”You guys sounded beautiful out there, I’m glad we picked Goodbye Baby to close the show”
Stevie forced a smile on her face after coming off stage, Mick’s words..he meant well and she knew that but "Goodbye Baby" was always a bittersweet song to sing as it was, but with it being what closes the shows instead of "Don’t Stop" made it a bit more difficult. Granted, many had most likely figured out what the song was about, but very few knew how it took a different turn after events of their previous tour. Stevie wasn’t even sure she wanted to put it on “Say You Will” until the last minute, figuring it would give her some type of odd closure that she’s been desperately craving since that dark November night in 1997. Usually, she and Lindsey make some type of eye contact during the song, giving each other a silent nod that they’re alright during the song, but tonight Lindsey did no such thing. Maybe they looked at each other at different times of the song, but they picked the moment they picked for a reason, and when he missed that cue then and was nowhere to be found backstage after the show it alarmed Stevie. Things had actually been going good between the former couple, the blonde racking her mind on if she had done something wrong to piss him off to a point that he wouldn’t have checked on her during the song, or even after. Even at the heat of their hatred after The Dance, Lindsey showed up at her Enchanted tour to make sure she was as okay as she could be, and every May 17th he still gave her a call just to double-check - something had to be wrong if he walked away after getting off stage tonight without saying a word Looking around to make sure she hadn’t missed him because he was behind someone, a little kid’s voice brought a small smile to her face as she realized she quickly had found Lindsey.
Auntie Stevie!!”
Squatting down with a big grin on her face, Stevie opened her arms as LeeLee ran into the blonde’s embrace. Wrapping her arm around who is now Lindsey’s middle child, Stevie stood up as the little girl wrapped her arms around Stevie’s neck. ”Auntie Stevie, Daddy said you get to meet Stella!” Stevie’s heart dropped, her keeping a smile on her face for the sake of little LeeLee while the blonde processed what was going on. She had met Will and obviously LeeLee, but it had been after they were closing in one a year old before she did. Especially with Will due to the fact that her baby girl would’ve been just a few months older than Lindsey’s oldest son, Stella was only a few months old, Stevie hasn’t even thought about holding a baby in years. Scratch that, all she’s thought about was holding a baby, but she wanted it to be her baby, not the baby of her former lover and boyfriend and his now wife. At the same time, she knew it meant the world to Lindsey, and deep down maybe he thought this was going to help Stevie? And maybe it would, she wouldn’t know until she tried - but could she even handle it?
”Steph…”
God, the way he says her name still melts whatever heart and soul she has left, one of the very few people who use her actual name these days. Squatting down a bit to put LeeLee down, Stevie and Lindsey’s eyes met for the first time since before they sang Goodbye Baby, and the mixed reaction in the man’s icy blue orbs made her soul physically ache. The blonde would attempt to put some type of smile on her features, looking around for a few moments. ”Where’s Kristen?" Frankly, Stevie didn’t give a sh*t where the blonde bimbo was, but she didn’t want her to cause issues with Lindsey later because he had Stevie meet Stella. Her eyes all but instantly went to the little baby in his arms, her heart ached to see him hold a baby - it was the most soul-shattering beautiful thing she’s ever seen in her life. She’s seen pictures of him holding Will and Lee when they were babies, but seeing him in person holding a child made her mind race over what could’ve been. All of this was supposed to be them, the rock and roll life and being married with babies, Lindsey should’ve been holding their baby - holding her baby. Watching him walk over to her it was like no one else was there, it was like they weren’t backstage in an arena in Boston after a show. ”She’s not here, and I know you usually wait...but I felt a strong feeling it needed to be sooner..” his voice was unusually soft, Stevie feeling a lump in her throat when he mentioned he had a strong feeling - he knows how she is when it comes to gut feelings and everything else. He knows how strong she believes in signs, gut feelings, and divine intervention - it’s probably how she survived her cocaine and Klonopin addictions.
She extended her arms slightly as Lindsey walked over and placed Stella in her arms. ”Stella Lynn Buckingham…”
”Ly --Lynn?” Stevie’s voice cracked as she whispered, briefly looking up at Lindsey before down at Stella. ”Hi, baby girl…” tears would form in Stevie’s eyes as she let a soft smile form on her lips. The feeling she had with Stella in her arms was something she hasn’t felt in such a long time...since 1997, and that alone f***ed with her mind more than she’ll ever care to admit to anyone. Shifting her eyes up at Lindsey briefly, him having a big smile on his face while he watched her hold Stella, Stevie’s attention went back down to the baby in her arms. Lindsey’s comment about just having a strong feeling ran through her mind, a connection that she couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was, but she felt like she and Stella were going to have an unbreakable bond. Looking into her chocolate orbs, Stevie let a couple of sly tears roll down her cheeks and land on the baby’s cute little outfit. I’m your Auntie Stevie, and I promise I will love and protect you like you’re my own, as long as I’m walking and breathing you will never have to worry about a thing… her voice was soft, barely above a whisper and she knew Lindsey couldn’t hear a word she was saying. The spiritual connection she felt overcome her just seconds after having the baby in her arms was something rather intriguing, but Stevie had a lifetime to figure out why she was having that feeling, the blonde parting her lips to whisper one final thing simply because she knew that she had to give little Stella back to Lindsey sooner rather than later, because no matter how much she wishes this her baby she was loving on after an amazing show it wasn’t, and it was something that would probably eat her alive for the rest of her life.
”Well I wish that you were mine…”
