Chapter 18

Who Needs Memories

Today, Toby was gonna take mental health day. He decided he needed one after the months he's been through. Falling in love with Spencer and then losing her in an instant was a lot to handle. He's been getting by though because of the help of his friends and occasionally Melissa too. The good thing was that over the last few weeks, Spencer stopped being so nervous around him. They actually hung out a few times around town alone. They weren't together, but Toby was just that he was making his way back into her good graces.

He wasn't just taking the day off today because he needed, but because he wanted it. It was his eighteenth birthday today and he felt like he deserved a break. He planned to go by his mothers grave and lay down some flowers. Then he'd just play the rest of the day by ear.

He was just stepping out of the shower when he heard a noise coming from the front of his loft. It sounded like the t.v., but he was sure he turned it off before getting in the shower. He tighten the knot on the towel that was hanging loosely on his hips. He ventured to the living slowly and was shocked to see her sitting there.

"Spencer?"

She looked away from the t.v. and turned to him with a smile."Umm, hi."

"Hey, what are you doing here." He glanced over at the clock hanging on his wall."Shouldn't you be at school?"

She stared at him for a moment before turning her head, but Toby noticed a faint blush in her cheeks. He looked at his partially naked body and realized how intimate this is. He's standing a few feet from the love of his life and his only wearing a towel. The thought even made his face heat up a little.

"I'm not going to school today. I decided to take mental health. I think I need it" She shrugged as she flipped through the channels.

He chuckled before crossing his arms over his chest."And why's that?"

"I got a B on a test." She sighed heavily.

"Wait, you got a B on a test on a subject that you don't even remember studying, but you're upset?" He teased, but the fire in her eyes told him that she was seriously upset."I think that's completely understandable."

"Why aren't you at school?"

"It's a mental health day for me too and it's my birthday." He said and watched something flash across her eyes, but couldn't tell what it was.

"Happy Birthday."

"Thanks. I'm gonna get dressed and then we're gonna head out."

"We?" She said and he turned around with a smile.

"Yeah, you're coming with me to celebrate my birthday, so sit tight I'll be back in a few." He winked at her before dashing off into his bedroom.

Toby's truck pulled up outside of Rosewoods cemetery a few moments later. This place always did something to break his heart, but also helped him in a way. His mother may not have died here, but his father was too devastated to make any funeral arrangements for her. So, he made all of the arrangements and all the spots were filled up in his old towns cemetery, so he had no choice, but to bury her here. Now that he thinks about it, she was probably the reason he choose to come back here. To be close to his mother.

"You want to spend your birthday in a cemetery?" Spencer questioned as they got out his truck and started walking.

He shook his head and clutched the hydrangeas tightly in his hand."I come here a lot, but today it's important that I need to be here."

She slipped her hand into his free one and and squeezed tightly. He needed that from her. They stayed quiet as they walked through the seemingly empty cemetery. As they neared closer and closer to his mothers resting place, Toby grew anxious. He's never brought anyone here with him let alone a girl. This was a really big thing for him.

Here lies,

Marion Cavanaugh

Loving Mother, Wife, Daughter, and Friend

"Wait, this is your mothers grave?" Spencer asked and Toby could hear the pity in her voice.

He sighed."Yeah, it is." He released her hand as he approached his mothers grave. He placed the flowers against her tombstone before sitting on the grass."Hey, mom. It's me, Toby, I came to visit you, but this time I brought a friend."

He glanced over his shoulder and motioned for to come over. She saw down next to him and he took her hand in his.

"Mom, this is Spencer, the girl I've been telling you about." He sent a wink over at Spencer."She means a lot to me and I'm glad that you finally get to meet her. Today's my birthday and it's the day I finally become an adult. I wish you were here to see it, but I think you're in a better place. I know you'll still be watching over, but I don't think I'll be alone."

He brought Spencer's fingers to his lips when he spoke his last sentence. He wiped away a tear before continuing."I just want you to know that I'm happy and I'm living my life like you wanted to. I'm gonna do something with my life and who knows I might even give you a grandkid or two. I love you, mom."

