Aria's POV

Supper with my husband's family is always incredibly uncomfortable. It is a rather tight knit group, and they often spend their evenings discussing relatives and old families friends that I have never met before. I never have anything to say and it is frustrating because I do not want to appear boring or uninterested.

"Aunt Carol's second cousin sure was a fool. Had Booth not assassinated Lincoln, she probably would have done it herself." My mother-in-law says as she shakes her head slowly.

"What do you expect, Mother. She was a Southerner. They hate Lincoln more than we hate the Confederate flag." Ezra says as he takes a bite of the turkey.

"Well, there is one good thing that came out of the war. I do not have to see those backwards relatives of mine anymore." Dianne says with a nervous laugh.

Even though Dianne is laughing, there is sadness in her eyes. After South Carolina left the Union, her parents and siblings cut off all contact. Though Dianne would never admit it, she obviously misses them a great deal. I cannot blame her. The war split up families, and I see the pain it has inflicted upon everyone.

"You don't have any Southern relatives, do you Aria?" Dianne asks as she turns to face me.

"No one that my mother or father was particularly close to while I was growing up. We have a few southerners who married into our family, but that is all."

"Darling, your plate is completely empty. I do not think this have ever happened before. Father, can you please pass Aria the mashed potatoes?" Ezra asks as he gestures towards my plate.

A deep blush begins to form on my cheeks. Ezra is so clueless sometimes. I purposefully never finish the food on my plate because it is unladylike like to receive seconds. Tonight, however, I was so hungry that I could not resist the temptation.

"It is fine. I am actually quite full."

"Brian, please do not listen to her. Aria needs food. It will give the baby strength." Dianne says as she shoots me a small smile.

For the first time, I feel truly grateful for my mother-in-law. I expected her to scowl at me, but she didn't. She understands.

"Well, if it will give the baby strength, I suppose I shall have some more. We want our boy to be strong, don't we Ezra?"

"Sweetheart, you did it again." Ezra say with a chuckle.

"What did I do?" I ask as I furrow my brow in confusion.

"You called the baby a boy."

"Sorry, Ezra. Sometimes I speak without thinking about it first."

"I am guessing two you want a boy though?" Wes asks us curiously.

"Aria certainly does. I, however, would be pleased with a baby girl." Ezra says with a proud smile.

"Why?" Wes asks with a scoff.

"Why not? I personally think a granddaughter would be lovely." Brian informs us.

"I do as well. We have raised two little boys in this house, but never a little girl. Having a granddaughter to spoil would be quite ideal." Dianne says as she hands her plate to the nearest servant.

"A little boy would be better though. We can start educating him early. By the time he turns sixteen, he'll be ready for West Point." Wes says with a wide smile.

My husband's face tenses up as Wes says this. The last thing poor Ezra wants to think about is our baby boy getting shipped off to war. I reach for Ezra's hand under the table, but he immediately jerks away. Why is he being so cold? Doesn't he know that I am trying to help?

"Are you men done eating? I have important matters that I need to discuss with Aria, and I would rather you not be here." Dianne tells them abruptly.

Oh no. That is never a good sign. Perhaps Dianne is angry that I ate so much food after all. Maybe she only pretended to be nice so she would not infuriate Ezra. I should have known.

"What do you need to speak to Aria about?" Ezra asks as he wraps an arm around my shoulder.

"Things that do not concern you, or any of the men in this room!"

"Aria is my wife, so surely it concerns me." Ezra says as he begins to raise his voice.

My goodness! What has gotten into Ezra? I appreciate that he is trying to protect me from the wrath of Dianne, but he should learn to pick his battles. Besides, there are certain things that women cannot discuss in front of men. Surely Ezra knows this.

"Ezra, it is quite alright. I shall speak to your mother and then meet you in the bedchamber. Do not worry."

In less than half of a second, all of Ezra's anger shifts from Dianne to me. He gives me such an intense look, that for half a second I do not recognize my own husband. He almost reminds me of... My father. No. Ezra is not my father. He might get angry, but he would never hurt me. He would not hurt me, would he?

"Come on, Ezra. Let's have a drink." Brian says as he leads Ezra and Wes out of the dinning hall.

As soon as the men are gone, I let out a long sigh of relief. For once, I am happy to be alone with my wicked mother-in-law. Nothing she has to say could possibly worse than that look Ezra gave me before he left.

"What was that about? Has Ezra been acting strange to you?" Dianne asks me softly.

Ezra has been acting strange, but I do not know if I should admit this to my mother-in-law. Charlotte always tells me to speak kindly about Ezra in front of her, and I do not want to insult my husband in the slightest.

"Perhaps a bit, but surely he is just tired. I am sure it is nothing to worry about."

"That is good, I suppose. So tell me, how have you been feeling?" Dianne asks as she takes a long sip of her tea.

"Quite well, actually. Sometimes I get sick in the morning, but for the most part I feel normal. Tired, but normal."

"I am happy to hear that. You are starting to show, Aria." Dianne says as she gestures towards my stomach.

My cheeks turn bright red as she says this. A few nights ago, Ezra pointed out the small bump to me. He kissed it repeatedly, and I just laid there uncomfortably. I know that gaining weight is normal, but I do not like looking pregnant. Surely, it is unappealing.

