Flicker

9

Walking up to Ruth's house it was solemn and quiet. They didn't worry about the bags, they just wanted to get into the house, so Stevie threw her purse over her shoulder and Lindsey wrapped his arm around her waist and they made their way to the house. Lindsey let her go in first, and Stevie quickly discarded her shoes and dropped her purse. Lindsey followed with his shoes and the ventured further into the house. There was laughter coming from the living room but as soon as Greg's wife-Claudia, they met at the Olympics both placed silver in the 400 competition for their genders-sees Stevie she lets out a sob alerting the rest of the family. 

"Oh, honey." Stevie sighs taking the other woman into her arms. 

Stevie holds Claudia while she cries until a particularly hard kick causes them to pull apart. 

"Oh my gosh, you really are pregnant." Claudia chuckles.

"No, I'm just carrying a soccer ball under my shirt," Stevie smirks.

"We didn't believe it when Lindsey said that you guys would be here until today because you had to come from Arizona as you were hiding out there for the duration of your pregnancy." Claudia sniffles but also laughs. 

"I'm almost 25 weeks. But I don't think I'm going to be able to hide much longer." She shakes her head.

"What do you mean?" Ruth questions.

"Ruth, Greg was an Olympic medalist. Not even five minutes after Lindsey called me it was on the news that he passed away. His funeral is going to be publicized. Especially because A) Claudia is also an Olympic medalist. B) Lindsey is well...Lindsey. C) I'm me. It's going to be everywhere." Stevie explains as her mother in law wraps her arms around her. 

"But I don't want it everywhere." Ruth states.

"Mom, we will do everything in our power to make sure that it's not made a skeptical, but there probably will be pictures taken," Jeff announces. 

"It's bad enough I have to bury my son, I don't need it all over the world." Ruth states.

"Nice one Steph." Lindsey states. 

"Lindsey..." Stevie warns.

"Well, you shouldn't have said anything. Now you've got my mother all stressed out and that's just what we need." Lindsey growls. 

"Lindsey." Jeff states as his baby brother shrinks back. 

"Um Stevie, so what are you designing for this little love bug?" Claudia questions changing the subject. 

"Do you want to see, I have sketches and I even brought a couple of little pieces and I have some fabric so I can keep working while I'm here. Let me go out to the car and get my bag." Stevie says pointing to the front door. 

***

Later that night, Lindsey and Stevie were in the guest room, getting ready for bed when Lindsey just barks at her, and she was expecting it. It was who they were and she was naive enough to believe that a new baby would stop the fighting. 

"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SAY THAT TO MY MOTHER?" 

"I'M SORRY, I JUST FIGURED THAT WE SHOULD WARN HER BEFORE THE PRESS SHOWS UP AND AMBUSHES THE FUNERAL AND THE BURIAL," Stevie growls. 

"YOU'RE JUST SO FUCKING STUPID SOMETIMES-SHE'S BURYING HER SON MY BROTHER AND NOW YOU'RE TELLING HER THAT SHE'S GOING TO HAVE TO RELIVE IT ALL THAT NIGHT ON THE NEWS." He spits. 

That one, that one stung so all she did was grab the pillow she was supposed to be sleeping on and she storms out of the bedroom her silky robe trailing behind her.

"Steph, come on." Lindsey sighs. 

She doesn't answer him and just makes her way down to sleep on the couch. 

***

She was woken up by a small body nuzzling up under the blanket on the top of her belly. Upon opening her eyes she chuckled seeing three-year-old Cory Buckingham, Jeff's daughter sleeping peacefully on top of her. 

"She's been like that for an hour," Ruth says from her perch on her glider. 

"Right, it's Tuesday and you watch her until Jeff or Anne get off work." Stevie answers.

"If you're uncomfortable I can move her, she was just so excited that Aunt Stevie was here...How come you're sleeping down here?" Ruth questions. 

"No she's fine...there's no use in lying to you, you'll spot it anyway so I'll just tell you, we got in a fight last night and he took it too far so I came and slept down here." Stevie rubs Cory's back.

"About what?" She asks.

"You," Stevie replies.

"Me?" 

"Yeah. How I shouldn't have told you that the press could get involved. I'm sorry about that, I just thought I'd warn you before they ambush the funeral. It may very well not happen. I don't know, I just know that there is a possibility of it." Stevie shakes her head.

"No, I was thinking about it last night, you're right. I just didn't want to admit it." Ruth states as LIndsey enters the livingroom. 

He looks sad, and Stevie just holds up her right hand and he takes it as he walks by the back of the couch. 

"You shouldn't have yelled at her last night, Lindsey." Ruth scolds.

"She told you didn't she?" Lindsey sighs walking around the couch. 

"She did." Ruth nods as Lindsey bends down at kisses his wife.

"I'm sorry." He admits when the kiss breaks.

"Me too." Stevie nods

It was then that Lindsey decided to crawl on top of her so he goes to where her feet are and he just starts army crawling on the couch.

"NO! WE CAN'T All FIT!" She laughs as Lindsey settles his weight where his niece nor his baby is. 

Cory startles and smiles when she sees her Aunt and Uncle. 

"HUH! CORY!" Lindsey coos going to kiss her cheeks.

"Uncle Lindsey Stop." She whines and wriggles around. At one point, Stevie was getting kicked by the baby and Cory-Cory was kicking her thighs trying to get to Lindsey who was smothering her with kisses. 

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! IF WE'RE ALL ON THIS COUCH LET'S SIT PROPERLY." Stevie demands as Lindsey laughs but resituates. 

"So Cor, Aunt Stevie brought you some stuff." Stevie looks at her. 

"Presents!" Cory gasps.

"Yeah, come on kiddo." Stevie stands up holding her hand out to her. Cory takes it. Stevie grabs her pillow with her free hand, and they go upstairs together. 

"What did she get her?" Ruth asks Lindsey when Stevie and Cory head up the stairs.

"Clothes. She made her some clothes. They were all going to be for Christmas but Stevie wanted to bring her some early." Lindsey explains.

"How many?" Ruth questions.

"Well...she made fifteen outfits in total, she got sizes and everything from Anne, I think she brought like six of them, and she made her a dress for the funeral. She started it right after I called her, she got everything cut out and then she drove from Arizona to LA through the night, slept for a couple of hours yesterday like from 2-8. Not that long, but the baby wouldn't stop moving so she gave up and went downstairs and she sewed it all together." Lindsey explains. 

"Well, Cory loves clothes. I'll go make some breakfast what do you think your wife and baby is going to want?" Ruth asks.

"I don't know what they want, but YOUR baby wants chocolate chip pancakes." Lindsey grins. 

Ruth just laughs and makes her way towards the kitchen.