At 10 a.m., the summer heat viciously beat down on the runners gathered in a suburb of Philadelphia. The charity race hadn't started yet, and wouldn't start for another thirty minutes. For now, a local band took the stage and performed for runners and family members at the starting line in a small park. While Aria's family waited at the finish line, Aria and Ezra prepared to run thirteen miles to Philadelphia in matching purple t-shirts with the words "Team Leila" written across the front. Ezra almost refused to wear the t-shirt, until he saw how enthusiastic Aria was about them, and silently gave in to her pleading doe eyes.

"Do you think we're ready?" Aria wondered aloud. They were on the nearby field, stretching their legs just as Ezra taught her to do before morning runs. She eyed the crowd beginning to form, full of athletes of all different skill levels. Some obviously planned to win this thing, while others probably did it to keep in shape and challenge their bodies. And then there was Aria and Ezra, who were doing this for a completely different reason.

"It's only a charity race, so it doesn't matter," Ezra replied. "Besides, I don't think either of us plan on winning."

"Speak for yourself," Aria retorted.

Ezra looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. I don't plan on winning either," she admitted, lifting a leg in the air. "I wasn't blessed with long legs. Spencer and Emily, on the other hand..."

Ezra chuckled, then looked past his girlfriend to the crowd behind her. "Speak of the devils..."

Aria turned to find Emily and Spencer approaching them, both wearing t-shirts identical to hers and Ezra's. She smiled and waved them over, but the two girls had already seen them moments before and simply waved back. Spencer decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to join them at the marathon in order to support Aria. Emily immediately agreed, and besides, she was already in great shape from the recent swim season. Hanna, on the other hand, scoffed at even the notion of running in the summer heat.

When the two girls were in earshot, Aria stopped stretching and asked, "So...you guys still couldn't convince Hanna to join?" She knew it was an impossible request, but Hanna could surprise them.

Spencer laughed cynically. "Well, to quote Hanna," she increased the pitch of her voice in a mocking tone and used air quotes, "'I'd rather live the rest of my life in ratty old sweatpants than run 13 miles sweating like a pig in front of hot guys.' So, no, but I did get her to wear a t-shirt?"

"It was worth a shot," Aria laughed. "At least we guilted her into watching Malcolm." It wasn't easy, but they managed. Maggie was out of town this weekend, so she wasn't able to make it to the race, though she wished them the best of luck. Aria was silently thankful that Maggie wasn't included in something that felt so personal. And despite the idea that she and Maggie were supposedly on good terms, she couldn't help but imagine her face on a dart board from time to time, depending on her mood. Aria turned to Ezra and smiled, briefly squeezing his bicep. "Although Ezra wasn't too keen on the idea."

"You told me that she was fired from her last babysitting job because she basically turned the kid into her personal servant," Ezra pointed out.

It was true. Hanna wouldn't win an award for babysitting.

Aria shrugged. "Today she's in public, what harm can she do?"

"Lose my kid in a crowd of strangers?"

The three girls laughed, knowing Hanna was probably capable of such a thing. "Don't worry, I told my mom to keep an eye on her at the finish line," Emily reassured him.

"So, you asked your mom to babysit Hanna who is babysitting Malcolm?" Spencer crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave Emily a look of disbelief.

"Yup," Emily admitted. "The point is, Hanna thinks she's doing the right thing when really we're all just humoring her."

Their conversation was interrupted when a man spoke through a loudspeaker, alerting runners that the race was about to begin in a few minutes. Together, the small group made their way towards the starting line, taking a place near the middle. They didn't care where they started, as long as they finished. Ezra looked down at Aria, who was nervously staring straight ahead at the mass of people in front of her. She felt tiny compared to them.

"You okay?" Ezra asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Aria nodded, still staring straight ahead. "Don't leave me."

"I won't."

"Pinky promise?" Aria put her pinky finger out, waiting for Ezra to join in. He immediately complied. "Pinky promise," he answered, his larger finger around her tiny one.

"We already established that we're not winning this thing, so you might as well stay with me and keep me company."

"I pinky swore, Aria, what more do you want?"