"Do not be embarrassed, Aria. This is not a bad thing. All it means is that you and the baby are healthy. Even though it is a joy for everyone in the estate to see your body change, it is not appropriate for anyone outside of this family to see you in this state. We do not want young men seeing you and getting the wrong idea. You know what I am trying to say, don't you darling?" Dianne asks me gently.

Darling? Since when does Dianne call me darling? Perhaps she feels badly. I know this because I know exactly what she is trying to say. Now that I am starting to look pregnant, I am not allowed to leave the estate. I will be trapped behind these walls until the baby is born. The thought of staying in the estate for months is unbearable. Tears begin to flow out of my eyes and there is nothing I can do to stop them.

"Oh, Aria! You mustn't cry. I'm afraid this is just part of being a woman. I remember when I was pregnant with Ezra. His grandmother would not even let me leave my bedchamber and it was awful! It will not be that way for you though. You are more than welcome to roam around the estate as you please, and you can invite your friends over as often as you like."

For some reason, I find myself sprinting to my feet and hugging Dianne as though my life depends on it. As soon as I realize what I have done, I pull away. We both stare at each other with shocked expressions on our faces, and I mentally scold myself. Even though Dianne is being kind to me today, I must remember that she is not my mother. We are bound together by Ezra, but that is all. I cannot depend on her for warmth and comfort, and my actions were highly inappropriate.

"I-I am so sorry. I do not know what came over me." I tell her apologetically.

"Please do not apologize, Aria. You are more than welcome to hug me." Dianne says as she pulls me in for a second hug.

Who is this and what has she done with my terrible mother-in-law? Within seconds I find myself crying as she holds me close to her. Why am I acting this way? Perhaps I am worried about Ezra, or perhaps I have just missed the feeling of being mothered.

"Aria, what is wrong?" Dianne asks as she stares into my hazel eyes.

"I do not know." I tell her truthfully.

"Oh. The baby is probably making you emotional. Do not fret. This is perfectly normal. Why don't you go upstairs to Ezra? I am sure he misses you." Dianne says as she rests a hand on my shoulder.

I nod before gently pulling away from my mother-in-law and walking out of the dining hall. I am halfway up the stairs when I turn around and sprint back to my husband's mother.

"Aria, what are you still doing here?" Dianne asks with confusion in her voice.

"I thought you hated me." I blurt out suddenly.

"I did too." Dianne says before taking a long sip of her tea.

Ezra's POV

I cannot believe I let them get her. I let them get Aria. A man in a grey uniform clutches my wife as she tries to calm the screaming baby in her arms. Not only do they have my wife, but they have my baby too. My baby girl.

"Please let them go. What can I do? Please tell me what I can do." I beg with desperation in my voice.

"There is nothing you can do. They're ours now." The man in the grey uniform says with a smirk.

I cannot just sit here and watch this man hurt my wife and daughter. I have to do something. But what? Without thinking about the consequences, I sprint towards the man who is holding the loves of my life. He responds by pulling out his gun and shooting Aria right in the head. As soon as her body falls to the ground, the man takes my daughter and throws her into the fire. Oh. My. God. I run over to the fire to see if I can save the baby girl, but it's too late. The only thing that's left of the child are her ashes. All of the sudden, the man in the grey uniform is hovering over me. He's so close.

"How dare you! I am going to kill you!" I scream as I charge towards the man and punch him square in the face.

The man's cries aren't deep like I expected them to be. They're soft. That's when it hits me. I was dreaming. Aria is fine and so is our baby. Except she's not. It was Aria who I punched. I get a clearer view of my wife's face and my heart breaks when I realize that she looks absolutely terrified.

"Oh my God! Aria!" I exclaim as I sit up in bed.

"No! Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!" Aria screams as she jumps out of bed.

"Oh, Aria! I am so sorry. I was having a nightmare, and I thought you were a soldier. I didn't mean to hit you. I swear I didn't mean to hit you." I say as tears begin to well up in my eyes.

Aria doesn't respond. Instead she continues to cry as she clutches the area around her nose. I quickly light our lantern and gasp when I realize that bright red blood is oozing out of Aria's nose. I hurt her. I actually hurt my own wife. I am a monster.

"Aria, you're bleeding! Let me help you!" I exclaim as I spring to my feet and hurry over to the hysterical girl. I try to get a better look at her injuries, but before I can Aria jolts away from me.

"Don't touch me!" Aria says as she begins to raise her voice.

"Aria, please let me help you. I'm worried about you." I say through my tears.

Aria doesn't respond. Instead she leaps towards the door. I instinctually grab my wife's shoulder, but she immediately slaps my hand away.

"I told you not to touch me!"

"Sweetheart, you need to get back into bed. I cannot have you wondering around when you could be seriously hurt. Go lay down, and I'll send for a doctor. I need to make sure that you and the baby are okay..."

"I hate you, Ezra! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Aria screams before sprinting out of the bedchamber and slamming the door behind her.

I want to chase after my wife, but I'm too stunned. She hates me, and I don't blame her. I just punched Aria in the face and made her bleed. I hurt the love of my life and possibly my child. For the first time, I realize that I am completely and utterly out of control.

AN: What did you think? Did you expect Dianne's change of heart? Why is she being so nice to Aria all of the sudden? And obviously there was that punch... What do you think of this Ezra? Obviously he didn't mean to hurt Aria but do you blame him for his actions? Will Aria find a way to forgive him, or will this strain their relationship? Please review and tell me your thoughts! Thanks for reading and Happy New Year's Eve :)