“Ashley, I understand that this is going to be your family.  I am very happy about this I don’t want you to think that I’m not.”  Arthur spoke softly as he looked straight into her eyes.  “But I don’t like the idea of sperm banks.  I think that it takes the magic and the nature out of having a child.”  Ashley stared at Arthur shocked.  She would have never expected him to be close-minded about this.  Arthur saw the look in her eyes and quickly kept explaining.  “It’s not that I don’t agree with gay couples having children, I think its wonderful… but I don’t like the idea of having anyone be the donor.  Spencer could be carrying a child by a 15 year old, or a drug addict that lied on the forms.  They pay people to donate and even at the doctors you still don’t know.  Its all so shifty to me and…”  Ashley’s mind had been turning throughout his entire explanation, and now she understood why Spencer wanted to conceive the way they had.

“Mr. C… before you go any further I want to tell you something.  Spencer and I didn’t use a sperm bank.”  The curious looks from Arthur and Paula made her continue.  “Spencer had me meet Scott…”

“Scott??!! Scott Bradley?  From church?”  Paula’s eyes were wide.

“Yes, he agreed to be the donor.  We did it the old-fashioned way… and now I understand why.”

“Ash…”  Spencer’s voice came out pleading from the doorway where no one knew she stood listening and watching.  She walked towards Ashley, but the brunette stepped out of her reach.

“No, I need to…”  Ashley looked into Spencer’s eyes and then turned and started walking back towards the house.  “Have Glen take you home.  I need to go out for a little while.”  She didn’t say anything as she walked past the dining room and out the front door.  She was glad that she had her keys in her pocket because right now she was on auto pilot.  She got into her car and drove off.  Never even realizing that she didn’t have her purse or phone with her.

“Spencer…”  Arthur tried to talk to the silently crying blonde, but she waved him off and walked back in the house without a word.  Leaving the confused parents to themselves.  She walked into the living room and when she saw the concern and confusion on the faces in the dining room, she walked up the stairs into her old room where she laid on her old bed and cried openly.  Her room was the same as when she was in high school, the pictures of her and Ashley, the same bed that they had spent many nights together in secret.  She knew that she shouldn’t have lied to Ashley about her reasons, but she knew the brunette would have fought with her about it.  So she lied… and now she had to pay the price for that.