It was a cool winter morning when they knew they were serious about this marathon, when they realized it wasn't an option. It was something they had to do. Aria was so close to giving up, to taking back her mornings sleeping until the sun came up.

They were sitting on the curb by the side of the road. "No, I don't want to give up." She looked him in the eyes and forced a genuine smile. "We owe it to someone."

Ezra sucked in his upper lip and nodded. "You're right. We do." He used the sidewalk for support and stood up, then offered his hand to Aria. "Should we get going?" He pulled her to her feet.

Aria brushed the dirt from her hands and nodded. "Stay with me this time, please?"

"I'll always stay with you," he promised, confidently sticking his pinky finger in the air. "I pinky swear."

She laughed. "Seriously? A pinky promise? Are we in kindergarten?"

Ezra didn't take his pinky back; he didn't plan on ever taking his promise back. "If I were in kindergarten, you wouldn't be alive."

Aria rolled her eyes and wrapped her small pinky finger around his, knowing it meant more than a simple promise on a morning run. "I'll hold you to that, Mr. Fitz."

"Good," he replied.

"Okay, I believe you."

"Good, because I'm not leaving you," he promised, then looked ahead of them. "Your friends are gonna leave you in the dust, by the way." Ezra nudged his head in the direction of Emily and Spencer, who were snaking their way through the crowd to get a spot closer to the front. Aria didn't mind, knowing it wouldn't take long to lose them once it started, anyway.

"It's Spencer Hastings we're talking about. She'll leave me in the dust the second she can smell competition and it won't be the first time."

"And you're okay with that?"

"You can't help who you are," Aria stated, shrugging it off. "Just like you can't help who you love. We've all got our quirks. Winning is hers and you are mine." Ezra would always be her weird story, and she knew that. In ten years from now, regardless if they were still together, she knew she'd be telling the story of the time she dated her English teacher. He was her quirk, and she was his.

Ezra didn't have a chance to reply, because by the time he opened his mouth to speak, an air horn sounded from the front of the starting line, signaling the start of the half marathon. Aria and Ezra shared a quick, anxious smile before taking off on the start of their 13-mile journey. But for both of them, this journey somehow felt much longer than that—in a good way.


They were slow dancing in the middle of the empty cabin, holding each other close in the dark silence.

"You wouldn't have wanted to go to prom with me if we were in high school at the same time," he whispered into her hair. "Dedicated book club member, English nerd, late bloomer, I was on the track team...I could go on, but then you might break up with me."

She pulled away so she could look him in the eyes, but they continued to sway to the non-existent music. "I didn't know you were on the track team."

"Yeah, and in college I trained for marathons," he told her, in a quiet, husky voice.

"Why did you stop training for marathons?"

"Well, didn't entirely give them up, sometimes I still consider running in them, but—" He hesitated.

"What?"

"I guess I started chasing after other things," he admitted. "Or not things, but people."

She frowned and looked down at their moving feet. "I'm the reason you gave up running marathons."

And today she was the reason he started again.

It was exactly two hours and 24 minutes before their feet crossed the finish line—together, as expected. Her skin was coated with sweat and she could barely feel her legs, but she knew it was worth it, and he believed the same. Everything they'd worked for the last several months led to crossing that finish line and she crossed that finish line with a smile on her face that competed with the brilliance of the sun. It felt like for once in their relationship, they were fighting for something together. And the icing on the cake—Ezra loved cake—was that running used to be his passion and now Aria could share that with him in such a beautiful way.

Twenty minutes prior, she didn't think she'd be able carry herself another ten feet, but eventually the runner's high kicked in and she finished the remainder of the race. Ezra's encouragement helped as well, since he refused to let her give up after coming so far. Not just today, but in recent months. She was an entirely different person.

Ella, Zack, Byron and Mike greeted them at the finish line with hugs and congratulations, but left shortly after. Then Aria and Ezra tried to locate Hanna and Spencer, who finished approximately fifteen minutes ahead of them. They found the girls with Malcolm at a face painting table, Hanna nowhere to be found. Supposedly, she went off in search of an actual toilet instead of one of the dozens of Porta Potties. Aria couldn't blame her.

