Stevie was emotionally exhausted. Karen picked her up from Lindsey's and brought her home. It was quiet ride. Karen was concerned about Stevie seeing the state she was in; Stevie had her sunglasses on but Karen could tell that she had been crying. She wanted to ask Stevie what was wrong but knew better. Stevie would speak when she was ready.

Stevie walked into her bedroom, and walked into the closet to change into a nightgown. Her mind racing over the events that went on that day.

She sat on her bed with her sketch pad and journal. She grabbed her journal first and began to write about what had happened at Lindsey's.

When Stevie thought of her baby, it would usually be late at night when she was alone and in the comfort of her own home.
She was blindsided by Lindsey bringing up that painful memory today; she definitely wasn't prepared for it.
Now that she was alone, she let all of her pain out. A fresh set of tears rolled her cheeks.
She continued to write until she got everything out on paper.
She put her journal to the side on her nightstand and stood up and walked back into her closet.

She grabbed a box full of photos and grabbed the one she was looking for.
She held onto the photo and walked back into her bedroom and sat down on her bed.

Stevie stared at the photo and gave it a kiss.
Tears continued to fall down her cheeks.
The photo was actually a sonogram; it showed her very tiny baby at seven weeks.
She put it down by her side and grabbed her sketch pad.
She always wondered what their baby would have looked like. She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them and began to draw.

Once she was done, she put down her pencil and sat back and stared at her drawing.
She drew two toddlers; a boy and a girl, since she didn't know what her baby's gender was.

She had taken some of Lindsey's features and some of hers and drew these two beautiful children both having Lindsey's curls.
Stevie couldn't stop sobbing.
She brought her sketch pad close to her chest and hugged it tightly.
She slumped over onto her pillow, still hugging her sketch pad.

The next afternoon when Stevie woke up, her heart still ached, still holding onto her drawing.

She laid in bed all day; she didn't talk to anyone. Only Karen, and it was only a few words.
She even ignored Kristen's call.
Stevie just couldn't handle Lindsey or anyone else; she needed to be alone.

A week passed by and still Stevie had ignored Kristen's phone calls.
Stevie felt like she was way in over her head and needed a break.
Then she began to feel guilty becuase there was no break for Kristen and Lindsey.

On a Friday afternoon, the doorbell rang.
Karen answered it; it was Kristen.
"Can I see Stevie? Please?" Kristen asked.
"Um, one minute. Come in and come have a seat in the living room while I go see if she's up." Karen said feeling uncertain.

Karen knocked on Stevie's bedroom door.
"Come in."
Karen opened Stevie's bedroom door.
"Stevie, Kristen is here, she's waiting downstairs. She wants to see you."
Stevie sighed and stood up from her seat by the window. "I'll be right down."

After a few minutes, Stevie had dressed, brushed hair out and finally walked downstairs.
Stevie stepped into the living room where she found Kristen sitting patiently waiting for Stevie.

Kristen smiled and stood up to hug Stevie.
"Hi Stevie! How are you? Why haven't you been visiting?"
After their hug Stevie sat down on a seat facing towards the sofa that Kristen was sitting on.
"I'm sorry that I haven't. I just...needed some time for myself." Stevie answered with sadness in her eyes.
"Are you okay Stevie?" Kristen asked.
"I will be, it just takes me some time." Stevie said with a small smile. "How's Lindsey?"
"Well, pretty much the same. When you didn't come for a while, he would get angry of course when he went through an episode but I just had to tell him over and over again that you were on your way or you were stuck in traffic. And when he was himself, he was a bit sad that you weren't around."
Stevie looked down at her hands that were resting on her lap.
"Stevie it's okay though. I want to tell you I appreciate you being there for Lindsey the way you have been, and for being there for me as well. You being there calms him. I don't know what I would do without you." Kristen said with tears in her eyes. She wiped her eyes then said what she had come to Stevie's to ask.
"Listen Stevie, I have to go away for a few days on a business trip. I tried to get out of it. I was wondering if Lindsey could stay here with you until I get back?"
"I..." Stevie didn't know how to respond. She wasn't sure if this was good idea.
"Please Stevie! He'll have his medications with him and I'll write down the schedule of when he needs to take them."
Stevie sighed. "Okay, that's fine. He can stay here."
Kristen stood up and gave Stevie another hug. "Thank you so much! I'm gonna go home and pack for him and I'll drop him off tonight."

After Kristen left, Stevie began to feel nervous. Lindsey had never before spent the night at Stevie's.
She knew she could handle his episodes, she has done that before. She would calm him down and just talk with him till he was back to the present. She would stop his advances of him wanting to be intimate with her.
She so wanted to but what stopped her was the fact that he was a married man; she wouldn't do that to Kristen, and because when he was in those moments, he wouldn't be the present day Lindsey. She knew he wouldn't normally do that when he was himself.

Stevie went to find Karen to tell her about Lindsey staying for a few days.
Karen was a bit apprehensive about the situation but assured Stevie that she would help her out with Lindsey.

Later that night, the doorbell rang.
Stevie was walking down the stairs and paused.
She knew it was Kristen coming to drop Lindsey off.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Okay Stevie, everything is going to be fine. What can possibly go wrong?" She thought to herself.
She opened her eyes and continued down the stairs to greet her new house mate.