Four months later Spencer, Aria, Emily and Allison are having afternoon tea at the Dilaurentis house when Spencer brought up three packages each for the girls in the table. It's carefully wrapped with every design detail to perfection, very Hastings.
Caleb and their baby girl are playing in the backyard. Spencer could hear loud laughing of their daughter while she playfully horse around her father.
Spencer took out her phone and said she will film them while opening their respective boxes.
The cutie petite pulled the red silk string of the box with the name Ms. Aria Montgomery, she startled a little when two butterflies flew out of the box. It is a wedding invitation for Rivers-Hastings nuptials scheduled at the Plaza in Rosewood three months from now. And she saw a beautifully cursive note by Spencer.
Aria, will you be my maid of honor?
The two other girls excitedly opened their boxes, it also has the note asking them to be her bridesmaid. Allison got so giddy about the butterflies. Smiles flew in their faces and they can never be too excited for their best friend, and to say yes to be Spencer's bridesmaid.
Aria felt a little emotional that moment, she remembered how Caleb and Spencer's story unfolded and almost ended before. She witnessed Spencer's struggle on the early part of her pregnancy, Arianna's first heartbeat, to the part that she almost died during Leslie's last attack when she gave birth. Aria has never been to scared in her life when the doctors started yelling, Spencer is crashing and her vitals are touch and go for a while. She all loves her friends, but it can never be disputed that all these years she and Spencer went through a lot. She's not just her best friend but dating Jason also made them closer like Spencer and Ali are not just her best friends but they became the sister she never had. Spencer asked her to be her daughter's godmother and she's her almost namesake after her too.
"Of course, it's a yes." Aria tearfully answered Spencer.
And then Emily's phone buzzed, it's a video call from Hanna telling them that she, and Travis are in Italy but she received the invitation from Spencer and she's excited to see them again. She also told them that her mother, Ashley flew to see them last weekend and will be staying for the next couple of days.
But more importantly, she said before she post anything on her social media account, she said she wanted her friends to know it first since they are like her family, Travis popped the question two nights ago and she flashed her 3 carat pink diamond engagement ring.
Aria looked up and smiled as Jason got out of the car waved at them but joined Caleb and Arianna in the yard for playtime. Jason DiLaurentis adores his niece and it warms Aria's heart.
###########
Spencer stepped out of the shower, she had a long day and had so much fun with the girls again. Caleb is on the other room tucking their baby girl to sleep, it's a routine already, she feeds her dinner and shower her and Caleb does the bedtime story time. Arianna get so excited about story time, she started to point out letters ABC on books thanks to Melissa. Growing up they had so much issues between them but after she gave birth, Melissa became the big sister she only dreamed about before and she adores Arianna too.
She put on a white tank top and a fitted boxer shorts with a pink bow, looking the mirror as she brushed her hair, she thought of how she and the girls are finally living the freedom they deserved. She misses this old room in their house in Rosewood. Looking back this room reminded her of the torture of the dollhouse but everything terrible from her past is just background noise. Spencer smiled at the thought of the idea of a home, she is home wherever as long as she had Caleb and their daughter in tow.
She went back to the bedroom and started putting away the pillows on their bed when she heard Caleb opened the door.
"You're back early, how was your story time?" Spencer asked.
"She fell asleep halfway. I guess she had so much time playing in the yard earlier, she's slumped." Spencer felt a hand snaked across waist and pulled her closer, "I also thought about having alone time with you." He slowly kissed the side of her neck.
Spencer giggled at the thought of what Caleb really means whenever he says, alone time. She loved him and she loved the bond that they share. Caleb is definitely not her first, but she is certain that he will be her last.
Spencer turned around to face him, she took time to looked him in the eye before capturing his lips with hers. She always thought that kissing him is like tasting a piece of magic in her mouth. She pulled away for a few seconds and grabbed the hem of his shirt, Caleb helped him remove.
"Spence I'll shower first."
"You don't have to," Spencer said with serious pout, she really is not in the mood to be left in the edge when he engaged her to want it right now.
"I'll be right back 3 minutes" Caleb gave his fiancé a quick kiss "and be naked when I get back," he ran to the bathroom.
Spencer heard the water from the shower and she smiled at the thought of how they've come a long way from the Spencer and Caleb that ran into each other in a train station. Spencer took off her tank top and her shorts and opened the bathroom doom.
