After a while, Lucy got herself together, as did Elijah. They were starting to get their things packed for the next day, so they wouldn't have to rush or hassle.
"Ya ready?" Elijah asked and she nodded.
"I am, but if you don't mind---I think I'll see my mom, first."
"Not at all," he kissed her on the temple. "I'll pull the car around. Take your time."
"Okay, thanks."
He nodded at her slightly and then walked passed her as he went for the front door, leaving her in the middle of the room.
She took a slight breath to herself, trying to prepare, before seeing her mother. She knew there was nothing to be scared of because, it was just her mom, but she was nervous. Lucy slowly, but surely made her way to her mother's room. She knocked on the door and Lori opened it.
"Hi, sweetie," she said with a sympathetic smile. She stepped aside and let her niece in.
"Hey," Lucy smiled weakly. "Thanks," she stepped inside and her eyes fell onto her mother, whom was in the armchair by the window.
When Stevie heard her daughter's voice she wanted to break down in tears. She didn't think she'd come by at all. Stevie got up and looked at her.
Lori could see that, they really needed to talk. She waited a second and finally said something. "I'm gonna head out. I have to check on Jessica. Call me later, Steves?"
"Yeah," she smiled weakly. "I will. Tell her I said, hi."
"Okay," with that Lori left, probably to go find Sharon and to give her niece and sister some time to talk. Lori disappeared and the girls were left alone.
"So..." Stevie smiled lightly, letting her hands fall to her sides. "How'd it go with your dad?"
"Good," her daughter assured. "It was very nice. He told me some things and only because, I asked."
"Of course," Stevie put her head down a little. "You know," she paused. "You know that I never did any of this to hurt you, right?"
Her daughter nodded stiffly. "I know."
"I'm sorry, that I did and I'm sorry if you're mad or... I honestly don't know what you're feeling."
"I'm not angry," she said, causing Stevie to look up. "I'm not mad and I want you to know---that I've decided, I want him there for me."
"I'm glad, doll. There's nothing I've wanted more."
"He bought me the most beautiful guitar and it goes perfect with the new journal, you got me. It's cool how you're in sync."
Stevie nodded with a smile because, she and Lindsey have always been able to do things like that, even when they weren't planned. "Yeah, we're pretty in sync."
"Just not when it came to me."
Stevie looked up abruptly and noticed her daughter looking down.
"It wasn't your fault, baby. I just--he didn-"
"Didn't know about me. I know," she chuckled lightly.
"If I'd have told him, you'd not be standing here now. He and I would probably be divorcing now and you'd probably be in shreds. Or he and I would be yelling at each other."
"I know. I've run through most of the probabilities, myself. But did you ever think about the main one? do you ever think we could all be happy?" she asked, starting to cry.
Stevie nodded, tears that stayed at her brim started to fall. She started to walk towards her girl and she took her in her arms. "I did. That's why I feel so horrible. I've thought, what if I ripped you away from a happy life."
They sat down on the foot of the bed.
"You gave me a wonderful life, mom. You've done everything you can to take care of me."
"I did, but I kept you away from one of the most important necessities," she paused. "Your father," she swiped her daughter's hair out of her face. "I love him so much and I did the same thing to him."
"Why did you do it?" she asked, still in her mother's warm embrace. "He told me, it had to do with your guys' drug addicton. He said there was more to it, but he didn't say anything more."
Stevie cleared her throat. "Do you want to know?" she whispered.
She nodded, unsure of her answer. She didn't know if she was really prepared.
"Okay um, so you know we started doing coke in the 70s."
"Mhmm, he said that's when coke was just becoming a thing and you didn't know it was bad."
"Right. We started doing it at the end of '76 and going into '77. It's when we were finishing Rumours."
Lucy nodded.
"So by '78 we were pretty bad. Very out of it and we didn't focus. We were able to focus on our music, but not our lives. Lots of drinking and smoking. So, there was a party and Mick and I ended up having an affair."
"Oh, that's awful, mom. Did dad find out?"
"He did, but a little later. Anyway, Mick was married and so was I. But this is to tell you how dangerous drugs are and how careful you have to be. When Lindsey found out, he was obviously raging... absolutely furious and I don't blame him. Mick actually told him."
"So what happened? Like-"
"Hold on, let me get there," she said through a slight chuckle. "Alright, so I apologized and apologized because, I was sorry. I still am and at some point he'd told me it was fine and it was in the past. And it was- I just felt awful about it. So we were fine in that area and we never talked about it again. We still fought about stupid things and Lindsey would still get violent. We'd argue a lot in the studio because, that's what we do. Again, not to scare you, but there will be one tiny thing that you and Elijah will fight over. It'll be tiny, but whatever it is will make you drive each other nuts."
