Chapter 1

"Good morning, beautiful," a very happy Toby Cavanaugh whispered into his girlfriend's ear, grinning from ear to ear as he did so. "I hate to wake you, since you look so adorable when you sleep, but I couldn't wait to surprise you. Happy anniversary."

The brunette groggily giggled as she accepted the breakfast in bed that he had made for her, as well as the roses he had brought. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him in for a quick kiss. He rolled down on the bed next to her, snuggling up. His lips brushed against her cheeks while she licked some of the whipped cream from the strawberries off of her finger.

"Happy anniversary to you, too, handsome boy," she said back in that raspy voice of hers that he loved so much. "Thank you for all of this. It's already way better than what I got you—"

"Whatever you got me is going to be amazing, no matter what it is, because it's from you," he told her, cupping her cheeks right after he spoke. "You know I love you so much, right?"

"Of course I know. And I love you," she laughed, pecking his lips again. "So, are you finished spoiling me?"

"Oh, no. I haven't even started the spoiling!" he teased, brushing his lips against her cheek again. "We have major plans tonight. I wasn't going to let this anniversary fall short of our last one. Our last one was amazing, so I have to top that. We have dinner reservations tonight at Buccali's."

"Buccali's?" Spencer cried. "How did you score that? That's amazing. You have to make reservations like... months ahead."

"And guess what I did," he chuckled. "I've been preparing for this day for quite a while. I want everything to be perfect. This is a really important day for us as a couple, and I can't wait."

"Really, and what is so important about today, besides the fact that it's our anniversary?" Spencer asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see tonight at dinner," he answered, and then kissed the top of her head. "Enjoy your breakfast. I have to quickly run to Caleb's. I know it must sound stupid, but it's important. I hate to leave you on this monumental day."

"It's fine," she said, stroking his arm. "Call me when you get back, okay? I have a little pre-present for you when you return, but I'm just going to head over to Aria's. She's having her own romantic issues, and she could use a shoulder right now."

"Alright, have fun. And yeah, I'll call you when I'm coming home," he said, smiling at her.

Spencer and Toby were crazily in love. They had been dating for two years now— no breaks at all. She was 24 years old, and was finally settled with the one person she always knew was the love of her life, as cheesy as it sounded. They had dated back in high school for another two years, but broke up a while after she started college. They both had their own lives to get to. In that period they were broken up, they tried to move on with their lives, but when they both returned to Rosewood, it was clear what they wanted— to be together again. So, after a while apart, they finally reunited when she was 22 years old. And to make things even better, it was on their high school relationship's anniversary day: November 6th.

/

"Spencer!" Aria exclaimed, jumping up and into her best friend's arms when she opened the door. "I'm so happy you stopped by. Happy anniversary to you and Toby, babe. This is so exciting! Two years of being together without any breaks. What are you guys doing to celebrate?"

"Being the douche he is, he's making me feel bad about how amazing he's being, and how horrible I'm being— unintentionally, of course," Spencer told her, sighing, and then sitting down on the couch.

"Well, that's quite an ironic statement," Aria laughed, sitting down next to Spencer on her couch. "So, I'm guessing he has elaborate plans to make this the greatest anniversary ever, huh?"

"Yes, yes he does," she said. "I mean, I got him a present. I would never forget our anniversary! I got him this expensive-ass watch, but money doesn't buy love. I wish I had thought of some heartfelt gift to give him. I was thinking about rewarding him with something sexy—"

"Seriously? You sound like Hanna," Aria joked. "Do her signature move: wear five inch heels and nothing else."

"Toby is heading to Caleb's for a while, so I have time to surprise him when he gets back," Spencer said with a smirk on her face. "Maybe I didn't take Hanna's suggestion when I was a seventeen-year-old in high school, but I'm twenty four years old now, and there is nothing wrong with me doing something like that for him now, right?"

"Of course not!" Aria told her, nodding her head. "We are adults now, and if we want to have fun sex lives, then why the hell not? It's a bit weird in high school, but it shouldn't be weird anymore. Have fun with your man, Spence. You deserve it."

"I will!" Spencer exclaimed. "That takes care of the sexy reward I had planned for him, but what about the romantic part? I don't think an expensive watch exactly screams 'I love you'. It screams, 'I'm rich as hell', which frankly, I am."

"There was a time when you didn't like to flaunt your money around," Aria chuckled.

"Well, that's because that money was everything I got from my parents. I'm successful all on my own now, so I have every right to flaunt it. I earned this myself," she said with a proud smile. "Anyways, enough about me! You asked me to come over because of your love life dilemma. What's happening? I thought everything was good between you and Liam..."

"It is!" Aria told her, but then sighed. "I mean, it was. Things were so good between us, Spencer. You don't understand. We were happy, we were doing well, we weren't fighting. Hell, we are happy and aren't fighting, but I don't know if we're doing well anymore."

