"This was a good idea," Lailah told Spencer as she licked the ice cream cone that Spencer had bought for her. The two of them had decided to get dessert after a nice dinner and had decided on ice cream.
After they got their ice cream they just simply walked together holding hands looking at all the shops as they were at one of the outlet malls. The ice cream place at this particular mall was one of the best and being at a shopping center also allowed them to walk, talk and eat their ice cream all at the same time.
"Yes, it was," Spencer agreed. "I remember when dad introduced me Julio and Kade to the ice cream here. I believe we were nine at the time and had only been living with Dave for less then two years," Spencer remembered.
The fondness in Spencer voice was obvious Lailah thought. It was clear that Spencer thought the world of his adoptive father whom she had yet to meet. His birth father on the other hand, had better be glad that he lived so many thousands of miles away, because she'd like to teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget about how to treat his sons.
Lailah was sure that Spencer's adoptive father had often felt the same way about William Reid. David Rossi had likely wanted to murder William Reid a lot over the years of Spencer's and his brothers childhood. Spencer had so many hangups, mostly because of his birth father Lailah suspected.
She still liked him a great deal though and was actually thinking that it was time to settle down. The age difference between them was only about three years so that was nothing really. It had been obvious from the beginning that Spencer was extremely intelligent, as she had watched him for awhile. He had never noticed her, as he was to absorbed in what he was reading. She had thought him very handsome in a boy next door sort of way. When Spencer had finally emerged from the book he was reading Lailah had decided to try to talk to him and while Spencer had been nervous he had also been polite. He had managed without stumbling too much to ask her if she wanted to join him for dinner and it had gone on from there.
It was obvious that Spencer liked her, as they had gotten to talking on that first date.
"We had come here to get new shoes, as that's not something you can buy without trying them on and decided to stop for ice cream afterwards. While the housekeeper usually took care of most of the shopping Dave did his part as the housekeeper was busy enough. It was a good day for all of us," Spencer continued to remember.
"I think I'm really gonna like your adoptive father," Lailah said. "He sounds like he did everything he should do for you and your brothers. He didn't just leave everything to the housekeeper."
"He did, he was certainly a better example then the father I share DNA with," Spencer said. "He adopted us, because our own father wasn't doing a proper job of raising us and with our mother dead, well, it's likely that at least one of us wouldn't have survived our childhoods. I won't bother to give you the statistics of what happens to children with parents who ignore them or are basically absentee, especially as young as we were when our mother died. Dave made sure we didn't become one of those statistics."
"He also sent you to college on his own dime and that tells me that he genuinely loved you," Lailah said.
"Yeah, he did he told me, Julio and Kade to save the scholarships for those students that really needed them as some families aren't as well off as mine is," Spencer said, even as he finished off his ice cream before it completely melted all over his hand. "It was through me that he met Alex and they eventually mated and now I have more siblings."
"I would love to meet both of them as they sound like wonderful people," Lailah said.
"You will, because I promised dad I would introduce you if our relationship became serious," Spencer said. "I know that dad just wants to assess you for himself as he doesn't want me taking advantage of. It's not that he believes you're trying to do that just that he'd like to meet you to get his own reading."
"I understand believe me. Your father is only looking out for your welfare something I can definitely appreciate and respect. If I took offense at your father's natural concern for your welfare and happiness then I wouldn't be much of an alpha at all, even if I had the personality of one. However, having the personality of one doesn't necessarily make an alpha. Alphas know how to act and also know their responsibilities if they do happen to mate or even if they just start to court. Now an alpha has to realize that anybody they start to court has a right to their lives a right to a job and to do whatever they want so long, as they don't cheat on the one they're in a courtship with or mated to as the case might be." Lailah said, as she took his hand once she'd finished off ice cream. "We've been dating long enough now that we know we're compatible so I would like to court you Spencer Rossi. I know I still have my residency to complete and I'll be gone at odd times but if you're willing..."
