Spencer tried calling Toby again but, after many rings, she was sent to voicemail for the third time. She hadn't seen him since that day at the police station. She had waited outside and had seen his dark expression as he exited the interrogation room. He had barely looked at her as they walked to the car. Spencer could feel the knot in her stomach growing.

"They've sent a few officers to my house to retrieve the folder," he had said before starting the engine. She could hear the hurt in his voice.

When Spencer had tried to apologize, he had shrugged it off, saying it was his responsibility, his eyes not straying from the road.

Putting her phone down on her desk amidst the piles of papers, Spencer sighed. Looking at the open books reminded her she needed to be studying for her GED exams, but her personal life was once again completely engulfing everything. Spencer headed to the kitchen to clear her head, but not before closing the gaping book that lay in the center of her desk.

As she entered the kitchen, Spencer saw Melissa sitting at the counter, face in her hands. She could hear a low sob as she approached.

"Melissa?"

"Oh, hi Spencer," she replied, producing a smile and trying to discreetly wipe her cheeks, as if her sister couldn't notice her puffy red eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Spencer probed, grabbing a can of soda from its place on the fridge shelf next to what looked like a cake box.

"Yeah. Of course!"

Melissa took a sip from the glass of wine in front of her as Spencer watched her. It was so obvious that she was trying to act cheerful because she was hiding something. She rarely saw her sister break down in that way, so Spencer knew it had to be something very personal.

"You know you can tell me if something's going on, right?"

Melissa put down her glass and looked down at the marble.

"He loved chocolate cake. I always made it for his birthday…but he's never going to have another birthday… I loved Ian even if he wasn't the best person."

Spencer took a seat beside her sister and placed an arm on her shoulders to comfort Melissa.

"I feel responsible for his death, Spencer… I can't tell the police the truth," she sniffled, looking around to make sure no one was overhearing.

"What happened?" Spencer tentatively whispered, feeling a shiver run down her spine.

"The baby wasn't his… It was Wren's. He knew and he threatened me to stay with him…"

At that moment, she began fully sobbing and placed a hand over her stomach almost as if by instinct. Spencer felt a few tears drop from her eyes as she realized her sister had been completely alone during those times.

"I couldn't do anything, he was so violent…Wren was so angry; he wanted to confront him but knew that Ian might take it out on me and the baby…And then he was dead."

Spencer hugged Melissa tightly as she cried. She could feel the tears wetting her left shoulder where her sister was leaning on her. The empty wine glass on the counter was just in her range of vision. The droning of the refrigerator filler her ears as she gently stroked Melissa's hair.

Aria rushed down from her bedroom as she heard the doorbell; no one else was in the house. She had been sifting through the contents of her memories chest, a small coffer with gold-colored accents where she kept mementos like ticket stubs and notes she passed in class with her friends. As she descended, she hoped it was Jake again. He would know what to say to make her feel better. Before opening the door, she ran a hand over her hair and smoothed the dress she was wearing.

However, when she opened the door, Jake wasn't there. No one was there. Just as she was about to close the door, she spotted a box on the doormat. Her dad had probably been buying books online by the ton again. As she leaned down to grab it, she saw her name written on the recipient line of the address.

Aria hoping it wasn't another one of A's games. Picking it up was difficult; the weight of the box was considerable. Although leaving it in the living room would have been the easiest, she knew the best thing was to take it to her room. Trying not to kill herself, she hoisted the box up the stairs and onto her bed. Before she opened it, she laid down for a few moments, her forehead covered in beads of sweat.

Sitting up with renewed energy, Aria noticed that it actually seemed like a normal postal box, not an A one. Although there was no sender address, the rest of it was too mundane to be a trap. Grabbing a pair of scissors from her desk, she cut through the thick brown tape that was sealing it shut. As she opened the cardboard flaps, she immediately saw a note on top of all the other papers.

Hope this helps. Goodbye. -E

She recognized Ezra's writing but was still confused. Setting the note aside, she pulled out the huge stack of papers and took a quick glance at them, not finding anything of interest. All kind of documents lay before her: medical records, police reports, town hall registries… She knew she needed to call her friends over as soon as possible, but before she sent out the text, Aria contemplated the note from Ezra in her hands one more time.

He had manipulated her and been an all-around terrible person but, looking back, it's always easier to remember the happy parts. Aria had grown up at his side and a part of her would always care for him. He had understood what she meant and left her with a parting gift, to help them put an end to the nightmare. She folded the piece of paper neatly and whispered "thank you" before placing it in her mementos box and closing the lid.