Sipping the warm coffee between her lips, she shivered slightly, as the hot brew of black coffee ran down her throat. The winter air howled outside, the white covered skies bright with the snow. Spencer was always a little stand offish about snow. She enjoyed it a lot more when she was a kid. But, now she preferred staying inside with a fresh cup of coffee. And, she liked staying inside where her boyfriend, Toby Cavanaugh, was trying to fit a huge Christmas elm tree inside his tiny loft.
Spencer took in the scene of him, shoving the large tree upright, his back arched against the tree. Spencer couldn't help but giggle, as he struggled pushing it into the corner to her left. His brown hair pressed against his head, a sold black beanie on his head. He still had on his gray coat; he had carried the entire tree into the loft by himself. Spencer had tried to help him, but being the protective boyfriend he always had been, he didn't want her to get "hurt". Spencer just let him be himself, not wanting to ruin the process of him getting the tree inside. Still, it had been around five minutes, and he still couldn't get the spiky tree to stand upright. He had nailed down the trunk into those wood planks used to hold them up, but this tree mocked him, and kept leaning too much to the right. Spencer sighed for her poor love, and she set her coffee on the coffee table, and went over to her boyfriend. He slanted the tree with his arms, but when he let go, it swayed back to the right. He grabbed his beanie off his head, and threw it to the floor next to him on his left.
"I swear, this tree is laughing at me." He complained, and took a few steps back, and sat on the couch.
Spencer went over to him, hugging his shoulders lightly. He was so focused on that one tree, it made Spencer laugh. She couldn't help but giggle lightly, before covering her mouth with the palm of her hand.
"What's so funny?" Toby mocked, looking at her, his eyes narrowed sarcastically. "Nothing, nothing; you do know you can trim the trunk, right?" Spencer replied back.
Toby's mocking smile dropped, and he peered back at the tree. "Of course. Now I do." He stood up, and walked down the hall. "Toby! Where are you going?" She called after him, walking down the hall after him. "Getting the axe!"
Spencer stopped in her tracks. "Wait, you're not trimming that thing in here, right?" She asked, as he came back walking towards her in the hall, axe over his shoulder. "Of course not, I'm taking this stubborn tree outside." He replied, before placing the axe against the wall next to the tree. Spencer frowned. There was no way she was letting him carry that heavy tree out again.
"No, Tobes, just relax a few minutes." She replied.
Toby showed no sign of stopping though. Spencer walked over to him, touching his shoulder. He relaxed at her touch. "Alright, alright. But no heavy lifting for you." He replied, hugging her for a second. Spencer hated when people told her what not to do to be helpful. But she knew Toby was just trying to protect, even from stupid things like a tree.
"Okay." Spencer replied. Toby walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of water out of his fridge, snapping the lid off, and talking a long sip of the water. Spencer sat on the couch, taking another sip from her coffee mug. Toby sat next to her, staring at the tree. "Toby, guess what?"
"What?" He replied, smiling at her tone of voice. Spencer sat straighter up. It was December 23rd, just two more days till Christmas, but there was no way she was not giving him this "type" of gift now. "I have something for you." Spencer smiled, and Toby cocked his head. "Okay, let's see it." Toby relaxed his arms on the couch, stretching his one arm behind Spencer. She smiled, and got off the couch. "I'll be right back!"
She ran down the hall, to Toby's room, where her bag was. She entered the room, and spotted her brown leather bag. She walked over to it, picking it up, sitting on the bed, and placing it on her lap. She opened the bag, and pulled out one single ticket. It was to go to a Christmas Party tomorrow, it would be held in the middle of Rosewood, and Spencer had tickets to go on a sleigh ride. She thought it'd be, not romantic, but a good thing for them. She wanted to give it to him now, so she could relieve some stress off of him. She gladly grabbed it, and ran out back to her boyfriend waiting on the couch.
Spencer held it behind her back. She was shy, what if he thought it was childish? She blushed. She stuck her hand out, and Toby peered at the ticket, and took it gently from her hand. "A ticket?"
"Yeah, it's lame, but I thought tomorrow night, if you want we could go on this sleigh ride that happens every year…" Spencer was really embarrassed now. She was so lame. She felt herself shy away. Toby smiled. "Spencer, that's not lame at all. In fact, I think it'll be great." Toby replied. Spencer cocked her head. "Really?"
"Really, you're so smart Spencer. You come up with all these things I never even thought of, really, I can't wait." Toby stood up, and hugged her, and Spencer snuggled into his hug, and Toby kissed her forehead. "I love it, thanks Spence." Spencer smiled, being glad he didn't think it was lame. Toby sat back down on the couch, tucking the ticket under his wallet on the coffee table. "So, what do you want to do now? We could just stay here and relax, or go out tonight." Toby suggested. Spencer thought for a moment. She really just wanted to relax here with him, wishing she could always stay here.