"I am willing," Spencer said as he leaned over and kissed Lailah on the cheek. "I know that your residency is going to require a lot of your time and even once you finish that you're going to be extremely busy I'm sure. You'll get the worst hours as a new accredited doctor as that's just the way it works. I am a patient man Lailah. I am nothing like a lot of men who want to spend every second with their wife or girlfriend instead of letting her have her own life. I'll keep myself busy enough while you're working, as I have my own business to run. I'm not so needy that I need your attention 24 hours a day. While I'll be working a lot of the time I'll also spend a lot of it with my siblings, all of them. They are growing up too fast as it is and I want to spend as much time with them as I can manage."
"It's settled then," Lailah said pleased. "I'll look forward to our next date."
"It is," Spencer smiling brightly, "but I suppose we'd better get home, as I know you have to work in the morning and so do I."
The two walked back to the car quite content with how things had gone and Spencer dropped off Lailah at her apartment building and then headed home for the night.
~~~Spencer and Lailah~~~
Several days later
Rossi Residence
"I just wanted to inform you that Lailah and I are now courting," Spencer told his father and Alex. "We had a lengthy conversation and afterwards Lailah asked me if I was willing to be courted. I told her yes, I was, even though I know she's gonna be working a lot of late hours, even after she finishes her residency."
"New certified doctors tend to get the worst hours, while more experienced doctors can get the better shifts," Alex told Dave. "The graveyard shift in particular is a bad shift to get, especially if you're not a night owl like some people are."
"I told her I was a patient man and I didn't need constant attention like some people do," Spencer said.
"No, you have the right type of personality for someone like Lailah," Dave agreed. "You're not one to whine and complain, just because she's busy with work. You know how to keep yourself busy. Invite her for dinner son. Sometime in the next couple of weeks would be good."
"She's looking forward to meeting you and Alex as I've told her all about you," Spencer said. "Her next day off would be a good opportunity to have that dinner and I'll have to ask her when it is so I can tell you. She's not as likely to be called in on her day off as she is when she's on call."
"No, she's not, not unless the hospital where she works is overrun by accident victims or something," Alex agreed.
"I'm sure that will happen a lot, but Lailah said she's always wanted to help people so she doesn't mind the long hours, at least mostly," Spencer agreed with a smile.
"She certainly has the right attitude to make a good orthopedic surgeon," Dave said approvingly. "So many people who want to be doctors get into it for the money, not because they want to help people."
"I know that very well," Alex said making a face as she remembered something.
"What are you thinking about," Dave asked Alex seeing her grimace.
"I was just remembering I dated this doctor once. It was long before we met. We met at the hospital when I went to visit a friend of mine who have been hurt and we got to talking. He asked me out to dinner and it wasn't until several dates later than I realized he was an arrogant jerk who didn't really care about his patients just about the money that he made. He had charm to spare, which is why I didn't realize it sooner. I was sorry that he was my friend's doctor because he had a horrible bedside manner. Also, all he could do was talk about himself his accomplishments, his goals, has wants, his needs. He was very egotistical. I broke up with him after less than a month because of that once I saw past his charming façade. That is the type that never would've treated any wife whether human or our species as an equal. He was the type to dominate whatever woman who agreed to marry him. I know doctors can be arrogant and a little arrogance is not necessarily a bad thing so long as you used it in the right way," Alex explained what she had been reminded of.
"That type would cheat on their wives or girlfriend and not even be sorry for it," Dave snorted in contempt not at all upset about what Alex and told him.
He had known that she had plenty of past relationships, even if they really hadn't discussed it, so to get upset at this late date would be ridiculous.
"He also would've demanded I give up my job I'm sure likely not caring that I still at that time had student loans to pay off. Of course, those loans have been paid off for years, but not at that time. We just weren't suitable. If he had agreed to pay off the rest of my debt he would have expected something in return, something I probably wouldn't have been willing to give him. Why get into that situation? I wouldn't want to bring kids into such a relationship only to have them abused by their father figure."