"Caleb?"
"Two minutes Spence."
She pushed away the shower curtain and marveled the raw sight of her partner, "we haven't shower together in a long time."
Caleb widely smiled at Spencer and he pulled her close into a heated kiss. It's just her and him now doing again something they used to do every morning when they are still in a campaign trail.
Everything is falling into places for them, A/AD and the horrors of Charlotte, Leslie drama is a million miles away. They are finally at peace.
#################
A little over two months before the wedding her mother informed her that because she is the senator's daughter, they are invited to post for a wedding magazine. Spencer actually detest the idea of having to do this since she thinks her wedding should be a private affair.
She loved the idea of marrying the man of her dreams but it seems like there are so many cook in her wedding kitchen, Spencer being the perfectionist that she is lost control over the choices of food, her theme and her initial ballroom at a hotel kept being upgraded to accommodate more people. She doesn't want to say anything to her mother and to Caleb's mother who pooled their resources just to secure the most fabulous wedding Rosewood has ever seen.
Little by little Spencer is withdrawing; the once excited bride to be became stressed and cranky.
"Spencer, would you like us to order more Chilean roses for the wedding?" her mother asked.
"Mom, do we really have to use that many flowers?"
"Yes, we just want your wedding to be perfect, and the cake have you tried the cake samples Chef Angelo sent in yesterday?" Rima, the wedding coordinator asked her.
"No. I'll ask Caleb later."
"I have your prenup scheduled photoshoot for next week and then your wedding announcement at the Country club magazine too."
Spencer gave a weak smile, she just did not imagine that this has to be this big. She just doesn't get the point of the big, fat wedding. Sometimes she toyed about her and Caleb just eloping somewhere like in Vermont or Las Vegas and get it done and over with but seeing how everyone already gave so much effort to make this happen, it also felt wrong that she would do that to them.
"Spence, I have to go. But Rima will leave you the rest of the stuff that has to be accomplished this week, I have a meeting in an hour." Her mother and Rima said while exiting the door.
Arianna is on a nap time with Melissa for another 2 hours and she still has a few things that she needs to review, seeing the details of the big wedding is something that she is not that excited about, she wants something intimate but this choice will also hurt a lot of people that invested so much on them. She needed a breather, she needed to get out. She contemplated if she will call Caleb but he is in an important client meeting in Philly. She stood up and head to the backdoor.
She went to the one place that reminded her why she's doing this, the place where it all started. The barn.
No one has really stayed in the barn for three years, the furniture and couches are covered with dusty blankets. It's still the same barn only too dusty for comfort. Some boxes of papers and are piled in the corner. Spencer felt guilty about the state of the barn because whatever happiness she has right now, she will always looked back at this place.
Spencer pulled the dust blanket, it's still the same couch. The same old couch where they shared their first kiss, she smiled as she sat on it. The memory of that night seemed so far away but she relives the memory of it so many times.
"Spence," her silent thoughts is interrupted by Caleb who just walked in the barn.
"Hey!" she looked up at her fiancé, "I thought you will be in Philly for the rest of the day."
Caleb sat beside her, "I just did some demo for two clients and it did not really take long to impress them so I finished early and the contract is mine." Spencer gave him a weak smile, he knew Spencer for a long time and he knew something is bothering her. "Babe what's wrong?" He asked her while tucking some hair on her ears.
"Amazing, so proud of you," Spencer knew there is no way she can really lie to Caleb after all that they've been through, "Caleb I love you, you know that, right?" He straightened his back and listen intently to her, "but this big, fat over the top wedding is like a circus, it's really not something that I wanted but between your mom and my parents, and the exuberant amount of money already spent but this is not the kind of wedding that I want.
He took her hand, "then if you can have it your way, what kind of wedding would you want?"
"I will go through with the wedding but a part of me wished that we had a simple intimate wedding," Spencer laid her head on Caleb's shoulders, "and besides I can only imagine the wrath of Veronica Hastings if I'd do things my way."
"But babe, if you want that then screw them, it's our wedding," Caleb said in support of Spencer.
"Yeah, but that will be selfish, I think I will get over this soon, I just feel so stressed about the whole country magazine shoot and wedding announcements, it's a Hastings thing, I'm sorry," Spencer squeezed Caleb's hand. "But looking at the bright side of this, I'm only over two months away from being Mrs. Rivers, so I can forego of this, I know."
