Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.
Chapter Forty-Five
"Thank you so much for everything, Mom." voiced Stephanie, showing her mother her gratitude for all Linda had done for her in the past twenty-four hours.
Linda, with all four children in tow, had been at the hospital bright and early to pick Steph up when she was discharged. After getting everyone home safe and sound, Mrs. McMahon even stayed around for an hour or so. She wanted to make absolutely sure that Stephanie really was feeling better, and would be okay to be on her own with the kids.
Stephanie was resting comfortably on her living room sofa, while her mom loaded a tried and true Disney movie into the Blu-ray player to pacify three of the four children. The one left out, being baby Andrew shrieked with delight when his granny granted him free roam of the living room floor where all his baby toys were scattered.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, sweetheart. I'm just so thankful that Paul called me yesterday morning. I don't even want to think about what could have happened if I didn't come over and get you to the hospital."
Steph was thankful too. Not just for the endless support of her mother, but also for her ex-husband, and his presence of mind to call Linda at some point after he left. It was selfless and caring deeds like that that made Stephanie see a glimmer of the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago. The prospect of that same man being there for their daughter truly warmed her heart.
"Yeah, Paul has really been surprising me lately. I really think that we are moving forward as a family and putting the past behind us. I just wish things were going as well with Kurt. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the arrest. I can't, for the life of me, figure out what would make him do something so stupid."
"Well, Kurt should be making bail today. I think it's important for you to wait and hear what he has to say about it. Maybe there is more to the story than we know right now." Linda suggested in an attempt of showing optimism.
"To be honest with you, Mom, I don't even want to hear his explanation. There is no reasonable excuse for what he did. A responsible husband and father would never drive drunk. I mean, what if the kids were in the Escalade with him?"
Stephanie noticed Kyra in her peripheral looking over at her. The oldest child was the only one who had taken her attention off of the movie, and was now focusing on the adults. Steph let out a sigh, and then bit her bottom lip.
"I think this is a topic that should be discussed between you and your husband in privacy when he comes home. I have to go now because I have back to back meetings at corporate. I'll have my blackberry on so don't hesitate to call me if you need anything." Mrs. McMahon told her daughter after she also saw Kurt's daughter eyeing them.
"Okay, Mom, thanks again."
It wasn't long after Linda left, that the Angles' home phone began to ring. Instinctively, Steph quickly reached for the phone that was on the end table right by where she sat on the sofa. Without even bothering to look at the caller id, her thumb pressed the talk button and she brought the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey Steph, how are you feeling?"
Stephanie knew immediately who the male voice on the line belonged to. It was Paul. His voice sounded sweet and caring.
"Oh hi, I'm doing okay. I stayed in the hospital overnight because I was dehydrated from being sick. The IV fluids they gave me worked great, because I feel so much better this morning. It's really sweet that you called to check on me." Steph answered back, giving a smile even though she knew he wouldn't be able to see it.
"I was really worried about you when Linda told me that you were admitted to the hospital. I actually left the SmackDown tapings early and tried to visit you, but you weren't accepting visitors, and your dad was there, and you know how that turned out."
"Aw, you shouldn't have left early. Everything is fine, really. Mom was nice enough to take Aurora and the rest of the kids over night for me, so there was no problem. I'm so sorry you traveled back home early for nothing."
"It wasn't for nothing, I'm just glad you and Aurora are doing okay."
Kyra quickly got up from where she was sitting on the floor with her brother, and ran over to her step-mother while pointing toward the direction of the kitchen.
"Stephanie, the baby went in there by himself." She announced.
"Paul, I have to go, thanks for calling to check on everything, that was very considerate of you...bye."
Once she ended the call, she thanked Kyra for the heads up, and left the sofa to chase after her one year old son. Andrew was in the kitchen trying his best to open one of the lower kitchen cabinets that was being held shut by a child proof lock. He let out a frustrated whine when he saw his mother coming toward him.
"I think we need to put up the baby gates, little man. You need to stay in the living room with Mommy and your brother and sisters." Steph told him as she picked him up.
It was when she was holding him that Steph noticed that he needed a diaper change. She grabbed all the changing necessities from near the wet bar and then began changing Andy on the kitchen counter.
"When's my daddy coming back?" asked Kyra as she entered the kitchen.