The finish line was in the middle of a park, which had a small carnival as part of the charity event. Several tents were set up for food and carnival games. The face painting table had a few chairs with volunteers from a local high school. Malcolm was seated by a friendly red-headed girl who was carefully painting his face. Ezra walked up behind Malcolm and playfully ruffled his hair.

"Hey buddy, what are you getting?"

"Dad!" Malcolm squealed, turning quickly to look at Ezra. The young teenage girl smiled and glanced at Ezra, taking the paint brush away just in time so the 7-year-old boy could greet his father. "I'm getting a soccer ball on this cheek." He pointed to his cheek, then moved his finger to the other one. "And a baseball on this one."

"Sounds perfect," Ezra said, chuckling at Malcolm's enthusiasm. "Are you ready to go soon? Aria's mom invited us over for dinner."

Malcolm pouted as the teenage girl continued to paint a white circle on his cheek, the beginning stages of the baseball. He looked down at the dirt and stubbornly crossed his arms. "But I wanted to do fun things with you here."

Ezra sighed and looked at Aria. She was exhausted, as was he. "We're ready to call it a day, buddy. How about we stop and get some ice cream on our way home?"

"Okay!" Malcolm agreed, finding it a suitable compromise. "Even before dinner?"

"Even before dinner."

Malcolm smiled and gave his dad a thumbs up, then returned to his original position so the girl could finish painting his face.

Aria took Ezra's hand and stepped a few feet away from the crowded face painting station. She leaned into his side and he draped his arm around her shoulders as they watched the small boy patiently sitting in the plastic folding chair. If only the ignorant teenage girl understood what days like this meant for the little boy and his young father, if only she knew that memories like this were treasured after missing seven years.

Aria let out a long sigh of contentment and looked up at Ezra, smiling. "Sometimes it's hard to believe that he's only been in your life for a handful of months," she told him. He looked down and returned a smile, not needing to say a word. He felt the same way. "I'm so proud of you, Ezra, and how you've dealt with this. You're a great dad, you know that, right?"

Ezra turned so their bodies were facing each other. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her hazel eyes. "You're proud of me? Do you have any idea how proud I am of you?" He wrapped his arms around her small body and engulfed her into a tight hug. "You're the strongest person I know."

"You lost a baby. How do you feel?" Ella looked him in the eyes, knowing the seriousness of the question she just asked. "You're trying to take care of Aria, but what about you?"

"Honestly?" Ella nodded. "Like I'm trying to run a marathon with two broken legs. Every time I move forward, I crumble under the surface. But seeing her smile—a real smile—is the finish line."

Ella gave him a sympathetic smile and grabbed his hand, attempting to calm him. "Everything happens for a reason, Ezra—I really believe in that."

They remained in a tight embrace for some time, Aria smiling into his purple "Team Leila" t-shirt while he gently rubbed her back. Just holding each other and absorbing the momentous day, forgetting the crowd surrounding them, tuning out the sounds of hundreds of people. And instead of pulling away several moments later, he just squeezed her tighter, knowing that no matter how tight the hug was, it would never be enough. She didn't care how sweaty and disgusting he was and he didn't care that the sun was beating onto their already warm skin. They only cared that this is where they belonged, even if their relationship was similar to the marathon they'd just run.

Sometimes they were going downhill. Sometimes they were going uphill. Sometimes she felt like she couldn't do it anymore—and other times she was so high on adrenaline that she couldn't be happier. But what mattered the most was that he always stayed right by her side, and as long as he remained so, everything was worth it to see him at the finish line. And all that he wanted? To see a smile on Aria's face, and today...he got that.

"You were about seven weeks along," the doctor said, "and luckily you had a complete miscarriage, so we don't have to..." he trailed off, reluctance in his eyes as he looked at the young girl in front of him. "Your menstrual cycle should return to normal in about a month."

They were the words that haunted her mind for months.

When Aria didn't respond, the doctor turned to walk out of the room, but stopped before he did so. He turned around and hesitantly stood in front of Aria. "I know this is very hard to deal with, especially at your age, but eventually you are going to be okay." He looked between Ella and Aria. "I want you to know it's okay to be sad, it's okay to mourn for your loss, but one day it's not going to hurt so much—and then it will be okay to be happy. Please remember that you're allowed to be happy."

