Please Review. Tell me what you like, what you don't like, suggestions. I do not own PLL.

Aria knew exactly where she was on March 29, 2008. She was in her room, and she was looking out the window. It was the week after Spring Break. Ezra had gone one some biking trip on the Appalachian trail over break, and her parents had watched his house during his absence. In her new yellow journal covered in bright red flowers, her entry read "Ezra has new furniture."

In the almost nine months since Ezra had moved in next door, he had done very little to change the house he had inherited. He kept it as his grandparents had kept it. He hadn't changed a thing, not really. But on March 29, a truck backed into his driveway and movers took out a brown leather couch and shoved it through the doorway of his house. Maybe he was getting rid of the pink-flower couch Mrs. Springer had left him.

Later he would say that "it was time to move on," and "I'm twenty-two not a senior citizen. I loved Grandma but I hate her taste." She understood that moving furniture was a sign that he was moving on. He would always grieve for his grandparents, but maybe he was getting over regret.

At Wednesday dinner on April 9, Ella broached the subject of his social life.

"Are you okay, Ezra?" she asked him. "It's just that," Ella faltered and looked at her husband.

Byron sighed. "It's just that we notice you don't go out much. Have you met people since you've moved to Rosewood?"

"I've met you guys," responded Ezra despondently. He looked up from his mashed potatoes and looked at Byron and Ella seriously. "I've met Hardy. He works at the accounting firm over on Main Street. We go out to bars occasionally."

"I'm not your mother," started Ella, "But I feel like I should step in in her absence." She looked up at him. "Of course, if you feel differently, I'll never bring it up again. I know I'm not technically old enough to be your mother, but I am a mother." She stared at her glass of water

"I wish I had known my mother," he started. "I wish that she hadn't left when I was so young. I wish my dad talked about her more." He paused. "But if you would like that role then I can't think of a better person to give it to." When he looked at Ella, Aria noticed that his eyes were moist.

"Welcome to the family," said Byron clapping Ezra on the back. "You couldn't have made Ella happier."

The rest of dinner was spent in laughter and story-telling. It ended only when Mike asked to watch TV and Aria mentioned the pile of homework waiting for her upstairs. Later, much later, Aria would ask him the name of his mother. "Diane," he responded with a sad smile. His eyes looked far away and clouded over. In a moment, he came back to reality. "Have I told you the myth of the goddess Diana?"

It was a week later, when Ezra came over for dinner on April 16 that the Montgomery's had another guest for dinner.

"Her name is Simone," whispered Aria as she opened the front door for him. "Mom really wants you to like her."

He took her warning into consideration and was more charming than Aria had ever seen him. He and Simone really seemed to get along. They talked about books and traveling. They found out that they both studied abroad in Prague and they both liked writing.

"I can't believe Ella didn't introduce us earlier," said Simone over a dessert of chocolate pie. Mike's favorite, Aria noted.

"I was still getting used to Rosewood," said Ezra. "She didn't want to push me. I was still getting over my grandparent's death."

"I'm so sorry about that," exclaimed Simone. "Everybody loved the Springers. We all miss them."

The conversation continued long after dinner as the adults headed to the living room. She did the dishes and headed up to her room, checking to make sure Mike was asleep before she plopped down on her bed.

On April 16 she wrote in her journal, "Simone and Ezra met. Mom hopes to hear wedding bells in the future."

On May 29, 2008, Aria headed over to Ezra's grabbing her copy of Romeo and Juliet to read in the tree house.

She rang the doorbell. A few minutes later he answered. She noticed his hands were ink-stained. She silently held up her book.

"Getting started on your summer reading already?" asked Ezra.

She nodded and pushed past him towards the back door. "It's the first day of summer, are you sure you don't want to hang out with your friends?"

She shook her head. "Hanna, Spencer, Emily and I head out for summer camp next week. I just want to be alone right now."

He nodded. "I'll be in the study if you need anything." He watched as she quietly opened and closed the back door and climbed up the rope ladder. He watched her for a long time after she disappeared from sight.

On June 2, 2008, Ezra was out with Simone in Philadelphia and he asked her if anything was bothering Aria.

"Her mom asked me to talk to her," Simone admitted as they walked through the park. "I guess she thought it would be easier for Aria to talk to me about it."

"She came over to use the tree house the other day, and I noticed something was off," replied Ezra.

Simone sighed. "She was at an end of the school year party at the Marin house and some kid tried to kiss her. It was her first kiss and she was nervous and scared and apparently it didn't go well." She paused. "She's embarrassed."

"I hope things get better for her." He reached for Simone's hand. "I remember my first kiss." He shuddered. "Her name was Maggie. It did not end well either."

Simone half-smiled under the street lights. "Mine didn't go well either. His name was Ethan and I was about Aria's age."

Ezra stopped walking and turned around and pulled her close. "Good thing it only gets better," he said leaning in.

"Good thing," mumbled Simone as she met his lips with hers.

On June 8 Aria left for camp with her friends. She had packed up all her things, including a last-minute gift from Ezra. It was a copy of Much Ado About Nothing. "I think you need a happy ending," Ezra had said as he handed it to her. "No more star-crossed lovers."

She had thanked him and added it to her pile of things, hoping Simone hadn't told him about the end-of-the-year party. She was gone for two months.

She came back on August 3, 2008. Her journal entry for that day had simply said "Home." Her parents noticed that she came back tanner and happier. Healthier, even. Mike, now twelve, wanted to know why Aria couldn't have stayed away. Ezra noticed that she came back more at peace with the world.

She knocked on his door the next day, August 4.

"Long time no see," said Ezra letting her in. She looked around and noticed that he had gotten a loveseat to match his leather sofa.

"Yeah," she said. She turned around to face him. "I missed your birthday."

"Your dad, Mike, and I went to a Phillie's game to celebrate. It was fun," he responded.

"Did Mom make you chocolate chip pancakes and insist on singing happy birthday to you?" she asked.

"Yup," he answered.

She nodded. "Good. She does the same thing for me and Mike every year." She waited for a moment. "I made you something for your birthday." She pulled out the objet she had been hiding behind her back. "We made them at camp. It's not as nice as what you gave me for my birthday," she began as she fingered the angel necklace at her throat. "But the sentiment's there."

He grabbed the object from her hands, and held it close to his face. "You made this?" he asked.

"Mh-hm," she nodded.

"It's beautiful," he said. "Thank you."

She looked at him for a moment before answering, "What, no story about dream catchers?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, I got nothing."

She sighed. "Mom wanted me to remind you that we're having a cook out at five. She says to bring Simone if you guys don't have any plans."

He nodded. "We'll be there. Tell your parents thanks."

"Okay. See you then," said Aria heading out the door. That night before she went to bed, Aria wrote in her journal what had transpired that day. "Family," she wrote in big block letters. "I have a wonderful family." She was thinking about her parents and Mike and Ezra, Simone, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna who weren't technically family but felt like it. A week-and-a-half later on August 19, the word "School" was blocked and circled. Time to get back to reality.

A/N Please do not hate me for the Simone thing. It has a purpose. Trust me!