"I am not following at all," Spencer said, furrowing her eyebrows. "Aria, what's the problem? Liam is perfect for you. If everything is good, then why aren't you good?"

"Because Ezra is back in town," Aria confessed, sighing. "And I can't tell Liam that the most serious boyfriend I've ever had is back in town."

"I still don't see what the problem is. You're with Liam now, and Ezra is ancient history. You guys broke up so long ago. You should have moved on from him by now, right?" Spencer said. Her eyes suddenly went wide with realization, "Oh my god, Aria! You haven't moved on from him, have you?"

"I thought I had!" Aria cried. "Don't get me wrong, I love Liam. I love him a lot. But when I walked into the Brew that day and saw Ezra's face, I'm not so sure that I really ever moved on. There was a time that I thought that he was the love of my life. How can I just stop?"

"This is all up to you. Only you know how you feel. If you are willing to drop what you have with Liam because you still want to be with Ezra, then you should. If that's what you want. I can't tell you who to be with. That would be wrong of me," Spencer told her, patting her back.

"You know what? This is all in my head. I'm just being a weirdo. It's been so long since Ezra and I broke up. What was I even thinking?" Aria laughed. "I love Liam. This thing in my head with Ezra is just a stupid distraction. I'm not going to get anymore distracted from being with the guy I love. It's Liam and Aria. That's the way it's supposed to be. This dilemma is closed, Spencer. Back to you! Let's think of a romantic gift for your boyfriend."

"One thing about Toby's present..." Spencer began, biting her lip. "Aria, I think he's going to propose to me tonight at dinner."

"What!?" Aria cried. "How do you know for sure?"

"I can't know for sure, but the signs are all pointing to it," she said, still biting her lip. "He went to meet with my parents one day, and he wouldn't tell me why. Emily said she saw him at a jewelry store in the mall, which might have just been to buy some random jewelry as a present, but I don't know. And then he's also emphasized how important this day is to our relationship. I think this might be the day he finally proposes."

"Spencer, this is amazing!" Aria exclaimed. "You're going to say yes when he asks, right?"

"Well, if he asks— I can't know for certain until tonight— then there is nothing that would make me happier than saying yes," Spencer explained. "I love him. I'm happy with him. There's nobody I can see myself marrying or spending the rest of my life with other than Toby freaking Cavanaugh. I'm ready to take this step in life if he is."

"If he's proposing to you tonight, then you're going to need a very amazing, nostalgic present," Aria said, grinning. "And even if he's not proposing, an amazing present is going to do nothing but good for your relationship, anyways."

"I think I have an idea for a present," Spencer said with a smirk on her face.

"Whatever it is, I'm in," Aria said, clapping her hands together. "Tell me what it is, and let's get started."

/

Spencer had decided to make her own little twist on Hanna's sexy surprise. "Top or bottom?". That was a joke Toby had said to her while they were staying at a motel, the night before he first kissed her. She held the same shirt, as well as the same pajama pants, that Toby had offered her that day. She used the clothes to cover her completely naked body. She was a little bit nervous. This was the first time she had ever planned a "sexy surprise" for him. Of course, she and Aria had worked on a romantic surprise for later, but the sexy surprise came first.

She started getting ready for the surprise when Toby had called her to let her know that he was on his way home from Caleb and Hanna's house. She heard the door being unlocked, and prepared herself to ask the nostalgic, yet hot, question. She became excited when she heard his footsteps.

"Spencer, I'm home!" he announced. "Where's that present of yours? Are you upstairs? I'm coming up. I can't wait for tonight. Caleb really helped me figure out how to make the dinner perfect—"

When he walked into their bedroom, his eyes widened at the sight of his girlfriend.

"Holy crap," he mumbled.

"Top or bottom?" she asked in a flirtatious voice. "I'm just kidding— neither is better."

With that last line spoken, she dropped both the shirt and the pajama pants to the floor, exposing her naked self. Toby licked his lips and grinned, slowly stepping towards his very naked girlfriend.

"I'm assuming this is my present," he said, chuckling. "This is one hell of a perfect present..."

"I thought you would like it," Spencer laughed. "Don't worry, I have a more romantic present for later. But what's a good anniversary without something a little sexy?"

"You're definitely right," Toby said, leaning in and kissing her lips passionately.

She pulled back for a moment to ask, "What? Are you just going to kiss your very naked girlfriend without taking off your own clothes? Come on, Tobes— take these stupid clothes off."

Toby laughed and threw his shirt off. He leaned back in to kiss Spencer's lips again.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

/

"Well, that was—" she began.

"Amazing?" he concluded. "That's what I thought it was. Did you... you know?"

"Are you kidding?" Spencer laughed. "That was so good that I would have been crazy not to."

"Sexy is completed on the anniversary checklist, so where's the romantic part?" Toby asked, turning over to look at his girlfriend. "I could use a little romance now."

