Fleetwood Mac lands today. They've only toured for about four months. The news of Stevie's pregnancy excited fans but then the news of my departure scared people. I've been asked if the baby was mine or not. I don't answer, I just walk away. I need to have the kids packed to leave in the morning. Sara has expressed her distaste for my tiny three bedroom apartment in LA and expressed joy when I told her Mom was back and she'd get to go live back in the big house. I agreed to check the mail and keep up with the bills while Stevie's been on tour, and I've also taken the liberty to create a nursery. I'm not as artistic as Stevie is but I'm not horrible.

I'm proud of the little ducky nursery though. The walls are painted grey and the crib is white with yellow sheets and a stuffed duck sitting up in the crib. A soft ducky blanket hanging over the side of the crib. I know the old rocking chair is starting to get old and rickety, but she loves it so I painted it a crisp white. There're a few pictures hanging on the wall of ducks that I drew and painted.

When I pull into the driveway, Stevie meets us. Her eight-month belly exposed. She's wearing a nightgown and a bathrobe.

"Well, you're big," I say.

"It is your child. Might be a boy. I'm about as big as I was with Mason...thank you for the nursery it's lovely." Stevie smiles.

"You're welcome, it's the least I could do." I shrug.

"Mom." Sara cheers going up to her mother and giving her a giant hug.

"Your belly is big." Mason pouts.

"That's where your brother or sister is growing," I explain.

'I know but they made mommy big." He says hugging his mom.

"You made me big too." Stevie chuckles bent slightly so she can wrap her arms around him.

"Oh." He states.

"Well, I'll see you two Friday night." I wave.

They hug me and I go back to my apartment. It goes like that for another month. Back to every weekend.

***

Today is September 16th. The kids had a half day so Sara went to the Byron's and Greg is picking Mason up. Fleetwood Mac and I were supposed to be meeting up with our lawyer teams to handle my firing. Stevie didn't show up. My wife doesn't like driving in storms and the one raging on outside right now would stop her from driving completely, but not calling a car. Something in my gut telling me to go to her.

So after the meeting concludes, I'm on my way to our house. It certainly is not driving conditions outside. The wind is whipping the rain around and lightning is striking very close to the house. I walk into a pitch black house. Trying to turn a light on I come to the conclusion she either didn't pay the electric bill or the power is out.

"Steph." I call grabbing a flashlight from the junk drawer in the entryway,

"Steph!" Yell again. My only response is a scream. I zone in on its location. Sprinting up to our bedroom I see my wife hunched over my side of the bed.

"Stevie?" I ask.

"Lindsey I can't move." She sobs.

"Are you in labor?" I ask.

"My water broke twenty minutes ago. I tried to call you but the phones are down." She cries and then lets out a scream.

"Baby, we've gotta get you to the hospital," I say gently massaging her back. Brenwen whimpering from the floor. Sensing her mistress' pain.

"Lindsey we can't. I have to push. I've been having contractions since after I dropped the kids off. You're going to...have to....deliver the...ba-baby." She moans.

"Well, let's get you into a more comfortable position," I say internally panicking.

"How?" She screeches, fighting against her body.

I sigh and hoist her into my arms bridal style and she cries out at the change of position.

"Is that better or worse?" I question, trying to place her on the bed.

"Better...Better...NO, take me downstairs, it'll be easier to clean up. Lindsey hurry! AGH!" She says gripping onto my shoulder tightly burying her head into my neck.

When I get downstairs, I sit her on the floor infront of the couch. I hand her some pillows and go into the kitchen and grab plastic bags and scissors. When I get between her legs her green skirt bunched up and her soaked panties are off to the side. She starts pushing almost immediately.

"SHIT!!!" She yells.

"Steph, I don't know what I'm doing." I panic. She just shakes her head and keeps pushing.

Eventually, a head pops out and by instinct, I gently place my hands on it.

"FUCK!!! AGH!!! LINDSEY HELP THE SHOULDERS." She screams panting.

"How?" I yell back.

"I don't know! Jesus Christ!." She sobs.

I gently stick my hand inside and ease the shoulders out. She pushes one more time and into my lap, a little boy falls.

"He's here." I chuckle tears in my eyes.

"He?" She asks out of breath.

"He...we have another son," I say taking my teeshirt off and wrapping him in it.

As soon as I lay him in his mother's arms the lights flicker back on.

"Will you be good if I call an ambulance?" I ask.

"Yeah." She smiles weekly.

I go to the kitchen side eyeing the amount of blood under my wife.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"My wife just gave birth. On our living room floor. There's a lot of blood. We were marooned here because of the storm. I delivered the baby." I explain.

"Has the cord been cut?"

"No," I answer.

"have your wife push the placenta out. Leave the baby attached and have your wife start breastfeeding to keep the uterus contracted to stop the bloodflow."

"We have two other children. She didn't breastfeed them." I say

"Then rub just under navel it'll keep the uterus contracted as well. Just press firmly. It'll be uncomfortable for her but the medical team is on the way so it shouldn't be long. Can I have yours and your wife's name?"

"Lindsey and Stephanie Buckingham. Do you need my address?"

"No we have your coordinates, would you like me to stay on the line?"

