Strangers [COMPLETE]

Chapter 8: Meet The Hastings

"So how long have you been in the Air Force?" Mark asked Toby while he was helping with dinner. Mark didn't want this to seem like an interrogation, even though it was one.

"Almost 5 years. I joined right after high school." Toby said.

Mark, who was still in law school, envied Toby just a little bit. His studies tired him out so much that he barely had time to spend with his kid. That was the reason why he begged Spencer to let Isaac spend the summer with him. Mark wanted nothing more than to be free of endless hours of studying. He wanted to be free of that long before he graduated high school.

"How did you meet Spencer?" He asked.

Toby wasn't sure if he wanted to include the fact that he met Spencer at a club. It seemed all too tacky, and he loved his version much better. Boy meets girl at a wedding, and is intrigued by her instantly. He figured he'd let them keep the memory of their intimate night in the town to themselves.

"She catered for my brother's wedding," Toby said. It wasn't a lie, Spencer did cater for Jonathan's wedding.

Mark sighed to himself. He was getting nowhere with this guy. He took a deep breath, then turned to Toby.

"Listen, you seem like a nice guy. And I'm sure Spencer really enjoys spending time with you. But I swear to God, if you hurt her, I will make your life a living hell." Mark threatened. He hated doing this, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He was glad that Spencer was in the living room with Isaac, and was unable to hear this conversation.

"I would never hurt her." Toby assured him.

Mark sighed in relief. "Good," he said, clearing his throat. He was begging for the subject to change. "So, have you met her parents before?" He asked.

Toby shook his head. "No, and in all honesty, I'm terrified."

Mark chuckled. "I was, too. But they're pretty great people."

As if on queue, there was a knock at the front door. Spencer eagerly answered it. Her parents stood at the other side of the doorway, with big smiles plastered on their faces.

"Oh my gosh, hi!" Spencer squealed, hugging her parents. Toby automatically felt his heart begin to race. Mark left the kitchen, joining the family in the living room. Isaac jumped into his grandmother's arms.

They were all obviously so happy together, and Toby felt as if he was just ruining it. He joined them, feeling more nervous than before.

"Mom, Dad, this is Toby." Spencer said, gesturing towards her boyfriend.

"Nice to meet you, Toby." Spencer's father said, shaking Toby's hand.

From what Toby heard about Peter Hastings was that he was a rather busy man. Toby was reminded of when Spencer once told him that her father nearly missed her high school graduation because he was stuck in his office all day. He seemed like a nice guy, and after all, he was trying to make things right again. He deserved some credit.

Spencer's mother, Veronica Hastings, was different. Not different in a bad way, she just never cared for the "parenthood" lifestyle. Veronica always said to herself that Spencer was an accident. In a sense, it was true. Peter and Veronica never planned to have Spencer. They didn't plan to have kids at all. She knew that constantly reminding herself that her daughter was an accident wasn't healthy at all. She tried her best to never say it, or think it, because it would always make her treat Spencer differently. Like she wasn't a person.

All that aside, they realized that that kind of behavior needed to stop. They wanted to be a part of her life again, and they started to genuinely care about her. They stopped pretending to love her. They regretted not doing it earlier; maybe then they wouldn't have had a surprise grandson, but they loved Isaac just as much as they loved Spencer.

"Toby," Spencer whispered, pulling her boyfriend to the side, "I was wondering if maybe, you could just sleep at your place tonight instead of sleeping over here? I don't want to seem rude, it's just that... I want to spend time with my family, and-"

Toby cut her off with a passionate kiss. He didn't care if her parents could see. "Of course. I'll leave right after dinner." He said. He knew that she needed this time with her family, since she rarely had it.

During dinner, Toby's interrogation continued on. However, the questions came from Spencer's father, and not Mark.

"So, Toby, where are you from?" He asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Pennsylvania." Toby answered, "I got relocated to Connecticut about two years ago. My brother moved with me, then he met his now wife, and he ended up moving out. So it's been just me for a while. Then I met Spencer."

Spencer blushed, grabbing Toby's hand. She was a bit disappointed she could sit next to him, as Isaac was having trouble with his rather messy portion of spaghetti. Although, they still sat across from each other. They made up for their temporary separation by playing footsies underneath the table.

Mark's phone started to ring, and he excused himself from the table to answer it.

"What did you think when Spencer told you that she had a kid?" Veronica asked.

"Mom," Spencer scolded. She hated when her mother brought it up. Veronica often used it as a scare tactic.

"It's alright," Toby said, "I don't mind it. And I think Isaac is adorable." Isaac smiled as he continued to struggle with his spaghetti, then successfully are another bite, with some help from Spencer. "I think Spencer is an amazing woman, and I'd do absolutely anything to stay with her for a long time." He added.

Spencer smiled. She would've said something, but Mark re-entered the dining room. "That was Gabriel. He's really sick. I think it would be best if I just went back home and took care of him." Mark said, kissing the top of Isaac's head and saying his goodbyes.

When Mark exited, Spencer spoke. "So, our business might open up a new branch in New York." She stated, changing the subject very abruptly, "and they're thinking about promoting me to be the manager there,"

Toby widened his eyes. In all honesty, he was happy for Spencer. But he couldn't help but think about how much he'll miss her if she does get promoted. They hadn't even said "I love you" to each other yet, and they had been together for nearly three months.

Toby feared that if she did leave, it wouldn't take her long to forget about him.