Aria finally pulled away from the hug and looked up at Ezra with a colossal, mischievous grin. "I'm done second guessing us. I don't want to live without you. Let's get married."

Ezra's eyes widened, his eyebrows nearly reaching the top of his forehead. Was she serious? Did she fill her water bottle with Vodka this morning? "What!?"

"Ezra, will you marry me?" she repeated.

"I think that's my job?"

Aria rolled her eyes and crossed her arms confidently in front of her. She was more serious than she'd ever been. Okay, maybe part of it was due to the runner's high that had yet to fade, but she wanted this. "Ezra, we made out in a bathroom the day we met. We made out on your couch while you were my English teacher. We breath unconventional. Please, Ezra. Say yes. Please."

He continued to look at her as if she were growing a unicorn horn on the top of her skull. "Are you crazy?"

"Well?" She uncrossed her arms and waited for him to respond, looking up at him with desperate, pleading eyes.

He sighed and anxiously ran his fingers through his hair. He hated disappointing her, but he couldn't let her make a rash decision that she'd likely regret. "I can't say yes. You're 18. You just graduated from high school. You're not ready to settle down and get married."

Her hopeful grin and the sparkle in her eye were squashed in a matter of seconds by the weight of Ezra's rejection. Her small voice matched her tiny stature when she murmured, "But I am ready." A moment ago she felt like she was on top of the world, and now she felt exactly how she really was—small.

Ezra shook his head. "You have no idea how badly I want to say yes. But I feel like if I were to say yes, it would be a selfish move on my part. I won't do that to you. No, I can't do that to you."

"Haven't we been through this enough? You can't tell me what I'm ready to do. I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions," she said, half shouting. Her voice was just as angry as it was sad. He was more stubborn than his stupid peach-scented soap.

"Aria, do you really think we're ready to get married? Think about this for a minute."

Yes, she thought. They'd been together for nearly two years and have defeated every fire-breathing dragon that dared to cross their paths. A stalker, non-accepting parents, past girlfriends, a child, a miscarriage, a psycho baby-mama. They had the badass friendship of Mario and Luigi and a love story that rivaled the best in fiction. She was more than certain that she was going to spend the rest of her life with him, but at the same time...

"I suppose you're right," she muttered quietly. "We're not ready."

"There's no point in rushing it when we have our entire lives to be together," he pointed out before taking her hand and squeezing it. "I love you. Even when you're crazy."

"Are we getting ice cream yet?" They turned to find Malcolm waiting behind them. A baseball on one cheek, a soccer ball on the other. They greeted him with a smile and pretended as if everything was completely normal and Aria had never asked Ezra such an insane question. "Of course we are," Aria answered. She dropped Ezra's hand and instinctively took Malcolm's as they started walking out of the park with Ezra following. "What kind of ice cream are you getting?" Aria wondered, making conversation with her "stepson." Ezra watched while Aria effortlessly led Malcolm through the crowd and to the parking lot, as if she'd been doing this forever.

Malcolm thought for a second before answering, "Chocolate chip cookie dough. What are you getting?"

"I'll steal some of whatever your dad gets," she said, grinning back at Ezra.

"Okay, I'll get bacon ice cream," Ezra teased, knowing it would scare Aria away. Not that such a flavor even existed, at least not in the Rosewood ice cream shop.

Aria laughed. "You know I'm a fake vegetarian, so don't think that'll scare me away."

When they spotted her car, she reached into her pocket to retrieve the keys. She unlocked her car and waited for Malcolm to get into the back before sitting in the front with Ezra in the passenger seat. Before driving off, she glanced in the rearview mirror to find Malcolm giving her a silly face, one that she happily returned.

"Ready for ice cream?" Ezra asked.

"Ready!" Malcolm beamed.

Aria glanced at Ezra for a quick moment. "I don't know," she answered with a shrug. "Am I ready, Ezra?"

"What do you mean?"

