Yesterday they cancelled Ravenswood. Today I revive Pregnant Little Liars...
~ 25 ~
Mona sat on the steel bench in her cell. Her legs were tucked up against her chest and she rolled her head in circles trying to relieve the knots in her neck. It had been five years since she slept on a proper bed. One with Egyptian cotton sheets and real goose feather pillows. But still, her life would never be the same.
She distinctly remembered the last time she was truly happy. It was the summer of 2010 and Mona was at the peak of her high school career. Alongside her best friend Hanna, they ran Rosewood's youth population. They were queens emerging from the fallen empire of Ali. Everything was perfect.
Then she saw her. The petite brunette wearing a paisley gothic dress from Marc Jacobs. She trudged down the sidewalk and in her worn faux leather boots and slipped inside a dark pub. Mona's heart sunk. It had been over a year since she last saw Aria but she was certain it was her. In that moment, her life took a crippling turn.
Mona knew Aria had kept in touch with her friends but wasn't quite sure to what extent. Obviously they didn't clue her in to their estrangement, but that only led Aria to try harder to retain a semblance of a friendship amongst them all. Mona saw it as a direct threat to her reign and she knew something had to be done. Just as Ali's body rose from the shallow grave beneath the gazebo, so did A.
"Mona Kahn?" a guard stopped short outside her cell holding a manila folder. "Today, you're being released."
She looked up and raised an eyebrow as a small smile spread across her face. Today was the day she would be happy again.
Emily wiped down the counters at The Brew while the espresso machine hummed in the background. She could hear Aaron's tiny footsteps clamoring down the stairs and a few seconds later he was climbing onto a bar stool.
"Good morning," she smiled placing a plate of eggs and fruit in front of him.
"Yeah," he groaned rubbing his eyes.
"Bud," she scolded him gently. "When someone says good morning, you don't reply with 'yeah.'"
"Sorry," he sighed.
"I know," she laughed. "It's early."
With his eyes only partially opened, Aaron shoveled forkfuls of eggs in his mouth. Then the door opened and Jason stepped inside, bringing with him a gust of early morning wind.
"Hey," Emily looked up and smiled at him.
"Ready bud?" Jason asked resting his hands on Aaron's shoulders.
"You're early," Emily reminded him. "He still had to brush his teeth."
"Yeah Dad!" Aaron teased. "I have to brush my teeth."
"Alright sassy pants," Jason laughed. "Go on and get ready."
Aaron hopped off his bar stool and ran up the stairs.
"So," Emily handed Jason a cup of coffee, "what's on the agenda for this weekend?"
"I'm not sure yet," he replied. "I thought maybe I'd take Aaron to the zoo or something."
"He'd like that," Emily smiled.
They both turned to see a wave of blonde hair peek down from the staircase. Samara stood at the base of the stairs wearing leggings and an oversized sweater. She hopped onto a bar stool and smirked at Jason.
"You're early," she told him.
"When did you all become so obsessed with punctuality?" he scoffed.
"Dad!" Aaron hopped down the steps with his backpack in tow. "Let's go."
"Alright," Jason swung his key around his ring finger. "Let's bounce."
Emily watched them slip out the door and then turned to Samara.
"Coffee?" she asked.
"Bring on the day," Samara smiled.
Hanna parked her large SUV in the driveway of her childhood home. She hopped out of the front seat and opened the back door. Luxe hopped out onto the driveway and ran up the porch steps to ring the door.
"Careful Luxe," Hanna cautioned as she unbuckled two-year-old Ava from her car seat.
The toddler squirmed until Hanna placed her on the ground. She held her hand until they reached the porch where Ashley was waiting with a huge smile.
"Gwamma!" Ava stamped her feet and skipped inside.
"My three darling girls," Ashley said leading them inside.
"So," Hanna explained, "Luxe goes into school at nine. Ava eats every four hours. I packed all of her meals in this bag."
Ashley looked overwhelmed as Hanna handed her a diaper bag.
"She usually goes down for a nap around one," Hanna continued, "but she'll be up before you have to pick up Luxe again at three."
"Alright," Ashley swallowed the information.
"Are you sure you're up for it?" Hanna asked.
"It's fine," Ashley assured her. "I can handle this. I'll bring the girls back home around five."
