Aria Montgomery-Chapman made her way down the memorable hallways of Hollis College in search of her father's new office. After more than fifteen years with the school, Byron had finally been named chair of the English department and Aria had stopped by to see his new—and nicer—office. She adjusted the bundle in her arms and continued seeking her father out.

"Aria Montgomery."

She smiled as she spotted a familiar face. "Hello, Mrs. Ginn. How are you?"

"I'm well, dear," the department secretary replied warmly, noticing the baby. "This must be Nichola."

"Yeah, this is Nic," Aria confirmed.

The older woman grinned. "She's just precious. How old?"

"Almost two months," Aria replied.

Mrs. Ginn patted Aria's shoulder. "Very sweet. If you're looking for your dad, he was down in Dr. Fitz's office."

Aria froze. "Ezra is 'Dr.' Fitz now?"

"Yes," Mrs. Ginn nodded. "He spent the better part of the last four years working on his PhD but he finished the work for it in May. It certainly consumed him."

"Well, good for him," Aria finally declared.

Moments later, after Mrs. Ginn let her go, Aria made her way to an office she could probably still find blindfolded and knocked.

"It's open!"

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. There he was, seated at his desk, the man who would always have a great deal of her heart. Ezra Fitz.

"Aria," he breathed.

"Hi," she greeted him softly. "Mrs. Ginn said my dad was down here."

"Uh, he had a meeting with the dean of Arts and Sciences," he told her. "Was he expecting you?"

She shook her head. "No, we were just going to surprise him."

Ezra stood up. "Nichola, right? Your dad said you called her Nic."

"Yes, or Nicki," she replied. "Nicholas was her dad's middle name."

"I heard about your husband," he said solemnly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks," she whispered. "Um, congratulations on your PhD. I know it was something you always wanted."

He chuckled. "I never thought it would happen but I'm glad it did."

"I knew it would," she assured him.

Ezra cleared his throat. "So, how long are you in town?"

"Just moved back," she answered. "I'll start at Rosewood High in January. I'm taking your old job."

"That's great," he grinned.

Aria fidgeted nervously. "If my dad is busy, I should go."

"Oh, right," he mumbled. "Well, it was really good to see you, Aria. Your daughter is beautiful."

She smiled. "Thank you. I guess I'll see you around."

Once she was gone, Ezra sighed and sat back down. He opened the top left drawer of his desk, dug under some papers, and pulled out the small velvet box that held the ring he'd never given her. It mocked him these days, rubbing in his face that though he was professionally successful, his personal life had been non-existent since Aria had gone to spend her junior year of college abroad at Oxford, causing their break-up after four years together. Due to their split, she'd had no hurry to come home so she spent her senior year there, too, and when she finally returned stateside, she was married to a 'charming British coed named Peter Chapman,' according to Byron. That had been two years ago and for two years, Ezra carried around that information like a dead weight around his neck. And then, that previous April, Peter had died in a car accident, leaving a four-month pregnant Aria widowed at just barely twenty-four. Ella had gone to stay with her in Philadelphia until Nichola was born and now, Aria was home in Rosewood. He'd be lying if he said there wasn't part of him that hoped for some sort of reconciliation but a new baby and a recently deceased husband made that idea entirely impractical. All Ezra planned to do was be there for her if she needed—or even wanted—him around.

"There she is!" Hanna Rivers squealed, taking Nic into her arms when Aria reached her booth at the Applewood Grille twenty minutes later. "How is my favorite niece today?"

"Sleepy," Aria answered. "She's slept on and off all day." She removed her coat. "So I went to see my dad at Hollis but he was in a meeting and I ran into Ezra instead."

"Really?" Hanna breathed. "How did that go?"

"Uncomfortable," Aria admitted. "He was very polite and offered condolences about Pete but I just wanted out of there as quick as possible."

Hanna shrugged. "Well, it's been four years, you were married, and you have a baby. I think awkwardness with your ex-boyfriend/the love of your life is normal."

Aria made a face. "Pete was the love of my life."

"Look, I liked Pete and it's terrible what happened but I'm not going to sit here and believe you loved him like you loved Fitz," Hanna stated honestly. "I don't mean to sound harsh but it's true. Pete was there when you and Ezra broke up and he was secure and comfortable."

"Peter was my husband, Hanna," Aria snapped. "How would you feel if Caleb died tomorrow and I came in and said, 'Oh, so sad but it's a good thing Sean, the love of your life, is still alive?'"

Hanna frowned. "Comparing my relationship with Sean to yours with Fitz is apples and oranges. I know that you greatly miss Pete and it upsets me to know Nicki won't know her dad but maybe you should consider talking to Ezra."

Aria shook her head in anger and stood up once more. She put on her coat and took Nic into her arms. "I can't believe you're talking to me like this. My husband hasn't been buried for seven months and you're telling me I should just get right back together with my ex. That's so nice, Hanna. Thanks for your support." Without another word, she stormed out of the restaurant.

"I thought you were having lunch with Hanna?" Ella said when Aria made her way into the Montgomery household moments later.

"And I thought Hanna was my friend," Aria replied, walking right past her mother for the staircase. "If you're not busy, I'd like to look at apartments today."

Ella followed behind Aria to her childhood bedroom. "Sweetie, are you sure? You're just barely back on your feet."

"Mom, I'm twenty-four-years-old and I have a daughter to take care of," Aria said. "I can't live with my parents forever."

"I understand that but you're going through a lot right now and I want to make sure you're okay to be out on your own again," Ella explained.

Aria took Nic from her carseat and laid her in her bassinet next to Aria's bed. "I'm doing just fine."

"Are you?" Ella wondered. "You just stormed in from what should've been lunch with one of your best friends."

"That's because Hanna has a big mouth and unwarranted opinions," Aria snapped. "Now, will you help me or not?"

"Yes," Ella sighed, knowing it was a losing battle. "I've already seen a couple you might like, particularly one, but I don't know that you'll like the location."

Her daughter sat on her bed and opened her laptop. "Why not?"

"It's in Ezra's building," Ella replied quietly.

Aria looked down and closed her eyes. In high school, after she and her friends had been set up with Ali's murder weapon in the woods, she and Ezra had come out about their relationship to her family. Surprisingly, Byron had come to terms with them quite easily while Ella struggled but eventually, she saw how in love they were and accepted it. By the time Aria started college at the University of Pennsylvania, the Montgomery's had considered Ezra family, as his own dysfunctional parents and older brother were in New York and not very close to him. To this day, Ezra had remained friendly with Byron and Ella, despite everything that had happened with Aria. That had always bothered Aria because she was afraid they'd never accept Peter fully while they still spent time with Ezra but now, it no longer mattered.

"Aria?" Ella murmured, breaking her daughter's thoughts. "Do you want to see that apartment or should I discard it?"

"I'll look at it," Aria decided. "Ezra and I have been apart for four years and I was married. It's not like I'll have to see him anyways."

Ella said nothing more as she excused herself to return to the den downstairs.

After a long day at Hollis, Ezra made his way into his apartment building and immediately noticed that the lights in the manager's office were still on, a rarity for anytime after five. He looked inside and instantly his heart skipped a beat because there, shaking hands with the building owner, was Aria Montgomery-Chapman, agreeing to what appeared to be a lease to a unit in the building. As if she knew someone was watching, she looked out into the hallway and saw Ezra. He smiled slightly but the look he received in return gave him the impression that getting back into her life—even just as a friend—was going to be much harder than he thought.