Part 1

Aria was surrounded by a barrage of pink and blue frill and she absolutely hated her life.

Ella was bustling around, making sure that all her guests were taken care of, a distraught and slightly crazed look on her face. Every time she popped over to offer Aria a fresh glass of water, the small brunette felt herself retreat a little further. Spencer was sitting at her side, her hands crossed at her lap, and a few of her fingers gingerly resting at Aria's waist. Whenever Ella pressed Aria too far and Spencer could feel her friend's body begin to tense, she let her fingers press into the woman's side, reassuring her that it would all be over soon.

After the fifth attempt at persuading her mother that she still was not hungry, Aria leaned her head back along the couch and let out a low breath.

"Tell me again why all this was necessary?" she said, leaning her head over to Spencer and keeping her voice quiet enough that she couldn't be overheard.

"It's your mom's first grand baby…" Spencer said, nudging her. "Cut her some slack?"

Aria groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Have to what?" Hanna said, throwing herself down into the couch on the other side of Aria.

"Play along and let her mom have a good time," Spencer said, leaning around Aria.

"I say juice this pregnancy for all it's worth," Hanna said, picking at a cookie and brushing the crumbs to the floor. "I'd be using it as an excuse left and right. This is your party – you should get to do what you want."

"The expression is 'milk it'," Aria said. "'Milk it for all it's worth'…" She reached over and pinched off a piece of Hanna's cookie and raised it to her mouth. "Do you mind? " She popped it in her mouth and practically swallowed it whole, not waiting for Hanna's reply. "I don't want to ruin my mom's fun, you know…I just don't want her to force feed me all day or get all worked up because she's nervous." She reached out for another bite of the cookie.

"By all means…" the blonde said, rolling her eyes and handing the whole thing to Aria. "Has anyone seen Emily?" she asked, craning her head to see around the room.

Spencer tried to subtly clear her throat, signaling to Hanna that she should stop while she's ahead, but the action wasn't subtle enough.

"I thought she was in the kitchen," Aria said, looking between Spencer and Hanna. "Didn't she walk in with you guys? I haven't seen her come out…"

"Yeah, yeah," Spencer said, still trying to cover something up. "I think you're right."

Hanna's eyes grew wide and she nodded, keeping eye contact with Spencer. "That's right," she said. "I forgot she stayed in there to help set the dessert tray."

Aria looked suspiciously between them.

"I think I'm going to get another cookie," Hanna said. "Aria, do you want me to bring one back for you?" She had the rest of Hanna's firs cookie raised to her mouth, a fraction away from stuffing it.

"No," she said, letting her hand drop to her lap. "I'm not even hungry. I'm just dreading all of this." Hanna nodded and Ari and Spencer watched as she walked off toward the kitchen. "You two recovered pretty quickly," Aria said in a hushed tone.

Spencer gave her a tight-lipped smirk. "Perks of having a pregnant best friend? When you put everything into perspective, being petty is, well… pretty petty. We talked this morning. I think it's all worked out for now. This day is about you, anyway." She gave Aria a wink and a nudge. The action sent the baby into a whirlwind and suddenly Aria's belly began to ripple in a slow, melodic fashion.

"Now you've done it," Aria said, putting her hand over the movements. "Aunt Spence got you all worked up, huh?" She reached over and pulled Spencer's hand to her abdomen. "Here, since it's your fault, you can try to calm her down. That or she'll end up kicking my bladder and I'll pee on the couch, effectively covering you in pee too."

"Ever the avid writer, aren't you," Spencer said sarcastically. "Thank you for that colorful depiction. I don't think I'll be able to get the idea out of my head." She ran her hand in smooth circles over Aria's belly just as a few of her relatives walked over to interrupt the moment.

The hours carried on in much the same way – it seemed as soon as Aria was relaxed and enjoying her time, someone distant or nosy or just simply not someone she cared to talk to came over and interrupted her. She was thankful that they had all come out to celebrate with her, and she was enjoying herself a little bit. But, in all honesty, she just wanted to be home. She found herself glancing at the time every five minutes, anxiously counting down the minutes to Ezra's return home and the time when she'd be able to escape back to their little corner of peace and quiet.

She had turned into a homebody and she wasn't ashamed to admit that.

Aria was a little over half way through the table of gifts when the doorbell rang. Ella was seated next to her, a notepad on her lap, and the general space around her covered in pieces of tissue paper and wrapping. She looked up in confusion then looked around the room in search of someone closest to the door. The girls were sitting in the far corner of the room, mostly by themselves.

"Emily," she asked, throwing the room into an awkward, paused silence. "Would you mind getting the door? I'm not sure who we're missing, but if it's not someone for the party, just ask them to come back another time."

"Sure," Emily said, pushing herself off her chair.

Ella encouraged Aria to go on with opening gifts so that the flow didn't get interrupted much more, but it wasn't two seconds later before they heard the distinct sound of heels thudding along the hardwood, followed by the soft pattering of Emily's sneakers.

Spencer saw her first and her mouth dropped open, probably too far. The face didn't register with Hanna or Ali, and Emily only knew who she was from having been introduced at the door.

Aria and Ella both looked up at the same moment and their expressions could not have been more different.

"Dianne," Ella said with excitement. "I'm so glad you could make it!" The whole room seemed to turn and look at the new guest at once. "Everyone," Ella said, "this is Dianne Fitzgerald, Ezra's mother."

Dianne gave the room a fake smile. Aria blanched at the amount of syrupy sweetness she piled behind it. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said evenly. "I got a later start than I'd planned and the drive was longer than I remembered."

"No worries," Ella said. She reached a hand around Dianne's back and walked her over to an empty seat, conveniently beside Aria. The seat had been too close for comfort before, anyone who would have sat there too close to the action, but now it seemed like the chair was practically in her lap, her mother-in-law-to-be sitting right there with it.

Aria dared a glance at Spencer and the others as Dianne passed in front of her. Their faces all reflecting what she was feeling. Part shock, part annoyance…part distaste in the fact that she actually had the nerve to accept the invitation.

When Aria had suggested to Ezra that they invite her to the wedding and tell her about the baby, she hadn't really been thinking through what that would mean for her…a minor, but weighty oversight on her part. She was thankful for the box in her lap. She'd have to stand and endure the scrutiny later. Preferably when she wasn't in front of a room full of people.

"Aria," Dianne said as she removed her jacket and seated herself in the chair. Her tone was just as curt as ever and Aria felt every insecurity she'd ever had wash over her once more. "How good to see you."

Surely no one else could miss the amount of distaste that was rolling off her tongue. Aria took in a deep breath and tried to smile through it.

"Dianne," she said, "it's so good to see you. I'm glad you could make it."

As she turned her attention back to opening the gift in her lap, she caught Spencer walking out of the room, her eyes noticeably locked on the screen of her phone.

"Now would be the perfect time to get a text from –A," she thought, the idea alone almost enough to send a ghost-like vibration from the phone in her pocket. "Where's that bitch when you need a good excuse to leave?"

AN: Thought I'd post the first part so you have something to read while I finish the chapter. I feel like a lousy fic author for making you all wait so long between posts. This show is just dragggggging and I keep waiting for the spark to hit me, but I don't think it's there anymore.

Anyway :) I promise to do my best to finish this fic out. Hold me to it. Keep your eyes out for part two, hopefully by the end of the day.