"Thank you so much Mom!" Hanna hugged her. "We owe you big time."
"It's my pleasure," Ashley replied.
The doorbell rang.
"That must be Caleb," Hanna said handing her mom a key ring. "Here are my car keys. The car seats are pretty straight forward. If you have trouble, Luxe knows how they work."
The doorbell rang again.
"A few years ago that boy was letting himself in and out the back door," Ashley laughed, "now he won't stop ringing the damn bell."
"Language," Hanna scoffed.
"Sorry," Ashley giggled as her daughter bolted to the front door.
"Hey," Caleb smiled standing on the porch. "Ready."
"Yeah," Hanna smiled following him to the car.
"Wait," he grabbed her hand as they approached the car.
"What?" she asked confused. Caleb pressed her against the front door of his sedan.
"I left so early this morning," he explained as his hands wandered to her waist. "I didn't get a chance to do this."
Caleb pressed his lips to hers allowing her mouth to break into a smile. Hanna had missed this part of their morning routine just as much as he had. She inhaled his scent and savored this moment knowing in seconds it would be over.
"Okay," Caleb pulled away. "We should probably go now."
He opened the door and helped her inside before running around and hopping in the front seat.
Spencer stood in the kitchen of her craftsman home watching the black coffee slowly drip into the carafe. As the seconds ticked by endlessly, she felt a burning sensation in the back of her throat. She inhaled deeply and swallowed the foul taste of bile. Then she grabbed a glass of water and slowly slipped it until the nausea subsided.
A second later, Toby appeared carrying Erica in his arms while she tried to pull her gloves on. He gave Spencer a concerned look and she knew she couldn't hide this forever. It killed her to keep this secret from him, but she didn't know how to proceed yet, not until she spoke to Wren.
"You okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah," she faked a yawn to throw off his suspicion. "Just tired."
"Daddy," Erica turned to the man who was the only father she had ever known. "Can you fix it?"
"Sure," he smiled.
Toby placed her on the couch and knelt down to help her slide her fingers into the woolen gloves on her hands. From the kitchen, Spencer watched him show extreme care. He had always been the patient one. And Erica was exactly like him. She was almost more his daughter than hers.
"Better?" Toby asked.
"Yupp!" Erica hopped up.
"Honey," Spencer called out, "do you have everything? Aria will be here soon to pick you up."
"I need my backpack," Erica said running into the other room.
"Hey," Toby placed his hands on Spencer's waist, "I should get off work early tonight. Do you want me to pick anything up for dinner?"
"No, that's fine," Spencer smiled. "I have some fish in the freezer I was planning on making."
"Alright," Toby kissed her forehead. "I'll see you tonight."
He ran into the next room and picked up Erica. She squealed with joy as he swung her into the air.
"Bye munchkin," he kissed her forehead after placing her back on the ground. "Be good today."
"I will," she smiled.
He slipped out the door only to find Aria standing there ready to ring the doorbell.
"Morning," she smiled before stepping inside.
"Aria," Spencer smiled at her. "Thanks for taking Erica today."
"Not a problem," Aria replied. "Come on hon. The twins are waiting for you!"
"Okay," Erica gave her mother a hug. "Bye Mommy!"
"Bye sweetie," Spencer planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
"Gross," Erica laughed wiping her face.
Spencer watched from the doorway as her little girl climbed into the sleek gray minivan. Inside, Aria got her settled and then put the car in gear.
"Mama!" Brielle asked. "Is dating taking us today?"
"Yes," Aria replied. "I'll pick you up after school and then you're going to daddy's for the weekend."
"Yes!" Mason punched a triumphant fist in the air.
"What?" Aria scoffed. "Getting sick of me?"
"No Mom, it's not like that," he retorted. "Dad said he's taking me to an MMA fight."
"No," Brielle sighed. "I am not going to that."
"I'll talk to Dad," Aria assured them as she drove toward the school.
Hanna got out of the car and took Caleb's hand. They stepped into the sterile white clinic and Caleb called the elevator. The doors opened moments laters and they took the moving car to the third floor.
"You're really starting to show," Caleb said sliding an arm around her waist.
"I know," Hanna's hand rested on her round stomach. "Who would have thought I'd be here again."
