Chapter 22
APRIL
Brushing Hadley’s hair, she is wiggly today.
“Two more seconds then we’re done, I promise.” I touch her shoulders to force her to look straight. She has on her favorite dress, because today is a special occasion.
“What’s going on?” Spencer asks as he enters the living room.
I quickly glance over my shoulder, trying not to lose focus on my task. “We’re getting ready.”
“For what?”
Closing the clip in Hadley’s hair, I scoot her away. “All done. Just don’t get messy.” Turning my full attention to Spencer, I plaster on a big smile. “I have a surprise.”
He scratches the back of his neck, unsure. “What would that be?” He peers over my shoulder and notices a woman with dark hair outside. “Who is that?”
Stepping closer to him, I take his hands in mine. “Don’t kill me, but I know someone who takes pictures, and I think your walls could use some family photos. You don’t really have many.”
“Oh.” His look is perplexed. “I guess, you did mention once that I keep the house compartmentalized.”
Tugging him with me, we walk to the living room wall where there are photos.
It’s just Spencer and baseball teams. The only somewhat personal one is of him in which he looks like he is in high school with a friend.
They seem to be laughing in the parking lot next to a baseball field, I can tell by the fence in the background.
“Sport photos make sense, but a few photos of you and Hadley will make this wall perfect, don’t you think?” I ask, noticing his eyes are stuck on the photo from high school.
He swallows a breath. “Yeah.” His voice is supple.
I stand on my toes to kiss his cheek. “I booked a photo session for you and Hadley. You will have a bunch of photos to choose from.”
His face softens, and a smile forms. “That’s really sweet of you.”
“Is it? You look not convinced.”
His smile turns sincere. “I just never thought to do something like this. But it’s really… special. Thank you.”
He leans down to kiss my mouth.
“Just throw on some nice jeans and a sweater. You don’t need to match.”
“It’s not like matching pajamas or some shit like that?”
I shake my head. “No. I promise, you won’t even know the photographer is there. Super natural and just be yourselves.”
Spencer looks at Hadley who is staring out the window at the photographer while she tests her camera, then his eyes return to me.
“I don’t know what to say.”
I quirk my lips out. “Nothing. The thing about relationships is we get to surprise one another.”
He pulls me tightly to his body to hug me tight, lifting me off the ground slightly. “You’re right. Okay, let me go change.”
A quick peck on my lips and he sets me down before going upstairs.
I touch my heart, knowing this will be a wonderful day for Spencer and Hadley, which is exactly what I wanted for them.
It selfishly makes me happy to be able to do something for them; that’s what caring for someone and love are, right?
Strolling slowly behind the photographer, I do my best to stay out of the way. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
In this moment, Spencer is down on one knee on his dock with Hadley sitting on his bent leg. He’s showing her a baseball, and I think because Hadley loves the camera experience, she’s taking an interest. I can’t hear what he is saying to her, but it makes her giggle.
During the last hour, we’ve tried different poses in various locations outside. Even though it’s chilly, they are dressed warmly enough. This scene, however, seems to be the winning shot.
“April,” Spencer calls out.
He indicates for me to join him, but I shake my head. This is their time. He ignores me and still persists.
The photographer glances at me. “Go on.”
I’m still reluctant, but now Hadley is waving for me to join them too. Hesitating, I walk over.
Spencer stands, with Hadley by his side, staring at me with a smile. The feeling of Spencer’s arm pulling me close causes me to smile.
“You know, there is an unwritten rule that unless you're married or the baby momma or daddy, one should not ruin family photos. You never know if you have to erase someone out,” I joke.
“I will gladly take the chance.” He pulls me tighter, and my body curves into his shape. “Besides, it’s just a few.”
I squeal when he kisses my neck, and a tickle races down my spine.
“Thank you,” he whispers.
“Having fun?” I ask both of them.
“Yeah,” Hadley answers before running off to Pickles who is trailing behind the photographer.
The photographer follows Hadley to grab a few photos with her and Pickles.
“Pickles didn’t get the memo about the unwritten rule,” I comment as I watch them.
“Relax,” Spencer assures me.
My eyes meet his gaze. “You have some great photos. You're such a natural in front of the camera, Hadley too. She must get that from you.”
“It must run in our blood.”
His lips twitch for a second, but whatever thought is in his mind, he ignores it as he tips me back for a deep kiss. Clearly, my surprise was a success.
Sitting on the sofa, we just put Hadley to bed and are ready to look at a few unedited photos that the photographer sent.
“She is fucking adorable,” Spencer proudly states as he sees the first photo where Hadley is hanging off the branch of a tree.
“Boys will go wild for her when she's older.”
“Not on my watch,” he warns while he slides his thumb across the screen.
“You can pick a few to blow up and frame. The rest we can make into a photo book. You must have a photo book of Hadley somewhere from when she was a baby.”
Spencer doesn’t look up. “Somewhere. I love this one.” He holds the phone up to display the photo of him showing her the baseball while they were on the dock.
“Thought you would.”
“My mom will go crazy for this.”
“We’ll make sure they get a copy.”
We both pause when we see a photo of just the two of us. It almost scares me how natural and happy we look.
“Not bad.”
He gives me a pointed look. “This is a keeper.”
I don’t say anything, instead watch him swipe to the last photo and nearly gasp. It’s all three of us, and I have butterflies in my stomach. It’s confronting, but in a good way. My eyes land on a perfect photo of a family of three. Three people who seem immensely happy. It fills my soul with hope.
“A good memory,” he notes as his thumb traces the screen.
“A keeper,” I repeat his words from before.
But I don’t want us to get too sentimental. Maybe we should slow down, but I don’t want to. I should, considering my history, but everything feels so right.
I bounce off the couch because a million thoughts are floating in my head. Walking to the wall of baseball photos again, I cross my arms.
Spencer is fast behind me, his arms wrapping around me from behind.
“You okay?”
“Totally,” I lie.
He kisses my cheek as we both look forward, yet neither one of us seems to be looking at anything in particular. “Thank you for today. It was unexpected yet exactly what we needed. Sometimes I forget that a photo can be the proof. I actually look like a good father in the photos.”
“You shouldn’t have doubts.” But he does, I sense it sometimes. He is confident about everything, except slightly shaky when it comes to his daughter.
We stand there in an embrace for a good minute, just holding one another.
“High school you was kind of hot,” I say, breaking the ice, my head indicating to the photo.
“Thanks. Some people would say I had it all from the start, but I’m beginning to think I’m only just realizing what that means.”
His words strike me, I can’t pinpoint why, but when I look over my shoulder, I can see that Spencer seems lost in thought again.
And any worry I have, I do my best to bury.