Progeny

Part 7

After they settled in to their rooms at the Fountain View, Spencer, Sara, and Hope made their way over to Bennington Sanitarium to talk to his mother. When he arrived, she was in her room reading. Sara and Hope waited in the sitting room, while Spencer went to break the news to his mother.

He knocked then entered. "Hi Mom."

Diana looked up from her book. "Spencer. What a wonderful surprise!"

He walked over to where she was sitting and kissed her cheek. "You're definitely going to be surprised."

"What do you mean?"

Spencer decided to just get it over with. "Remember when I was at Cal Tech, I wrote you about my girlfriend, Sara?"

Diana thought for a moment, and then she nodded her head. "Her father was your academic advisor."

"Yes, that's right." He sat next to her. "Remember when I wrote that one day she suddenly decided to move back to Texas with her mom, and I never heard from her again."

"You were so sad. You threw yourself into your studies. I hardly saw you at all."

Spencer swallowed the nervous knot in his throat and took a deep breath. "The reason Sara left me was because she found out that she was pregnant. When she tried to tell me, I was adamant about the fact that I didn't want to have biological children because…"

"Of me," Diana finished for him. "Because of my … illness."

"Yeah," he squeezed her hand.

She looked at him suspiciously. "Why are you here, Spencer?"

"Sara came to find me a couple of days ago. It seems that her daughter, our daughter, is a lot like me. Her name is Hope, she's twelve, and she just graduated from high school."

Diana let what her son was telling her sink in. "How does this make you feel?"

"At first, I was angry that she'd kept this, her, from me. But the twenty-eight year old me finally understands that the fifteen year old her was just a scared little girl. I'm upset that I missed out on twelve years of Hope's life, but I'm excited about enjoying the rest of mine with her."

Diana nodded. "So that makes me a grandmother."

"Yes ma'am."

She snapped the book shut. "Will I have a chance to meet her?"

All of the nervousness left Spencer's body. "She's in the sitting room with her mother."

She put the book down and took off her glasses. "What are we waiting for?

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Hope's constant pacing was getting on Sara's last nerve.

"Would you please sit down! You're making me nauseous."

Hope stopped and sat down. "What if she doesn't want to meet me? What if she does and decides she doesn't like me? What if…"

"Baby," Sara pulled her into her arms. "You have nothing to worry about. She is going to want to meet you, and she's going to adore you. Me on the other hand…," she blew out a deep breath. "I hurt her son. I kept her granddaughter from her. If doesn't like someone, it's going to be me."

Hope wrapped her arms around her mother. "Well, if she doesn't like you, then I won't like her."

"That's not fair to you." Sara kissed the top of her daughter's head. "But thank you."

"You're my momma. I got your back."

"Back atcha kiddo."

Spencer cleared his throat. "Sara, Hope, this is my mother, Diana Reid."

Hope held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Diana tentatively shook the girl's hand. "Nice to meet you too." She looked at her son. "She favors you a lot." She looked at Sara. "But there's a lot of you as well." She smiled at Hope. "You're a beautiful young lady."

Hope swallowed. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Diana turned to Sara. "There are literally hundreds of things I could say to you. How you destroyed my son when you left him, kept his child from him…"

"Mom!" Spencer stopped her.

"I apologize. You have given my son a gift … a bit belated, but a wonderful gift." She smiled, "I was beginning to believe that I would never have grandchildren. Not that I wanted grandchildren, but it would have been a shame for Spencer's brilliance to just end … not be passed on."

"Jeez, thanks. That makes me feel so … special." Hope said deadpanned.

"I didn't mean that to sound negative," Diana apologized.

"I know. You're intrigued and a little bit in shock. It's completely understandable."

Diana laughed and turned to Spencer. "She's definitely your daughter."

Spencer smiled. "Yes, yes she is."

They chatted for over an hour. Diana wanted to know everything about Hope's life, a huge part of her tales were more about Sara than herself.

"It appears that you have done an amazing job rearing this child," Diana directed at Sara.

"Thank you."

A nurse interrupted. "Excuse me, Diana. It's time for your meds."

She nodded. "I afraid my afternoon medication makes me sleepy. I do hope you can come and visit me tomorrow."
Hope looked at Spencer and Sara. "Can we?"

Spencer deferred to Sara. "Of course."

"Fantastic." Diana stood. "I look forward to it."

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William Reid was quite surprised to find his son standing in the reception area. "Spencer, to what do I owe this visit?" He gave his son a crooked smile. "Please tell me it has nothing to do with an unsolved case."