"I'm glad Lailah's not like that," Spencer grimaced in disgust at what he was hearing. "I'm glad you broke up with that doctor Alex. He does seem like the type that would demand you be available to him all the time. Someone who doesn't care about what you want or need."
"I'm too intelligent to get involved with someone like that," Alex said. "I'm not the type that's out to save someone and try to change them from what they are. Trying to change a person's essential personality, unless they want to is a useless endeavor, though I realize that some women still try and then get into bad situations."
"I bet he didn't react well to you breaking it off," Dave said dryly knowing the type.
"No, he didn't," Alex agreed, even as she kissed Dave cheek. "He's in the past though, as I'm very happy with the Alpha I chose to settle down with."
"You know I don't get jealous about past boyfriends as there's no point," Dave said. "Our kind date a lot until they meet someone they want to settle down with. It's just the way things have always been. I'm glad you didn't mate with that doctor though because Spencer is right he seems like the type that would try to get you to quit your job just to be available to 24/7 even if they're working a great deal of the time. He's the type that wouldn't care of you were bored and miserable while you sat at home and basically wasted your life. I can see this guy easily demanding you become a house omega and not use your good education for anything. That's not how a real alpha should act, but a lot of them do. To a lot of them it's a power trip, not a responsibility. They get a charge out of making their mate hop to obey, ordering them around instead of asking nicely. That type will punish you if you don't move fast enough to suit them."
"I'm glad Lailah is not like that," Spencer visibly shuddered.
"Invite her to dinner Spencer," Alex said repeating Dave's earlier offer. "I know Dave would like to meet her for himself and so would I."
"I promise I will," Spencer said.
"That you're actually the first of your brothers to come to me with your choice of mate is pretty amazing," Dave told his son. "It hasn't been that long since you were too shy to ask out any girl."
"I just couldn't get my birth father's words to me out of my head," Spencer said. "You did your best by me, Julio and Kade and while my brothers didn't have a problem with dating I know I did. Julio and Kade though, don't have my memory and that was part of the problem, as I remembered every hateful word William Reid uttered in my presence. Every time I even thought about asking out someone I would have his voice in my head telling him I was unworthy and a lot of descriptions I won't bother to go into."
"I know I've said this before, but I want to murder him, or at least teach him a very painful lesson," Dave said his expression furious.
"While I don't disagree, there's nothing we can do at this late date," Alex told Dave, as she soothingly ran a hand up and down his arm.
"As I said earlier, I have mostly gotten over my problem. I just have to remind myself that William Reid hasn't been in my life ever since I was seven and I need to forget everything he ever told me."
"Your memory is a problem when one of your parental figures in your early childhood was such a bad one," Alex said wincing in sympathy.
This was not the first time she had felt sympathetic for Spencer, because of his memory he could never forget the way his birth father had treated him. "My father for instance, may have been a bit gruff, but he still loved me and my brothers. I can't say the same about William Reid however."
"He deserves to be in prison for the rest of his life, either that or dead. Unfortunately that didn't happen," Dave said.
"Let's just forget about it," Spencer suggested. "William Reid is my past. You're more a father to me than he ever was. Your mainly the one that helped me get over my fear of never having any female accept me for myself. I won't say my brothers and Alex didn't also play a part, but you always encouraged me before Alex at least came into the picture. That's what family does encourages their children in whatever goal they are trying to accomplish, in their studies for instance."
Dave said nothing, but he was extremely moved by Spencer's words as it showed that his son loved him. That Spencer appreciated everything Dave had done for him and his brothers when he had taken them in.
"He's right Dave," Alex put in. "Spencer and his brothers owe you their happy childhoods because their father wasn't up to the task."
Spencer changed the subject and spent a few minutes asking his parents how his siblings were doing before he took his leave.
"Make sure you bring Lailah by," Dave reminded his son who nodded.
"I already promised I would and I will," Spencer said, as he headed for his car.
~~~Spencer and Lailah~~~