It's Time

Sisters

"Slow down, and be careful, please," I yell out as Bentley and Jace run around the open field playing with a ball. Spencer is finally cleared to play this week, and it's perfect timing because they're playing the Atlanta Falcons, who just so happen to have a guy named Baker as their starting quarterback.

"Little boys really have a ton of energy." My brother's wife comments.

"My goodness, you have no idea. The masculine energy in my house nearly drives me insane. Even the dog is pure chaos." We both laugh, and I watch as Simone brings her hand down to her growing belly. "You guys are way stronger than me. There's no way I could wait until birth to learn the gender."

"That's all your brother." Simone scoffs. "After his two-hour speech on why we should wait, I was so desperate for the torture to end that I finally just agreed."

"He is persistent and stubborn," I add on with a sigh.

"They'll talk, Liv. They have to. I know it's yours and Spencer's relationship, but Jordan was really hurt, too, when Spence left. He felt really torn."

"I get that, I do. I just don't understand why he told me he was supportive of Spencer and I being together if he had no real intention of forgiving him."

Jordan and Spencer have pretty much learned to co-exist. Whenever I'm on FaceTime with Jordan and Spencer comes in the room, they acknowledge each other, but that pretty much sums up their interactions. I just want things back to how they used to be.

"Liv. WOW. This park is gorgeous. We're going to get some great shots!"

I snap out of my thoughts to see my new friend Ryan approaching. Of all the women in my photography group, my friendship with her has felt the most natural. It doesn't hurt that her husband is Spencer's teammate, so she's intimately familiar with this crazy life we're living. We're teaming up to do a maternity shoot for one of the player's wives, and I wanted to show her the location I had in mind.

"Ryan, hi." I walk over, hugging her. "Ryan, this is my sister-in-law, Simone. Simone, this is a friend of mine, Ryan." I introduce the two. They exchange pleasantries before Ryan excuses herself to go speak to the star of the show... Jace.

"Soooo, let me see it. I'm sure the pictures do that gorgeous ring no justice." Ryan begins as I frantically shake my head, begging her to stop. She's too lost in her own ring ramble to notice my silent pleas.

"Ring?" Simone's eyes dart to me, and I feel like she's burning a hole right in the middle of my head. "I've been with you all day; I'd think I would've noticed a ring." She lets out a humorless laugh.

"Oh shit. I'm so sorry, Liv, I didn't know." Ryan offers me a look of sincerity.

"There's a ring?" Simone inquires for a second time, her voice broken and betrayed.

"We wanted to tell you guys together." I express apologetically. Reaching into my purse, I pull out my engagement ring sliding it on my finger for Simone and Ryan to see. Honestly, although I didn't want Simone to find out this way, I'm relieved Ryan blabbed because I felt so empty without it on. Spencer agreed it'd probably be best to keep it off until we talked to Jordan and Simone, but I could tell the thought of me without it made him uneasy. He's always been super affectionate; physical touch is obviously a significant love language of his. However, since the engagement, he's consistently grabbing and kissing my hand. I can tell he's proud.

Simone reaches for my hand, taking a closer look at all the details.

"It's incredible, Liv." She smiles though it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"Incredible... this is jaw-dropping. Tell Spencer to whisper a few things in Dre's ear next practice." Ryan chuckles. Clearly, reading a room is not my new friend's strong suit.

"Ry, could you keep an eye on Jace and Bentley for a second? I forgot something in the car, and Simone is going to walk with me."

"Yea, of course." She waves at me dismissively, completely enamored by the ring search she's just pulled up on her phone.

Simone and I walk off toward the car before I pull her over to sit on the bench. "I wanted to tell you. I just— I did want to put you in a position where you had to lie to him. I'm really happy about this, Simone, and I won't be able to handle it if Jordan pulls his shit. You know how he gets." My eyes plead with her to see where I'm coming from.

"Trust me, Liv, no one is more familiar with Jordan's ability to suck the air out of exciting moments than me. I'm not Jordan, though. I thought you knew that my relationship with you is just that, ours. You're my sister, and not because you're Jordan's sister but because I choose you regardless of what's happening with him and me. We're not Spence and Jordan, Liv. I don't ever want our relationship to turn out the way theirs has." A few tears fall from her eyes which she quickly dismisses as hormones from her growing little one.

"Me either." I sob. I, on the other hand, do not have pregnancy as an excuse. This whole 'feel all your feelings' journey is really kicking my ass. Everything brings me to tears lately.

We hug, squeezing each other tighter by the second. She reaches for my hand again, this time a genuine smile taking over her face as she examines the rock on my finger.

"Your very bubbly friend is right. I would say Spence outdid himself, but you deserve every sparkle on this damn ring after that stunt he pulled." We both laugh, and it feels like a weight off my shoulders to share my joy with the people I care about.

"Hey, Simone? Spence told me you checked on him pretty often when we were apart." I state, though, it's really more of an inquisition to which she offers a soft smile.

"Jordan was too stubborn to ever ask how he was doing, but I knew he'd want to know. More importantly, I knew you'd want to know how he was. I'm not sure what it is about Spencer James, but his effect on the entire Baker family is like nothing I've ever seen. So, I checked in for you guys when I knew you couldn't. How do you think he knew his time was running out to get his shit together?" She winks at me.

I throw my arms around her as my emotions explode all over again. I always wondered how Spencer knew to show up when he did, and now I know. I love my twin brother more than anything, but I'm now convinced his greatest deed is bringing Simone into my life.

"We should get back to your kid and your dog." Simone pulls me up. "Your friend didn't look like the most reliable babysitter."

We lock our arms heading back over to Ryan, who is still buried deep in her phone. I don't see a toddler running around, and almost as if Ry can read my mind, she points to her left. Sure enough, Bentley is lying on the bench, and Jace is laying his head on the poor dog knocked out.

"I let my kids run themselves to sleep all the time," Ryan says, never looking up from her phone.

Me and Simone offer each other knowing looks before trying to stifle our laughs. Definitely not the most reliable babysitter.

A shorter one for you guys. It was initially tied in with the next chapter but it's taking me a little while to edit so I decided to post this part as a stand alone and hopefully I'll have the rest in the next few days!