"No, no, nothing like that. I … I … uh … I wanted to … to introduce you to … to my daughter."

"Daughter?"

Spencer explained.

"Wow!" William took everything in. "That's … that's some story. You must still be freaking out."

Spencer shook his head. "Not really. The initial shock has worn off, now I'm just focusing on getting to know her. I … I took Hope and Sara to meet Mom."

"What was her reaction?"

"Better than expected. Hope really won her over."

"So when do I get to meet her?" William asked.

"Now, if you want to. Sara and she are down in the lobby. I used my badge to get up here. I left them at the security area."

William picked up the phone and dialed security asking for Hope and Sara to be sent up immediately.

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Meeting William Reid was a lot different than meeting Diana Reid. With Diana, her illness was evident and she doubted that because of it, they'd ever be very close. But William was warm and funny and Hope could feel a bond forming. So much so that when William suggested that they check out of the Fountain View and stay with him instead, Hope begged her parents to the point of being annoying until they agreed.

Hope and Spencer were enjoying the pool while Sara and William sat on the deck and watched.

"Thank you, Mr. Reid. I really appreciate your hospitality. Hope is really enjoying herself."

William smiled. "It's my pleasure. This has been a wonderful surprise. I should be thanking you."

She watched Hope and Spencer play in the pool. "I feel so guilty for the time they lost. I denied them of this." She pointed to the horseplay between father and daughter.

"You won't get any judgment from me. I disappeared from my son's life for seventeen years. It would have been longer if he hadn't accused me of murder."

Sara raised one eyebrow at him.

"Long story. I thought about him every day of those seventeen years, but if it hadn't been for the Riley Jenkins case, I probably never would have reconnected with my son."

"There's not a moment that he's not in my thoughts," she smiled. "The fact that Hope looks so much like him hasn't hindered that either," she stared at Spencer.

"Young lady, I do believe you are in love with my son."

Sara wiped her misty eyes under her sunglasses. "I've always been in love with your son. It's been thirteen years, and I love the man the boy I loved has become even more."

"Have you told him that?"

She shook her head. "Not in so many words."

"I do understand what it's like to be in love with one person your entire life, but deal with complications." William took a sip of his tea.

"How long have you and Mrs. Reid been divorced?"

"We're not."

"You're not?" Spencer's stood by Sara, dripping wet.

William looked up at his son. "You didn't know?"

Spencer shook his head. "Why after all this time have you stayed married?"

"You know why I left, Spencer. It wasn't because I stopped loving Diana. I did think about making a clean break, but with your mother's medical bills, I couldn't leave that burden solely on you. She's on my health insurance, and I pick up what insurance and your monthly contributions don't."

Spencer sat on one of the deck chairs. "I … I never knew. When I had her committed, I read every single line in the papers. When the cost was less then I was originally in the papers, the administrator told me that he'd received a grant."

William grinned. "I told him not to tell you where the money came from. He kept his word."

"Why didn't this come up when I had you checked … out." Spencer looked sheepish.

"I figured you did," he said with a smile. "The money is directly deposited into an account in your mother's name. It was originally earmarked as child support, after you turned eighteen, health care."

"Oh."

Hope got out of the pool and wrapped herself in a towel. "Thank you for letting me swim in your pool."

"You are welcome to use it for as long as you're here."

She took a sandwich from the platter on the table. "You are definitely my most favorite grandfather I've met so far."

William laughed. "You, young lady, are definitely my favorite granddaughter."

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Spencer stood at the bedroom door that Sara was sharing with their daughter. He was watching Hope sleep. It was only eight o'clock, but with the early morning flight, the visit with Diana, meeting William, moving from the motel to William's house, and then swimming, Hope was exhausted.

"I do that a lot too … just watch her sleep." Sara put her hand on his arm.

"She amazes me." He smiled at her and led her into the living room.

"She asleep?" William asked.

Sara nodded. "Out like a light. This has probably been the longest, most exciting few days of her life. You'd think that I'd be sound asleep too, but I'm completely wired,"

"Why don't you two get out of here for a few hours, go have some fun?" William suggested.

Sara looked toward the bedroom. "I don't know."

"She'll be fine. I'll be in my office finishing up some paperwork. If she wakes up and wants you, I'll call you immediately."

She glanced at Spencer. "I've never been to Vegas. It could be fun."

Spencer sighed. "Okay, let's go show you the bright lights of Las Vegas.

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Author's note: I'm sorry it took so long. I have been so busy with work and family. Hope you enjoy this. -- Su