Drum roll please...... and I don't own Son!

22 - You Too

Spencer's PoV

Lucas went with Jaiden to Rapture for a couple of hours. She wanted Dylan to go with her but I had told her I needed time with the small brunette to talk about tomorrow's meeting. My nerves were already shot and when Lucas slammed the front door behind her, it only made it worse.

Lucas had an immediate grudge against Ashley and in her eleven year old mind, I couldn't blame her really. Her greatest friend ever was slowly being yanked from her grasp and she had no control over it.

"I'm done." Dylan came out of the downstairs bathroom in her pyjama bottoms and a hoodie with her hair still damp. She liked to bath in the evenings after dinner. It was a cute quirk. "I'm excited about playing hockey with Lucas tomorrow."

I smiled as she curled up against me on the couch. Her dark curls still dripping from the excess water. I got up and grabbed a towel, gently towel drying her hair. She looked so much like Ashley.

How could I have not seen it before?

"Hey," I began in a whisper and threw the towel towards the kitchen floor.

I'd pick it up later.

"I have good news for you," I continued and settled back down on the couch. I took a deep breath and her brown eyes waited patiently for me to continue, "I'll be meeting with your mom tomorrow-"

"Really?!?!" Dylan screamed with a high pitched voice and she was bouncing on the floor in two seconds flat. "Really Spencer? Really?"

I had to smile at the excitement in her voice. I had come to the conclusion that with the way Dylan's eyes lit up every time she shared a memory about Ashley, I knew deep down Ashley couldn't have let her daughter get caught up in the system on purpose.

"Really." I smiled and pulled her to sit down before I sank to my knees and clasped her small hands in mine. "It's just a meeting between us grown-ups at first okay? Your mom is able to ask my any questions about you..." I paused, "is there anything you would like me to tell her?"

"I love her and I miss her." Dylan's eyes dropped to my hands that held hers before casting her brown eyes back on mine. "And that you're the best second mom any kid could ask for." She threw her arms around my neck and squeezed me tight.

It took everything in me not to break down just then.

Dylan Davies was definitely like a daughter to me.

I didn't want to see her leave the family.

"I can do that." I whispered when she tucked her head in my neck, never loosening her grip.

"When can I see her?" Dylan finally pulled back and the look on her face looked worrisome; like she had to wait another year to see her mother.

"Let's see how tomorrow goes," I smiled back softly, "I'm sure by the weekend, you'll be able to see her again."

Dylan had the biggest smile on her face and she squirmed around, showing how giddy she was. "Do you think she will like you?"

"M-me?" I stammered a bit.

"Well yea," Dylan ducked her head sheepishly, "my mommy likes girls like you do. It'd be cool to have my two favourite mommies be my real mommies." She got up off the couch and kissed my cheek before making her way up to her room.

I sat there, replying her words in my head.

"Do you think she will like you?"

"She used to love me." I whispered to no one.

--

"You look fine!" Carmen shook her head with a knowing smile. "In fact, you look fu-"

"Don't finish that sentence." I hissed, staring back at her outside my office door.

"I was going to say fucktastic," Carmen leaned forward with a smirk, "but fuckable works too."

"God not now Mandez," I frowned and she backed off. I wasn't in the mood to play games.

"Fine," she held her hands up and backed away, "did you want to have lunch? I want to hear the details."

"This meeting is confidential," Ryn came up to us, placing a hand on Carmen's shoulder, "Sorry Carmen."

Carmen eyed up the redhead and shrugged. "Ryn, how come we never hooked up?"

"Because," Ryn blew on her nails before looking back at the raven haired woman, "you're lacking an extension."

"Oh but baby, I have one in the drawer of my night stand. Many different ones in fact. Different colours, shapes, sizes-"

"Carmen!" I hissed and she raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "She's as straight as they come, just leave her alone." I turned to find Ryn's face slightly red with embarrassment and then looked back at Carmen. "You're not helping me any so just go."

"God Carlin, when you're so wound up it's such a turn on." Carmen kissed my cheek and squeezed my hand while turning the moment serious. "I'm here for you though, I promise, okay?" Her statement held truthfully in her eyes. "Call me if you want that lunch."

"Wow," Ryn watched Carmen walk away, "get her, Sammy and Jaiden in the same room, I'd be afraid I'd turn gay with their excessive flirting and dirty minds."

I chuckled and opened my office door. "You really don't know what you're missing." I sighed and shook my head playfully at her.

"I think I do." Ryn smiled and shrugged. "I slept with my college roommate and though it was great, it still doesn't compare to the guys I've been with."

"Ugh." I gagged. The last guy I let touch me got me knocked up. I think I slept with so many women since then to try and wash away the guilt from doing it in the first place. But he gave me Lucas so I wasn't about to call it the biggest mistake of my life by any means.

I sorted out my files on my desk for my afternoon appointments and noticed Ryn standing in the doorway, smiling softly at me. "She's really beautiful, Spence."

I played blonde.

I was good at it.

Paula said so.

"Who?" I looked away from her and felt my best friend move closer to me.

"Ashley Davies." She said her name with such ease. Like it was the most natural thing in the world to her.

"I know this," I said quietly and cleared my throat before glancing back up her, "I dated the girl for nearly nine months and we were engaged for two of them."

Ryn blinked and looked at me. "I still can't believe it was only nine months. The way you talk about her, you'd think it would be at least a couple of years!"

"Truth is," I licked my lips and shrugged, "I've never gotten over her. I guess that's why this meeting is a lot harder than it should be."

Ryn and I both glanced up at the clock and then the buzzer to my speaker phone rang. "Miss Carlin, you're eleven o'clock is here. Should I send her in?"

Ryn's eyes widened and nodded. "I'm just going to grab my papers and I'll be back."

"Send her in." I tried to keep my voice calm.

Tried.

I nervously brushed down my baby blue blouse down and straightened the collar a bit. I heard voices coming from the hallway, getting closer.

The closer they got, the more nervous I became.

Then the knock at the door happened.

I glanced up to find myself looking into those eyes again.

Those eyes that carried me through my senior year in high school safely.

Those eyes that spoke to me with so much love every time she used to touch me.

Those eyes that still sparkled with a little life.

And they were gone.

She was glancing down at the floor.

"Feel free to have a seat," I finally spoke.

I couldn't believe those were the first words that came out of my mouth to her. It had been over twelve years and that was all I could say?

Maybe keeping this meeting professional would help ease the tension in the air.

The unspoken tension.

"Miss Carlin, this is Ashley Davies," a darker woman smiled and I nodded, finding Ashley's eyes back on mine.

I leaned over my desk and held out my hand, watching in slow motion as Ashley's darkened hand took mine gently, grasping with her fingers with just enough tension so that I could feel her. Our eyes remained locked.

Her hand felt slightly calloused but still soft as ever.

I cleared my throat and let go of her light grip.

"It's good to see you." I whispered so quietly I thought she didn't hear me.

But her eyes widened slightly and then relaxed.

"You too." Her husky voice replied. I never realized how much I missed her voice until then.

Two words.

It wasn't much.

But it was a start.

And the beginning was just the start of something beautiful.

--