"If they are holding you here against your will blink three times."
Shannon had always been one of Stephanie's best friends. They had the greatest time together when they went out to clubs. All Stephanie's friends could be counted on go drinking and have a blast on weekends and even the occasional night but it was Shannon who was always up for a fun ride no matter what the day or the hour. They always had a blast together. They always got blasted together.
"it's not a cult." Stephanie said faking exasperation. "Its a family. You know, where you end up five times a day in a group hug. Oh my God I'm in a cult."
That was pretty much all it took for Shannon to convince Stephanie it was time to leave. That and promising to take her out partying anywhere she wanted to go. As she was leaving though she already started to miss the kids but realized as she was giving DJ directions on what to do with her own kids that things had gotten way out of hand.
She was planning on coming back. Just not for a couple of days. She was hoping for that hot guy with the caught. That was the dream. She was also hoping that she wouldn't black out and wake up in some girls bed. That was the nightmare. Either way it was time to party.
Stephanie was having a great time at Chochella's. It was almost like old times. Shannon even got her the gig as a DJ, she was just about to go on when her sister skyped her reminding her that she had promised to give Max her scarf for his recital. She had convinced him it was magic and would give him confidence to go on.
She had let him down and it made her feel horrible. However she had her own friend. "I pulled you out of that cult. You are back with your own people."
There was some truth to that statement. Stephanie wanted nothing more then to get wasted with Shannon. Shannon probably had some coke in her pocketbook and if she didn't she knew where to score some. It had been a long time since Stephanie could party this much and she missed ti. She really missed it.
However when she got on the plane to Italy she saw that everyone was already drunk and it gave her a weird feeling inside the pit of her stomach. As the plane took off she didn't want the glass of whatever she had in her hand. Well she did and she drank it but what she really wanted was to know how Max had done at his recital. She wanted to know how Jacksons day went. She wanted to feed Tommy dinner. She wanted to talk to her sister.
She wanted to talk to Kimmy.
She would miss Kimmy and she didn't know what to do with that information. It was only supposed to be for a few days but Stephanie knew herself. If she let this plane land it Italy she would get wasted and never go back home.
"Look who got sucked into the vortex of motherhood." DJ said happily and partly teasing as Stephanie told her how much she enjoyed being around her family.
That's when Stephanie had decided to tell her the truth. She had found out that she would never have children of her own. She had always meant to tell her family but it never seemed to be the right time. Now however seemed to be the right time.
"I can't have children." Stephanie said trying to keep herself together at least for her sisters sake.
The idea of children was not something Stephanie had ever really considered before. Even finding out from her doctor that it wouldn't happen hadn't really hit her. Then she had moved in with her sister and her band of kids and suddenly the idea she would never be a mother hit her like a freight train.
Stephanie wasn't sure what she wanted anymore.
When DJ hugged her Stephanie knew this is where she belonged. It wasn't with Shannon and all her party friends. For whatever reason the appeal of getting drunk and partying every night had lost its appeal.
The appeal was Jackson, Max, and Romano coming into Tommy's room and Max telling them all how his recital went. The appeal was a great big group hug.
The appeal was Kimmy coming in to join them.
The appeal was family.
A/N: I am aware that there are other ways to have children. Just for this chapter I am following the basic script of "Mad Max". Plus I am working under the assumption that accepting you cannot "have children" is a process and Stephanie has just told her sister. She is not going to jump right into adoption especially since she never considered children previously.