Aria fidgets with her fingers as she waits for the final call on her flight back to Rosewood. She had been at Savannah College now for nearly a year and she was dreading going home. She tapped her feet with her black converse on the tiled floor. Her curled dark hair bounced with volume and her bright eyes gazed up to the flight information boards. Her phone vibrated and she quickly answered.

"Hey Dad, I'm just about to board the plane. I won't be too long. Are you still picking me up?" She hoped her dad remembered.

She was waiting until last call for her flight as she was terrified of going back. After everything with A, she was so glad to get out of that town. Aria was hoping that her Mom would magically get better and it would mean she didn't have to come home at the last minute.

"Thanks Dad. I'll call you when I land. Bye." She hung up the phone and stands up from the bench in the airport.

As she fixes her black dress with a white peter pan collar, she lets out a sigh. Inside she is crying and on the outside she wants to appear strong. Aria boards the train with her Aztec patterned suitcase and The Great Gatsby book in hand.

Although her thoughts are running rampant with worry for her Mom, she couldn't help but think of Ezra. She hadn't spoken to him since she left for college, even though she promised they would stay in touch. She couldn't imagine her life without him but she couldn't imagine a life where she wasn't hopelessly in love with him either. If Ezra was still in Rosewood, she thought he might not even speak to her. The truth is, Aria had been avoiding Ezra. He had reached out to her a couple of times but she didn't respond. This wasn't because she didn't care. She wanted a clean slate at college. If there was any time in her life to start over, it was when she went to start this new life.

As the flight took off and Aria started reading her book and looking out of the plane window to the fluffy white clouds and bright blue skies, she thought about all the wonderful times with Ezra. She thought about how everything would have been different if A would never have been involved. Aria wondered if they would still be together.

Aria stepped off the plane with a sigh. As she dragged her travel bags behind her on the airport carpet, she looked for her Dad at the exit doors. She stepped outside and searched for the car and she seen him, he smiled but she could tell there was sadness behind his eyes.

"Hey Dad!" Aria grinned as he got out of the car to help her with her bag.

"I'm so glad to see you! How's Savannah?" Byron seemed happier when talking to his daughter.

"Dad, I talk to you almost every day, it's the same as yesterday." Aria laughed as she hugged Byron and got into the car.

The car ride was mainly silent. They had spoken every day since Ella got sick so there wasn't much to say. Byron was off work just now to look after her and there was no progress on how Ella's recovery was going. As they stepped out of the car and Aria looked onto their patio and the house she had grown up in, she thought about how much had changed over a year. Aria went up to her old room and put her suitcase down. She sat on her old bed and looked at the empty closet.

She finally plucked up the courage to go see her Mom. She walked down the hall and stood outside the door. Byron appeared behind her.

"Go on, Aria. She really missed you." He reassured her.

"I've never seen Mom sick. She's always so strong." Aria said with tears in her eyes.

Byron looked and the ground and patted Aria on the back. She put her hand on the door handle and opened the door.

"Hey Mom!" Her voice cracked as she spoke.