Hii welcome! I hope you will like this story :) I don't own anything
"Blue eyes, brown hair, and a dimpled chin. This must be no other than Sophie Hastings. How is my little girl today? " an enthusiastic Aria exclaimed. The little toddler ran into her aunts open arms with an excited squeal.
"Auntie Aria!" Sophie gasped between screams of joy, "I miss Auntie."
"You mean you missed her." Spencer lovingly corrected.
"That's what I said mommy. Why I say it again?" the little girl questioned with the most adorable expression on her face. She seemed to be deep in thought, seriously considering her mother's nagging. Spencer laughed at her daughter as she shook her head, before turning to Aria to give her another hug.
"Sophie I brought a present back from Iceland for you. Why don't you go see if you can find it? You'll have to go on a quest to look for it." Aria said knowingly, a small smile gracing her face. She knew how much Sophie loved adventures, just like her mother. Sophie was out of the room in an instant and the two friends could hear the soft pitter patter of the toddler's feet going up the stairs. Aria turned to Spencer and gave her a look Spencer knew all too well.
"What's wrong? You should be happy. You just got back from your honeymoon and from the looks of you two together, you're still in the honeymoon phase." Spencer gave her high school friend a gentle rub on her back.
"Oh, nothing's wrong with me. Ezra and I had the best time; I'll save you the details no doubt you'll hear them when Hanna stops by." Aria gave a forced laugh and Spencer immediately caught on. She knew she should question Aria's strange behavior but thought better of it. Maybe she was just tired? Spencer wanted so very badly to begin her ruthless interrogation but knew that now was not the time. Sophie would come bounding down the stairs any moment now, interrupting their conversation. "Later." Spencer thought.
As if on cue, the three year old stumbled down the last two steps, bracing herself for impact. "Indiana no fail mommy. Look!" Sophie extended her arms to display a rectangular box wrapped in a treasure map pattern. The toddler looked to Aria to which she received a nod of approval and an encouraging nudge on the shoulder. Spencer let her squirming daughter down, noticing that she was trying to rip the paper off the box with one hand while the other wrapped securely around her mother's neck. Once free of all restraints, Sophie shred the paper in two seconds flat and began bouncing up and down with her opened gift in hand. "Belle,Belle, I got Belle! Thanks Auntie Aria!" Sophie enclosed the petite woman with a tight squeeze, still exclaiming about her new doll. "I be waiting for Belle!"
"That's right Sophie. I remembered you told me that Belle was your favorite princess and that you really wanted the doll. I stopped especially for you after I got off the plane this morning." Aria lit up at the girl's excitement. Spencer stood back and took in this moment, snapping a few pictures before Sophie noticed and tackled her for the camera.
Spencer and Aria sat on the leather sofa in the living room, delving into Aria's honeymoon tales.
All too soon it was five o'clock and Spencer knew she had to leave and make Sophie some dinner. Spencer was well aware of the fact that like mother like daughter, Sophie would be a nightmare if her blood sugar dropped. So, with a round of thank yous and goodbyes the duo retreated to the silver Kia outside. "We have to talk later Spencer. I need to tell you something and we need to be alone. Call me when Sophie goes to bed!" Aria was heard screaming from the window.
"Mommy I'm ungry." Sophie whined.
"You're hungry. Remember the 'h' sound. And mommy knows you're hungry. As soon as we're home I'll make dinner. What'll it be: Hamburgers or pasta?" Spencer questioned.
"I don't like hamburgers. Yucky!" Sophie made sure her mother understood her request.
"Sweetie that's what I meant. I know you don't like burgers. Turkey burgers it is. We're already home so dinner should be on the table in no time. Help mommy set the table when we go inside, okay? If you do that, we can eat even faster. Big girls always help their mommies because they're nice. " Spencer made sure her daughter was informed from the start. She never liked being left in the dust by her parents so why should she do that to her daughter? Sophie usually knew the schedule and the game plan; something Spencer felt would make Sophie have more stability and dependability. Spencer unbuckled Sophie and walked her up the steps of their front porch, unlocking the decorative wood door.
Sophie helped her mother arrange the table while singing to the radio. The doorbell rang shortly after and Sophie waited patiently for her mother to answer the door to unveil the mysterious visitor. After a few minutes, the bell rang again and Sophie concluded that no one was going to answer the door. Feeling very grown up, Sophie skipped over towards the noise, barely reaching the top lock on her tippy toes. Once the door was unlocked, she swung it open and greeted the tall man.
Spencer turned to peer into the dining room and noticed that Sophie was nowhere to be seen. She turned to look into the modest foyer and realized that Sophie was talking animatedly to someone in the doorway. "Sophie Hastings what have I told you about opening the door to strangers. You could get hurt or taken or-" Spencer's lecture came to a quick halt at the sight of the man standing right before her eyes.
"Toby."
Spencer tucked Sophie into bed, explaining that she had such a busy day so she needed her rest. Sophie would have fought her mother about going to bed early but was so tired that she immediately drifted off into what seemed to be a peaceful slumber. Spencer made her way back down the stairs to finally get to the bottom of why Toby was here, in her house, tonight.
"Now enough with the small talk. Why are you here? Why did you come back?" Spencer was tired of beating around the bush. She had grudgingly participated in the dinner conversation and now she had reached her limit. If Toby didn't explain himself soon he would be getting a swift kick to the ass and the boot out the door.
"I came to talk to you about what happened four years ago." Spencer gestured for him to get on with it. "Can I ask you something?" Toby knew he was stalling yet at the same time he was desperate for some answers.
"You have the nerve to come here after all of these years and ask me a question?!" Spencer nearly screamed, only lowering her voice as to not wake Sophie. Her eyes were daggers and Toby immediately regretted letting his curiosity get the best of him. He was digging himself an even deeper hole and boy did he know it. Spencer was now tapping her foot, hands on her hips, staring at the wall. Toby knew this stance. It was anger and hurt. He had hurt her and that was the very last thing he had ever wanted to do. Tears were threatening to escape her eyes and Toby realized that she was staring to stabilize her emotions. Some things never change…or maybe they do. Before Toby left he was beginning to see Spencer's whole range of emotions and now she was guarded; an entire defense line had been put up. A defense line for him.
"Fine if you won't talk then I'll talk for you. How could you? Gentle and sweet? No, I should have never changed my mind about you. I was right- you are the devil! How could you sleep with her? Even worse, how could you force her into it?"
"I- I- I didn't do it." Toby began. No, no, no. "It was a mistake."
"So which is it?" Spencer tapped her foot out of sheer frustration.
"A mistake? How am I supposed to believe anything you say to me? Heck, you began this conversation with a lie." Toby was talking to a brick wall. Spencer would never forgive him after a mere speech and a few minutes. "I trusted you! My family practically disowned me after finding out why we broke up!