Keep Me Safe

Chapter 23: One More Gift

The children jumped up and sprinted to the door. They push the heavy door open and were amazed at what was on the driveway.

Two bikes, one teal and one gray, were in the upright position, begging someone to ride them. Matching helmet hung on the handlebars.

"Oh my goodness!" Ada Lynn exclaimed at the sight.

"What do you say we go for a ride?" Ezra asked.

"I haven't rided my bike in a long time!" Joshua whined.

"You'll have no problem doing it again," Ezra reassured him. "And now you have a big boy bike!"

Spencer stood in the driveway, one hand clutching her coffee, the other over Toby's, which were wrapped around her waist. She laughed at Ezra's enthusiasm as he ran alongside his children as they rode around the roundabout street. All she could think about was how much she wanted to be a mother.

Her first case of baby fever occurred when Melissa's daughter, Jade, was born. Although they never saw each other, she was very close with her four year old niece. She had also noticed Toby's envious expression as he watched Melissa's husband, Liam, bond with his daughter.

She was even closer with the twins. She was their unofficial aunt, but it felt like they were all related.

After the children arrived back in the driveway, Ezra rounded the corner and jogged the last hundred feet back to the house. He doubled over, exaggerating his fatigue.

He and Toby helped hang the bikes on the bike rack in the garage and joined the rest of the group in the kitchen.

Aria had already prepared a cinnamon butter braid pastry and began cutting into it. She served them each a piece on paper plates adorned with penguins.

Spencer poured herself and Toby a cup of coffee, adding a splash of cream to his.

"What do you say to heading over to Avila Beach?" Aria proposed.

"Ate those your crazy pregnancy hormones speaking?" Spencer shrieked. "In case you haven't noticed, it's fifty degrees outside!"

"We'll build a fire. Wear sweats. We're going," she decided.

A half hour later, they met back in the kitchen. Spencer was warm in one of Toby's flannel shirts, a sweatshirt, tights, and yoga pants. It still astounded Toby to this day, that even in a million layers, Spencer could still be freezing, and have to sit in his lap to stay warm. Unless it was all a ruse.

Aria clutched the picnic basket full of drinks and snacks as well as uncooked veggie burgers.

"Let's go!" She proclaimed excitedly.