"Motherhood suits you," he told her as the elevator doors opened.
"Thanks babe," Hanna smiled.
She jotted her name down at the front desk and took a seat. Caleb flashed her a smile as they waited for her name to be called. Five minutes later a homely nurse in lilac scrubs opened the door and ushered her inside.
"Okay," the nurse opened the door to an empty room.
She helped Hanna onto the exam chair and took her vitals. Then she pulled out the ultrasound machine and draped a towel across Hanna's waist. The petite blonde pulled her shirt up to reveal the convex shape of her belly. The nurse squeezed conducing gel on Hanna's exposed abdomen and placed the wand over it.
"Well," the nurse explained, "it looks like you're nearing your fifth month. With a little luck, we should be able to find out the gender today. Do you want to know?"
Hanna nodded. She smiled at Caleb. She slid her fingers between his and they both turned their attention to the monitor as the nurse projected photos of their unborn child on the screen.
"See that right there," the nurse circled an area on the screen. "It seems you're having a boy."
Caleb's eyes lit up. He kissed Hanna's hand. The nurse assured them that everything was in order and handed them a package of photos from the scan. Hanna used the towel to wipe off the clear gel and then Caleb helped her back to her feet.
"So," Caleb hugged her tightly to his side as they strolled back to the car, "we both have the day off and the girls won't be back until late. What do you suggest we do?"
"Eat," Hanna said as her stomach grumbled. "I'm starving."
"The Brew?" he asked as they got back in the car and Hanna pulled out her phone.
"I'll reserve a table," Hanna teased texting her order to Emily.
A few minutes later, Caleb's car pulled into the parking lot behind The Brew. Hanna climbed out and took Caleb's hand leaning into his side as they stepped into the cafe.
They sat down on a velvet tufted couch and Emily came by only seconds later with a spring salad for Hanna and a steak sandwich for Caleb.
"You're the best," Hanna said biting into a tomato.
"I remember how I was with Aaron," Emily replied. "I'll pack up some for you to take home."
"Thanks," Hanna replied in between mouthfuls.
Emily filled a takeout bag with a container of salad and some bread. Then she dropped it on the table next to Hanna and turned back to the kitchen where Samara was roasting coffee beans.
"Hey," Samara smiled. "Can you pass me that vanilla syrup?"
"Here," Emily handed her the bottle.
"Thanks," the blonde drizzled a little over the beans. "You know, I've been meaning to talk to you about something when you have a moment."
"I was going to make some food," Emily said. "How about I take it upstairs and you meet me when you're done here."
"Yeah," Samara nodded. "I'm sure the kitchen staff can handle things without us for a little bit."
Emily smirked and grabbed a couple of plates. She loaded them with vegetables and cold cuts and then placed them on a tray before heading upstairs. She kicked back onto the couch and looked up to see Samara wiping her hands on her apron and hanging the cloth smock on the wall.
"I'm starving," Samara said grabbing a plate.
"So," Emily bit into a carrot stick, "what's up?"
"You know how we've been talking," Samara began, "about maybe having a kid..."
"Yeah," Emily was concerned.
"I was thinking," Samara paused and bit her lip, "and I know this might be a sore subject, but what if we asked Jason to be the donor? That way Aaron and the new baby would share genetics."
"Well," Emily swallowed hard, "I can't say I never considered it. When Jason and I were still together, we talked about giving Aaron a sibling no matter what, but after everything, I never expected him to follow through."
"But you still have such a great relationship," Samara explained. "I never would suspect you were together. You're like the perfect modern parents."
"It's not that simple," Emily breathed.
"Look," Samara put down her plate. "I didn't mean to cross a line. I'm just thinking about Aaron. If you think it's a bad idea, just forget I said anything."
"I'll think about it," Emily replied.
Spencer clutched her bag as she sauntered into Wren's office. Through the window, she saw him sitting at his desk and then knocked on the door lightly showcasing a weak smile.
"Hi," she took a deep breath. "I got your message."
"Spencer!" his familiar accent felt like home.
He stood up to give her a hug and she melted as his strong arms held her still. They shared a connection. He kept the secret that she couldn't bare to tell Toby.
"Darling," he breathed. "It's good news."
"Huh?" she pulled back. "What do you mean?"
