Chapter Text
After the session, Dave decided they could use a little treat to lighten the mood. “Ice cream?” he asked, ruffling Spencer’s hair as they exited the office.
Spencer glanced up at him with a small, hesitant smile. “Yeah, okay.”
They made their way to a small ice cream shop a few blocks away. The bell above the door jingled as Dave pushed Spencer’s wheelchair inside. The place smelled like fresh waffle cones and vanilla, and a teenager behind the counter glanced up from her phone.
“Welcome to Scoops,” she said with a bright, rehearsed smile. “What can I get for you today?”
Dave crouched beside Spencer, pointing to the chalkboard menu. “See anything you like, buddy?”
Spencer’s eyes scanned the flavors, but his shoulders hunched slightly. “Maybe chocolate,” he said softly, almost as if he were unsure if he should ask for it.
Dave nodded and stood. “One chocolate for him, and I’ll take a double scoop of coffee and caramel, please.”
The teenager’s gaze lingered on Spencer as she scooped the ice cream. At first, Spencer didn’t notice, but when she handed him the cone, her voice softened in a way that made him squirm.
“Here you go, sweetie,” she said, her tone syrupy and kind. “You’re so brave, coming out like this.”
Spencer froze. His hand tightened around the cone, and his eyes darted toward Dave, who was watching the interaction with furrowed brows.
“Uh, thanks,” Spencer muttered, looking down at his lap.
The girl gave him a smile that felt too big, then turned her attention to Dave’s order. Dave paid quickly and led Spencer to a table by the window.
Spencer didn’t touch his ice cream right away. He stared at it, the chocolate slowly dripping onto the napkin wrapped around the cone.
“You okay?” Dave asked, pulling out a chair and sitting across from him.
Spencer hesitated. “Why did she talk to me like that?” he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Like… like I was different.”
Dave sighed, leaning forward on his elbows. “Some people don’t know how to act when they see someone in a wheelchair. They think they’re being nice, but it can come off as, well, weird.”
Spencer frowned. “It didn’t feel nice. It felt… embarrassing. Like she thought I couldn’t do anything myself.”
“I get that,” Dave said. “And you’re right—it’s not fair. People are going to treat you differently sometimes. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It just means they don’t understand yet.”
Spencer poked at his ice cream with his tongue, his expression thoughtful. “So what do I do?”
“You just keep being you,” Dave said with a shrug. “If someone treats you differently and it bothers you, you can tell them. Or ignore them. Either way, you’re the one in charge of how you feel about it. Not them.”
Spencer looked at Dave for a long moment before taking a small bite of his ice cream. “She called me sweetie,” he muttered.
Dave chuckled. “Yeah, that was a bit much.”
Spencer’s lips twitched, and for the first time since leaving Dr. Blake’s office, he let out a quiet laugh.
Dave smiled. “See? You’ve got this.”
And as they sat there, finishing their ice cream, Spencer started to believe him. Spencer makes a mental note to ask Aaron to walk him to the local library so he can get a book on human behavior.