"He should be coming home in an hour or so. Did you have a fun time with him at RAW on Monday?" Stephanie inquired, wanting to change the subject to something else before the child asked anything about the arrest.
"It was okay. Kody fell out of the ring and we had to be in the doctor room. And then a lady came and was acting all nice to Daddy. She stayed with us while Daddy worked." Kyra told her step-mother, giving her an account of the goings on at the RAW arena.
"Was the lady's name Candice Michelle?" Steph then questioned, after she took only a moment to process what Kurt's oldest child told her. She had to ask, even if she already thought she knew the answer.
"Yeah, she likes Daddy. She kept smiling and talking to him like this." The child said, giving her best impression of the flirtatious voice that the diva used when talking to her father.
Steph felt her anger begin to rise. Not only was Kurt still using Candice Michelle as a babysitter, when she had specifically asked him not to, but the flirtation between the two of them was so blatant that even the six year old picked up on it. Kurt really had nerve to be upset that Paul was helping take care of things at the house, when he was gladly accepting help from Candice.
"Do you think that Daddy likes her?" Stephanie then asked putting the finishing touches on the diaper change.
"I don't know, he was nice and smiled at her." She explained with a shrug. "I told her that Daddy is married to you and she said that she knows. She said too that she thinks Andy is cute."
"Well that was nice of her. Do you want a snack or something, sweetie?" Steph asked changing to topic yet again. She didn't want to give the child the impression that she was upset. It was all between her and Kurt, the kids had nothing to do with it.
"I want a pop tart. There weren't any at Linda and Vince's house." Kyra mentioned as she then took a seat at the table.
"Mmm, a pop tart does sound good. I think I want one too. Why don't you go and ask Aurora and Kody if they want one as well, while I put Andrew in his high chair."
It turned out that only Stephanie and Kyra wanted the Kellogg's strawberry flavored pop tarts. Not only did Steph enjoy having the child's company in the kitchen, she was also relieved that she had her appetite back. She could eat six of those rectangle pop tarts if she let herself, and why not? Her body had begun the process of creating a baby. She didn't need to diet, the gloves could be off.
"Is that Daddy?" Kyra immediately asked when the sound of the doorbell chiming echoed throughout the spacious home.
"Maybe, let's go see."
Stephanie got up from her chair and began to make her way down the hallway that lead to the front of the house. While she knew it was possible for her husband to be coming home at this time, she didn't think he would be coming to the front door instead of using the garage entrance.
"Mommy!" Kyra exclaimed with surprise the moment both she and Steph reached the front door and saw who was standing on the other side of it.
Kurt's first wife was standing on the Angles' front porch with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for someone to answer the door. It was when Kyra peeked through the side window next to the door that the former Mrs. Angle's demeanor changed for the better.
"Hi my sweet peanut!" Karen gushed the moment Stephanie opened the door and Kyra ran right into her mother's arms.
"Hi Karen." Steph said graciously with a smile, trying to be polite.
"Oh, I missed my babies so much. Where's Kody?" Karen asked her daughter, not even bothering to acknowledge that the new Mrs. Angle had just spoken to her.
"He's watching a movie with Aurora. Did you come here to visit with Daddy too?" Kyra asked with her arms still wrapped around her mother's neck.
"No, I'm here to take you and your bother home to Tennessee. I'm not the only one who has been missing you guys: Jeff, Joslyn, Jaclyn, and Jerlyn miss you and want you to come home too." She explained, listing off Jeff Jarrett and his children.
"I can't leave now, Mommy, I'm eating a pop tart with Stephanie." Kyra told her mother as she was slowly set back onto her feet.
"You can go ahead and finish eating while I collect you and your brother's things."
"I'll go ahead and get their stuff together from upstairs. You can make yourself at home and visit with Kyra and Kody." Steph commented aloud, she was no longer smiling, but was looking right at Karen, to see if she would even turn to look at her while she spoke.
"Thank you..." Karen muttered not even giving Stephanie the slightest glance in her direction.
All Steph could do was roll her eyes in response to Karen's behavior. She couldn't believe that she was being so cold to her when she was now the step mother of Kyra and Kody. As two mothers, wasn't it best to get along as best they could for the sake of the children? Stephanie thought so, and she was determined to do so.