"I'm really pretty tired actually. Do you think we could just relax?" Spencer asked. Toby nodded. "Sure thing; right after I handle this tree…" Toby shot up, and walked quickly over to the tree, and knocked it gently down on its side.
"Toby, I thought you were going to relax!" Spencer crossed her legs on the couch. "This tree is asking for it." He replied, grabbing the tree by the trunk, and beginning to drag it out. Spencer ran to the red door, and opened it for him. "I'll grab the axe." She replied, going for it. Toby seemed a little concerned. "Just be careful babe." He called over his shoulder, as he dragged the tree down the stairs to the parking area behind the Brew.
Babe? He did not just call her that! She felt herself blush. She was a little surprised, but it was a good feeling. Spencer felt her heart skip a beat. God damn, she loved him so much.
She felt this sense of relief flow through her body. A sense of peace. She loved him so much, she loved him more than words could ever describe. Just thinking about him brought this new edge of joy to her heart. Every second spent with him was cherished, every kiss, would last forever. There was no other person in the whole world who could ever love as much as she loved him. It was just not possible, not in her mind. She always asked herself what to live for, what she had been living for. The answer was for this, for this, along with the girls, her sisters. Without her friends, she'd possibly never be happy again. Without Toby, she'd lose herself altogether. So, now, here with him as he was dragging an old elm tree, she stood in the doorway with the axe at her side, just admiring him.
"Spence, you got the axe?" Toby called over to her. He turned to see she was just staring at him, a slight smile on her lips. The snow that drifted around her made her silhouette glow with radiance, her hair pulled back into one simple braid on the side of her face, some strands of hair spewed around her face. She had this gentle look, this beautiful feeling. Toby understood why she was looking at him that way .He knew because he had done the same thing every time he saw her. He smiled at her, and Spencer's eyes locked with his. They shared a small moment, a connection. Snowflakes drifted across her hair, and one landed on the axe hilt.
"Um, yeah I'm coming." She called back, her eyes now looking down at the stairs before her, she slowly walked down the stairs, axe in both of her hands, and she brought it over to Toby. Toby gently took it from her hands. She took two steps back, as he shifted the axe behind his head, then slid it over his head, his hands sliding down with the motion, and slamming the trunk on the left side to even it with the right. The metal struck the wood, and he felt the tree shutter, and a piece flung off. Spencer crossed her arms against her chest, her breath coming out with small puffs from the cold air. "Spence, you don't have to freeze up out here, you can go inside if you want." Spencer shook her head, stubbornly. "No, I'm fine. I'm just watching."
Toby shrugged, not knowing what else to tell her, and he also knew to be smart, and know once Spencer made a decision, she wasn't going to give that decision up. She was a Hastings.
Toby continued axing the tree, until it had even sides, straight. He felt his arms grow sore from the repeating strokes of throwing the axe over his head, over and over again. Spencer had settled herself on the first step to the loft, still watching him. "Can I try?" Spencer asked. Toby smiled at her, her voice determined.
"Of course." Toby held the axe out to her. She stood up, and walked over to him, grabbing the axe between both of her small hands. She gripped it tightly.
"I think you got it." Toby said into her ear. Spencer smiled. "It runs in the family."
Toby backed up, and Spencer swung the axe down, slamming the tree right on, a perfectly straight chunk of it flying to her left, and skidding into the snow. Spencer froze, and laughed. Toby was shocked, and Spencer saw his face. "Should I be scared…?" Toby joked. Spencer walked over to him, punching his shoulder, and laughing. Spencer set the axe down into the snow, and she leaned up to kiss him.
She pressed her lips, which were cold, to his. And slowly, she felt herself warm up at his touch. He pulled her closer. He tried to take a step back, but the ice made him lose his balance, and he felt his feet slip from beneath him, and he stumbled backwards. He could see Spencer fall too, and she yelped as he fell back, into a huge bed of snow. He felt his body sink into the snow, and Spencer landed on top of him. She was laughing, her breath a mythical shape of smoke. A shimmering light from the sun brought out her features, her hair swaying with the easy breeze. Her eyes stood out, they weren't just a brown color, but they were every color, so rare, so beautiful in his eyes. Toby couldn't feel the coldness of the snow; he could only feel the warmth of his heart for her.
Toby laughed too, he wrapped her in his arms, gently, kissing her forehead, before he quickly swung his body up, and flipping her under him. She screamed out, "Toby!" And he was over her. Her hair was out of the braid; her hair band gone. Her hair was a brilliant bright glowing brunette, and they landed under a huge tree. Toby sometimes couldn't believe that she was in his life. She was more than everything to him. She had her arms around his neck, gently stroking the hair on the back of his head. Spencer stared up at him, and Toby stayed above her, staring back down. "I love you." Toby confessed, his hands sinking in the snow on each side of Spencer's waist. Spencer blushed. "I love you too, Toby."
