Chapter 13 – Next day

Aria's pov

I pulled up to the daycare and looked in the rearview mirror to see Oliver and Rosie still eating their apple chips. Normally Caitlyn brings Rosie with her since Oliver is either with me until I go to work, or he's with Ezra. But since she had an early staff meeting at work, I offered to bring Rosie when I brought Oliver. As I watched Oliver eat his snack, it brought me back to one of the days when he didn't want me to leave him at daycare.

Flashback (February 2013)

I shifted Oliver from my right side to my left as he waved to everyone we passed, some waved back while others didn't. Caitlyn offered to bring him to daycare for me since my first class didn't start until ten, but I don't get to spend a whole lot of time with him in the morning. He's already twenty months, and I feel like I'm missing out on him growing up. Between classes, Zeta Nu Phi Delta meetings and activities, AND my shifts at the daycare – at most, I spend maybe four or five hours a day with just him and I.

"Ready to go play?" I asked Oliver.

"No! Stay mama." He said.

"Mama has to go bye-bye." I told him

I'd bring him to Journalism with me, but there's a huge test today to prepare us for midterms. Most of my professors are usually chill with him coming with me to class occasionally, knowing that I'm a single mother. God, I hate the sound of that; me being a single mother and it wasn't supposed to be that way. Oliver was supposed to have both his parents around as he grew up, but he just has me. Ezra hasn't really come up to visit Oliver, even though he had promised that he would come up multiple times.

"Ollie stay mama." Oliver demanded, and I realized today would be a difficult goodbye.

"You can't stay with mama today." I told him.

Walking into the daycare building, I saw Linda was the receptionist today. She's like a godsend when it comes to the mornings where Oliver has difficulty saying goodbye. And I know that whenever any of the kids have a difficult morning, she'll make sure that either her or another teacher gives them some extra attention until they're calm and happy.

"You'll have lots of fun with everyone." I told him.

"Stay mama!" Oliver cried.

Standing him on the ground; I signed him in, and Linda handed me his nametag. I kneeled to his level; he slapped my hand away as I tried to put his nametag on. Internally sighing, I took his hands and looked into his eyes. Lately, he's been hitting when he doesn't get his way and timeout doesn't always work.

"No hit." I told him.

"Bring Ollie!" He cried.

He held onto me, still crying about not wanting me to leave him. On the verge of my own tears, I scooped him up and kissed the top of his head. I glanced at the wall clock and saw that I still had some time before class even starts. Maybe we should have stayed home today or better yet, maybe we need to go home to Rosewood…. For good. This is too hard for me, even with Caitlyn's help.

"Oliver, please be good." I pleaded.

"Mama no go." He sobbed.

"You'll see mama at go home time, and tomorrow mama will be at daycare with you all day!" I tried, knowing he won't fully understand.

Linda came around and gave me a soft smile, she was a single mother too. She's like another mother to me, which makes missing Ella even worse. And the fact I haven't been able to see or even talk to her, because she's in Maine taking care of Grammy since grandpa died.

"Mama will see you very soon Ollie." I said.

I stood up and Linda took Oliver's other hand, as I handed her his backpack. Even though I don't want to leave him in his current emotional state, I need to be early to class today. Kissing Oliver's forehead, I let go of his hand and headed for the door.

"Draw a picture for mama." I said.

End of Flashback

I snapped back to reality as the kids finished their snacks. Between all the terrible mornings he had, that one was the worst and had stuck itself in the back of my mind. Oliver looked up, smiling brightly and held up his empty baggie.

"Ate all my chippies mama." He told me proudly.

"Me too Ria!" Rosie piped up, holding hers as well.

"Good job, are you two ready for camp?" I asked them, receiving nods.

Getting out of the car, I opened Rosie's door and helped her out of her car seat and led her to the sidewalk. Opening Oliver's door, he was already out of his seatbelt and jumped out of the car. They each took one of my hands as I led them into the building. Caitlyn saw us, and Rosie ran over to her. I signed them in as Oliver looked around, it was obvious he was searching for Aiden.

"Where's Aiden?" He asked, as Caitlyn came over.