After ascending the staircase, Steph went to both children's respective rooms and loaded up each of their small suitcases with their folded clothes. It really didn't take long, because most of the clothing had not even left the luggage.
"You could have left them by the front door." Karen announced the moment she saw Stephanie enter the kitchen carrying both small suitcases in each hand.
"Well, I'm setting it here, if you want it by the door, feel free to move it there yourself." Steph quickly replied after she took a deep breath, setting the luggage down on the kitchen floor. Both Kody and Kyra were now in the kitchen with their mother, Steph could only assume that her three year old was still being entertained in the living room by the movie.
"Bye baby, I'll miss you." Kyra said sweetly as she reached with her hand and used it to pat her youngest sibling on top of his head, right on his soft spot. Andy's wet mouth formed a smile which compelled Kyra to then kiss his left chubby cheek.
Following his older sister's lead, Kody approached the high chair too. He smiled at his younger brother and gently took hold of the baby's right hand and quickly gave it a quick kiss.
"Well there's no way Kurt can deny that baby; he's got that Angle cranium." Karen commented with a forced chuckle.
"Oh yes, he definitely favors his daddy." Steph replied with a smile as she looked on at her youngest born.
"Isn't Daddy going to say goodbye to us before we go home?" Kyra asked questioning the absence of her father because she was being told it was time to leave Connecticut.
"He's busy, sweetie. I'm sure he'll call you later once we're home with Daddy Jeff."
Steph's eyes widened slightly after hearing Karen call her boyfriend "Daddy Jeff" to her daughter. Not once would Stephanie ever think about having Aurora call Kurt, "Daddy Kurt". She had corrected her child each and every time when Aurora had called him the 'D' word. How did Karen possibly think that was something to encourage?
"Stephanie, can I bring the Breyer horses from up in my room home with me?" Kyra asked shifting her head to the side as she awaited an answer that took a moment to come out of Steph.
"Of course, you and Kody can take home anything you want. Those are your toys in your rooms."
"One toy for each of you! I'm not dragging a bunch of toys back to Tennessee!" Karen yelled after the kids as they ran from the kitchen.
"Did Kurt know that you were coming for the kids today?" Stephanie inquired, breaking the silence that hung in the air immediately after Kyra and Kody left.
"How would he know, his selfish ass is sitting in jail. I came to get my children as soon as I found out what he did. I can't say I'm surprised. Kurt is just being Kurt. He'll never change. I'm so glad he isn't my problem anymore." Karen answered back in a voice that was full of venom and hatred.
"Well, I am surprised. I never thought he would go out drinking in the morning and then try and drive. I've never seen him be so irresponsible." Stephanie heard herself confide. She hadn't planned on sharing her thoughts with Karen, but it just spilled out.
"You know about his pain killer addiction before he left for TNA, right? If he's addicted to one thing, he'll be addicted to another. It's probably how he's trying to cope with the pain, since he can't pop pills anymore." Karen told Steph like it was a matter of fact.
"He's not a drunk, this is the first time anything like this has ever happened. I think you're jumping to conclusions a bit."
"I was married to the man for ten years. You're been married to him for how long? One year? You don't know the half of what I had to put up with being married to him. The addiction to pain killers, and then the lying and cheating. I'm sure you'll see for yourself soon enough; the honeymoon phase is probably dwindling for him."
Stephanie could feel a thick knot beginning to form in her stomach. For a moment she actually thought she was going to get sick again. Hearing Karen voicing her candid opinion of Kurt Angle as a husband was torture to her psyche. Each complaint she voiced about the past marriage, made Steph think about their current one. Was alcohol Kurt's new addiction? How truthful had he been during the year they had been married, and furthermore, had he been faithful to her?
Steph hadn't said a word in response to anything Karen had said about Kurt. She was far too overwhelmed with digesting everything that had been told to her. Stephanie was so taken aback that she didn't even notice that both of Kurt and Karen's children had returned to the kitchen with their selected toys. She was even still in a mental haze when both children gave her a hug goodbye.
"Goodbye, Stephanie, and good luck, I'm sure you are going to need it." Karen chuckled before leading her kids out the way she came, this time carrying their suitcases. In her voice was the hint of satisfaction. Karma, Karen thought, was indeed a bitch.