"Thanks for letting me come with you." Spencer whispered to him before leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"No, thank you for coming with me." He turned to her in the heat of the moment and kissed her lips. He pulled back and brushed some hair behind her ear."Come on let's her out of here."

After leaving the cemetery, Spencer suggested going to Lucky Leon's Cupcakes to sorta left his spirits. Going to visit his mother was always an emotional time for Toby. But this time with Spencer by his side it was a little bit easier.

"Surprise." Toby looked up to see Spencer holding a slightly large cupcake and two small bowls of ice cream in her hands. He recognized the cupcake from the menu and it was a birthday confetti cupcake.

He smiled at when she placed it in front of him and he saw the number 18 written in icing blue icing."Thanks, Spencer. This...this means a lot to me."

She smiled at him and kissed his cheek before sitting across from him."Now, for the most important part." She pulled out a lighter to light the candle in the middle of the cupcake."Make a wish."

He closed his eyes and he already knew what he was gonna wish for. He's been waiting for his one wish to come true for so long. He blew out his candle and smiled when he opened his eyes because she was sitting there smiling at him.

"What'd you wish for?" She questioned as they both dug into their ice cream.

He smiled at her before shaking his head."Can't tell you. If I do then it won't come true."

"Come on, I wanna know and I promise I won't tell anyone. Please?" She pleaded and Toby raised an eyebrow at her. She was very curious and he couldn't figure out why.

He reached across the table to hold her hand."I wished that you'd remember me. Remember us." He said and heard her suck in a breath.

"Sounds like something you've been wishing for a long."

"You have no idea." He murmured before going back to eating his ice cream.

Alone was how Toby was planning on spending his birthdays, but his girl showed up on his couch and stuck with him the whole day. They went for a walk in the park after having eaten at Lucky Leon's. They sat by a little pond and talked for hours. Spencer even sat in between his legs as they talked. He loved having her pressed against him again.

After watching the sun go down, Spencer offered to make Toby a birthday dinner. He polity declined because she had already done so much for him already. Still, she insisted on doing it and that's how they ended up back at his place.

As Spencer made dinner, Toby pretended to be watching t.v. in the living room, but he was really watching her. She moved so gracefully around his place like she was meant to be there. She caught him staring a time or two, but he didn't care. He wanted her to know that he loved to look at her wherever and whenever.

Dinner was Spencer's family recipe for lasagna and it was fantastic. She admitted that it was her first time preparing it, but he couldn't tell. This girl has got to be a dream. They ate dinner in a comfortable silence with the t.v. being their background noise. Toby was eating slower than usual because the truth was he didn't want her to go just yet. But all good things must come to an end. He helped her clean up and they washed the dishes together.

"I guess you have to get going." He said sadly."Thanks for sharing my birthday with me."

"Trying to get rid of me so soon?" She teased as she grabbed his hands."I have one more gift for you."

He squinted his eyes at her curiously, but she just smiled she tugged on his hands until he started to follow her into the back. She lead him to his bedroom and he felt his stomach turn to applesauce. He didn't know what was happening in this moment. She shut the door behind them once they were in the room.

"Spencer, what are you-" He was words were cut short when her mouth crashed into his. He let a moan slip from his lips as his hands instinctively went to her hips. Their mouths molded together and when a small moan left her mouth, he shivered.

She pulled back from the kiss to look him in the eye."I want to give you a birthday present you'll remember forever. I want to give you your birthday wish."

He sighed heavily and let his forehead fall on hers."You can't, Spence. Nothing I say or do is gonna bring back your memory. And sleeping with me isn't going to help anything."

"Aren't you the one who told me on the night of the homecoming dance that from now on you'll be my boyfriend and I'll be your girlfriend? Well, I want to share myself with my boyfriend because I love him."

"Yeah, I said that, but-" He stopped short. He never told her about what they said to each other on homecoming night. His eyes grew wide when he realized what she just said. She said she loved him. He picked up her in his arms and twirled her around in his room."Holy shit! You remember!"