"He'll be here soon sweetie." Caitlyn told him.

The kids ran off to go play with some other kids, and Caitlyn looked at me concerned. I didn't tell her what happened yesterday, but I think Oliver may have said something when I wasn't around.

"We never got to really talk last night, is everything okay Ar?" She asked.

"A lot happened yesterday; can we talk later about it?" I asked and she nodded.

As much as I would love to talk to her now, she's at work and this isn't the place to tell her. Hanna walked in with Aiden, who ran off to play with Oliver and Rosie the second he saw them. Maybe it was too early to tell Oliver about the baby, the last thing I need is Ella finding out from someone else again.

"I'll give him his nametag Han. Even though, we all know the kids will just find a way to get rid of them when none of us are looking." Caitlyn said, taking Aiden's nametag as Hanna signed him in.

"Ollie, come give mama a hug and kiss goodbye." I called.

The boys came running towards us, at least Oliver doesn't have any more tantrums about me leaving him at daycare. But now he understands that I will come back for him, plus he has Rosie and Aiden to play with all day.

"Do you remember what me and daddy told you last night?" I asked.

"Yes, I do mama." He said, nodding.

"You can't tell anyone about that okay? It's still a secret, no one else can know yet." I told him.

"That's lying mama." He told me.

"Well sometimes it can be viewed as lying and other times it's not. How about we call it a surprise instead? Because for us, it is more of a surprise than a secret." I explained.

"Oh, okay mama." He said.

"I'm going now, be good baby. I love you." I told him, giving him a kiss.

"Bye-bye mama." He responded.

Oliver ran off once more with the others, and Hanna motioned for the door. As we headed towards my car, I looked back to see no one at the door. Getting into the car, I flashed back once more.

Flashback (Continued)

As I walked away from the daycare center, I could still hear his crying. I turned around to see him banging on the door, crying his little heart out. His face was red and wet from his tears, it broke my heart to see him like this. I shouldn't have turned around, why did I?

"No go mama! No go!" He cried.

"I love you Ollie!" I called out and blew him a kiss.

I quickly turned back around and pulled my phone out of my pocket and calling the one person I knew would answer. This is too painful for me to deal with on my own, I'm going back home to Rosewood whether Ezra likes it or not. Even though the girls and I promised to stay in touch, I barely hear from any of them except for Hanna. It's understandable with Emily and Maya, they're over in Haiti and can only be contacted for emergencies. Chloe's going through a rough patch with Caleb right now, I know she'll text me if or when she needs me. Then there's Spencer… she didn't even come home for Christmas, and she has so many classes and activities that I'm pretty her next scheduled time to breathe is in maybe six years. Hanna and I try to get together, but it always somehow gets cancelled.

"Hey Aria, are you missing me?" Toby answered.

"You could say that I just wanted someone to talk to before class." I said.

"I can hear it in your voice, what's the matter?" He asked.

The second the words left his mouth; I broke down in tears. I should've known that he'd be able to know something was up. Leaving Rosewood and forgetting everything that has happened junior and senior year; I was so excited for it. Now, I hate being here instead of at home with Ezra and Malcolm. It's like my homesickness is never ending. Some people threw weird looks my way, as I found a tree to lean against.

"I'm coming home; I can't do this on my own and I hate it here." I cried.

"Hey, you can do this Ar. I know it's hard being a single mom in college with a baby, but you are a lot stronger than you realize. You should probably turn around." He said, with a hint of a smile in his voice

Turning around, I saw Toby standing a few yards away from me. I ran over to him, and he quickly wrapped me up into a hug. He wasn't supposed to come up until this weekend, but I don't care. I need someone to talk to, someone who knows what I went through. Who knows that better than Toby… Ezra doesn't seem like the right choice. Toby was with me in that shed when no one else was, and I know that Ezra would tell me not to come home and I needed to stay at NYU.

"Tell me, what made you decide to drop out of school." He said.