"Dad, I-"
"Shut up, don't say a word until we get into the limo." Vince said through gritted teeth as he stood in the police station waiting for his son-in-law to finish collecting his personal items that were now being released back to him.
Vince was most worried about not causing any further damage to his reputation. Local reporters were already waiting outside to get footage of Angle as he left lockup. There was no way McMahon was going to let him make a statement. While Kurt's lawyer was finally able to pull strings and help him get bail, the guy wasn't physically there representing him. It was up to Vince to make sure Angle didn't do anything else stupid.
"Mr. Angle, Mr. McMahon, do either of you have any comment on yesterday's arrest?"
The reporters immediately began to flood Kurt and Vince with variations of the same question. They were swarming around them like feverishly working bees at a great honey hive. McMahon's limo driver quickly opened the limo door as soon as Vince and Kurt approached, and closed it behind them.
"Now you want to tell me just what the hell you were thinking?" Vince asked as their limo began to pull away.
"My ribs were killing me yesterday and I came home from RAW to find Paul having breakfast in my house with my wife. I drove to a diner and had a few cups of spiked coffee. I needed something to take the edge off, you don't know what I was going through, Dad. I didn't think I was over the legal limit when I went to drive home. Brock texted me, I got distracted, and the next thing I knew, I had smashed into an old bastard in a Buick and a cop pulled up and decided to give me a breathalyzer." Kurt explained, giving a complete recall of the events that lead up to his arrest.
"If you were having problems then you should have called me, damn it! As a matter of fact, I tried to call you yesterday morning! Stephanie spent the night in the hospital. Linda and I had the kids over night."
"What, what happened, is she okay? Is she still really sick?" Angle questioned in succession, his eyes wide with fear from what his father-in-law might tell him about his wife.
"She's doing better. I'll let her tell you about it when you see her. What I need to talk to you about is what we're going to do to rectify this mess you created."
"Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it." Kurt promised without hesitation.
"Well, you see, the board of directors and the shareholders want you to face some kind of repercussion for your arrest. They want me to suspend you from the company." McMahon revealed in a low voice that was filled with disappointment.
"What, I can't wrestle? For how long?" Angle asked with a look of terror on his face. The idea of him not being able to be a professional wrestler for any length of time was like telling him he couldn't breathe.
"I don't know, give or take a few months. They want the writers to come up with something to write you off TV. You aren't fired or anything, we just need all this to blow over. You really did a number on our family and company's reputation. Linda hadn't told the rest of the family yet, but she's planning on running for a seat in the senate next year. We can't have any more negative press like what you pulled."
"It won't happen again...I just can't believe that I'm not going to be able to do my feud with Swagger. I promised the kid that it would happen. I'm letting everyone down. I just don't know what I'm going to do if I can't wrestle in WWE."
"You can spend more time at home with Stephanie and the kids. Stephanie needs your help as much as possible, being a mother and a businesswoman is no easy feat."
Angle nodded silently in agreement. Vince was right. This unfortunate situation would be a perfect opportunity to spend more time with his wife, stepdaughter, and baby son. Stephanie had said recently that she wanted to take on more responsibilities at the office and spend less time on the road. She wanted to give her children a more conventional family. Now, with his new found time on his hands, he could help her do that.
"As you can see, I had one of my assistants get your Escalade out of impound and park it in the driveway." Vince explained when the limo pulled up to the Angle home and was approaching the SUV that was parked in front of the garage.
"How much do I owe you for that?"
"Nothing, don't worry about it, we're family." Vince answered back without hesitation.
"Thank you for everything, Dad." Said Kurt in a voice full of sincerity as he emerged from the limousine followed by his father-in-law. McMahon nodded before reaching out and taking Angle into an embrace.
"You know I'm disappointed about what happened, but it's a forgivable mistake if you've learned from it. You keep your nose clean, and stay true and loving to my daughter, and we won't have any problems." Vince said as he patted Kurt on the back while they hugged.
"You want to come in and visit before you leave?" Angle offered as soon as they broke their hug.
"No, I need to get back to work. I'm sure you and Stephanie have a lot to talk about." Vince told him as he went to get back into his limo.
"You call me if you need anything. And next time you decide to throw one back, do it in the privacy of your own home." McMahon added before disappearing into the jet black limousine.