Caleb laced his fingers with Spencer's, "do you remember that this is the same couch, we actually well *cough* for the first time, well I mean to say kiss?" He is wearing his naughty smug face again.
Spencer smiled at her fiancé, "yeah, you were reading Gardeners Desk Manual, like seriously Caleb, how smooth is that?" she reminded him of the private running joke about Caleb pretending to read a Botany book than admit that he's waiting for Spence all along.
"It got in you, didn't it?" Caleb whispered knowing that it's the truth.
Spencer gave a small chuckle, "yeah it did, I reiterate Rivers very smooth."
Caleb started to pull Spencer's face to him and kissed her, "what time will Arianna wake up from her nap?"
"Not for another two hours, why?" Spencer said in between kisses.
"Okay, then that gives us a lot of time to do again the stuff we did that night." Caleb is wearing a big smile again. "We haven't stayed in the barn for a long time, let's relax and throwback."
Spencer kissed Caleb again, his hand started exploring the curves of her body. She will never get tired of the feeling of being with Caleb. He shifted her hips so that Spencer is straddling on top of him and he started blindly unbuttoning her blouse while kissing her. The big wedding circus is another noise on the background. Spencer remembered the most important thing is not the wedding but to be Caleb's wife.
###############
Arianna is having her usual fits again, she doesn't want to eat her veggies and it's a struggle that left Spencer to tears back then. But little by little she's learning the ropes of how to go around their daughter. Her parents are at the Radley attending a business function.
Caleb offered a hand to help her out but the stubborn Hastings refused since he will do the story time later and even if he's home early that day, she knew that he is also tired. And given what happened to the barn earlier, she knew he is exhausted since by the time they finished, it's already time for their baby to wake up from her afternoon nap. They've been staying a lot in Rosewood to prepare for the wedding and her mother have some paper stuff that she wants Spencer to check. The couples still have their DC apartment but as of the moment Caleb had several clients based in Philly so it's better for them to stay in Rosewood. And being so far the only Hastings granddaughter, the senator and the patriarch lawyer can't get enough of the happy, bubbly child that looks like Caleb but talks like Spencer.
"Yani, please just one more." She said while trying to coax her to eat another spoonful of pumpkin. She calls her by the pet name when she's on the verge of getting mad.
"No, mama." The child in the chair pouted and moved her head on the other side.
"One more, please?" Spencer is almost at the end of her patience.
"Okay." And she opened her mouth to take in the food.
Caleb rubbed his fiancés shoulders, "Spence, do you need sub?" He offered.
"No, I'm okay we're almost done just a few carrots left and I'll clean her up." Spencer smiled at the gesture of Caleb to help out.
"Spencer, I just need to make a few phone calls okay? But if Yani needs to get tucked in, call me, okay?" He said while kissing her head.
"Sure." And she shifted her attention to the toddler that started picking up the carrots by hands, "So we are not using spoons now, great." But she just melted when the child started eating the pieces of vegetables on her own and she smiled at her showing Spencer her cute dimples. Arianna picked up some pieces and offered it to Spencer. The impatient Spencer seemed so far away, how she can be mad at the cutest little baby she got.
Caleb thought about the conversation that Spencer and him had in the barn. He knew that they cannot back out of the big wedding since their parents have put so much efforts on it but he also knew that it's only once in a lifetime a woman will get married for the first time. And there is nothing more he wants than to get Spencer the kind of wedding she dreamed about. Bliss is an understatement on how Spencer made him feel the past three years, she's forgiving, selfless and kind. Caleb will always remember that he almost lost her when their daughter is born. He promised himself that if Spencer lives he will make it his job to make her happy.
He went to the office library of the Hastings mansion and saw the magazines and wedding paraphernalia that stressed out Spencer. He wants her to be happy but somewhere he doesn't know how to meet both Spencer and their parents to meet halfway.
He took out his phone and went to the message box with the usual people he knew he can turn on.
SOS. Anyone available to meet in a Brew tomorrow? Don't tell Spence.
Caleb, what did you do?
Nothing, Emily. I promise but Spencer is not very happy with the preparation. Need help.
Aria, Emily and Allison told him to meet them at 8am.
