Why Should It Matter?

14. Brief Explanation

"Well, the thing is... And I want to be honest and make sure you kids understand that Stevie and I, we're friends again. I want you to know sooner than anybody because your mom doesn't totally know that we hang out from time to time and she would disapprove in a sense. She'll eventually find out, but I don't want it to be a huge shock to you guys. You know?" he asked, making clear eye contact.

"I understand," Leelee assured, knowing she was to cover at times for him.

"I think it's pretty clear," William finally spoke out, sure of himself.

Lindsey nodded with a light smile and then kind of smirked at the sound of "Dreams," knowing that was Stevie's song to him while he wrote "Go Your Own Way" to her.

Pretty soon the song changed; another hit song sung by Stevie---"Sara."

"I'm glad you get it," he assured. "Now, I have to go and see her since she probably isn't at her best," he stood up, clearing his throat.

As he walked out, his kids watched him; on two different pages even though they thought they were on the same one.

Turning to her brother---"That was kinda weird, if you ask me," she stood up, crossing her arms to stare down at him. Nudging him in the shin with her foot, she pulled him out of his trance.

"I can't believe it," he muttered a little louder than he thought.

"Well, we always knew they couldn't stay mad forever," she shrugged, looking at the spinning record with an arched brow. "He already told me, so I'm not sure why he had to get all weird for you," she stopped the record only because it crept her out with her dad's weird behavior.

"Lee, what do you think he was telling me?" he asked to see where she was at in the whole spiel.

"That he and Stevie are friends---which I knew that," she shrugged.

"That may be, partially, it," he nodded in agreement. He kind of scoffed and turned, shaking his head. "Mom will eventually find out," he recited his father's statement.

"Well, I've been covering for dad---ever since he went to see her," she shrugged it off.

He turned his head swiftly. "You're helping him have an affair?" he asked, nearly shocked.

"Affair?" she repeated, shaking her head. "Dad's not having an affair. He said that he and Stevie were mending their friendship so that he could be friends with his old band mates again."

"Lee, c'mon," he shook his head. "Think about it---why hide it from mom? Why would he give us background info on things we already knew about him and Stevie?" he let his hands meet his sides. "They've always been in love and their planning on going official---that's what's going on here," he explained.

"I never really got that notion," she shook her head.

"I think we should tell mom," he added, sympathy filling his core.

"No," she pulled him back gently. "Mom is just gonna scream at him and call him names for this," she shook her head.

"It's not okay for this to happen," he added. "Lee, it's not good that you're helping him."

"What would you know?" she asked in a snobby tone. "Look, dad deserves to be happy and whatever happened with him and Stevie---doesn't affect us, or at least it shouldn't. Dad doesn't love mom and he told us that and I get it. She nags him about Stevie even when they were just friends. He's tired of living in his studio."

He kind of huffed and looked at her.

"I dunno about you, but I'm gonna keep covering for him. After this year, he deserves it. Mom will eventually find out and even if he told her the truth, that wouldn't change her reaction," she shook her head.

"Guess you're right," he sighed. "I just think--"

"Is anybody home?!" their mother's voice cut his statement off.

"We're in here," Leelee yelled, pulling her brother's hand so they could make it back into the house.

"Oh, hey, honey?" Kristen smiled at her son. "What were you guys doing in there?"

Stella ran upstairs with yet another trophy.

"Me and dad were working on Landslide, then we went to dinner," Leelee explained, gesturing to herself and her brother.

"Cool," she nodded. "I guess you're leaving then?" she asked her son, bringing him in for a hug.

"Yeah---I just said goodnight to dad," he assured.

"Is he still down there?" she asked, pulling away from him.

Leelee could feel her heart beat pick up only because she didn't know if her brother was going to rat their dad out.

"Yeah, he had a bit of a headache so he locked himself in there," William assured. "He took a sleeping pill," he added.

"Oh, that should be good for him---he doesn't sleep much since the surgery," Kristen nodded.

Leelee felt relief the moment her brother started batting for their team to not tell their mom.

—

"You're here," Stevie mumbled as she was in and out of sleep---her eyes not opening much. Though she did have a small curl to her lips when she heard his voice.

"Yeah," he kissed the side of her head.

"They just gave her some medicine," Karen added, standing in the shadows of their love. "It puts her to sleep while helping her breathe."

"Good," he nodded, swiping her bangs out of the way. He also reached out to Lily since the dog was poking her nose out from where she laid to sniff him. Chuckling, "I haven't seen you in a while, Miss Lily," he smiled.

Lily rested her head in her mom's lap and went back to sleep after IDing him.

He chuckled again and took a seat on the plastic chair. "I can handle it from here," he told her assistant.

"On the contrary; you need somebody on the look out for the band," she rose her brows a tad, content with being in the corner. "Chris said she would be here in the morning and John had just left before they gave her her medicine," she assured.

"Thank you for taking care of her," his voice was at a whisper as he watched his girl sleep.

"It's what I do," she added.

"Yeah and despite our falling outs---I appreciate it because I haven't been able to do it," he assured.

Karen stayed quiet. "When she's out fully, maybe we can chat," she mentioned.

"Fine... I don't wanna leave her," he added.

Karen kind of stayed silent, taking in his words for the first time and much to her surprise, he was as genuine as Stevie explained. She was getting that he was serious about everything he had said to her boss.