"Am I ready for ice cream?" she repeated. She put the keys in the ignition and turned it on, then put the car in reverse. She looked in the rearview mirror before backing out of the parking space, then looked at Ezra again. "Just figured I'm not allowed to decide—for myself—what I'm ready for."

Ezra sighed in irritation and looked away from her, resting his head on the headrest and staring straight ahead.

It's all part of the marathon.

They were on their way home from New York when Aria sighed and rested her head against the window of the car. "I wish we didn't go in there."

"The jewelry store?" Ezra asked, looking at Aria for a brief second. "Why?"

"The same reason I didn't want to take a tour of NYU. Why make me fall in love with the idea of something I can't I have?"

Ezra shook his head and took a deep breath, realizing she meant the engagement rings. "That's not true."


"Do you want a beer?" Zack offered, looking at Ezra from his place in front of the open fridge. The small family was eating dinner at Ella's apartment with Malcolm and Mike, somewhat of a celebration of the day.

"Yes, that would be great," Ezra answered. Zack walked back to the dinner table and handed Ezra a cold bottle, then looked at Aria who was sulking in the chair beside him. "I'd offer you one too, but your mom would probably give me the silent treatment for a week."

Aria glanced at Zack and gave him a dismissive wave. "I don't like beer, anyway."

Ella cleared her throat, then glared at Aria before saying, "You shouldn't know that."

"Okay," Aria said, looking at her mother. "Zack, I have no idea what beer tastes like, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it anyway. I've never had a sip of alcohol in my life."

"Liar," Mike added, his mouth full of food.

"Better, but you can lose the sass," she scolded, then decided to change the subject. "So, what place did you two come in today? I didn't get a chance to really talk to you after the race with all the commotion at the park."

"Like, bagillionth, but I feel like I won anyway," she answered with a wide smile. She was a little frustrated with Ezra, but the genuine happiness she felt couldn't be erased from her soul. After the last year, it was a welcoming feeling and a big relief. "I'm just...happy. I don't know if it'll last, but I haven't felt this good in so long and I don't want it to go away."

"So, it's safe to assume the marathon went well, then?" Zack inquired, looking between Aria and Ezra.

Aria gazed at her boyfriend, then put a hand on his leg. "This guy is good company, believe it or not."

Ezra smiled at Aria, then put his hand on top of hers. "I can say the same about her, although," he laughed, "at one point she asked for a piggy-back ride."

"I told you that I would steer," Aria clarified. "It would be a team effort."

"And I told you that my head is not a steering wheel."

"And then Aria asked Dad to marry her!" Malcolm added enthusiastically from his place on the other side of the table. Uh oh. Oh shit. Rewind? How did he hear that? Did he have super-kid hearing?

Ella's fork dropped to her plate with a loud crash before the table went dead silent. Everyone stopped eating and stared at the couple, who had since turned red. Very red. Ezra nervously grabbed his beer and took a large gulp. Ella continued to stare at them with angry, panicked eyes, waiting for someone to explain what the 7-year-old just said. Malcolm, however, started working on another chicken finger as if he hadn't just dropped a major bomb.

"And what did Ezra say?" Ella said, slowly, giving a particular warning glance to her daughter.

"He said..." Malcolm pushed himself out of his chair and stood up, widening his eyes and waving his arms wildly in the air. "WHAT!? You're crazy!" After he replayed his version of the scene between Aria and Ezra, he returned to his seat and picked up his chicken finger.

Zack stifled a chuckle as Ella breathed a sigh of relief. Ella didn't find it as funny as Zack apparently did.

"Uhh..." Ezra brought the focus back to himself and ran a hand through his hair. "And then I said yes."

Aria whipped her head to look at Ezra, not knowing if she heard what she actually just heard. Was he trying to get killed? "No you didn't. You said we weren't ready."

"I was wrong," he admitted, looking her straight in the eye. "And I'm saying yes now."

The rest of the table's occupants stared at them in shock and confusion while the couple stared at each other. Ella cleared her throat and successfully unlocked Aria and Ezra's eyes. Someone had to cockblock them from the sickening lovesick gaze they were currently sharing. "And what if I said she's not ready to get married?"