"Sit," he gave her a bright smile. "Your test results came back. I assure you, the cancer has not returned."
"Oh thank God," she sighed in relief. "When all the symptoms came back I just...I feared the worst."
"There's something else," Wren continued. "Your symptoms, they're not entirely benign."
"Wren," she said agitated, "I swear, just fucking tell me. This whole build up is driving me insane."
He smiled remembering her quick tongue. He pulled out a series of black and white photos from her recent scan and slid it across his desk to her.
"See that white outline?" he pointed. "I think you'll recognize it's not a cyst, but rather a baby."
"You mean..." she couldn't even get the words out as her body heaved with joy. A tear slid down her face and she pulled the photo up to her eyes tracing the white outline with her fingers. Then she rested them just below her belly button. Her warm hand soothed the cramps that had plagued her for the past couple of weeks.
"Based on your results," Wren told her, "I would estimate you're about nine weeks along."
"Thank you," her lip quivered as she spoke. "I have to tell Toby. We thought we would never have this chance."
"Congratulations," he smiled.
Despite what they had gone through, Wren always cared for Spencer and he knew she was in a much better place now and he valued her friendship. After everything she had been through, she deserved happiness, and he was complacent with her reality, despite no longer being in the picture.
Hanna dropped her purse on the kitchen counter and then placed the white takeout bag in the fridge. Emily was always too caring for her own good, but Hanna was always eager to take her up on extra food, especially since she was now in her third pregnancy and intended to eat everything in sight.
"We've got four hours before the cockblocks get back," Caleb smirked. "What do we do?"
"Well first," she replied, "we don't call our daughters cockblocks. If I remember correctly, cock is what got them here in the first place."
"You're right," he said. "How about we stop saying the word 'cock.' It's killing the mood."
"I wasn't aware there was a mood," Hanna winked.
"I don't know," Caleb shrugged sliding resting his hands on her shoulders. "I thought maybe you could use a relaxing massage."
His hands worked their magic wandering across the knots in her upper back. Caleb knew exactly how to put her at ease and make her weak at the knee. Her head rolled back as she fell under his power.
"I have an idea," she breathed. "Let's take this relaxation to the bedroom."
"I thought you'd never ask," he whispered kissing her cheek.
His hands drifted down her back and looped around her waist. Hanna turned around and slipped her arms around his neck. She stood on her tiptoes to bring her lips up to his and inhaled deeply. With her help, Caleb hoisted Hanna onto the kitchen counter before ripping her blouse off over her head. Her fingers disappeared into his floppy mess of hair and she towered over him as he left a trail of kisses heading down from her collarbone.
Aria sat on a park bench while her two children climbed around the jungle gym. With them was Erica as well as a dozen other students from their class. Across the park, Aria saw Spencer striding toward her with a suspicious skip in her step.
"Hey," Aria waved as Spencer approached.
"Thank you so much!" Spencer hugged her. "I hope she wasn't a handful."
"She was an angel. As always," Aria assured her. "You're extremely cheerful for someone who is meeting with her baby daddy's wife."
"I have reason to be happy," Spencer replied. "My issues with Colette are water under the bridge now."
"Mama!" Erica came running and hugged her mother's legs.
"Hi sweetheart," Spencer kissed her cheek. "Having fun?"
"Yeah!" Erica squealed. "We're playing tag. Mason's it."
"Alright," Spencer put her back down. "Go play. Brandon will be here soon."
Erica bolted back to play with her friends just as Colette stepped out of a red minivan. She opened the back door and her son Brandon jumped down before running toward the playground.
"Hi," Spencer flashed her a wide smile. "I'm glad you came."
"Me too," Colette took a deep breath. "I'll admit, Andrew isn't pleased with our friendship but I can't keep Brandon from his sister."
"So, we're friends?" Spencer asked hopefully.
"I like to think we've come a long way in these five years," Colette replied. "My husband is a dirty cheating pig. I don't hold that against you."
"Thank you," Spencer smiled weakly. "Your forgiveness means everything."
"You know," Colette smirked, "maybe we should try this friendship thing sometime without the kids."
"How about lunch next week?" Spencer offered. "My treat."
"Sounds good," came the reply.