"We've got a whole day of romance ahead," Spencer said with a smile. "And not only that, but we also have a whole life of romance ahead. I'm always going to be so in love with you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"I'm really, really happy you're saying this," he said, intertwining his fingers with here. "I feel exactly the same way. I can see myself in the future, and guess who is by my side? You. My future is nothing without you, Spencer."

"This feels pretty romantic to me," Spencer laughed. "Why don't we get dressed and exchange some romantic presents? You do have a romantic present, right?"

"Would I really be upping my game from last year's anniversary without a romantic present?" Toby asked, grinning. "I did get you a little something for the exchange right now, but the greatest present is going to be given to you tonight at dinner. That's why I can't wait for tonight."

"You don't even know how much I can't wait," Spencer said with a laugh, quickly kissing him.

She got up from bed, and quickly slipped Toby's shirt on, as well as her underwear. He grabbed a pair of shorts from his closet, and slipped them on. Along with that, he put on a muscle shirt.

"I'm going to run to the other room to grab my present for you. I'll be right back," she announced, and then kissed his cheek.

Excitedly, she ran into the other room. She picked up the box with her present in it. To her surprise, there was another bag in the room. She had a feeling it was Toby's present. Being the nosy girl she was, she quickly took a peek in the bag. There were two boxes in there, and one of them was exactly as she expected— it was an engagement ring's box. She tried to contain her excitement, but she let out a quiet squeal. She left the bag alone, and rushed back to the bedroom to give Toby his presents.

"Here's the first one," Spencer said, handing him the watch box.

He smiled as he opened the box up.

"Wow..." he mumbled, his eyes widening. "Dammit, Spencer, this must have been really expensive. Wait, is this the watch I told you I loved when we went to the mall together?"

"I saw how much you loved it, and I had to buy it for you. Don't worry about the money. If you won't treat yourself to a watch, then I will," Spencer told him.

"You are amazing," Toby muttered, and then hugged her. "What's the second one?"

"Open it and find out, silly!" Spencer exclaimed. "In my opinion, this is the better one. The idea was mine, but I had some serious help from our very artistically talented friend Aria Montgomery."

Toby unwrapped the second box. He sighed when he saw it, but it was a good sigh. A happy sigh. There was a lot of nostalgia when he looked at it. It was like reminiscing into his youthful life. He remembered when they were teenagers who were madly in love with each other, and now, they were adults who were still madly in love with each other. He felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be at the moment.

The present Spencer and Aria made was a Scrabble board with photos of Spencer and Toby collaged all around. It was like a timeline. It began with photos of them from high school, and progressed to the more recent moments. Once they reached the end of the photos, 'I Love You' was written with Scrabble letters, as well as the two words that defined their beginning: Goofball & glyceraldehyde.

"Happy anniversary, Goofball," Spencer said, and then took both of his hands. "I hope you love it as much as I love you."

"Maybe, but I don't love it more than I love you. So I must love you a lot, because I really love your present," he chuckled. "Spencer, this is amazing. It makes me remember how much we have grown since high school. I'm so happy that things have worked out between us. What did I do in those missing years without you?"

"I don't know what I did, but let's not think about that. My life became better when you came back into it," she said. "My life is complete now. You're here, I'm here, my friends are here. And I'm happier than I have ever been, so don't you ever plan on going anywhere."

"I plan on going to dinner tonight, and I'm taking you with me," he laughed, and then pulled her in for a long kiss. "I'm keeping this Scrabble board in our room forever. I will remember this day for the rest of my damn life."

"I can't wait to find out why you're so excited about tonight's dinner," Spencer laughed back, even though she had much certainty about why.

"You will find out very soon," he promised, and then put his arm around her.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Looks like someone is here," Toby said, jumping off of the bed. He took Spencer's hand, and they walked downstairs together.

"Who could possibly be here right now?" Spencer asked, groaning. "This better be really important, because they're taking away my Toby time!"

Toby chuckled while he opened the door. He furrowed his eyebrows when he saw the girl standing outside their doorway.

"Caroline?" he asked, shocked. "What are you doing at my house?"

"Oh, trust me, I hate to interrupt your new girlfriend's 'Toby time', but this really is important," she said. "It's really important, actually. I thought it was time that you met Little Baby Cavanaugh. Well, she goes by Watson, but that's just because you weren't around. Come on, Shelby."

Spencer swallowed hard when she saw a little blonde girl walk from behind Caroline. This wasn't what it seemed to be, right? This wasn't, and couldn't be, Toby's daughter, right? Toby didn't have a daughter, right?

"What are you talking about, Caroline?" Toby asked, growing nervous. He didn't want it to be what he thought it was, either. "Who is this?"

"Don't be so rude to her!" Caroline cried, picking the little girl up. "This is your daughter, Toby. Say hello to Daddy, Shelby!"