Aria and Ezra's House, Spring 2020
It's an early morning in the Fitz house. Aria and Ezra are busy getting ready for their little Daisy's first birthday party this afternoon. The proud parents of the adorable little girl with her mommy's sense of style and her daddy's eyes are up before their daughter finishing some last minute details.
"Does the banner look okay?" Aria asks Ezra, who is sitting on the floor with his back to her, blowing up the million balloons that Aria insisted on.
"I thought you were gonna let me take care of that?" Ezra asks, looking at his 5'2" wife standing on her tippy toes on the chair she used to give her a boost.
"Ezra, I may be short, but I can hang a banner."
"I know. I just don't want you falling and getting hurt." Ezra replies sweetly, walking over to Aria.
He wraps his arm around her waist, "It looks perfect."
"Thank you." She says as Ezra picks her up and places her back on the ground.
"Nice job on the balloons!" Aria says impressed with how quickly Ezra got them blown up, with only a few left.
"I'm just full of surprises." Ezra says, pulling her in.
"Yes, honey. Yes you are."
She wraps her hands around his neck and kisses him softly.
Before they can get too in the moment, they hear Daisy's coos coming from the baby monitor. Even throwing in her first word, and Aria's favorite, "Mama."
"Looks like the birthday girl's up." Ezra says. "You know, one of these days, she's going to say Dada."
"Come on, let's go see our one-year-old." Aria says, taking his hand and heading up the stairs.
They walk into Daisy's room to her peeking through the bars of her crib, waiting for them.
"Hi baby girl! Happy birthday!" Aria says, picking up her baby.
"Daisy, how old are you today? Huh, do you know how old you are?" Ezra asks his little girl.
Of course, only being a year old, Daisy just smiles up at her daddy.
"Give me my little girl." Ezra says as Daisy starts reaching for him. "Hey, Daisy, you might be a whole year old now, but," he whispers, "you'll always be Daddy's little girl." Ezra says, pressing a kiss to her head.
Later That Afternoon
Everything's all set up and guests quickly start arriving for Daisy's party.
Hanna and Caleb arrive first, making quite the entrance.
"Happy birthday, Daisy!" Hanna exclaims, hauling in a truckload of gifts wrapped in pink sparkly wrapping paper, gift bags and bows.
"Oh my god, Han! You went a little crazy there." Aria says, looking at all the gifts.
"No thank you for buying your daughter tons of amazing gifts?!"
"You're right, I'm sorry. Thank you for spoiling my daughter rotten, Aunt Hanna."
"It was my pleasure. Everything's so little and cute, I couldn't help it!"
"Trust me, I know. She's already got the wardrobe of a Kardashian. Ezra freaks every time I come home with tiny little shopping bags."
"It's okay, I understand. Guys just don't get this stuff." Hanna says, looking over at Caleb.
"Yeah, well you're not the one I come home to looking at me bug eyed like I just spent our life savings and her entire college fund on frilly dresses."
"All in the name of fashion."
"Knock, knock." Spencer chimes, walking in the door, Toby following.
"Hey, Spence." Aria says, giving her a hug.
"Wow, Hanna! Trying to show us all up?" Spencer says, taking in Hanna's mountain of pink.
"She saw one little outfit and it all went downhill from there." Caleb says.
"That's Hanna for you." Spencer says.
"What's Hanna for you?" Emily asks, walking through the door with Alison.
"Take a look for yourself." Aria says, gesturing over to the pile in between her, Hanna, Spencer, Caleb and Toby.
"Wow, Han. Making us look bad." Alison says.
"You know me. I just couldn't help myself." She softly chuckles.
"That we do." Spencer says, placing her hand on Hanna's shoulder.
"Okay. Now that we've covered who brought the most presents, let's go see the star of the day." Aria says.
"Yes! Where is the little birthday princess?!" Spencer exclaims.
"I think her daddy hauled her off somewhere." Aria says, making her way to the living room where she finds Ezra playing with Daisy.
"Does someone wanna share this little darling with the rest of the world today?" She says, walking over to her husband and daughter.
Ezra looks at Aria and then over to their friends waiting to see the baby of the hour. "Oh, hey everyone."
"Come here, Daisy. Everyone's waiting to see you, sweetie." Aria says in the sweetest baby talk.
"Come see Aunty Hanna!" Hanna exclaims, holding her arms out.
"Wow, Han. Save some for the rest of us." Spencer says.
"What?! I'm excited."
"We can tell." Emily says.
"Don't worry, Em. I'll hand her over to you next."
Daisy just looks around at the fight for her going on in front of her, smiling at all the familiar faces.
"Any room for Grandma?" Ella says, entering the house; Zack, Mike, and Byron following.
"Mom! Dad! You guys came together?" Aria says surprised.
"Well, it's not like we hate each other, Aria." Ella says.
"Right. Well it's great to have everyone here now." Aria says, hugging her mom, dad, stepdad, and brother.
After everyone gets their respective time cooing over the birthday girl, they begin opening the mountain of presents everyone brought. Aria and Ezra let Daisy try to open as much as she can. The one-year-old has a blast ripping up the paper and tearing through the bags, her mommy and daddy helping her finish what her little hands couldn't get.
"Good job! You are a very good present opener, Dais." Aria says, kissing her cheek.
"Ok, and these are from Spencer and Toby." Ezra says, grabbing the next bag of gifts.
"Oh, wow. Spence…trying to turn my mini me into a mini you?" Aria asks, pulling out a slew of preppy little baby outfits that rival Daisy's mommy-and-me wardrobe.
"Just a few things that caught my eye."
"Well, they are pretty adorable." Aria says, truthfully.
"I thought so." Spencer replies, smiling.
After they finally get through all the gifts, everyone makes their way to the dining room for cake. They sing Happy Birthday and give Daisy her little cake to dig into. She does just that, digging both her hands into the cake and shoves both handfuls into her mouth, getting more on her face and bib than in her mouth. Everyone excitedly grabs their phones to capture the adorable moment.
That Night
Everyone stayed for a while after Daisy fell asleep in Aria's arms, exhausted from her big day. They spent another few hours talking, laughing and having some adult time. Everyone finally went home around 11:00. Aria and Ezra clean up the big stuff, put the food away, then, being wiped out themselves, decide to leave the rest for tomorrow.
"Well, babe, we have a one-year-old." Aria says, sitting down next to him on the couch, resting her hand on his knee.
"That we do." Ezra says, wrapping his arm around her.
"Feel old yet?" She says, looking up at him.
"Give it a few years. Wait till she graduates high school, then talk to me."
"Deal." She says giggling.
They stay cuddled up on the couch watching an old movie till Aria falls asleep on his shoulder. He turns off the TV, carries her upstairs, and tucks her into bed. He then goes over to Daisy's room to have a moment with his little angel.
"Hey, Dais." Ezra whispers to his sleeping baby girl, brushing his hand gently over her head. "Well kid, we've got one year under our belts. I know you're too young to understand or remember this, but a lot of people came today who love you very much. You're Aunt Hanna spoiled you rotten." Ezra takes a minute to just look at his little girl, feeling tears well up in his eyes and roll down his cheeks. "You and your mommy are the best things that have ever happened to me. And I promise that I will always do everything I can to be the best daddy you could ever have. I'm always going to love you and support you in whatever you do. I promise. You will always have me."
Ezra takes a few more minutes alone with his daughter before joining Aria for some much needed rest.