"I get that. Not everything is a bed of roses. Anyway, continue."
"Right. So in the mid '80s, I want to say '85, I had just released Rock A Little and I had also gone to a doctor and that's when he told me I could die if I didn't stop doing coke."
"Jeez, mom."
"I know, dangerous. Anyway, in '85, probably while I was away on tour, Lindsey also had an affair."
"Oh, you people are twisted."
"Yeah, right?" Stevie chuckled. "Now you see why we divorced. So when I found out, I was very upset and I was very vulnerable, being that I had to fight my way through the tour, with the news about my health. In the end of '85 I went to rehab. What caused our departure was, the woman he was seeing, there was a pregnancy scare and he told me."
"I can understand your anger. That would really suck."
"Mhmm. That's when I served him with divorce papers. Now one thing about your father and I, is that no matter how hard we fight. No matter how much we said we hated each other, we love each other very, very much."
"I can see that you love each other a lot. It's honestly amazing."
"It is."
"Alright, so when do I come in?"
Stevie chuckled. "So one of the last times I seen him was probably mid or the end of October."
"I'm not about to hear something, I'm gonna regret, right?"
"Well, no. But I mean that was also the last time we did it and really it was to say goodbye. Like I said, there was still a lot of love and we didn't want to say goodbye, but we knew we needed to. Then I found out about you and your father was dating some chick. Pretty sure it was Carol Ann and that was the one he cheated on me with. So I---the last time I saw him was in December and that was for him to sign his papers. After that I went home. He didn't notice I was pregnant and I never mentioned it. I was hurt that he was still with other women, even though we loved each other."
"Well, honestly. That is a good reason. Did you date anyone? and then you just reconnected?"
"Well, I didn't see him till '91 and then I didn't see him again until '97. No, I didn't really date anyone. I was focused on raising you. You were my priority and I didn't want to add people to your life and shift you from relationship to relationship."
"And '97 was when you started going out again? that's what he told me."
"Mhmm," she nodded. "I only told you because, you wanted to know. This subject makes Lindsey upset and he tries to move past it. We are at the point where we don't talk about it at all and it's the best thing for us. The past isn't the best of subjects."
"I understand, mommy. I do and I'm sorry if I came off mad. I see that you had reason for doing what you did. I don't think I'd have done the same thing, but... ya know."
"I do. And I'm very happy that you could let him be in your life. I've always wanted that for you two. Lindsey's always been pretty lonely and that's because, if I was tending to you, I wouldn't tend to him and vise versa."
"So I never met him, personally because, he didn't even know?"
"Baby, you were so secret. He didn't even know I had a child. Had he have known about you, he'd have thought you were mine with someone else and that would have hurt him. I still loved him and I didn't want him to think that. And if I were to tell him about you, so late. I thought he would try to take you from me and I wasn't ready for that. I never thought you'd meet."
"He said something about, you said, I was Karen's cousin," she looked at her mom and Stevie bit her bottom lip, looking guilty as ever. "It's alright," she chuckled. "I get it."
"I'm so sorry, baby," she said as she squeezed her daughter tighter.
"Now that I know everything. I'm ready to move on."
"What do you mean?" Stevie smiled.
"Well, I want you two together, I want to get married and I want both of you there. For me."
"I can definitely do that. Your father needs space, though."
"Did he leave?" she said with slight panic.
"He did, but--"
"I will get him back here."
"Honey, we are leaving tomorrow. Why don't you just wait till the next break?"
Lucy stood, breaking away from her mom. "Mom, he and I have missed twenty years of my life, together. And I'm not blaming you, so don't get upset. Anyway, I already told him I want him there for me. I want both of my parents there for me. So could you please let me be spoiled for a minute?"
Stevie put her hand up. "Go ahead. I just don't see the point of him flying out here to spend half a day with you. You can see him when you go back home."
"That's true, too. But I'd like to see you, together at the same time. I also would like to go home with him. He and I have twenty years of catching up to do before the wedding."
"Before the wedding," her mother mumbled. "What do you mean? when is it anyway?"
"We haven't set a date, but I already told Lindsey he's walking me down the isle."
Stevie giggled. "Alright then."
"By the way, when are you two getting hitched because, I need a matron of honor."
"Slow your roll, baby doll. Go have fun with Elijah 'cause, I know you made him wait in the car and I will get a hold of Lindsey. Or at least try."
"Okay, good luck. Tell him you want him here for the show." She kissed her mother on the cheek. "I'll see you later."
"Bye."
On Lucy's way out, she bumped into both of her aunts and kissed them before leaving with Elijah.
"What's going on?" Lori asked with wide eyes and a smile.
Stevie shook her head.
"Well, what happened?" Sharon asked.
"I have to call Lindsey," Stevie said with a slight shrug and smile.