"Could I also ask you a favor?" Spencer tread carefully. "Forgive me if I'm out of line but..."
"I think we're past that," Colette laughed.
"Alright," Spencer continued. "I sent Andrew some paperwork to formally renounce his paternal rights. He's never met Erica and she doesn't even know about him, but in order for Toby to legally adopt her, I need his signature. Do you think you could nudge him a little?"
"I wish I could," Colette replied, "but he doesn't really take my advice."
"Do you know why he might be ignoring my calls?" Spencer pleaded. "I just don't understand why he's so adamant..."
"I wish I could tell you," Colette said. "Believe me, I'd like him to sign those papers as much as you do. I can't imagine how I'll explain any of this to Brandon in the future. Fuck, his dad is such an asshole."
"We both fell for it," Spencer sighed.
Aria ran up to her and pointed toward the dark-haired man standing to the side of the park with his hands in his pockets. A leggy blonde stood next to him.
"Can you keep an eye on the kids?" Aria asked. "I have to talk with Jake about...stuff."
"Yeah, sure," Spencer smiled.
Aria sauntered across the grass and greeted Jake and his latest escort. They exchanged pleasantries and then Aria jumped into the gritty details.
"So," she cleared her throat, "I hear you're taking my children to a fight."
"Your children?" Jake rolled his eyes.
"Just answer the question," Aria pressed him.
"I told Mason I'd take him," Jake replied. "If Brielle doesn't want to come, she can stay with Renee for a couple of hours."
"I assume you're Renee," Aria turned to the blonde at his side.
"Nice to meet you," the girl smiled widely.
"How about you do the fight another day?" Aria pleaded. "If Brielle is going to be babysat by a stranger, she may as well stay with me."
"Stop acting so high and mighty," Jake scoffed.
"You know what?" Aria stomped her foot. "Do whatever you want. But when you're daughter has no fond memories of her dad, don't come to me."
She stormed away from him and called the kids. She kissed them goodbye and made sure they were bundled up well. Backpacks in hand, they ran into Jake's car and sped away. Aria said goodbye to Spencer and then picked up her bag, but not before she caught sight of a familiar face leaning against an oak tree.
"Ezra," she smiled stepping toward him.
"It's been a while," he said. "How is your sabbatical going?"
"Oh, you know," she sighed. "I spent more time getting divorced than I did working on my book."
"So it's final now?" he asked.
"As of last week," she replied. "I'm officially single again. Never thought that would happen."
"Can't say I'm unhappy to hear it," he smirked.
"Is that why you're here?" she asked.
"No," he replied. "I was walking to The Brew and I saw you. I figure Jake's got the kids tonight. Maybe I could take you on your first date since your newfound singledom."
"What makes you think I haven't been on a date yet?" she teased.
"Well, have you?" he asked.
"No," she blushed, "and I'd be honored if you were my first."
"How about dinner?" he asked. "There's a great steak place. You might have heard of it."
"Oh," she mused, "is it the one where the owner is married to my mom?"
"Too close to home?" he asked.
"What about takeout?" she offered. "We could go back to my place. I have a restored print of Metropolis on DVD."
"Should we pick up a bottle of wine?" he offered.
"Really?" she raised an eyebrow. "I thought you liked scotch."
"Touche," he laughed.
Emily picked up her phone and dialed Jason's number. It rang a couple of times and then she heard shuffling and muffled voices.
"Hello?" she waited for an answer.
"Jay, honey," she heard the distant voice of a female, "it's Emily calling. Do you want me to answer?'
"Hello?" Emily repeated.
There was no answer. She hung up, but she couldn't help but wonder who the woman was. Jason didn't have family or an assistant to be answering his phone for him. Then she called his number again. This time there was no answer. She was sent straight to voicemail.
"Sam?" she called back toward the kitchen.
"Yeah?" Samara poked her head up.
"Can you close up?" Emily asked. "I have to check on something."
"Uh, sure," Samara replied. "You'll be back tonight?"
"Yeah," Emily said.
She grabbed her purse and then turned to Samara and laid a quick peck on her lips before slipping out the door. She got into her car and drove toward Jason's sprawling mansion on the edge of town. She parked her car in his driveway and ran up the steps before knocking with the large golden lion heads decorating the oak doors. A minute later, the door opened and Jason stood there shirtless with only a pair of board shorts tied around his waist with a drawstring.
