November 23, 1974

Today was the day. the day they were getting married. All of their families were there at the park, including Lori even though they didn't really know each other she WAS marrying Chris.  It was a little chilly but the chairs were gorgeous with red roses on the backs of them. The aisle wasn't white it was a deep read as Stevie's colors were red white and black. She walked down the aisle wearing a white silk slip dress with a black lace overlay on it, a fishnet veil in her hair holding a bouquet of red roses. 

They had said the prewritten vows and then it came time to exchange rings. But Stevie didn't know why that was apart of the ceremony because it wasn't supposed to be. But Lindsey slid two rings onto her fingers a plain gold band and then above it he put a gold braided band ring with a very small black diamond on it. 

"Lindsey I didn't..." She starts tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's okay." He smiles. Right as the priest tells them to kiss each other and they do and then they go sign the papers and do what they need to do before they make their way to the reception. It's been an awkward couple of months, Stevie did throw Lindsey a small birthday party by making him a cake but she didn't get him a gift and she certainly wasn't expecting wedding rings from him, but she liked them. She really truly liked her wedding rings and she couldn't stop staring at them. 

But it had been awkward. She hates the way Lindsey leaves his socks all over the place and his dirty towels. He didn't like how she'd do work and lesson plan into the night with ALL the lights on in the bedroom. He wanted the house cold, she wanted it hot, she permed her hair quite a lot in their bathroom and the smell of the solution would waft into the bedroom and it made Lindsey nauseas. She liked to sleep with the windows and doors open he thought it was a robbery waiting to happen, and it was just a mess but now they were officially married and they were Mr. and Mrs. Buckingham. Well, she was Mrs. Nicks-Buckingham. But they were married and Lindsey felt out of place but he wanted to make this work. Divorce wasn't an option and he wanted the next sixty to eighty years to be livable. They weren't even going on a honeymoon. Tomorrow morning the first thing they were doing was going home and then Lindsey was going to steer clear of the bedroom so Stevie could work. He didn't know if they'd ever actually settle down together but he was really hoping that they would. 

***

November 24, 1974

Lindsey was doing laps in the pool and Stevie was staring at him from the balcony. She was about to go downstairs and start to make dinner but she had the doors open in their bedroom and she could hear him splashing around. He was so totally sexy, with his lean swimmers body and his gorgeous curls. His blue denim eyes could cut right through her. But she was hesitant. Hesitant because she never wanted to get married and she definitely doesn't want to have any kids but she can tell that he does and she feels bad. But she will never admit to the stirring she felt between her legs as she watched him swim and flex his muscles. It was cold out, 51 degrees but he was still swimming up a storm. 

She just chuckled lightly and shook her head before going downstairs to start making dinner. She chooses a chicken Caesar salad so she grills up the chicken and then cuts it up and as she's setting the table Lindsey comes in and smiles at her.

"I'm going to run up and get changed and I'll be right down." He smiles.

"Okay." She nods sitting down at her head fo the table. 

As they're eating Stevie clears her throat and looks at him, 

"Are you upset that we aren't going on a honeymoon?"

"Nah, I could care less about things like that and besides you have school and that's more important." Lindsey shrugs biting into his salad.

"Well, I'm glad that you think that way." Stevie shrugs.

"When should we start trying for a baby?" He questions.

"We are waiting until the latest possible time." Stevie tells him.

"Oh, alright." He nods and just like that the topic was dropped. That was the norm for them. They'd make small conversation and then tense awkward silence would fill the rooms. The only time it was comfortable was when they were in separate rooms. It was no way to have a marriage but it was their marriage and after dinner Stevie went upstairs, Lindsey thanked her for dinner and then he did the dishes like normal and then he went into the living room and he turned on the tv. 

After about two hours of watching mindless television he went upstairs. Stevie was deep in her materials her glasses perched on her face but she had moved from the desk in the corner of the room to sitting cross legged on the bed.

"What do you think about getting a dog?" Lindsey asks.

"A what?" She stops and looks up at him her pen in-between her teeth. 

"A dog, maybe we should get a dog." Lindsey sighs.

"Sure whatever." Stevie shrugs going back to her paperwork. He smiles and grabs his pillows off of the bed and she stops looking up at him with a surprised expression.

"I'm painting tomorrow I have an early call time and you're going to be up most of the night working. 

Lindsey did get a job with some house painters and even though it was winter they were still painting houses but on the inside and Lindsey practiced for his first job by painting their own house. He painted the walls int he living room with the brown leather furniture a tan color the room with the red furniture a yellowish tan but not disgusting pee, or bright lemon but the perfect muted shade of yellow. 

And it was the first night that Stevie hadn't slept well because Lindsey wasn't with her.