She laughed and tapped his shoulders to put her down."Yes, I do, so can we get back to celebrating your eighteenth birthday?"

"I have so many questions. When did you start to remember? Do you remember everything? How-" He stopped when she placed a finger over his lips.

"Birthday present first. Questions later." She placed her lips back on his and he was eager to oblige her demands.

His hands buried themselves into hair and he felt like his heart was beating out of his chest. Her hands reached for the bottom of his shirt and he helped her pull it off. His hands immediately went to her shirt and slid the shirt off her arms. He picked her up suddenly and a sequel of surprise let out from her lips causing both of them to laugh.

He laid her down on the bed and towered over her. He didn't want to rush anything, so he kissed every inch of her skin he could see. She pulled him completely down on top of him and grounded their hips together making him groan.

"I love you." He murmured against her neck as he sucked and nipped at her neck.

"I love you too." She moaned out before pushing him up and her hands went for the zipper of his pants.

He stood up and slid his pants down his legs before towering back over his girl. He pulled the zipper on her pants down and stopped to make sure it was okay. She nodded her head and he pulled them down and flung them across the room somewhere. She lay beneath him only in her underwear.

"Spencer, tell me now if you're not sure because once we start I don't think I'll be able to stop."

She reached up to cup his face and bring him back down to her."I'm sure."

He kissed her again and put all his heart into it. In a matter of minutes the rest of their clothes were removed in a fit of passion. Toby hover above her with the foil package in hand. He looked in her eyes for signs of doubt or hesitation. He didn't see any, so he proceeded onward. He slid on the condom before lowering his body on to hers

He groaned when he felt them skin to skin. She kissed him once more before he entering her. She groaned and her head hit the pillow with a soft thud. He moved agonizingly slowly because he wanted this moment to last forever. His hands explored every inch of her because he was being consumed by her. His hands found hers as they came together and as they fell back down to earth. This had to be the best birthday ever.

"Okay, now is the time when you tell me when you started remembering stuff." Toby said a few hours later as they laid together in bed with her snuggled into his arms.

"It was a few weeks back. Actually, it was the same day you kissed me."

He chuckled."I knew my kiss was magical."

She playfully smacked his chest, but laughed too."No, I was sitting with Hanna and your scent was still on me. It reminded me of the time when I first met you. I thought I was just imaging it at first, but the days afterwards I started remembering little every day. Then one day I just remembered it all."

"Does anyone else know? The girls? Your family?"

"No, just you." She snuggled into his side."I didn't say anything yet because I wanted to be sure and because I wanted to give your birthday wish."

He looked down at her inquisitively."How'd you know I was gonna wish for you to remember me?"

"It was just a hunch, but aren't you glad I was right."

He kissed the top of her head and pressed his nose into her hair."Yeah, I am because I've missed you for a long time."

"You didn't have to miss because I wasn't gonna go anywhere." She lifted her head up to kiss his lips."I always seem to find a way back to you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

SNEAK PEEK OF MY SEQUL TO THE ONE PIECE WHICH IS GOING TO BE CALLED A CROOKED PUZZLE:

He heard the gasp slip from her lips as she pulled the blind fold off and looked up above her. On the ceiling, spelled out in gold lights was Marry Me? Toby was glad that the words looked perfect in the dark room.

Spencer finally looked down at him and a hand covered her mouth. He was already down on one knee, holding the black jewelry box in his hands. His palms were sweating and his heart was pounding, but he knew that this is what he wanted. Spencer is who he wanted for forever and eternity.

"Spencer, I know that we're not perfect and that our relationship is not perfect." He opened up the little box to reveal the diamond engagement ring and the tears started to form in her eyes."I know that nothing's perfect about us. But I promise to love you and cherish you every imperfect moment for the rest of our lives. Spencer Hastings, will you marry m-"

"Yes! Yes!" She screamed before he could even get out the me, but he didn't care. All he cares about was that she said yes. He slide the ring on her finger and stood up before picking her up in his arms.

"I love you, baby. To infinity and beyond." He said into her neck as he twirled them around the room.