I despise this chapter, just putting it out there.
Ezra Fitz was in a panic. The food was burnt, Rose of Sharon was closed for renovations, he couldn't find any of his menus, he's spilt his coffee all over his crisp white shirt and to top it all of, Maggie had called to say that she wouldn't be picking Maggie up until nine, meaning that his son would be there for a whole hour of his and Aria's dinner – if he could even call it that anymore.
He considered ringing Aria up and cancelling the evening altogether but decided against it, he needed to show Aria that Malcolm wasn't going to come between them and that they could still be a couple even if he was a father.
The little boy in question was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of Spaghetti-O's and watching the Simpsons, completely unaware of his father's dilemma. Ezra sighed and looked away from the little boy, pulling two packets of ramen down from his cupboard with a disappointed sigh, so much for a romantic meal. It was already quarter to eight and he knew that this was his only option unless he was prepared to serve a dinner of Coco Puffs. He placed his teapot on the stove to boil; it was going to have to do.
At four minutes past eight, there was a quiet knock on the door of apartment 3B. Malcolm ran to the door shouting, "I'll get it! I'll get it!" before Ezra could stop him and a moment later the door was flung open to reveal Aria's surprised face.
"Daddy, it's Aria!" He shouted before running back to the couch and his bowl of pasta, his attention glued to the cartoon once more.
"Thanks, little man," Ezra said to him as he made his way to the door where Aria was still standing, her eyes focused on the small boy. He watched her breathe in a deep breath before meeting his gaze.
"I thought we were supposed to talk," she said stiffly, disappointment flashing across her eyes, "Alone."
"We will," Ezra replied in a hushed voice, "Maggie got delayed but he'll be gone in an hour and then we can talk all you want. Just, come inside. Please." He watched her hesitate. "Aria, he's my son. I can't just make him vanish whenever it doesn't suit."
Much to his surprise and relief, Aria nodded and stepped inside the room. He knew he was being stupid, but he felt as if the room became brighter the second she set foot inside. She belonged there, he knew she did.
He watched as she dumped her bag and coat on his armchair and took a seat next to his small son, who looked up from his cartoon when she approached.
"So what are you watching?" She asked the young boy. Malcolm smiled at her and it warmed Ezra's heart, he wanted his son to like his girlfriend. He wondered if it was still okay for him to refer to Aria as his girlfriend when they'd been broken up for weeks.
"The Simpsons!" Malcolm told her, "Do you like the Simpsons, Aria?" Ezra watched as Aria smiled warmly at the small boy as he took a seat opposite them on his armchair, having moved Aria's stuff to his desk.
"I love them! Ralph is my favourite. Do you have a favourite, Malcolm?" The small boy nodded vigorously.
"I love Homer and Bart and Milhouse and Smithers and Apu and Grandpa," Malcolm declared. The two adults chuckled at his childish reply and then it was silent apart from the voice of Homer Simpson, "Books are useless! I only ever read one book, 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' and it gave me absolutely no insight on how to kill mockingbirds! Sure it taught me not to judge a man by the color of his skin…but what good does that do me?"
Ezra raised his eyebrows and looked at Aria who was smiling toothily back at him, having picked up on the irony also. He grinned back, happy to see a smile back on her face. Aria's smile soon vanished and she looked away as if she'd been caught doing something bold. Ezra sighed; they had a long way to go.
He stood up, grabbing Malcolm's empty bowl as he went, and headed to his kitchen area where two bowls of ramen with a few chopped carrots and some peas were sitting. It was all he could manage to find in his near-empty kitchen. He handed a bowel to Aria and sat back down in his seat.
Aria raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him, "Seriously? You made Ramen?"
"Daddy burnt your real dinner," Malcolm explained. "He said the f-word and threw it all in the bin." Ezra choked on his noodles at his son's memory. Aria laughed at them both.
"Malcolm!" Ezra scolded, "I thought we made a promise man-to-man that you wouldn't mention that?"
"You said I wasn't allowed to tell Mommy," Malcolm defended, turning back towards Aria, "You're not my Mommy." Aria stopped laughing and Ezra gulped, Malcolm had unknowingly hit a sore spot.
"No… I'm not." She looked down for a moment before recovering herself, "Which means, you can tell me everything your Daddy says." She lifted her hand a high-fived the little boy who was giggling.
Ezra gasped in mock offence, "Turning on your old man and joining forces with a girl?" He cried, "Malcolm, I'm offended!"
"Sorry, Daddy," Malcolm shrugged, "But Aria's prettier than you." Aria and Ezra burst out laughing and Aria ruffled the boy's hair.
Ezra watched the two interact with a smile on his face, he'd been right when he said Aria was great with kids. She was a natural and full of maternal instincts. It made him wonder what their kids would look like, should she choose to forgive him. He knew that Aria wanted a big family and he'd be more than happy to provide her with one, he already had a big brother for their kids.
"Daddy can I play with your phone, please?" Malcolm asked, sweetly. Ezra sighed and handed over his iPhone, after only a few weeks of having Malcolm in his life, the small boy already had him wrapped around his little finger.
"Sure, buddy." He looked at Aria and caught her staring at him, probably thinking the same thing. He was powerless to say no when it came to her, too. "Do you want a drink?" he asked, standing up and clearing away the three bowls, "I have your favourite." Her favourite was sparkling water and elderflower.
"Sure, that'd be great," Aria replied, standing up as well. "I'm just going to use the bathroom."
"Daddy?" Malcolm asked once Aria had shut the door behind her, "Why is Aria your background on your phone if she's not your girlfriend anymore?" Ezra smiled at his son's question, for a seven year old he definitely picked up on details.
"Because I still love her very much," he replied honestly, opening the fridge door and preparing Aria's drink as well as a beer for himself.
Aria returned a moment later and the trio turned back on the Simpsons, content to sit in silence for another half an hour.
At nine fifteen, there was a knock at the door.
"Malcolm, get your stuff together, your Mom's here," Ezra instructed the now sleepy child as he stood up and headed to the door. Aria remained on the couch, her form stiff. Ezra wished he could just grab her hand and hold her close.
He pulled the door open and smiled at the familiar face of his ex-girlfriend before inviting her in.
"Aria, what a pleasant surprise," Maggie said with a smile, "Ezra didn't say you'd be here."
"It's nice to see you too, Maggie," Aria replied coolly, not looking at the mother in front of her but rather at her manicured nails. It was a very teenager thing for her to do but Ezra knew that Aria often acted like this when she was jealous. The fact that she was jealous at all gave him hope that he could salvage their relationship.
"MOMMYYYY!" Malcolm exclaimed, running to his mother and jumping in her arms.
"Hey, boo," Maggie cooed, hugging the boy close. "Did you have a nice time with your Daddy?"
Malcolm nodded vigorously, "We went to the cinema and Daddy let me buy the candy! And then he made dinner for Aria even though he told me she's not his girlfriend anymore." When the room went silent Malcolm whimpered, obviously aware that he had said something wrong. "Am I in trouble?" He asked.
"Of course not," Ezra answered him, handing over the small bag of things Malcolm had brought and tearing his gaze away from a visibly pale Aria, "I'll see you next week, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy."
"Bye, guys," Maggie said before turning on her heel and heading out the door with Malcolm in her arms. Ezra followed them over and shut the door. He paused before turning around, knowing that whatever was about to happen in apartment 3B would change his life for good.
One more :) Thank you for all the reviews!
