tears running again.

"I don't know how long I'll make it through." Stevie cried. "I knew things would be different without him, but I just... I don't know." Brushing her tears away, she looked back up. "I thought I'd be relieved... you know no more fights, and screaming, and tension, but I'm not. And I don't know what's going on with me, I feel sick, all these tears... it's not me."

That much was clear, but slowly something made sense. For him at least. He didn't know if she would think along those lines.

"Stevie?"

He pried her head up from where she had let it fall back on his shoulder, needing to look at her face, see the expression in her eyes.

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Why would you ask?"

She didn't know what Tom was implying. Or why he was staring at her as if he was trying to investigate.

"Do you think you might be pregnant?"

Stevie stayed silent for a moment, just blinking her eyes for a couple of times. She had heard the words, but right now she didn't think that this could be an explanation.

"I think that would have happened really quick then." She replied, her voice strangely monotonious.

"But it is possible."

They both knew it was possible. It had actually been the reason why they had married so fast. They had known each other for some time, had been friends and ever since the day after the Grammy's they had been a couple. Talking about their future had come up after a few weeks, especially after they had been having Tom's daughters for a longer time and Stevie had been unwilling to give them back.

She had confessed that she wanted to have kids, but so far it had never felt right. Her life and relationships had been too unstable as that she would have brought a child into them. And there was another thing. Stevie wanted to be married before having a baby. So Tom had surprised her a few weeks later, asking her to marry him.

"We both know it's possible." She nodded, taking a deep breath. "The moment we said I do was the moment we started to try having a baby. But I'm nearly 40. How likely is it that I'm really pregnant already?"

"There's only one way to find out."

"I'll squeeze in a doctor's appointment. But honestly, I think I'm just exhausted. And I want to get upstairs and fall into bed and cuddle."

"Come on then."

Tom pulled her up, laughing lightly as she pulled him back, kissing him before allowing him to lead the way up and into their bedroom.

This is the last part so far until after the holidays. Have a Merry Christmas everyone. xoxo

Love, Dani