Chapter 1: Reflection
Aria smiled as she looked out the car window. How things had changed. She looked down at her hand, simply intertwined with Ezra's on the console. Her life had never gone the way she expected, but this was something new and unexpected all together. Meeting Ezra in the circumstances that she did; a wreck over Alison and her family's seemingly never-ending problems, living with the secret that she feared would ruin the one she loved with everything she had. Fearing, and ultimately overcoming the threatening and traumatic "A". Her past was something she tried to forget. Patches of gray and fear; Ezra the light. He had always been the light, the escape; her safe place. She was always running, she was always the refugee from her life. In retrospect, Ezra had really changed her life. Made something of it, she liked to think. And now, he had brought her something she had always wished and pinned for. Aria glanced in the rear-view mirror, and grinned. Ezra's gaze flashed from the road at the same time, and they caught each other's eye in the mirror. Ezra's boyish grin grew as his eyes quickly drew back to the road. Today was not the day to be reckless on the road. He could feel the happiness radiating off of Aria, and felt it overcome him as well. Finding Aria had never been anticipated. A failed engagement had left him wary, and he had continued struggling with his newfound relationship with Aria through her high school years. She had desperately needed a shoulder, and he had the daunting task of proving his was the right one to her doubtful parents. But with time, those parts of their life faded. Aria had graduated high school, and had moved in with him her first year of Hollis. A few years later, Ezra still a teacher at the college, Aria had graduated with an English Degree and had started teaching high school that next year. Rosewood had literally gone from the place they constantly wanted out of to the place they fondly called home. Ezra's mother had moved from New York not two months earlier, and had been thrilled to live small town life. Aria glanced from the rear-view mirror to look at Ezra. She smiled at the silence they could hold without it feeling awkward. But really, she had never felt as though she needed to fill silence when she was with Ezra. She could only think of one time where her words were needed desperately to fulfill Ezra, and she grinned at the memory. It had been her favourite, up until a day ago. She recalled this memory while staring out at the country road.
Aria stood with her back to Ezra, looking through the book shelf at the larger than life Barnes and Noble in New York City. She loosened the scarf around her neck, the heat from the library finally making her warm. She looked fondly out the frosted window, and out on the New York street she could see Christmas decorations galore. She had been to the city before, but never at Christmas time. It was magical. Magical, but terribly cold. They had come to New York to visit Ezra's family, and were planning to leave later that afternoon, to make it back to Rosewood in time for Christmas with Aria's parents, Spencer and Toby, and their parents and also Mike and his long-time girlfriend. Aria hummed to herself as she scanned through titles of books, seeing many titles on her old reading lists and new ones that she would pull out. Aria was soon to be done with reading lists and homework; she was set to graduate that spring.
Ezra looked at his girlfriend while she browsed through the bookshelf, his hands shaking. The small box in his coat pocket weighed heavily. He had been thinking about this for forever. Hell, he had been thinking about running Aria off to Vegas in the early days after she turned legal, and having to wait had been painful beyond belief. But he was a coward when it came to proposing. It felt right this time. His mom and brother had insisted he should do it while still in the city. He felt as he was getting older, it was finally time to settle down. He loved her more than anything, and though he already knew it, he was desperate for Aria to be solely his. He wanted the damn ring on her finger. He wanted their marriage certificate to hang proudly on their wall. So he would do it then, he decided. Sneaking around the other side of the bookshelf, Ezra cleared away a few book momentarily to hide the velvet box behind them, so when Aria pulled the opposing book from the other side of the bookshelf, she would find the ring.
"Ezra?" Aria suddenly called. Ezra jumped, replacing the books on the shelf before coming around the other corner.
"Yes?" he answered, praying internally that he sounded innocent and nonchalant. He walked over to where she stood… only a few inches from the book he had hid the ring behind. The level of the store the two were on was nearly silent, the hustle and bustle of Christmas shoppers either above or below them. Aria and Ezra had chosen the Classic floor, with row upon row of classic novels and reading areas; an activity busy shoppers had no time for.
"Almost ready to go?" Aria asked.
"If you are. I just want to have a quick look over here," Ezra smiled innocently. Aria nodded, leaning into him. Ezra hoped she couldn't feel his heart beating a million miles per hour, or his hands shaking. He wrapped one arm around her slender waist, pulling her close and she continued to pull out book after book. It was all Ezra could do to keep his breathing normal, and he could feel his hands starting to sweat. His eyes were locked on the book, and as Aria came closer and closer, he became more and more nervous. He pretended to be looking at the books at his eye-level, and being much taller than Aria, it wasn't hard to pretend to be looking one way when actually looking at her, and her next move. He gaped when she reached for the book, and he watched her eyes.
"Ezra! Look, this is what I was telling you about. The 'To Kill a Mocking Bird' special edition, the one with the author's notes they found after she died?" Aria's eyes were bright, and her hand extended towards the book. Ezra had heard about this book for well over two months, and it had not been forgotten when he had planned his proposal the day before. Aria's gasp snapped him out of his thoughts. She had pulled the book out and at the surprise of the small box behind it, had dropped it. Aria's hands laid flat, the delicate box balanced on her palms. Ezra released his grip on Aria's waist and gently took the box from her hands. She didn't move, only her dainty chest as it rose and fell with breath. Her eyes followed his as he slid down onto one knee.
"Aria Rilee Montgomery, I cannot recall I time when I didn't want you, when I didn't need you. When your beautiful face didn't leave me breathless, or when I wanted you to leave. I've loved you for what seems like forever, and that's exactly what I want us to be. Forever. I love you with everything I am, I can't imagine living without you, and so will you please do me the extraordinary honour of marrying me?" Ezra's breath had run out, his words from the heart leaving him breathless. He opened the box, and inside laid a delicate silver infinity band with small diamonds outlining the infinity sign. He had been assured by Spencer that she would love it. It was so Aria, and Ezra had been saving up for what seemed like forever. Aria's hands flew to her mouth in shock.
"Aria?" Ezra asked nervously after a few minutes of silence. Their eyes had been locked since Ezra had finished his proposal, and Ezra was beginning to get worried. Aria's hands slowly came down from her mouth, and reached towards Ezra. Ezra felt a warmth surge through him, and he was suddenly ashamed of his fear of her answer. Aria loved him, and though it was impossible for anyone to love more than he loved Aria, he should have known she would say yes. He could now see it in her eyes. Ezra stood up, taking her left in his right as his slid the ring onto her pixie-sized finger. He slid the small box back into his pocket before taking her small, stunning face in his hands and leaning his forehead against hers.
"Yes," Aria finally whispered, and they leaned in to share a kiss. Maintaining the contact between their lips, Ezra spun Aria around, and she swung her legs around his waist, her hands on her chest. Setting her down, Ezra met Aria's gazed, and followed it to her small hands on his chest, where the ring was finally in its rightful place.