"Emily?" he was obviously confused. "What are you doing here?"
"I...I had to talk to you about something," Emily replied. "I tried calling..."
"Uh, yeah," he smiled. "We were out by the pool."
"This late?" she asked.
"I failed at teaching him to swim," Jason explained. "This was the only time I could get his swim instructor to come."
"Oh," she paused realizing that must have been the woman on the phone.
"Come in," Jason ushered her inside. "Aaron's outside with Cindy. She's great. He's finally swimming on his own, kind of."
"Good," Emily smiled. "I wish I had the time to do stuff like that with him."
"You guys do fun stuff all the time," he consoled her. "That time you guys baked a cake together. The one that looked like a ninja turtle? Aaron didn't stop talking about it for a month. He loved it!"
"Yeah," Emily shrugged. "I guess he did."
"So, what did you come over for?" Jason asked.
"Uh," she took a deep breath, "there's no easy way to bring this up. Samara and I...we want to have a baby, specifically her baby."
"That's great," he smiled. "Aaron would make an excellent big brother."
"I'm glad you think so," Emily smiled, "because we were wondering if you would consider..."
"Like last time?" he smirked.
"Not quite," she replied. "This would be strictly procedural."
"Yes," he pursed his lips. "On one condition."
"What's that?" she asked.
"I need you," Jason said approaching her slowly, "to answer one question. Truthfully."
He was now dangerously close to her. His warm breath bounced off her cold skin as he spoke.
"I need you," he echoed, "to swear to me, you have no regrets about us splitting up. Swear to me you don't ever think about me as more than just Aaron's dad."
"What does this have to do with anything?" she asked him.
"Just answer the question," he pleaded.
"I...I can't," she sighed.
"Why?" he asked, his blue eyes boring right through her.
"I'll always love you," she breathed. "You gave me a son."
"That's exactly the answer I needed," he sighed.
Jason's arms slid around her waist and his lips came crashing down on hers. Emily was caught off guard but finally came to her senses and pushed him away.
"No," she sighed. "Jason, I can't be that girl. I can't do this to Aaron. It's too confusing."
"How about," he said slowly, "you come back and ask me that question again when you're not confused anymore."
Spencer drizzled peppercorn sauce on the flank steaks she was cooking and then placed them in the over. Erica had passed out in the living room after watching a cartoon.
"Smells good," he said dropping his keys on the kitchen counter. "I thought you were making fish."
"It's a special occasion," she smiled giddy with excitement. "But first, can you put her to bed while I finish dinner. I didn't want to wake her."
"Sure," Toby complied as he effortlessly picked up Erica and carried her into the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and tucked her in tightly under the covers.
A minute later, Spencer flipped the steaks over. She tossed a salad and then plated the steaks before placing the meal on the kitchen counter. Toby stepped in a moment later. He smiled as he sniffed the air.
"Can I help?" he asked picking a tomato out of the salad.
"It's all done," she replied. "Can you help me take this to the table."
"Let's just eat here," he said. "No need to be formal. What are you, proposing to me?"
"No," she blushed. "I just have some good news."
"Out with it," he urged her.
"I'm pregnant," she said finally. "We're having a baby."
His mouth fell open as he processed the news. Almost instinctively, Toby's hands were on her waist. He kissed her gently and let out a chuckle.
"I thought we would never..." he breathed.
"We are," she smiled. "We are. We're having a baby."
A few stray tears slid down his face and Spencer wiped them away with her thumb. Then she kissed him. Toby's arms wandered her body and he pulled her tighter.
"Wait, stop," she pushed him away. "What about dinner? I cooked."
"Are you serious?" he laughed. "Fuck dinner. I just want to put a baby in you...oh wait."
"Shut up," she laughed.
"Seriously, Spence," he kissed her cheek. "I've never been happier. I want you to know that."
"I couldn't have done it without you," she teased before kissing him once again.
Aria scrubbed the remains of dinner off the plates and then tucked them in the dishwasher. Next to her, Ezra poured two glasses of wine.
"Anything I can do to help?" he asked.
"I'll be done in a minute," she replied kicking the dishwasher closed.