"It's been harder and harder, and I can't keep doing this on my own. Oliver didn't want me to go to class, he kept screaming 'No go Mama!' but I have to go to my classes today. Then I've been completely homesick ever since I came home from winter break, I just miss Ezra and Malcolm, and everybody. I feel like my homesick is turning into hatred for New York." I sobbed.

"Hey, listen to me. You are going to breathe and go to your classes. I'll go pick up Oliver from daycare and spend the day with him. Then we can talk about your awful idea to drop out over dinner tonight." Toby said, rubbing my back.

I quickly wiped my tears and called the daycare. Maybe spending the day with Toby will make Oliver better, perhaps going home was a bad idea. If I did go back to rosewood; would Ezra and I still do the legal separation, or would he realize it had been a stupid idea all along? But the fact Toby visits whenever he can, or when he's going to see Spencer, it helps with my homesickness a little bit. Especially since he sometimes will bring Malcolm when he comes up to visit on the weekends.

"Hey Linda, it's Aria. My brother came to visit earlier than expected, and he has my permission to sign Oliver out for the day. His name is Tobias Enrique Cavanaugh, he'll be more than happy to show you his ID." I said, hanging up to see Toby giving me a death glare.

"You cannot be mad at me, it's not my fault that's what you were named." I pointed out to him.

"I remember where the daycare is, get to class." He told me.

End of flashback

I snapped out of my flashback, and realized I was staring at The Brew. Coffee sounds so good right now, even if I can't have a lot of it. But I also need to tell Ezra about looking for a new place, maybe I could borrow the futon from him for a little while.

"I haven't had any coffee this morning yet, do you wanna swing by the brew really quick?" I asked.

"Yeah, I haven't had any coffee either. Aiden decided today would be the day I go without my morning cup." She said.

We quickly got out of the car and made our way to The Brew. Walking in, I saw there were just a few customers around, mostly teenagers. Hanna and I got in line and skimmed the menu. I had been hoping that Ezra would have been up front, so I could tell him and ask about the futon. But I'll ask him another time, it's not like this is life or death and I don't want to bother him if he's in his office. The thought of having to tell Ezra I'm moving out of Caitlyn's… is nerve wrecking, although I know I need to.

"Let me guess; an iced mocha with almond milk and two Splenda packets for Aria. Then for Hanna, a vanilla latte." Kevin guessed.

"And for to go, please Kevin." Hanna said.

He quickly started on our coffees with another barista, and we sat down at the long bar table. Which, I had helped Ezra pick out when we first got The Brew and wanted to redo everything. And Ezra hadn't been sure that he would be the best fit to own a coffee house… but both Paul and I persuaded him that he was. Ezra walked out from the back, as Kevin set our coffees on the counter. Hanna gave me a look, which was to let me know that she was paying for our drinks.

"Hey Ar, is everyone okay?" Ezra asked, a little concerned.

"The baby is fine, we're all fine. Han and I were grabbing a coffee…. Before I look at some apartments." I told him, then looked over at Hanna.

"Go on ahead, I'll meet you in the car Hanna." I said, handing her my coffee

Hanna slowly backed out the door, and Ezra motioned for us to talk in his office. The moment I walked in; I saw a bunch of the photos we had taken over the summer before I left… along with one of my self-portraits that I made for him. Pretending not to have seen them, I sat down on the couch with him next to me.

"What happened to staying with Hardy and Caitlyn?" He asked.

"The plan was I'd stay with them until I found a place of my own." I told him.

"You don't need to look for another place Aria, you can have the house." He said.

"No, that's too much work and it'd probably just confuse Oliver." I responded, shaking my head.

How could I be able to live there? All the dreams and plans we had for the house; like turning the basement into a possible bedroom for Malcolm when he got older, raising four… maybe five kids. Then there's all the memories we had made, even if some of them are of us fighting and me walking out after learning about him and Alison.

"Well then; since you're still co-owner of this place, you can take the loft upstairs. I could even give you and Ollie a tour later today, that's if you want the loft." He said.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Plus, the boys could still see us the same amount even when it's not our week." I pointed out.

"Exactly. And even though the loft is already furnished, whatever you want from the house is yours." He added.

