Steal Your Heart Away

December 1996

"Ashley honey?" My son whipped his head around the doorframe from the kitchen, "Can you pass me my tea please sweetheart?"
"No problem mom," he smirked and I eyed him suspiciously as he handed me the mug from the coffee table. "I can't believe you're that fat right now." He laughed. I gasped and pinched his arm, shaking my head but winking at him shortly afterward.
"Who's fat?" I heard Lindsey enter the room behind me, tossing his keys onto the telephone stand.
"Me, apparently."
Lindsey tutted exaggeratedly as Ashley sidled back into the kitchen, upon which the whirring of the electric whisk began as he continued baking Christmas cookies. "The only thing that's fat about you Steph," he draped his arms around me from behind the couch. "Are these babies." He squeezed my newly swollen breasts.
"Linds our son is just through there." I chuckled as I felt his warmth leave me as he walked around to sit beside me.
"Whatever. How are you both this afternoon?" He stroked my bump, kissing my cheek.
"Tired."
"Sorry."
"No no...It was worth it." He kissed me on the lips this time, tentatively treating my inner thigh with his firm hand. "Can you help me upstairs baby?"
"Is that a proposition?"
"No no...I need to rest a while, you know tonight is going to be hectic."
"Of course." He supported me all the way up the steep spiralling staircase I loved as an aesthetic statement, but now grumbled about having to scale every morning and night; helping me into bed where we arranged the cushions in a specific fashion to accommodate my new need for particular comforts. "Ok?"
"Perfect. Thanks Lindsey." Pregnancy always seemed to pacify our consistently passionate, but generally more volatile, relationship.
"Anything for you, now can I lay with my favourite lady for a while?"
I smiled,"What about all your other ladies mister? You could escape and woo them while huge old me is trapped in these sheets?"
"Oh no no, not today. I am far too tired for that this afternoon so I'll just have to stick with you." One of his hands gently played with my hair as his breath began to therapeutically tickle the back of my head, his other moving to rest on my stomach. My steady drift into sleep was snatched away at the sensation of violent vibrations against my backside. I squeaked in surprise.
"Shit sorry. Though I'd left it in the lounge." Lindsey retrieved what I realised must be his mobile from his pocket. He flicked it off and I groaned, rolling to face him.
"Why are they constantly calling you? It's Christmas Eve for god's sake. They know the album is on hold because of Fleetwood Mac anyway, not to mention our baby!" I said they but he knew I meant her. She was recently divorced from one of Lindsey's bosses at Warner Bros, though still held a position there & kept finding little ways to bump into him in the studio, and excuses to call him out of hours.
"I know I'm sorry sweetheart, you're my priority always & I know you're tired." He kissed my lips briefly but I knew he meant what he said, & so it was a comfort, "Is there anything I can do to relax you?"
"Just hold me please Linds."
-
I woke up before him. It was hours before our annual party began, and everything was all ready downstairs. I'd have time to do my make up & hair later, for now I just wanted to feel Lindsey humming against me as he slept. However, left to overthink by myself for any length of time with my pregnancy hormones, was practically asking for an emotional shitstorm. "Steph?"
"S-s-sorry I woke you." I managed to stutter through sobs.
"No, no what's wrong angel?" He smoothed my hair and caressed my bump.
"I'm just worried."
"About what?"
"Work."
"I don't re-"
"Both of us. Please don't l-leave me with our baby while you go on tour, I don't think I could t-take it." My crying was getting worse.
"Stevie. I put the album on hold as soon as we found out, why would I change my mind?"
"Because of her?" I hissed out of jealousy, aware I was being irrational.
"Please tell me this is your hormones speaking."
"You didn't d-d-deny it." I bolted upright a little to fast and Lindsey darted to support me with both hands.
"Because you know I love you & have no interest in anyone else. I can't help it if she's a little over-friendly, in fact I barely notice because I don't care." He kissed my hair,"I care about you & our family together."
"I'm sorry...I, I don't know what came over me I'm just...So vulnerable lately."
"Hey it's ok...I'm not one to talk about jealousy anyhow..." I managed a giggle as he slid off the bed to kneel between my thighs, reaching to wipe away my tears.
"Ha no you're not Lindsey 'don't you dare double-take at my lady' Buckingham!"
We smiled at each other for a while and his hands eventually found their way to my bump once more. "Hey there little guy or girl. You're so precious to us already."