Spencer's productive day.

Spencer headed to the local grocers for his meat and fresh produce. He would need something in the house if he was going to cook for Loren Chapman and Victoria. In truth, Spencer wasn’t completely a bad cook, he’d just never had the time when he was working in D.C. to focus on it. Then after Kirsten’s passing, he’d spent the next few years in a fog and hadn’t felt like doing anything at all. These last few months, perhaps even this whole year, Spencer felt like he was coming out of a long winter hibernation at last. Not just the fact that he’d slept with Darcie and Danielle, Evelyn too if he was being honest with himself, but that he was opening himself back up to life once again. He was more connected to the people in Avonwick than ever before, hell this PTA President thing might be a blessing after all. On top of it all, Spencer wanted to be a better father for Amy and that meant cooking more meals than they ordered.

And another thing Spencer decided. To be a good family man that meant settling down and being with Danielle. The two weeks of freedom that she’d given him while she was in New York wouldn’t be needed. He knew now that he wanted to dedicate himself to the beautiful redhead. Spencer resolved to tell Danielle just how he felt the second she returned to him.

Realising that he’d been aimlessly wandering the isles of the greengrocers for the past ten minutes, Spencer focused on the task at hand and soon had all the items that Amy and he would need for the coming week.

Having done his shopping, it was almost late enough in the morning to call in at the Corner Coffee House and pick up his second serving of caffeinated pleasure for the day. His heart was warmed not only by the hot beverage but by the thought of Danielle as well. Had she’d been at work and not in New York he would have dropped off a second cup for her as well.

Returning to his homestead, Spencer thought about going for a short paddle on his lake but the wind was coming in off the mountains and whipping the wave-caps in small white crowns. It would be cold and miserable out on the water. Doubly so if he fell in. Instead, he banked up the fire in the living room for himself and Amy and busied himself with another task he needed to do.

Whilst he had a replacement hire-car as his insurance company sorted themselves out. He couldn’t keep it forever and would need to get another car of his own. Spencer had seen the damage to his Mercedes and knew with a great deal of certainty that it would end up getting written off and he would be paid on. Spencer had been partial to his silver Merc and liked the BMW that he’d been given as a loaner but found himself looking at getting something different this time. Doing some research online, Spencer wanted to stick with getting another SUV. He liked them. While he could get a sedan or a sports car, Spencer found that too much of a cliché and a veritable middle-life-crisis-mobile. His first choice was to get an Aston Martin DBX. It was a sleek James Bond sort of car and within his price range money-wise. The practical side of Spencer that had never gotten used to the sort of money he’d made from his private practice won out. A full 80 thousand cheaper than the Aston Martin, Spencer made his choice on a new dark blue Maserati Levante. Spencer had grown up loving Italian sportscars like Ferrari, Lamborghini or Maserati. This was his opportunity to have one of this own.

There was a dealership in New York that could get him one in between four and six weeks. He would have loved to have gotten it sooner. Say in under two weeks so that Spencer would have an excuse to go to New York and surprise Danielle. The dealer he spoke to on the phone was happy to take Spencer’s deposit by credit card over the phone with the balance to be paid by bank transfer anytime before the vehicle arrived. Either in full by Spencer or partially if the insurance came through before that. Unfortunately, that was the sort of thing Danielle normally did for him. He might not be able to surprise her with it after all.

With Spencer back to being on the road in a car of his own again, he set about preparing dinner for himself and Amy that night as well as prepping for Loren and her daughter the next. He would take things easy tonight with some simple pork chops and veggies but tomorrow would be a little fancier. Spencer did his best to joint the chicken like he remembered Kirsten doing before putting it all in a pot for Apricot Chicken like she used to make for him and Amy. He hoped he could do his wife’s old recipe justice.

After all his shopping and cooking, Spencer was a little late for Amy’s softball practice. The girls were already deep into their drills by the time he arrived. Forgoing his normal spot up in the stands, Spencer sat down at foot of the bleachers. Close to where the girls and Miss Wolfe were training. The teacher was in a pale grey pair of leggings this time with a maroon windbreaker over the top. Turning she caught sight of Spencer’s arrival and flashed him a brilliant white smile.

Through the practice, Spencer was able to keep better control of himself today and spent much more time watching Amy than he did Jessica Wolfe. When the train session was over, Miss Wolfe blew her whistle to release the girls. Amy came walking over to where her dad was as the teacher jogged off to pick up some cones and markers from around the field.

“The team is really coming along,” Spencer told Amy when she reached him.

“Our first game is this weekend against Cherryville,” his daughter told him.

“I’m sure you will do great against them.”

Amy's face formed a frown at the corners of her mouth. “I wish Danielle was here to watch me.”

Spencer felt a tug at his heartstrings. Amy seemed to have made her mind up on Danielle just as he had. “I wish she was too but there will be plenty of other weekends that she’ll be here for. I’m sure she’d love to come and watch you just like I do.”

Amy seemed consoled but still asked, “can I call her tonight and ask her?”

“Of course, you can,” he said.

While they’d been talking and before they’d left, Jessica had completed her pickup of the school sports equipment and finished her jogged run by Spencer and Amy. “Spencer. Amy. Good practise today.”

“All ready to take it to Cherryville,” Spencer agreed.

“We will if my third baseman has anything to do with it,” Jessica agreed.

“Well, I’d better get her home and fed. My little athlete will have worked up an appetite, I’m sure.”

“Ugh, Dad!” Amy groaned at being called his little athlete. Dads could be the biggest drags sometimes.

“Sure, you do that. I’m still seeing you Thursday right?” Jessica asked to confirm.

“Yes. One o’clock right?”

Jessica confirmed the time before they all waved each other goodbye.

In the car, Amy immediately started to question her Dad about what her teacher had just said. He hadn’t even gotten it out of the carpark before she was asking, “What are you doing seeing Miss Wolfe? You’re seeing Danielle.”

“Oh. Not like that, Sweetie. I hurt my shoulder a little in that accident a little while ago.”

Amy immediately looked stricken with panic and Spencer regretted his words. Of course, he should have thought of Kirsten's **** in a car accident and how Amy might take the news of him being hurt in one too.

“But your ok right?” Amy's voice had come up in both pitch and intensity.

“I’m fine! Honestly! Miss Wolfe has been helping me with some physio and a little bit of rehab that’s all. My shoulder just got a little bumped around that’s all. Nothing a quick massage couldn’t fix.”

Gods! Spencer thought to himself suddenly. He shouldn’t be telling Amy about Jessica giving him massages right before she wanted to call Danielle tonight. Then thinking himself stupid, he hadn’t done anything wrong last time and Danielle had seen him straight afterwards. Spencer could certainly recall what had happened then.

His words to his daughter seem to mollify her slightly at least but Amy still spent the rest of the drive home turning and watching Spencer intently as he drove. The tenseness not entirely leaving her body.