Kurt gave a weak smile and a nod as he then watched his father-in-law's limo back out of the lengthy driveway. He stood there watching, until the company car was gone from sight. He was home now and all that was left to do was go inside and reconcile with his wife. They really had a lot to dialogue about: their fight in the kitchen, his arrest, and her overnight stay in the hospital in the wake of his absence. Hopefully, she would be willing to hear him out about all of it.
A few key presses on the garage keypad gained him access to the door that adjoined the garage to the laundry room. The house was strangely quiet. The only sound Angle could pick up on was that of the dishwasher running through a normal cycle. Not only was Stephanie nowhere to be found, but there was absolutely no sign of any of the children. If Vince hadn't already mentioned that they were home, Kurt would have thought that he was alone in the house.
The living room, while it was littered with toys of all ages, was vacant. It was then that he heard the sound of a toilet flushing directly overhead on the second floor, that Kurt knew where to look for his wife. She was undoubtedly in the master bathroom. God, he would kill for a hot shower, that was going to be the first thing he did after having a heart to heart with Steph.
After climbing the stairs, Kurt walked down the hall and directly to the double doors of his and Stephanie's master bedroom. He stood at the white doors for a few seconds and took a shallow breathe, which caused his eyebrows to furrow from the pain it caused. And then, with a hand on each of the door handles, he slowly swung the doors open, revealing his wife lying on their king size bed.
"Babe, I'm home." Angle informed her in a subdued voice that was almost a whisper. From where he stood, he couldn't tell if she was asleep or not.
It was after his voice pierced the silence that Steph lifted her head off the pillow and looked at him. Her face was red and tear stained. She looked like she had been crying for a while. Angle wasn't sure why she was upset. Did something happen to her or one of the kids? Was she crying because of the arrest? Was she still sick?
"Steph, what's wrong? Where are the kids?"
"Karen came and picked up Kyra and Kody, and Aurora and Andrew are taking naps." Stephanie muttered through her obvious nasal congestion.
"She came here and just took my kids?" Angle asked as if he had misunderstood what his wife had told him because of the hoarseness of her voice.
Stephanie didn't reply. She simply plopped her head back down on her pillow and let out a few sniffles. It was obvious that she didn't care to elaborate on Karen's unplanned visit to their home.
"Are you still sick? Mom and Dad made it seem that you were doing much better." Kurt inquired, switching topics to one that he believed would actually yield a response from her.
"No..." She whispered.
Angle narrowed his eyes while folding his arms in front of him. The way she answered made it seem like she was going to elaborate on her condition further. He turned his head at a slight angle and awaited for her to continue.
"I'm pregnant." Steph finally added after several seconds of a delay.
Kurt's jaw dropped. He would have never thought that it was a pregnancy that had Stephanie so sick for the past few days. Their son had just turned a year old, and now they had yet another baby on the way?
"Are you serious? Wow, that's great...Isn't it?"
Angle didn't know how his wife wanted him to react. She didn't seem to show emotion either way. It was like she was indifferent about the news. Were they not suppose to be happy about this unplanned pregnancy?
"It is, I just wasn't expecting to be expecting again so soon. I also wasn't planning on being all alone yet again when finding out that I was going to have another baby. This is the second time this has happened to me." Steph explained, as the tears began to flow freely from her eyes.
Kurt sighed and then turned around to face the doorway. For a moment, Steph actually thought he was going to leave the room, but then she saw that he was simply closing the doors to give them more privacy to talk without fear of waking the children.
He then turned back around and this time ventured further into the room. He took a seat on the side of the bed right next to where Stephanie was laying.
"I would have been there for you, but-"
"But what? What excuse could you possibly have for storming out of the house like a three year old leaving me sick with four children, two of which were here to spend time with you since they never see you, while you went out drinking!" Stephanie hollered, completely cutting him off out of frustration. She had lifted her head off of her pillow and was now sitting straight up in bed.
"I left before I did or said something that I'd regret!" Angle shouted back, matching her intensity level as he stood back up before continuing to say his piece.
"I come home after busting my ass for your company to find you having breakfast with your ex-husband in my house and at my breakfast table! I would think you would know where I'm coming from when that same son of a bitch had his blonde slut at your breakfast table when you came home one morning! You remember that, Stephanie, I know I do!" He said with such force behind his words as he brought up his wife's single encounter with the woman that had had a hand in ruining her first marriage.