I followed Ezra, as he showed me and Oliver around the loft. Of course, I decided to bring a few things to just leave here since we don't really need them right now. Ezra's just showing me the updates that he and Toby have been making. It's a lot nicer then when Spencer and Toby lived here, but they didn't really think about decorating this place and well, Toby was kind of using this as a fake 'A' lair in the beginning.

"Can I explore me and brother's room?" Oliver asked.

"Go ahead lil man." Ezra said.

We watched as Oliver rush up the stairs towards the room he'll be sharing with Malcolm. So far, he hasn't been confused on anything. He's just a little upset that he won't have any more sleepovers with Rosie. Those two are going to end up getting married one day, I could tell from the day they met each other. Caitlyn and I have reassured him that they can still have plenty of sleepovers, that will never change.

"You did really good with him, must have been pretty easy." Ezra said softly, and I glared at him.

"You think it was easy for me? Well guess what, it wasn't! It sucked and I wanted to come home so many times." I snapped.

He sat down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island and I followed suit. All my emotions about wanting to come home were going to come out at some point, I'd just been hoping that it would come out in a less snappy way than this. But he did just assume the past four years have been easy!

"Freshman year, I was literally about to drop out and come back home. I didn't care about the reason you sent me off, I hated it there and hated being away from you and Malcolm." I told him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

"We both know why I didn't tell you. Ezra… you were so set on me having some normalcy in my life." I said.

Neither of us said anything, I could tell he was trying to figure out what to say that won't piss me off. Freshman year was the hardest to handle. But I think Sophomore year was more of me realizing I couldn't be with Ezra… not even on school breaks and being serious about dating other guys. Which is where Riley walked in that year when I just needed someone. Although, Jake… I think he was more of a temporary Ezra replacement.

"Aria, I know freshman year was hard for you. It was your first year away from home, your grandfather died over winter break, and you were trying to get a grip on everything. That's a lot for anyone, I would have understood if you needed a break from school." Ezra said, taking my hands in his.

"You still don't get it. I didn't want a break, I wanted to drop out and come home. Where Oliver could have BOTH his parents around as he grew up." I told him, taking my hands back from him.

I sighed, putting my face in my hands. We could hear Oliver talking to bubba about where they'll put their stuff. Hopefully, Oliver won't try to put his stuff all over the room. Even though I did hate being in New York the first year being there, part of me misses it now. Because in New York, I was no one important and not the topic of lemonade gossip sessions. And here in Rosewood; I'm the girl who got knocked up by her English teacher and kidnapped while pregnant, got stalked for two years, and my 'best friend' was killed, but turned out to be alive and had been the one in control of it all. But now, I'm the woman whose husband left her… right when I'm coming back home.

"You promised, you'd be there for Oliver and not grow up barely seeing you. Especially after not knowing about Malcolm for seven whole years. And what did you do? You broke that promise." I pointed out

"I thought if I kept showing up it would've contradicted everything that I was doing for you… for us. But if I could do it differently, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Letting Ollie grow up with me barely in his life, that's one of my biggest regrets." He said.

Not saying another word, he stood up and kissed my forehead and dropped the keys for the loft in front of me. I stared at my pregnancy books on the island, listening to him hurry up the stairs. Maybe I should've stayed in New York. As I heard Ezra telling Oliver that he'll see him later, I felt the tear start to build up.

"Malcolm should be back soon, I'll let him know you're up here." Ezra said, I nodded.

He sighed, before walking out the door… just like he's been doing for the past four years. I took a couple of deep breaths to keep myself from crying. Neither of the boys shouldn't have to see me cry, I don't want to risk Oliver shutting Ezra out again or having Malcolm curse him out. Standing up, I quickly walked towards the kitchen sink to grab a paper towel and dabbed my eyes.

…..

I stood at the kitchen counter, eating my sandwich before work. As Friday gets closer, I keep wondering if my date with Josh is even a good idea. Looking at the tickets for All about Eve, I'm not ready to be in a relationship yet. I'm not over Ezra, and I don't want to lead Josh on in anyway. Although, the boys had taken the news of my date seemingly fine and that was something I was not expecting. Caitlyn came into the kitchen as I gathered up the tickets, putting them back into my purse and held the uneaten half of my sandwich to her.

