That's the Way I Loved You

by m.ashesfallingdown

Set five years after the dollhouse. Aria is living an almost normal life. She has her beautiful daughter and wonderful fiance, and for a moment, everything is perfect. Then again, she never really planned to have Ezra show up on her doorstep nearly five years after the birth of their daughter. The only problem is Ezra doesn't exactly know he's a dad... (Title credit Taylor Swift)

1. Chapter 1

"I know we have some cheese…" I mumble to myself, digging through the contents of the fridge once again. You can't make grilled cheese without the cheese, and I could have sworn I asked Jake to bring some home only a few days ago.

The sound of the doorbell echos through kitchen, pulling my search to a halt. "Ada? Can you answer the door, please?!" I shout, refusing to let a simple block of cheddar cheese win this battle. I hear my daughter's clumsy footsteps bound down the stairs before I hear her answer.

"Yes, Mommy!"

Her little voice makes me smile, but I quickly return to my search. After moving a jar of unopened jam that has most likely been in the fridge for months, I catch a glimpse of the orange brick. "Ah-ha!" I mumble to myself again, this time in victory. Ada must have been the last one to put it away.

"Mommy, someone's at the door for you," Ada mumbles, coming to stand in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Ok, baby. I'll be right there."

"Is lunch almost ready? I'm starving," she whines, looking at the beginnings of a grilled cheese sandwich sitting idly on the counter.

"I'll finish it in a minute, ok? Let me answer the door first. Just go play with your toys for a little bit longer," I reply, doing my best to reason with a four year old.

All I get in return is a unhappy frown before Ada's bounding up the stairs once again.

A long sigh escapes my lips as I head for the front door. "Sorry, I was just making lunch for A-" My rushed apology is cut short when I see him. That curly hair and blue-eyed combination stops my heart in its tracks. I don't speak, heck, I don't even move, I just stand there, shell-shocked by the flood of memories this man's presence triggers.

"Hello, Aria," he says, raising his hand in an awkward wave.

What feels like days of silence pass between us before I'm able to regain somewhat control of my body. "Hello Ezra," I choke, wondering how long it will take him before he realizes that's the best I can manage.

After five years of missed phone calls, uncontrollable tears, unbearable pain, and quite literally thousands of "I almost do's," that's what I give him; a strangled, scratchy, unplanned hello.