Steph's eyes widened fully. Her pouty mouth gapped open as her brain tried to play catch up so that it could process what he had just spewed at her.
"I can't fucking believe you!" She screamed before she too got off the bed and stood toe to toe with her husband before she went on.
"How dare you compare yesterday morning to that painful moment in my past! Paul was there only to help me!"
"If you needed help you should have called your mother!" Kurt shouted with full intensity at the same time his arm darted outward with his finger pointing out toward the window to further drive home his point.
"You knew I didn't want Paul around my son! How many times have I told you?" He roared causing all of the veins in his head to stick out. His temper was on the rise while his thoughts focused on his wife deliberately going against his wishes by having their infant son subjected to her ex.
"And I told you to stop letting that sneaky bitch, Candice Michelle, watch the kids! According to Kyra, you went ahead and let her anyway at RAW two days ago! Don't be a hypocrite and grow the fuck up!" Steph hollered right back without hesitation. She was damned if she was going to let him make her feel bad about calling on her ex-husband for help.
"So what? What's the big deal if she watched the kids? Are you so insecure that another woman's kindness automatically means that she wants to jump my bones?"
"I'm very secure in myself! Don't turn all of this on me! I'm not the irresponsible parent! You were the one who got drunk and decided to get behind the wheel! What if our children were in the Escalade with you? How would you be able to live with yourself if, God forbid, they got hurt because of you?" Steph sobbed, bringing the argument back to that of the children, the ones that mattered the most.
"That's why I didn't take any of them with me! I needed to get away for a while and have something to dull the pain of my fucking caved in ribs! I had a few spiked coffees, that's all! You act like I downed a bottle of Jack fucking Daniels!"
"Drinking is drinking and with what Karen told me about your past, you shouldn't be touching any addictive substances!"
There was a moment of silence; a break in the onslaught of allegations and insults being heaved back and forth. The sound of the crying children from in the other rooms could be heard by both Stephanie and Kurt. Angle was looking on at his wife, wide eyed, and almost like he was in a trance before he spoke.
"You're listening to Karen now? What did my ex-wife tell you?" He asked in a lower voice that was trembling with built up anger and resentment.
"She told me about the painkiller addiction and your cheating, how the two coincided with one another." Steph admitted aloud looking directly at him.
"You knew about my past before we even got together. What are you implying, Steph? That I'm not only now an alcoholic but I'm sleeping around on you too?"
Stephanie brought her hands to her face and wiped away her falling tears. She hated how it all sounded coming from him, but she would be lying if what she said it didn't cross her mind a few times in the last twenty-four hours. It was his past mistakes in his marriage to Karen coupled with his recent behavior that caused her to question his conduct.
"I don't know what I'm saying..." She whispered almost timidly as she looked down at the carpet floor.
"God damn it, Steph, I love you! I scarified everything to be with you! I left my kids to move to Connecticut, I reneged on my promise to Dixie Carter and the rest of the TNA locker room when I came back to WWE so that we could be together! I even stifled my ambition to do an MMA fight because you didn't want me to! And after all that, you're going to listen to my bitter ex-wife? What the fuck, Stephanie?" He screamed on the top of his lungs, letting all his emotions, his heart and soul, pour out of him. Angle was laying it all out on the table now, holding nothing back.
Stephanie's blue eyes sparkled with her tears as she looked up and shook her head. She was trying her best to keep it together so she could reply to his revelation that he had just laid out for her.
"If you feel like you've been so put upon, maybe we should end the marriage then. Don't act like you did me a big favor by marrying me just because you found out I was carrying Andrew." Steph croaked with such sorrow that it made her heart physically ache.
Angle felt like someone had, without warning, punched him hard in the stomach. His icy blue eyes began to glaze over as tears began to form in them. Had Stephanie really just suggested the "D" word? Was she really ready to call it quits, just like that? After one year of marriage, a one year old, and a baby on the way? Did the life they created mean that little to her?
"Well...If you see it that way...then maybe I should leave..." He managed to mutter while he attempted to fight back his tears.
The awkward silence between the two of them felt like an eternity. A backdrop to all of it was the constant cries of both Aurora and Andrew who had been woken up from their naps because of the fighting. And then, Steph opened her mouth and spoke:
"I think you should..."