Rest of My Life
Spencer’s Saturday nights weren’t spent like the nights of most other people he knew. Instead of checking out the new bar down JJ’s street, he decided to drive an hour to check out the bookstore that had just reopened after a month of renovation.
He used to go there with-you, before you...He shook those memories out of his head. It had been four years since you had walked out that door leaving him with nothing but the pain of losing the love of his life.
The sun seeped through the curtains directly onto Spencer’s eyes. He groaned as he rolled over to bury his face into your chest only to find the spot empty and cold.
“(Y/n)!” He called out, but no response.
He snuck into the kitchen lest you were making some pancakes as you often did.
He didn’t find you there either. Instead he found a carefully folded note resting on the kitchen table.
The front read “Spencer” in delicate cursive.
He carefully opened the note and tears formed in his eyes as he read its contents
“Spencer I love you so much and that’s why I have to go. I can’t tell you why but just know that it is for the best. Thank you for all of the memories you’ve given me. I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same about anyone else.”
This had to be some kind of joke. Any minute and the moment would arrive when you would pop in through the front door yelling “Gotcha!”
It never came. You never came back. Not later that night, not the next morning or week. He hadn’t seen you for four years. But that by no means meant that he had forgotten you. There were good days and bad. Some days he would spend hours just staring at the front door waiting for you to walk in with your smiling and bubbly personality.
Spencer was drawn out of his thoughts ,HONK,
The light had turned green. He placed his foot on the accelerator and put in a CD filled labelled “The Killers”, your favorite band. Soon he arrived at the bookstore. He walked in and saw that it was quite empty with the exception of the staff and some teenagers.
Huh he thought, I guess good old bookstores aren’t what they used to be.
He made his way to the classics and picked out a piece by Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.
As he opened the book, he was yet again transported into the past
“Ugh. Seriously Spence? Romeo and Juliet?” (Y/n) teased.
“It’s one of the classic romantics. What’s wrong with it?” Spencer asked genuinely.
“Well for one, Juliet is basically being pursued by a man who could very well be in his late twenties. Two, they have zero lack of communication which is why three, they die making it a tragedy” you replied proud with your response.
“Okay, fine. What do you wanna do?” Spencer sighed in defeat. He had an arsenal of facts to prove you wrong, but from time to time you knew he’d let you win just to make you happy.
You smirked as you climbed into his lap and started to leave purple marks on his neck, ”Oh, I can think of a few things, Doctor”
He was yet again broken out of his trance as he felt something bump into him-no rather a someone.
“Ahhh” she yelled as she fell back. Still within seconds she stood up.
“Hey there” Spencer said with a gentleness he seldom showed anymore. “ Are you lost?”
The little girl looked up and nodded her head causing her pigtails to fly up and down.
“Well what’s your name?” Spencer asked,” I’m Spencer” he said crouching down and reaching his hand out.
“ Diana” she quietly said.
Spencer smiled with a warmth spreading in his chest at the familiarity of the name. “Well Diana, lets get you back to your mommy and daddy.”
“ I don’t have a daddy” she said,”Just mommy”
She cupped his face feeling the scruffy stubble and giggling,”Hey! I know you!”
Spencer raised his eyebrows in amusement, ”Really now?”
“Yeah! You’re the man from the picture in mommy’s room!” She said said with excitement.
It-it couldn’t be Spencer thought as he furrowed his eyebrows. Come to think of it she did look a little like (y/n) and her small nose was quite similar to his own.
“How-how old are you sweetie?” He asked afraid to hear the answer.
Just then Spencer heard a voice he could have sworn he knew. It has been four years but he could never forget that melodious sound.
“Diana! Diana!” You yelled frantic.
“Mommy!” Diana yelled as she ran over to you hugging your leg.
You bent down and hugged her tightly,”Don’t you ever do that again Diana. Mommy was so scared.”
As soon as the words left your mouth, you heard an audible gasp at the end of the aisle. You looked up to see a face that four years ago was your entire world.
“(Y/n)” he said, his eyes giving away his pain.
“Spencer” you breathed out not sure what to say.
“Diana!” your daughter said giggling.