Caleb doesn't want to get into Spencer's back but sometimes hard choices have to be made to make sure that she will be happy in the end.
############
He woke up before 6am. Spencer is still asleep he checked on Arianna on the other room but the toddler is sleeping too and kicked the pillow off her bed, she sleeps like Spencer too he thought. Caleb went downstairs and brew coffee, he is just hoping that Spencer won't wake up yet because he like it when he would stir from her sleep and will wake up with the smell of coffee.
The Hastings household likes to sleep in through Saturday mornings, he heard the beep of the coffeemaker and he took two mugs, poured coffee and went back to Spencer's room.
She's thankfully not getting any night terrors like what she experienced in DC, although she's still the same person that thrashes and hogs the comforter at night. But somehow when Caleb hugs her she calms down and he doesn't really mind sleeping with Spencer in his arms. Caleb knew what Spencer's been through and he wants her to know that he is there for her.
He put the coffee mugs on the bedside table and laid on his side on the bed, he traced the contours of her cheeks, her lips and her perfect eyebrows. She mewls and opens her eyes. She smiled at the sight of Caleb, "hi morning handsome."
"I brought coffee." Caleb kissed her temples.
"Thank you, is Arianna awake already?" She sat up and took the blue mug from Caleb.
"I checked on her, she's still asleep." Caleb has to tell her that he will have to leave in a while but he tries not to be suspicious, "Babe I just have to pick up something from the grocery, would you want me to get something for you?"
"Ice cream, the good double dutch and Yani ran out of baby wipes. And pickles, thanks"
He smiled at Spencer, the naughty smile that he wears to annoy Spencer, "Babe are we?" he suddenly became excited.
She gave him a weird look, "are we what?" Spencer asked him while sipping coffee.
"I just remembered before when we had Yani, didn't you eat a lot of pickles and ice cream back when we are living in the barn I just thought that, are you pregnant?" Caleb had a wide grin on his face. There is a part of Caleb that still feels guilty about leaving Spencer back then, if not for the horror of Leslie Stone almost killing Spencer then, he would ask her if they should start trying again for another child. Caleb grew up without a real family and somehow being with Spencer and how great they are together with their daughter, made him excited about the idea of having a big family.
Spencer sort of felt the longing of Caleb of having another baby, Arianna is almost halfway through toddler stage but somehow the horror of the last delivery experience sort of rattles her every now and then. But somehow Spencer crosses her fingers that Caleb will be patient.
"No, sadly I had my period last night. So get me tampons too." She laced her fingers on his. "Maybe one of these days when you think we are ready, we should start trying."
"I'm always ready. Just what I told you before I'm ready, when you are ready." He smiled and squeezed her hand. Just as someone softly knocked on the door and Caleb stood up to open it. It's Yani, still with her messed up hair and wiping her eyes. Their daughter would always go straight to her parents' room when she wakes up.
"Morning baby," he lets her in the room and the toddler walks in to their bed.
"Mama nuggle," she tries to climb into their bed and Caleb helped her up.
"Yes, baby snuggle with mama." Spencer inhaled the sweet baby smell of their daughter's hair. Sometime before as a child Spencer felt neglected but with Yani, she will let her know everyday how much she means to her and make her feel that Spencer will always be there for her.
Caleb watched his girls. Spencer really is a good mother, one of these days he's hoping that they will get more children together. He went back to bed and shifted Spencer's head to rest on his chest.
"You are an amazing mom." Caleb whispered to Spencer.
"Because you are great with her too and Caleb yes, we can start trying again after the wedding, I guess."
Caleb cannot hide his smile anymore, "are you sure?"
"Yeah I mean I'd love more mornings like this and we worked it out we're good parents together. Coffee, snuggles and well you are the expert on diaper and midnight feeding so I don't worry about that." She extended her neck and kissed his cheeks.
Caleb remembered the struggles on how to take care of Arianna, because Spencer had to stay in the hospital for two more weeks and to prevent nosocomial infections Arianna is sent home while Spencer recuperates. He had helped with Veronica and the girls but mostly he made sure that he knows what he's doing. He bathes, fed and change diaper for a few weeks until Spencer took over after she's discharged. He already worked a system back then and it's a lot harder since they are still based in DC. But going through the worst case and getting out of it in one piece is a relief that Caleb believed whatever it is that is thrown their way can be handled.
