December 7, 1941
Aria Fitz sits on her living room couch and reads her favorite book happily. Her husband Ezra left for work at eight o'clock that morning, and she's left alone in her house just outside of Times Square.
A startled gasp escapes from Aria's lips when the front door to the house bursts open. To her surprise, Ezra is standing in the doorway with a terrified expression on his face.
The clock reads three thirty-seven P.M., which is strange considering Ezra doesn't usually get home from work until around six.
"Ezra, what are you doing home so early?" Aria asks her husband nervously.
Ezra stares at his beautiful wife for a moment before letting out a breathy sigh. The news he has for her will change their lives forever, like it or not.
"Aria, have you been listening to the radio?" Ezra asks her gently.
"No, I've been reading." Aria says as she shakes her head slowly.
Ezra takes a seat next to Aria on the couch before enveloping her in a long and meaningful hug. Despite his efforts to shield his wife from the terrors of the outside world, there is no way to keep the news from Aria. The entire world seems to be falling apart, and it's only a matter of time before she finds out about the attack that occurred hours earlier.
"Aria, the Japanese dropped bombs on Pearl Harbor." Ezra tells her gently.
Aria tries to comprehend what's going on, but she can't wrap her brain around it. Sure there has been talk of war in Europe and Asia, but she never thought it would reach the United States. Now here she is, staring at her husband with a puzzled expression on her face, while her own country is being attacked.
"Ezra, what's going to happen?" Aria asks in such a terrified voice that it breaks her husband's heart.
Ezra sighs, before attempting to answer the question that even he doesn't know the answer to.
"Well Aria, we're probably going to declare war on Japan, and then all of their allies will declare war on us." Ezra says as he runs his fingers through her silky dark hair.
Ezra's words cause Aria to shutter involuntarily. The word "war" gives her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, and several images of bombs and dying men pop into her brain.
"If we do declare war on Japan, I'm going to enlist in the army." Ezra says as he avoids looking into Aria's hazel eyes.
The though of war upsets Aria enough, and now she has to cope with the love of her life being shipped over-seas.
"How could you?" Aria asks as tears of fear and anger begin to stream down her face.
"Aria..." He starts to say.
"How could you leave me during a time like this? I'm so scared Ezra, and you're just going to pack up and enlist in the army?" Aria screams at the older man furiously.
"Aria, I don't want to leave you." Ezra tells the hysterical woman truthfully.
"Then why are you doing it?" Aria asks as her voice softens.
"Because, if we lose this war our lives will change forever. The only way I can protect you is by joining the army, and making sure that our country stays safe." Ezra tells her seriously.
"Ezra, you don't have to go. There are other men who can fight, and keep our country safe." Aria says as she wraps her arms around him.
"Aria, if everyone said that we wouldn't have an army. I'm young and strong, and I love you too much to sit back and watch the world fall apart before your very eyes." Ezra says to her passionately.
"Please don't go Ezra." Aria says as she begins to sob.
"Baby look at me." Ezra says as he stares into Aria's hazel eyes.
Aria meets her husband's gaze, and immediately feels comforted.
"If I don't do this, I won't be able to live with myself." Ezra says softly.
Aria sighs before leaning into Ezra and kissing him with all the force she has in her little body. If Ezra really has to leave, she wants to make the most out of the rest of her time with him.
"I love you so much Ezra." She whispers into his ear.
"I love you too Aria." Ezra says before picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.
June 6, 1944
Ezra Fitz rushes through a beach in Normandy France with a riffle in his arms. D-Day, as his general called it, is supposed to be the battle that ends the war.
Now all Ezra has to do is survive the battle, so he can go home to his wife who he hasn't seen in nearly three years. On top of missing Aria, Ezra has a two year-old son who was conceived on the night of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Even though Ezra hasn't met his son, Ezra Junior, Aria always mentions him in her letters to him. Sometimes when he's lucky, Aria attaches pictures of their son to the letters.
From what Ezra can tell, his son has several physical traits in common with him, including his messy curls and piercing blue eyes. Ezra hopes that the boy has Aria's kind heart, and loving nature.
Without thinking of the consequences, Ezra stops in the middle of the beach and pulls a picture of Ezra Junior out of his pocket. If all goes well, America will win the war and the little boy will grow up in a safe and free country.
"Ezra, what are you doing? You have to keep running!" He hears one of his fellow soldiers call out to him.
Ezra ignores his friend, and continues to admire the picture of his son. Less than a second later, a machine gun fires a bullet right through Ezra's heart.
