CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Aria was now nestled into a hospital bed, nurses monitoring her and the baby. Spencer was by her side and Ezra was on the other. Aria felt like she was in a sick game of monkey in the middle. The silence of the group was almost deafening to each one. All of them were too nervous to break it. The only noises were Aria's heavy breathing from contractions.
She felt another one coming and suppressed a yell. Ezra cautiously held his hand out for her to squeeze. Aria graciously took it and clutched it so hard Ezra had to clench his teeth from yelping. He let out a squeak and Spencer turned. She sighed and leaned against the wall. They looked like a couple, expecting their first child.
Spencer felt tears in her eyes realizing that was exactly what they were. Instead of Ezra being the misplaced person in the picture, she was.
After the contraction passed, Aria dropped Ezra's hand and reached for Spencer's. "Can we talk?"
Spencer nodded slightly. "Sure."
Aria smiled a little and turned to Ezra. "Can you go, um, go get me more ice?"
Ezra sensed what was really happening and left the room. Aria sighed with relief and Spencer sat at the foot of the bed. Spencer was the first to speak and said, "I'm sorry I yelled like that."
Aria waved her hands and held Spencer's hand. "Spencer… I choose him."
Spencer rolled her eyes and ripped her hand away. "Of course you do," she snarked.
"I love you, too," Aria argued. "I just love him, too. Spencer, I know this is hard, and difficult, and just a bad situation, and I'm sorry. It's just feels more right with Ezra."
Spencer swallowed down all her angry thoughts and asked a question that was on everyone's mind. "What about the baby? Are you two just going to..."
"Nothing was set in stone, and now that he and I are together, I guess that we'll just have the baby. I'm so sorry, I'll give you back your half of the money and –"
"Forget it," Spencer interrupted gently before admitting, "Just be happy. Maybe down the road, I'll adopt. I wasn't ready anyway."
Aria grinned, "I know. But, you can still see the baby, Spencer. God mom, I guess. I know I hurt you and you didn't deserve any of this, but I hope one day we could still be friends. I don't think I could survive without any Team Sparia in my life."
Spencer shook her head while laughing softy. She was going to need a lot of time for this storm to pass, but she knew one day, her and Aria would be close again. How could they not? Aria sat up and stroked Spencer's forearm.
"A few years ago, you talked about how you had never been there when a baby was born. No cousins or nieces or anything. I don't want to take that away. I'd love for you to be here with me when I have the baby. By my side, as planned."
Spencer and Aria were watching some chick flick and shoving popcorn in their mouths. The main character was having a baby and Spencer paused the movie.
"Have you ever been at a hospital for a birth?"
Aria nodded, "Mike. I was three, but I remember it so well. I got to hold him after and he was so cute. Kinda wrinkly, but cute. Have you?"
Spencer shook her head. "No. I would've with Melissa but she… Anyways, I've always wanted to be there for a baby's birth. See the baby right after. And to be there for something so special would be amazing."
Aria chuckled lightly at Spencer's baby craze and started the movie back up.
Spencer didn't say anything, so Aria added, "I mean, if it's too weird, I get it. But, I'd love if you were there for that. Just you."
Spencer sighed and kissed Aria's forehead. "Okay."
Ezra sighed and slumped down into a waiting room chair. He knew Aria was probably having a serious conversation with Spencer and he didn't want to intrude on that. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and mindlessly searched for something. Before he could find a search result, someone called his name. He snapped his head up and immediately tensed.
"Oh uh, hi," Ezra stuttered, standing up to greet Aria's parents, Byron and Ella. Byron always disliked him since he found out about Ezra and Aria, and Ezra was nervous to see his reaction to cutting Spencer out of the picture.
Byron nodded at him and grinned slightly while Ella, surprisingly, stared him down with a stern look on her face. "What room is Aria in?" Byron asked.
Ezra pointed down a corridor and turned slightly. "Um, 221 I think. I'll walk with you."
The trio walked side by side down the hall, their footsteps synchronizing. They reached the door and Ezra knocked.
Aria tore her gaze from Spencer and cleared her throat. "Come in."
Ezra walked in, staring at the ground, while Byron and Ella both came in and smiled broadly at their daughter. Ezra watched the harsh look on Ella's face dissipate as he realized why she looked at him so angrily.
Ezra remembered that Aria hadn't been at Spencer's that night, so Ezra assumed that Aria ran to Ella's. He also assumed she told her everything that was going on. Ella would choose Spencer over Ezra.
"Hey, where's Mike?" Aria asked, after some chit chat with her parents.
Byron shrugged, "He should be here soon. We called him and told him you were having the baby."
Ezra thanked God for the excuse and spoke up. "I have Mike's number. I can call him and see when he'll get here." Before anyone could protest, Ezra trotted out of the room and rested his head on the wall in the hallway. He leaned there for a few moments before sighing and walking back into the waiting room, walking with his head down.
Ezra looked up though when he heard clicks of stilettos. It was Hanna, so he guessed Spencer had called her. He wondered if she knew anything else. He knew Hanna was a tough girl and if she was pissed at what Ezra had done, she would gladly let him know in the middle of this hospital.
"Oh, hey, Mr. Fitz," she muttered, slowing her pace.
"Hey, Hanna," he waved. "You can call me Ezra, you know?"
Hanna shrugged her hands and sighed. "Does Spencer know yet?"
Ezra stood straight up as if someone stuck a needle between his formerly hunched shoulder blades. "Um, sorry?" he asked.
Hanna rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. "Come on, Ezra. It's never off the table with you and Aria. And I saw you two dancing at my wedding." She stared him down before Ezra finally couldn't take it and shoved his hands in his pockets. Hanna continued, "And I know you weren't meaning to toast me and Caleb. You were gonna go follow Aria. She had stood up a little less than a minute before and if I remember correctly, that how much time you two would take between exiting classroom and apartment complexes."
Ezra squinted his eyes, completely blown away. How could Hanna be so smart? "So, you've known?"
Hanna laughed slightly and nodded. "I guess I'm good like that."
Ezra was fascinated and leaned against the wall. "Why didn't you tell Spencer? Or talk to Aria?"
"Because it wasn't my place," Hanna explained. "And I know how happy she makes you and vice versa. I hadn't seen Aria as happy in the last few years as I did at the wedding."
"Why are you taking my side," Ezra questioned, "if Spencer's your friend?"
Hanna shrugged. "I'm not taking sides! Just… you and Aria have something you both can't ignore. I guess I can't ignore it either."
Ezra processed that and bobbled his head slightly. Hanna smiled and let out a heavy breath. "What room?"
"Uh, 221," Ezra answered. They parted, but Ezra spun on his heel, now encouraged. "Hey, could you tell Aria I left for a little while? I have to go get something."
(A/N:) Alright well I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! I'll try to update tomorrow, but no promises! But I'll definitely update by Tuesday! Also, there's only going to be TWO more chapters to this story! So get ready to say goodbye :(
Don't forget to review!
-M