Our Little Wedding (The Spencer Brooks Diaries #3)

Ainsley

The afternoon sun poured through the windows behind me. The office was buzzing today; the phone hadn’t stopped ringing since we’d gotten in, and Spencer hadn’t had a second to himself all morning. I got up from my chair and pulled the blinds down behind me so I could see my computer screen a little easier. I glanced at the clock; it was a little after two and I still hadn’t heard from my father.

I’d placed a call to him earlier this morning, as Spencer had suggested. He wanted us to have dinner together, to clear the air, so I’d called and invited my father and Jane over tomorrow evening. Jane had tried to get my father on the phone, but he refused to take the call and instead she said she would talk to him.

I was about to get up and head down to the washroom when my phone rang. I grabbed it, hoping that it would be my father, but disappointment flooded me. It was the last venue I’d contacted. They finally returned my call to tell me they, too, had no availability for us. The other ones had left voice messages over the weekend. This one was our last option. I swallowed hard. I could feel the tears building as I put the phone down.

“Don’t cry here,” I muttered to myself. “It’s unprofessional.” I rubbed my temples, like I did when I had a headache.

I wiped at my eyes just as Spencer’s office door opened and two men stepped out into the hall, with Spencer following. He didn’t look over my way, thank goodness, so I covered my eyes and pretended to be working on something when the phone rang again. This time it was the caterer, and once again, they broke the news that they were fully booked right into the later part of the summer.

Completely defeated, I stood up and stretched just as Spencer rounded the corner. “What time is your doctor’s appointment at?” he questioned.

I glanced at the clock. “In twenty-five minutes.”

“Why didn’t you send me a reminder?”

“I reminded you this morning over breakfast. You said you put it in your calendar.”

“Give me five minutes,” Spencer grumbled under his breath before going into his office and shutting the door.

I frowned. It wasn’t like him to be so grumpy, especially toward me. Ten minutes later, we were in his car, heading toward the medical building five blocks away.

We now sat in the small exam room. My stomach felt uneasy as we waited for the doctor to come in. I pulled my phone from my jacket pocket and looked to see if I had missed any calls, hoping that my father had attempted to call me back, but still nothing.

“Hasn’t called yet, has he?” Spencer questioned.

I shook my head and shoved the phone back into my pocket, then I slipped out of my coat, passing it to Spencer. “No. I don’t think he will,” I said, looking toward the floor and swallowing hard, hoping I didn’t break out in tears.

“Hello.” The door opened and in walked Dr. Pines. “, how are we feeling today?” she questioned as she sat down behind the small desk and turned on the computer screen.

“Good, thanks,” I lied.

Spencer glanced at me. I could tell from the look on his face he knew I wasn’t telling her the truth, and I hoped he said nothing.

“Spencer, how are things?” Dr. Pines asked.

“Good, thanks.”

“Good, so shall we get started?” She came around with a blood pressure cuff. “Just want to get a blood pressure reading first.”

“The nurse already did that,” I replied, looking at Spencer.

“Well, the first reading was a little high, so I want to take it again now that you’ve been sitting here for a while. Hold out your arm.”

She wrapped the cuff around my arm. “Relax,” she said as the cuff tightened. She watched, frowning. “It’s higher than I’d like to see at this stage,” she said, going back around to her chair and typing into the computer. “Have you been experiencing any stress?”

Spencer looked at me and waited for me to say something, only I kept quiet.

“?” Dr. Pines questioned. “Have you been experiencing any stress?”

I knew Spencer would probably say something if I didn’t, so I slowly nodded my head. “Yes. I’m also a little nervous.”

“Nothing to be nervous about. I also noticed that your weight is a little low as well. Have you been eating okay?”

“Yes.”

“Actually,” Spencer jumped in, “she barely eats on a good day.”

Dr. Pines looked over at me. “, you need to eat. Especially now. I see from your family doctor that you’ve always had an issue eating, especially when you’re experiencing stress.”

I nodded. “Yes, that is true.” In the time Spencer and I were apart after my father found us, I’d lost almost twenty pounds in a month. I still hadn’t put all that weight back on and then I found out I was pregnant.

“Okay, so we will go over a healthy diet before you go today. Now, how about you lay back?” Dr. Pines said with a smile as she pulled a tray with a machine on it behind her. “I want to take a peek at this baby. If we are lucky, we may even hear a heartbeat. I’ll just have you slip in behind that screen in the corner and put the gown on, open at the front.”

I did as she requested and when I came back out, the doctor had already adjusted the table so I could lie down a little more. I walked over and climbed back up, Spencer coming over to my side and taking hold of my hand as I lay back.