"I think I'll be fine." I hang up.

I help her deliver the placenta and rub her stomach. She winces every single time I rub my hand back and forth but she focuses all her attention onto the baby. When the first responders come they take the baby and my wife.

"Lindsey, meet us?" She looks up at me.

"I'm going to clean our mess up, get a new outfit on, get your hospital bag and let Greg know that he and Meredith are keeping Mace. Sara is at Sam's." I say

"Okay, but you'll come?" She asks

"Yes, I will." I smile.

***

When I get to the hospital and enter my wife's room she is holding our son looking lovingly at him.

"Joshua Lindsey." Stevie looks up at me.

"You want to name him Joshua Lindsey?" I ask going to sit in the chair by her hospital bed.

"He looks like you, even more than Mason does. Dark curly hair, bright blue eyes. I know they may change because our other two did, but he is literally the carbon copy of you. And you delivered him, The doctor that examined me said you did really well. The only thing was that I needed eight stitches. He called it a second-degree tear. Joshua weighs nine pounds eleven ounces." She explains shifting slightly.

"Big boy huh." I chuckle taking him from his mother.

"Very big boy. Lindsey, will you watch him while I sleep?" She asks.

"Of course. You rest now. You've been through a lot." I tell her.

After I know she's asleep I look at the boy curiously staring up at me with identical blue denim eyes.

"Oh, Josh. I don't know how long I'll get to be around you. Mommy's lawyers are trying to press charges. You and your brother and sister will for sure be taken away from me. I already only get to see them on weekends. You'll for sure have to stay with mommy for a long time." I say wiping my eyes.

"Press charges?" Stevie asks out of the blue.

"I didn't know you were still awake. It's nothing." I shake my head.

"No, who's pressing charges?" Stevie asks.

"Your lawyers are going to try and have you press charges on me for in their words, 'trying to murder you'. Or, they are going to try to get you to divorce me. Better yet...do both. It's all they talked about at our band meeting today." I sigh.

"Lindsey, I don't want to press charges OR divorce you for that matter." Stevie shakes her head.

"Steph, I wouldn't blame you if you did. It feels like we're already divorcing. For a second time." I sigh placing the baby in the cot.

"Lindsey, I don't want a divorce." She says giving me pleading eyes.

"Steph..." I sigh.

"No! I love you, Lindsey. I don't want a divorce and you did it out of self-defense. If anything you should be pressing charges against me because I attacked you. You have a scar on your face from me. My fingernails. Come back home, Lindsey. Please come home." She says crying now.

"If you really want me to come back, ask in twenty-four hours. You've had a long day." I tell her.

"But..." Stevie starts.

"No, you're emotional right now. Still, in that post-birth euphoria, you told me about after Mason was born. Think about it and ask me again." I say going over and kissing her head.

"I love you, Lindsey." She says.

"I love you too. Get some sleep. When you wake up, Sara and Mason will be here." I tell her.

***

The next morning I lead Sara and Mason into the hospital room. Mason scared out of his mind by the hustle and bustle of a lot of people. Sara having seen this scene before walked right in and hopped up on her mother's bed. I picked Mason up and placed him up there as well. I grabbed the baby and brought him over to Sara.

"Do you remember how to hold a baby?" I ask her.

"Yeah. I held Micah a lot last night." Sara says excitedly the baby fussing a little bit.

"Shh. Mommy and Josh are still sleeping." I warn giving her the baby.

"Josh?" Mason asks.

"Yeah Mace, this is your brother Joshua," I tell him.

"When can I hold him?" Mason asks.

"When mom wakes up," I say.

"Okay." He shrugs.

I watch the slight up and down motion of my wife's chest and my oldest son laying his head on her stomach. My daughter with a big cheesy grin on her face. A moment to remember forever. I go to my wife's baby bag and take out her camera. As soon as I nap the picture the doctor walks in.

"Mr. Buckingham, I assume." He says shaking my hand.

"Yes. These are our other kids, Sara and Mason." I say.

Sara waves still holding her brother. Mason just nuzzles into his mother causing her to stir awake.

"Mason...baby, come on sit up," Stevie says.

"No momma." He pouts nuzzling deeper.

"He didn't sleep well last night Steph. He woke up several times according to Greg. Sara, Mason, the doctor needs to check on mom. Let's go out in the hall." I say taking the baby away and putting him in the cot.

"No Daddy," Mason says when I pick him up.

"He reminds me of my son when he was younger. How old is he?" The doctor asks.

"He's five. Sara is nine." Stevie explains.

"Beautiful ages." The doctor smiles.

When we're allowed back in, Stevie is out of bed leaning over the cot wearing a peach nightgown and her black silk robe.

"Moving around?" I ask

"Hurts a little bit. But we can go home tomorrow morning. I did just change him though. Lindsey, I meant what I said yesterday." She looks at me.

"Absolutely sure?" I ask.

"Yes, I've missed you. The past six months were horrible without you. Not just for me. The kids as well." Stevie replies sitting on the bed.

"Alright. Mason, I said you could hold Josh when your mom woke up." I look at the young boy.

He got on the bed with his mom and I placed Josh in their arms.