"Want it? I have to go cancel my date with Josh before work." I told her.

"Aria! What are you talking about canceling your date with Josh?" She asked.

"Cait, what if I'm only fooling myself into believing I'm ready to start dating again? Ezra moved on…. Why can't I?" I whispered.

"Seems like it's because you won't really let yourself move on. You can't just sit around, expecting yourself to move on if you don't throw yourself out there. Go to work, but don't cancel your date." She told me.

She looped her arm with mine and walked with me to my car. Which after stalling it for days, I finally bought a 2015 silver Subaru outback. Caitlyn watched me as I got in and I started it, with the radio turning on and playing 'Give your heart a break' by Demi Lovato. Holding back my tears, I realized I really do need to let myself move on from Ezra and give Josh a chance. Even though I had been dreaming about coming home to Ezra for the past four years, I can't keep my hopes up about us getting back together.

Friday night

Oliver crawled up onto my bed as I adjusted my tank top. I've gone through so many outfit choices, and I'm running out of time. I looked through my clothes once more, why is finding the right outfit always the hard part? I should've just asked Hanna to pick my outfit, just so I don't have to. It's so obvious, that I'm not ready to start dating again. Instead of using the time I had to get ready, I chose to spend it making sure Oliver was ready for his night.

"The pwetty dress mama!" Oliver exclaimed, pointing at me closet.

I held up my black floral lace up dress, receiving a nod. He scrambled off my bed and into my closet. Sitting down next to him, he handed me my heels that I had worn on multiple dates with Ezra… the only time I ever worn these heels.

"Daddy will like these." Oliver said, proud of himself.

Oh my god, he thinks I'm going out with Ezra. How did I not see this coming? Now I must remind him that it's Josh and not Ezra. Malcolm had offered to bring Oliver with him over to Dani's house, and seems like all three of them are excited about tonight. Dani 's dad, Pastor Kane promised that he would keep an excellent eye on the kids and make sure Oliver is comfortable. Which now, his night might be completely ruined.

"Baby, it's Josh not daddy remember?" I reminded him carefully.

"I don't like you!" He shouted before running out of my room.

"Ollie!" I said.

I stared after him, shocked at his reaction; I had been so careful telling him about tonight. Especially after he learned about Ezra and Nicole. I knew he was angry; and it breaks my heart… I knew I should've cancelled when I had the chance. He wasn't ready when he learned about Ezra and Nicole, and he's obviously not ready for me to start dating either. As I started walking towards my door, he poked his head in the doorway.

"Not Ollie, Oliver!" He said.

"Come here, I think we need to have a talk." I said, picking him up.

I brought him over to my bed, and he bursted into tears as I sat us down. Wrapping my arms around him, I kissed the top of his head as he held onto me. Maybe I shouldn't have told him about my date, and just wait a little bit… but that would be risking him finding out the same way he learned about Ezra and Nicole.

"Mama…Daddy do-don't love each other no- no more!" He said, between sobs.

"Ollie, just because mama and daddy are seeing new people… that doesn't mean we don't care for each other still. The love is just a different kind now." I said.

"Promise?" He sniffled.

"Pinky promise. But I don't want you saying you don't like me again okay? It hurts mama's feelings." I told him.

"I sorry. I love you mama" He said, wrapping his little arms around me.

"Do you want mama to stay home with you? I will, if that's what you want." I asked.

"Daddy." Oliver said softly.

"You wanna see daddy instead of hanging with brother?" I asked, making sure it was what he wanted.

"Yeah." He said.

Setting Oliver back on my bed, I grabbed my phone and called Ezra. Hopefully, he isn't busy tonight. I don't even want to imagine Oliver's reaction if he couldn't see his father, especially after the tantrum he just had. But if Ezra is busy, I'll just have to stay home with him, and hope Josh will understand. As the phone rang a second time, Ezra picked up.

"Hey, be honest. Are you busy tonight?" I asked.