June 8, 1944
Aria's eyes flutter open when the sound of a thunder-storm rings out in her comfortable house. She crawls out of her bed before making her way into her son Ezra's room and admiring the sleeping toddler.
Careful not to wake him up, Aria scoops the boy into her arms and carries him into her bedroom. She places Ezra on the bed, before cuddling close to her baby.
Ironically, it's Aria who hates thunder-storms, not the two year-old. Whenever the weather gets bad in New York, she lets Ezra sleep with her so she's not alone.
"Mommy loves you so much." Aria whispers before kissing the boy's forehead.
Ezra Junior is Aria's light at the end of the tunnel, and her reason for living. He looks more like his daddy everyday, and Aria can't wait until her husband comes home to hold their little miracle in his arms for the first time.
Minutes after Aria gets settled in bed, someone begins to knock on her front door persistently. She grumbles before putting a robe on and answering the door to a middle-aged soldier.
"Can I help you?" Aria asks as she covers her chest with arms.
"Are you Aria Fitz?" The man asks her softly.
Aria nods, and the man lets out a sad sigh.
"I'm sorry to tell you that your husband was shot last night. We couldn't revive him." The solider tells her gently.
Who knew that it only takes a split-second for your world to come crashing down around you? Aria Fitz understands what that feels like as she breaks down in tears, and cries "Ezra" repeatedly.
"Your husband was a brave man Mrs. Fitz." The solider says as he stares into the woman's sad hazel eyes.
"He was my hero." Aria says in a barely audible whisper.
July 4, 1947
Aria Fitz wakes up with her five year-old son in her protective arms. There was another thunder-storm last night, and she asked little Ezra to sleep with her. Being the momma's boy that he is, Ezra agreed in a heartbeat. He knows how much thunder-storms upset Aria, and he never wants her to feel scared.
"Good morning Mommy." Ezra says as his beautiful blue eyes flutter open.
"Good morning baby." Aria says before kissing the boy's forehead.
"Happy Fourth of July." Ezra says before giving his mom a loving hug.
The older woman gives the boy a soft smile. The Fourth of July is a special holiday in the Fitz house because it gives Aria the chance to celebrate the country that her husband died for.
"Mommy, can I ask you a question?" Ezra asks his mother softly.
"Of course." Aria says with a nod.
"Do you wish that Daddy stayed home from the war?" Ezra asks her curiously.
Her son's question causes tears to form in Aria's hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry Mommy, I didn't mean to make you sad." Ezra says as a look of panic washes over his face.
"No, it's okay sweetheart. And a big part of me says yes." Aria says with a sniffle.
"Why?" Ezra asks her.
"Because I miss your father so much. I miss the kisses he used to give me, the way his voice sounded, and his beautiful smile. The hardest part for me is knowing that you'll never get meet Daddy, because he was an amazing man." Aria says through her tears.
"Do you think he would have loved me?" Ezra asks his mommy.
"He did love you Ezra! He loved you more than anything in the entire world." Aria says as she strokes his dark curls.
"But Daddy didn't even know me." Ezra reminds her.
"He used to write letters to me, and he would always say how excited he was to come home and hold you for the first time..." Aria says before she begins to sob hysterically.
The sight of his mother breaks Ezra's heart, and all he can do to comfort her is kiss her forehead softly.
"He loved you so much that he died for you Ezra! He wanted you to grow up and live a happy life in a free country." Aria says as she holds Ezra close to her.
"That was thoughtful of him." Ezra says with confusion in his voice.
Ezra's words cause Aria to laugh instead of cry. Ezra might not understand the sacrifice his father made today, but he will when he's older.
"A big part of my heart is very happy that Daddy went to war. You mean the world to me Ezra, and it's because of brave men like your father that you get to live in a safe place. Daddy was a hero." Aria tells her son truthfully.
"When I grow up I'm going to be a hero just like Daddy!" Ezra exclaims.
"Don't do anything crazy like enlist in the army! I can't handle losing you too." Aria tells her son seriously.
"You'll never lose me Mommy." Ezra says before warping his arms around his mother.
"I know, and I'll never lose Daddy either. He's right here." Aria says as she places a hand over her heart.
What did you think? I wrote this story to celebrate the Fourth of July, but it turned out more like a Memorial Day story. I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone who died fighting to protect their country and loved ones, American or not. Happy Fourth of July to everyone who celebrates the holiday! Hope you enjoyed the story :)