"Then we'd elope," Aria joked, way too quickly and way too seriously for her mother's liking. In response to Ella's threatening glare, she added, "I'm joking, Mom. Relax."

Ella sighed, then looked to Zack for an answer, who wasn't of much help. She closed her eyes and thought for a few seconds, then inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, before deciding what to say. "Not right away, okay? I'll give you my blessing but only if you wait until Aria is at least 20. Got it? And only if you don't let it impede on her college education."

"I think that's a great idea," Ezra agreed, hoping not to piss off his future mother-in-law for allowing her daughter to get married off at such a young age. Was he an idiot? Pretty much. Did he care? Not really. When he met Aria, he knew she was the one he wanted, even if she turned out to be kinda his student and kinda off limits and kinda illegal. And if Aria claimed she was ready, then he was ready by all means.

"That gives us at least two years to plan our beautiful wedding in Paris," Aria added, taking a sip of her water. It was worth a shot.

"Paris!?" Ezra asked incredulously, nearly spitting out his beer. "What makes you think we can afford to get married in Paris?"

"Your wealthy parents. Just wait until after your mother has signed the check before telling her I'm the one you're marrying, and we're good to go."

Ezra chuckled before leaning in to kiss his fiance, his hand gently cupping her cheek. When he pulled away a second later, he brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, his thumb remaining on her cheek.

Mike pushed his chair out from under the table, the scraping noise causing Aria and Ezra to leave their own little world. "I'm going to pass on dessert because I think I just lost my appetite. But, congratulations, you guys. I guess I should say 'Welcome to the family?'"


"I'm fine, Dad," Aria stressed, somewhat irritated. She didn't want to eat breakfast with her dad, but this morning, she had no choice.

"After yesterday, I know that's not true." He looked her in the eye, waiting for her to break. When she didn't, he pulled in his chair and took several breaths before he spoke. "Aria, when I lost my brother, I didn't think I could go on."

Aria swallowed and placed her fork next to her plate. She knew this wasn't easy for him, so she listened as intently as she could. Throughout her entire life, discussion about his brother—her uncle she never met—was off limits.

"Someone told me that you don't just get over a loss like that—but you learn to grow from it. If you're looking for ways to forget the pain, you're wasting your time," he explained, his eyes welling up. "I was told to stop trying to forget, and to start trying to see the good in it. How could I grow from it?"

It was a week after the marathon when they walked into the vintage jewelry store in downtown Philadelphia. If they were going to be engaged, they wanted to make it official. It wasn't exactly conventional for Aria to be there, but as they established, they weren't exactly conventional either. And if she was going to wear a ring for the rest of her life, she wanted a say in what it looked like.

Regardless, he still wanted a proposal and she was willing to give him that. Neither of them knew when that would happen, but Ezra figured he would know when the time was right.

"Can we do this?" Aria asked, genuinely worried. Her eyes roamed the display case, looking at all the beautiful engagement rings. They were all unique and quite different from what you'd would find in a typical jewelry store.

"Remember when you didn't think you'd be able to run 13 miles?"

"Well, we did it for Leila," Aria told him.

"Not just for Leila," he clarified. "We did it for us."

She didn't say it out loud, but his words gave Aria the answer she was looking for. He was right. She never realized it, but they weren't just doing this for Leila. They fought so hard to overcome their grief, but part of the fight also went towards figuring out who they were. She wasn't sure if they'd be standing in front of this display case if it weren't for Malcolm, if it weren't for Leila. The more they fought the impossible battles, the stronger they walked away from them.

"You're right," she said. "I never really thought of it that way."

She still wore the angel necklace around her neck, but lately, it didn't feel so heavy anymore.


And here we are. :)

Thank you so much for the reviews. I had no idea I'd actually get nearly 50 reviews on the last chapter, and I'm so sorry I didn't post this when I said I would! I'll save my final super extra cheesy author's note for the epilogue. (You know I love my cheese, real and metaphorical.)

Also, if there is anything you'd love to see in this epilogue, then let me know. I have it in my head already but I'm willing to change it up if any of you have any inspiring suggestions. (Hint: Baby.) This story is for you, after all, so I'll write for you. Follow me on Twitter sleepnthehrding.

Please review.