"Just doing some paperwork at the Brew. What's up Ar?" He responded, and I silently sighed of relief.

"Oliver wants to spend some time with you." I told him

"I'd love to hang out with him. And even if I did have plans, I would've cancelled for him." He said.

"We'll see you soon." I said.

Oliver rushed out to get his stuff as I slipped my wedges on, and the doorbell rang. Grabbing my purse, I rushed downstairs and answered the door. Josh smiled at me as I let him inside, he looked surprisingly good in his short-sleeved navy button down and grey dress pants.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi! This is really embarrassing to ask. Is there any way we could drop Oliver off at the brew with Ezra?" I asked, hoping it won't ruin our date.

"That's not a problem, I'm actually a little early. And by the look on your face, you must have had a long day and didn't know what time it is." He said, and I nodded.

Oliver came down the stairs holding bubba to his chest with one hand, dragging his green and navy striped dinosaur backpack behind him with his other hand. I can tell he's still a little upset, but hopefully spending time with Ezra will make him feel better.

"Is that Pastor Kane at the door?" Malcolm asked, peeking around the corner from the living room.

"No, it's Josh. Long story short, Oliver decided to hang out with dad tonight. If you can, try to let Hardy or Caitlyn when you leave." I told Malcolm and he nodded.

"Have fun mom, love you." He said.

"Love you too, have fun and behave for Pastor Kane." I told him.

I quickly kissed his forehead, and he went back into the living room to watch whatever it was that he was watching. Turning back around, I could see that Oliver seemed to be easing up to Josh. I waved to Caitlyn, who looked in from the kitchen and she gave a smile as I followed Josh and Oliver out of the house

Josh pulled up in front of the Brew and I glanced back to see Oliver playing with bubba. Our date hasn't even started yet, and it's already been crazy. Josh included Oliver in our conversations, which is so sweet of him to do.

"This should take a minute or two." I told Josh, as I opened my door.

"Take your time, bye Oliver." Josh said, turning to look at Oliver

Oliver waved goodbye as I got both him and his car seat out of Josh's car. As easier as it would have been to just use a couple pillows instead of dragging this car seat around, I was not about to risk any thing happening to my baby. Taking Oliver's free hand, we quickly walked into the brew to see Ezra sitting on one of the couches. The moment Ezra looked up to see us, he made his way over towards us and looked me up and down.

"You're pretty dressed up." Ezra said.

"I have a date." I said, feeling a bit awkward telling him.

"Is that the real reason you brought him here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, and he wanted to be with you." I told him

"Please non't fight." We looked down to realize Oliver was still next to us…. Shit.

"We're not fighting lil man. Hey, Ms. Sabrina has some cookies fresh out of the oven." Ezra said.

I mouthed three to Ezra, he turned to Sabrina and held up three fingers. She nodded as Oliver ran towards her and quickly jumped into her open arms. Watching Sabrina, bring Oliver to the kitchen for cookies, I quickly turned to Ezra.

"He got mixed up and thought it was you I was going out with. When I told him it wasn't, he got upset and wanted to be with you." I told him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that. To make it easier, I can bring him back in the morning." He said softly.

I handed him the car seat and made my way to the door. Hopefully, Josh hasn't changed his mind about the date and drove off. God that would be terrible, especially after Oliver's tantrum earlier about my going out with Josh.

"You look beautiful by the way, always do." Ezra called out.

As I turned around, I gave him a small smile and Oliver came running out of the kitchen towards me. Oh god, please don't have another tantrum. I don't know if I could handle two in one night, and I don't want to keep Josh waiting.

"Wait mama! Don't go yet! Oh, I need bigger legs." Oliver said, running to me and I kneeled to his level

"I love you mama!" Oliver told me, giving me a hug.

"I love you more baby, be good for daddy and have fun tonight." I said, giving him a kiss.

AN – Ooh, looks like things are slowly looking up for Aria. Please do send in name suggestions for both Ezria's baby and Spoby's baby, along with whether your team boy or team girl for both babies! And to the guest that asked when Ezra will be telling Nicole about the baby; within the next few chapters is when he'll tell her.