Toby cried on Spencer's shoulder until Gloria, Maria and Ana's nanny, arrived with the girls.
Spencer told Gloria everything in private, assuring her that she and Toby would take care of the girls for the time being, even though they were all distraught. As much as seeing Toby mourning pained her, she had to stay strong.
"Toby, Maria needs to know what's going on." Spencer firmly told Toby once he was calm.
Toby nodded, briefly pulling himself together for Maria's sake. He brought the four-year-old to his lap, noticing some of her features for the first time. She had Rebecca's dark hair and eyes, and Jonathan's face shape and nose.
"Maria," Toby started. He thought it would be easy, but he couldn't say it out loud. How could he explain this horrific situation to a four-year-old? His brother, this little girl's father, was dead. "Your mommy and daddy got really hurt tonight."
"How hurt? Will they be okay?" Maria asked.
Toby shook his head. "Your daddy isn't coming back, honey. He died today,"
"What does that mean?"
Toby sighed. He wished he didn't have to do this, but he would rather have her hear this news from him than anyone else. "Do you remember when your grandma Gina died? When your mom was really sad for a long time?" He asked, earning a nod from the child, "it's like that. Your dad is with your grandma now, and we can't see him again. And that is going to make a lot of people really sad, too."
Maria, still somewhat confused, nodded to let her uncle knew she understood. She had very little exposure to death at such a young age, only when her grandmother, Gina, passed away a few months prior. She understood that her father was gone, but she didn't understand why he could never come back. "Where's mommy?" She asked.
"The doctors are still taking care of her. They're trying to make sure that she stays with you and your sister here." Toby assured her. The doctors hadn't given them any updates about Rebecca. Since her mother passed, they were her only family now. A majority of her family lived a thousand miles away, and even if they could reach them, there would be a language barrier.
Spencer couldn't help but feel like she wasn't doing enough to help. She sat there, holding Ana and helplessly watching Toby explain death to his niece. Her heart broke for him and his family.
"Excuse me, are you two Toby Cavanaugh and Spencer Hastings?" An older man with graying hair and a deep brown suit asked, approaching Spencer and Toby.
"Yes," Spencer said, curious,
"First of all I would like to give my condolences. I know this is a very difficult time for both of you. But I am here to inform you of Jonathan Cavanaugh's will and testament."
Toby and Spencer looked at each other, wondering what Jonathan could've put in his will.
"In regards to his daughters, Maria Cavanaugh and Ana Cavanaugh, in the event of he and his wife's demise, he named you two as their legal guardians,"
---
Toby took the girls to get breakfast, hoping to take his mind off of everything happening with his family. Meanwhile, Spencer stayed at the hospital, updating Toby whenever she could.
Rebecca was out of surgery, but she was in a coma. The doctors assured her that she was stable, and there was a possibility she could recover. Toby had taken the girls to visit her earlier.
Spencer couldn't take her mind off of what Jonathan's lawyer had told them. She selfishly hoped Rebecca could pull through, because Spencer was not ready to take care of another child, let alone two. Things were looking up, though. And as difficult as it would be for Rebecca, Spencer was hopeful that she would recover and take care of her daughters on her own.
Spencer sat next to Rebecca, watching her breathe and listening to her heart monitor. "Hey, Rebecca, it's Spencer," she started, not knowing what to say, "Your lawyer talked to me about Jonathan's will, and I'm so honored that you trust Toby and I with your children, but I don't think I can do it. I know it might be really hard for you, but I need you to pull through. For Maria and Ana. Please, Rebecca, please."
Nothing. No movement, no change in heart rate, nothing.
Defeated, Spencer folded her hands together and sat her elbows next to Rebecca. "Okay, I don't do this a lot anymore, but it just might help. And don't judge me, I'm a little rusty."
She began to pray. Spencer hadn't prayed in over eight years, but it felt like her only option at this point. Rebecca was raised Catholic, too, so she knew it would be appreciated.
Before Spencer could finish, Rebecca began to move. But not in the way Spencer had hoped. She began seizing. Her heart was racing, and she stopped breathing. "Help! Somebody please help her!" Spencer screamed. A team of doctors and nurses rushed in, trying everything they could to revive her. Spencer overheard one of them saying that she was having a stroke.
"Ma'am, you can't be in here right now," a doctor said, ushering Spencer out of the room.
Spencer called Toby and told him everything. Toby began to make his way back to the hospital with the girls, and Spencer was trying her best to assure him that everything was going to be okay.
But by the time Toby returned to the hospital with Maria and Ana, it was too late.
Rebecca was dead.
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