She washed her hands in the sink and dried them on a kitchen towel. Then she turned to Ezra who handed her a glass of red. She took a sip and savored the hints of cherry and chocolate before swallowing.
"Impressed?" he asked.
"It's oakey?" she was bullshitting and he knew it. "Sorry, she laughed. I think I just heard Jake say that once."
"Can I offer you some advice?" he sighed.
"Sure," Aria replied.
"When you're on a date," he offered, "try not to mention your ex-husband."
"I wasn't aware this was a date," she replied.
"I think I made that abundantly clear," he mused. "The wine...dinner...a movie...I specifically used the phrase 'first date since singledom.' I don't know how I could have been more direct."
"Oh," Aria let out a giggle. "I kind of thought you were joking."
"I was serious," he said solemnly. "I love you. I've always loved you. I know, this is maybe not the right time, but...oh, I feel like a predator pouncing on your immediately after..."
"Stop," she pressed a finger to his lips. "Stop talking."
She pushed him against the wall and stroked his wool sweater. Then she cupped his face in her hand and kissed his cheek. She planted a trail of kisses along his jawbone and finally landed to rest on lips.
Ezra's hands slid under her blouse and pushed aside her lace undergarments. She exhaled lightly and threw her head back. Then she tugged at Ezra's sweater and pulled it off his head.
"Hey," she said pulling him toward the hallway, "let's go to the bedroom."
"Wait," he stopped and picked her up. "This is faster."
Aria squealed as Ezra lifted her into the air. He carried her toward a closet door and checked inside.
"That one," she pointed trying to avoid a night of endless wrong doors. "The end of the hall. On the right."
"Gotcha," he laughed as he finally reached it.
Ezra put her down and she toppled back onto the bed bring him down on top of her. Ezra kissed her passionately as he undid the buttons on her paisley blouse. She shrugged the fabric off her shoulders and flung it across the room.
Hanna closed the door to Ava's room and then tiptoed back to her own bedroom. She hung up her robe on the bedpost and then crawled under the covers next to Caleb.
"The girls are sound asleep," she assured them.
"They had an exciting day," Caleb replied. "Grandma Ashley always comes through."
Hanna smiled and slid in between Caleb's grasp. He kissed her exposed shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist resting his hands on her distended belly, stroking gently as her stomach expanded with each exhale.
"You know," she slid her fingers in between his, "soon we are going to have a little boy running around here. You won't be the only prince amongst us."
"Don't you know it," he teased.
"Seriously," she smiled. "Are you happy?"
"Of course," he replied. "You know I love our little girls, but they're obviously your daughters. I'll be happy to talk sports with someone, or anything to curb my growing knowledge of dolls and nail polish."
"And you can paint the nursery blue," she chimed in.
"It's like you have a never-ending list of things for me to do," he laughed.
They were lying in bed, tangled between the sheets when the doorbell rang. Hanna glanced at the clock. It was nearly nine.
"Are you expecting someone?" Caleb asked her.
"No," she shook her head, "but it could be my mom. Maybe the girls left something at her place. I'll get it."
"Wait," Caleb held her close. The doorbell rang again. "They'll go away."
"I don't think so," Hanna said after the third ring. "Let me just check. I'll be right back."
She wriggled out of Caleb's grasp and slipped her robe back on. All the while, the doorbell rang twice more. She crossed to the front door and opened it to find a petite figure wearing a black hoodie and carrying a duffel bag. She turned on the porch light and the hoodie fell back revealing a familiar face.
"Mona?" Hanna breathed placing both hands protectively around her unborn child.
"Don't freak out," Mona cautioned. "I'm here to apologize."
"No," Hanna told her. "I can't accept your apology, not here, not where my children are."
"I'm sorry," Mona said cowering against a support beam. "I'm so so sorry."
"Not here," Hanna told her. "We can talk, but you cannot come to my home. If I see you here again, I will call the police and I will file a restraining order."
"Okay," Mona sighed, her head hanging low. "I'm sorry, never again."
She turned on her heel and ran down the steps into the dark of night. Hanna turned off the porch light and shut the door, making sure to lock it. Then she leaned against the door and let out a deep sigh. Every time her life took a turn for the better, A had a way of ruining her happiness.
How did you like it?