Toby stood up, and offered her his hands. She grabbed both of his hands, and he pulled her up. She flew upwards, back into Toby, and she smiled, before grabbing his hand. Toby gave her a mocking look. "What?"
She gave him a questioning look. Toby bent down to tie his laces, but he secretly grabbed a fistful of snow into his hands. Spencer didn't seem to notice. He stood back up, and he threw the snowball at her leg, and it smashed her leg, snow going all over her black jeans, and Spencer gasped. She gave him a death glare. "Cavanaugh! You're going to get it now!"
She ran behind the tree, grabbing a handful of snow. Toby leaned down, behind a bench. Spencer glared at him. Toby looked down to bundle up more snow, but he felt the smack of freezing snow on his head. He heard Spencer laugh, melodically. He shrugged, and pushed the snow off his head. Spencer hid back behind the tree. Toby had a snowball ready. She peeked back over to him, and he threw it, and it hit her chest. He purposely didn't throw it very hard, he was still her boyfriend. Spencer all the sudden got quiet and she seemed to lean against the tree. Toby felt a pit of guilt. Oh man. He screwed up… "Spence?" Maybe he offended her in a way, but he didn't think it would "hurt" her. She didn't reply. He quickly ran over to the tree, and saw her leaning against the tree, sitting on the ground. She had a distant look on her face, staring ahead of her.
"Spence? What's wrong?" He asked, leaning down in front of her. Spencer stood up, worry on her face. "Toby… I just… I want to tell you that…"
And with that, she kicked the tree from behind her hard, and then said, "YOU LOST!"
With that, a huge pile of snow fell from the tree, and landed on top of Toby, and he was weighed down by the mountain of snow. He didn't fall, but he had a hat of snow on top of his head. Spencer was laughing so hard, she clenched her stomach. "Haha, you win." Toby joked, but he laughed too.
Spencer leaned over to him, and she wiped the snow from his head. Toby smiled at her. "I'm going to get you back!" Toby promised, laughing. "Oh, I'm sure you will be able to even catch me." Spencer replied back, kissing his cheek. "That was a good one, I'll admit." He admitted, as Spencer wiped snow from his forehead. "Thank you." Spencer took her hand away from his head, and then sighed.
"How about, we grab this stubborn tree, and go decorate it, okay?" Spencer asked.
Toby loved her so much. "I'd love to. But, I've got the tree." Toby replied, starting to walk over to the tree. He still had her hand, and Spencer got to the tree first. She grabbed the top of the tree, lifting it up. "No way Spence, I got it!" Spencer frowned, and then turned away. "You're underestimating my strength Cavanaugh." Toby sighed, and just walked to the other side of the tree, grabbing the trunk. "No, I do not doubt your strength; you're the strongest person I know." Toby replied. Spencer peeked over to him, smiling slightly, looking back down over to the tree. "I mean, I think my perspective has changed for you, after seeing you destroy that tree." He got a laugh out of her for that one.
"Okay, on three." Toby commanded. "One…two…three!" And they both lifted up the tree. But Toby barely had to. Spencer had a fierce look on her face and he could see the desperation and the focus in her eyes, as she lifted the tree over her shoulder, and heaved the tree by herself and started walking with Toby on the other side. He was shocked, well, not really. She was so strong. He smiled.
Toby went up the stairs first with the tree, and then Spencer followed after him. She didn't seem to be struggling at all.
They lifted the tree into his loft, and Toby's arms were still shaky, but Spencer seemed on top of the world. She seemed a lot happier after their little trip-and-then-have-a-snowball-fight session. Her hair was evenly parted on each side of her face now, and she pulled her cream colored coat off her shoulders, setting it inside the loft, on the couch in front of the TV. Toby took of his coat as well, setting it beside hers. Spencer helped Toby push the tree upright, and Toby nailed the tree back into the holder, and they both backed up, and they both felt worry that the tree would still be crooked. But, it wasn't. It stood perfectly straight. Spencer let out a breath of relief, and Toby smiled. "I think I should carve something into it." Toby exclaimed, and he walked over to it, leaning down, and pushing a few branches out of the way. He then took a pocket knife from the tool kit next to him, and began carving some letters into the tree.
"What are you writing?" Spencer asked. "For many more years." He replied. Spencer was confused. "What do you mean?" Spencer asked? Toby turned to face her. "Meaning, this tree is just the beginning of our first Christmas together, and this is the tree that begins this, so called, tradition." Toby explained. He was always so creative. Spencer smiled. "I love it."
Spencer went over to lean next to him, and looked at the small writing he perfectly carved into the tree. She looked over each curved line, knowing this was the start of something new. The start of their lives together. She leaned against him. Toby leaned close to her too.
"So, time to decorate?" Toby asked. Spencer smiled. "Let's begin."