Don't Let Us Go

Out Of Order

Fatherhood was something that Spencer took in stride after the discovery of his daughter, Cici. However, the birth of his new son, Javion, put his parenting skills to the test. While Olivia rested during post partum, Spencer took on the role of super Dad, balancing his time with Gracianna and the new baby while still working.

With Gracianna in school during the day and at gymnastics practice during the late evening, Spencer spent his morning bathing and dressing his son before leaving him in the care of the nanny he hired to give Olivia time to rest during the day. Around five, Spencer left his gym office to retrieve his daughter from school and drop her off at her gymnastics practice. Meanwhile, at home, Olivia releases the nanny from her duties around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, caring for their son for the next few hours.

Making it home by 6 or 7, Spencer is usually met with his wife in the kitchen while they son is down for his routine nap after breastfeeding at around 5. Greeting Olivia with a hug and kiss, the two find themselves in a consistent conversation of how their days went. After which, Olivia makes Spencee plate and the leaves while their son is still sleeping to pick up Gracianna from gymnastics practice at 8 o'clock. Spending the care ride back home discussing Gracianna's day at school and newly acquired gymnastics skills, Olivia makes sure that her eldest child feels like she is getting her time with her parents. By the time they both reach home, Javion is usually awake, having father-son with Spencer.

Gracianna is in the bath by nine and out by 9:40 p.m. followed by dinner and homework. Having to get up early in the morning, Spencer is in bed by 10 or 11 after tucking in Gracianna.Unlike Olivia, who usually finds herself up throughout the late night with the baby before Javion surrenders to exhaustion around 1 or 2 a.m for the night. Then they wake up and start again. It was far from a perfect routine. However, for the first four months after Javion's birth, it worked for them.

After Javion reached six months, Spencer's business settled into a pace where he wasn't needed much at the office, life for the Baker-James family eased. Managing to get their son on a good routine schedule throughout the day, Olivia found herself able to leave the house again. Often taking her son out to the grocery store, visiting her parents, or strolling through the park. Her time of post partum was done. She was comfortable enough to leave J.J. in the capable hands of her mother and father from time to time.

And with that, Spencer and Olivia found the trying to use one day out of each weekend as a date night. So when they found themselves out on a Saturday, walking through the park after having dinner at a new restaurant in Beverly, Spencer found that there would be no better time than now. Confused when Spencer dropped her hand and walked ahead of her down the peddled trail, Olivia questioned his actions.

"Where are you going?" She laughed at her boyfriend as he walked a few feet ahead of her.

"When we were in college, I used to dream about how I would do this," Spencer began to ramble with his back to her, not answering her question. "Surrounded by our family and friends in some large dinner right after we graduated, I entered my second year of professional ball."

"Do what, Spencer?" Olivia furrowed her brows, unclear what he was referring to as his raved gently, still pacing ahead of her.

"We never got that far, though," Spencer groaned, still disdaining how he handled their relationship during their first breakup.  "We split up. You had Cici. And we spent all those years apart. Then you came back into my life with a daughter I never knee but quickly grew to love. We got back together, and you gave me our little boy. We did it all out of order," Spencer chuckled. "So the least I could do is to put us back on track."

Olivia didn't say anything, still unsure what he meant. Pivoting around, Spencer knelt down on one knee, pulling a black jewelry box out of his right pocket and opening it for Olivia to see. Covering her mouth, Olivia held back her gasp, scanning her watering eyes over the ring on full display for her to gush over.

"You're the love of my life, mother of my children, and I can not see myself building future without anyone else," Spencer reveled in the moment, holding her hand in his. "Will you allow me to do whatever I should have done nine years ago and agree to marry me?"

"Absolutely." Olivia agreed, tears glistening down her cheeks as Spencer gently slid the pear-shaped diamond that weighed in 4.20 carats, decked with two tapered baguette cut diamonds that weighing  0.50 carats on Olivia finger. 

She didn't give herself enough time to admire the ring before throwing her arms around Spencer. Chuckling as he caught her, Spencer stood up from his kneeling position, with Olivia still in his embrace. He held her tightly with a large grin, expressing his delight in her agreement to marry him.

Once apart, they shared an affectionate kiss, then pressed their foreheads together. Glimpsing into Spencer's brown eyes, Olivia cheesed harder, content to know that despite everything they went through, they still managed to put the pieces back into place.