“Look-I can explain...” you started.
Spencer cut you off,”Just tell me one thing.” he begged” Is she mine?”
“Spenc-“
“No (y/n)! Just answer the question!” he comanded careful not to yell as even though Diana was occupied with a toy she had pulled out of her backpack, she was still close.
Tears rolled down your face as you clenched your eyes shut giving Spencer his answer.
“Why- why didn’t you tell me” Spencer said coming closer, his tone softening at your disheveled state. “Is this why you left?”
You nodded as you continued to cry trying to stifle the sobs you felt coming up.
Once you calmed down, you took a deep breath and explained,” Spencer I had no choice. You told me you didn’t want children atleast not then. I knew you would drop everything to care for this child- for Diana if you’d found out. You didn’t ask for this”
“(Y/n), when I said that I didn’t know..”
“ I know Spence, it’s not your fault. I should have told you.” You said with more tears coming out.
“I wish you had. I-I can’t believe I have a daughter” he said with a smile spreading across his face as he realized, “You- you named her after my mom”
“Of course. I knew from the moment I found out it was a girl” you replied.
“Diana (Y/L/N)” he said still smiling,”It has a nice ring to it.”
“No.. actually it’s Diana Reid”
“What? She...she has my last name” Spencer asked filled with feeling even he couldn’t describe.
You nodded before he engulfed you in a hug holding you tightly as if you were going to disappear.
“Can I talk to her?” he asked breaking the hug.
“Of course Spencer. She’s your daughter.” You said feeling guilty of all the years you had kept her from him.
Both of you approached Diana who was still captivated by her stuffed animal.
“Hey Pumpkin, remember when you you asked me when you’d see daddy?”
Diana little face contorted into confusion and then excitement as she remembered. “Yeah!”
“Well he’s here” you said gesturing to Spencer.
“Daddy?” She questioned before her face lit up with joy and she exclaimed “Daddy!”
Her little arms flung around Spencer’s neck as he picked her up laughing.
“Come home (y/n)” he said after a while holding a now sleeping Diana against his chest.
“Both of you come home. The last four year have been absolute hell without you. Now that you’re back I don’t know how I could ever let you go again.”
“Spence- are you sure? I mean you don’t have to do that, we, Diana and I could visit or I mean just Diana. I don’t want to keep you daughter from you.” You said afraid he was still mad at you.
Your were surprised when Spencer took your free hand and said,” When I said both of you I meant it.”
You let out a sigh of relief as you squeezed his hand back. Hand in hand, you walked to your place which was only 10 minutes from the bookstore. You opened the door and showed Spencer Diana’s room so he could set her down.
As he did so, you set out two glasses of wine for the long night of catching up you had to do.
Soon, Spencer was back and you both took a seat on the couch, reminiscing the four years of time you had lost, laughing and crying in each other’s arms.
The laughter soon died down and Spencer looked at you for a while before he said,”You know the day you left? I was going to ask you to marry me”
“What?” You said choking on what must have been your third glass.
“I’d gone out with JJ and Emily the week before and picked out a ring and everything” he said with a sad smile overtaking his features.
He began again,”I don’t know if anything has changed for you over the four years but it hasn’t for me. You’re the only one I’ve thought of. If you still feel the same way you did (Y/N) marry me.”
“Spence- you don’t have to” you said.
“ I know” he said.”But I want to. You are the best thing to have ever happened to me and now that I’ve found you and Diana, you two are the only things I need in my life. I want to wake up next you every morning. I want to see Diana get older and scare off her first boyfriend”,he continued as you let out out a small chuckle along with some tears, “but most of all I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So (Y/F/N) (Y/M/N) (Y/L/N), will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
The waterfall of tears you were holding back all came rushing out as you sobbed,”Yes! Yes! A million times yes!” Spencer wrapped you in a hug calming you down.
You wiped you tears and grabbed his face as you pulled him into a passionate kiss. Your lips still molded perfectly against his and it was as if nothing had changed.
Pulling apart you rested your forehead against his and smiled feeling like the luckiest woman in the world as you sat under one roof with your fiancé and your little bundle of joy.