She placed a blanket over my legs. “Now, we will just open your gown a little. You can leave your breasts covered.”

I did as she asked. She squirted some cold jelly onto my belly. Then she took a wand and rubbed it over my abdomen.

She studied the monitor, moving the wand slowly over my abdomen. “There we go,” she said, pointing to the screen.

“Is that it?” I asked, trying to see something that resembled a baby.

“That is it.” Dr. Pines smiled, pointing to the monitor as she continued to move the wand over my abdomen, pressing a little harder than before. “Let’s see if we can get a heartbeat.”

A frown came to her face as she moved the wand, and I got a little worried. “Is there something wrong?” I questioned, lifting my back off the table.

“No, , just relax.”

Spencer tightened his hold on my hand and brought a kiss to my forehead, trying to comfort me, but I was growing increasingly worried that something wasn’t right from the look on the doctor’s face.

“Why haven’t we heard the heartbeat?” I asked, alarm in my voice.

“Well, sometimes we can’t hear it just yet. It’s nothing to be concerned about,” she said, turning the monitor closer to her as she continued waving the wand over my stomach at a slower pace. “We will set up another appointment for two weeks from now. Lots of times I can’t get a heartbeat this early. Doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong.”

She shut the machine off and passed me a cloth, and I quickly wiped up the jelly. Spencer held my hand while I got off the table and went and got changed. When I returned, I sat beside Spencer.

“Now, I’d like to talk to you about restrictions. First, I am printing out a healthy selection of foods that I want you to make sure you are eating. Also, a portion guide. I also want as little stress as possible for you. Do you know what some stresses are?” Dr. Pines asked, quickly making a note. “Is it family?”

I gave a small nod. “How did you guess?”

Dr. Pines smiled. “Well, you aren’t the first couple I’ve had that have had such a difference in age. Plus, your family doctor filled me in on a few things.”

I nodded again. “I see.”

“So, I’d like you to limit those visits with the ones who are the primary cause of those stressors.”

I nodded and looked at Spencer, who softly smiled and winked.

“Is there any reason that stress could harm the baby?” I questioned.

“Well, stress isn’t good for any of us. I tell all my patients to limit their stress triggers.” She smiled. “Also, I don’t want you lifting anything heavier than twenty-five pounds.”

My head shot up and my eyes met hers.

“Is that an issue?” she questioned.

“We are moving. I have to lift. I have boxes to pack and unpack.”

Spencer cleared his throat. “We have a moving company coming to pack and move us. If need be, I’ll have them unpack as well. , you can supervise,” Spencer replied.

“Problem solved,” Dr. Pines said, smiling at me.

On the inside, I felt like screaming, but I sat there, listening to the things Dr. Pines said. I prayed this appointment was soon going to be over. I somewhat felt like I was being attacked, and I could feel the stress and worry piling on until I began feeling unwell. I swallowed hard as she finally stood up from behind her desk and handed Spencer a few pages that she’d printed.

“I want to see you in two weeks. We will have another ultrasound during that appointment. You can book at the front desk before you leave.”

I nodded and took Spencer’s hand. As soon as the doctor was gone, Spencer and I made our way out to reception. I was just as happy to call and book, but Spencer stopped at the small desk and waited.

Once the appointment was booked we headed out of the office. We were just about to the car when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I removed it to see a text from Jane waiting for me. I stopped walking and my hand shook as I typed in my password.

“What is it?” Spencer questioned.

“Jane messaged me,” I said, swallowing hard as I read the message. “Jane says Dad won’t come for dinner.” I swallowed hard, my eyes burning.

“Perfect. Just perfect,” Spencer muttered under his breath.

“How is that perfect?” I cried.

Spencer looked at me. “, I didn’t mean it that way.”

I looked down at my phone as the words Jane had written blurred in front of me. A tear slipped down my cheek and my throat got tight. “Limit the stress. Easier said than done,” I whispered to myself.

Spencer wrapped his arms around me. “I don’t want you worrying about anything,” he whispered. “If your dad is going to be that way, let him. If he doesn’t want to come to the wedding, that is fine. However, if he does, and he creates a scene, I will ask them both to leave.”

Alarm filled me. “You will?”

“Yes, it is our wedding, and you are going to be my wife. I will not let him treat you like a child at our wedding or in our own home. Now, chin up. We are going to get your weight up, and the house will get packed, and things between you and your father will get straightened out. It’s up to him now to decide which path he would rather take,” he said, kissing my lips.