The little girl stretched her limbs and bear hugged her mother, "mama pancakes mik," Arianna said to her mother.
"Are you hungry?" Spencer asked her daughter.
"Yes mama mik." She still struggles with some words but she knows how to communicate what she wants.
Caleb stood up, "C'mon up with daddy and we'll go downstairs, we will make pancakes for baby girl." She child jumped into Caleb's arms, "but before the pancakes, I will have to find the tickle monster first." And he started tickling the back of their baby which laughed so hard.
"Caleb you go ahead first, I'll just make the bed and shower first."
"Okay, don't take long."
Spencer chuckled, "I'm not going anywhere."
"But I'll miss you." He likes to get inappropriately sweet with her and he enjoys the reaction of fazed Spencer Hastings.
"Caleb your cheesiness is for real." She said in between laugh and she pinched his butt.
He moved closer and kissed her on the cheeks, "but it gets into you every time."
"Yeah, it does." She smiled and Caleb with the baby on his arms went out of the door.
#########
Caleb pulled at the Brew's parking area and he saw that the other girls are already here. His heart is racing, he needs help and there is no one that knew Spencer more than these girls.
"Hi sorry I'm late, I had daddy duties."
"Caleb is really the father of the year," Aria joked about what Leslie used to call him
"Hey! What's with the wedding emergency?" Ali asked while taking a slice off her pecan pie
Caleb sat on the edge of the couch and his hands clasps together, "She doesn't want a big wedding but she's not backing down for the sake of her parents but I also want her to get the wedding she deserved."
"So let me get this right. Spencer doesn't want this big wedding but is afraid to tell her mom?" Emily clarified, "that's so her."
"I want to give her the wedding she wants but I can't just elope with her, I want it to be special." He ran his hands on his hair now.
Aria stood up and ordered two more coffee, she's also raking her brains how to get it right for these two. She went back to the couch and something flashed in her head. "I got this, do you remember where did you realized you like Spencer? In Madrid or in DC?"
"Madrid. But I did not act on it until we had that conversation in the barn." Caleb smiled and remembers what happened in the barn that night at some other time yesterday afternoon.
"Wait, you guys never hanky panky in DC? But you guys are always together." Emily is actually surprised.
"Well at certain degree I knew she feels something and I wouldn't have stayed if I don't have anything for her, but I used to think it's inappropriate given my history with Hanna but it is hard not to love Spencer when for a long time she's everything good I had." He paused as he took the coffee from the service crew, "but one night we had some beer like what we used to do a lot in DC and she opened up about having judging herself, I'm certain that moment we are on the same page. It happened in the barn, the good 'ol Hastings barn."
Aria took a deep breath, "so it took you guys over three years to admit your feelings, that's hard. But how did you guys date when you're together but not as a couple?"
"I knew I had feelings for her so I didn't date much but Spencer went out with a son of a diplomat for a couple of days and called it off after a week. I tried to pull away from her that time but it's impossible when she stopped seeing him I remember she called me that same night we had vodka shots and we cuddled on the couch until we slept, no hanky panky." Caleb smiled at the history of their affair. Sometimes he looked back and thought that maybe he should have just acted on how he felt about her but no matter how dark and painful the road to their current state of happiness, Caleb knew they made the right choice. He loves going home to Spencer and their daughter after a long day at work.
"Wow you guys are in a relationship for three years and I never really heard what happened in the two years you guys are holed up in DC." Alison said smiling.
"Yeah, back then we all are on PTSD with dollhouse, it's a hard time for all of us but I'm glad that Spencer had you all along during those dark hours." Emily said while looking at her coffee mug.
Caleb thought about their DC life before they started seeing each other and looking back he knew they did pretty okay. Spencer, his soon to be wife made him happy even then and he's glad that he is there for her during the anxiety attacks.
"We are always each other's plus one on everything even people in the office started teasing me on it, and we are together on weekends. That's why I need help how to figure out this wedding situation that it will be perfect for her." Caleb didn't actually knew what could have happened to him if she did not find him in Spain.
And no other persons knew Spencer better than her best friends and the years of being with the same set of people taught him to trust their guts too.
"Awww, wait I think I have this figured out." Aria said while looking at Alison and Emily, the two girls smiled and nodded in agreement. He knew he got this in the bag.