Spring ushered in a new season of growth. Green grass started to sprout, nourished by water from melted snow. Flowers started bloom, vivid in their reds and blues and yellows. Birds came north again and animals scurried out of hiding. But Aria noticed subtle changes in her own life.

Ezra bought new furniture for his house. Aria watched from her window as the movers brought in a new sofa for the living room. She knew it was time for the change. The pink flowery sofa should not be in the house of a young man, but a part of her heart throbbed at the change. Brown leather was shoved in the front door, and Aria let the curtain fall back into place as the delivery men disappeared into the brick house.

Hanna got a boyfriend. His name was Sean Ackard. As the first of their group of friends to go on a date, she gushed and regaled about the evening, painting a romantic picture of the event. A part of Aria was jealous and she caught herself looking and daydreaming about Noel Khan. And Aria noticed that Emily became quiet at Hanna's descriptions.

Spencer spent more time with her friends and less time at home. She often spent nights with Aria or Hanna or Emily. Her sister's obsession with Ivy League colleges and universities was driving her crazy. Between that and the drama that erupted from Melissa dating Jason, left Spencer drained and exhausted. She came to school with sunglasses and tired eyes, imperfect hair, and her grades, while still excellent, were starting to slip.

And Aria slowly realized that this was the last few months of her eighth grade year, her last few moments of fresh air before high school. She took the time to enjoy her friends and her family, even Mike. She looked forward to girls' night at Hanna's house and Wednesday dinners with Ezra and her family. It was at a Wednesday dinner that another unexpected change emerged, worming its way into Aria's life.

At dinner on March 12, Ella broached the subject of Ezra's social life, unsure if she should pursue the topic at all, she wasn't his mother, but she did care about him.

"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," answered Ezra with a slight smile. He looked up from his mashed potatoes and gazed 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 know that you're still mourning Elliot and Anne," began Ella again. "And I know there have been a lot of changes in your life in the last year, and I understand if you're not ready to meet anyone special. But you should spend more time with people your own age." She shook her head. "It's not healthy not to."

"I know my staying in all the time can be viewed as a little odd," Ezra shrugged. "I like my life the way it is right now. If someone special happens to fall into it, I wouldn't push her away."

"I'm not your mother," said Ella gently. "But I do worry about you with your family in California."

At the last statement, Ezra slowly set his silverware down on the table, and Aria wondered what her mother had said to cause such a reaction. Looking at both Ella and Byron carefully, he told them, "My mother died when I was young. I don't know what it's like to have one. It's always just been me and my dad."Aria looked at Ezra in surprise, and Mike stopped shoveling food in his mouth at the shock.

"Well," began Ella uncertainly. "Would you mind if I mothered you, a little."

"I would welcome it," answered Ezra honestly. "I think it would be nice to be mothered a bit." Ella smiled in response, and Byron grinned at his wife's happy reaction to the situation.

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 that week, Aria asked Ezra his mother's name. Felicity," he told her with a sad smile. "Isn't that ironic?"

A week later, at the next Wednesday dinner, Aria set a place for an extra guest.

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

Taking her warning into consideration, Ezra was much more charming than his usual self. And much to her credit, Simone really seemed to hit it off with Ezra. They talked about traveling and writing, and Aria discovered that her former baby-sitter was a published author in an online journal.

"You should come to the city to meet my editor," said Simon over a dessert of chocolate pie. "I'm meeting with my editor over drinks next week."

"That sounds great," answered Ezra, genuine excitement evident in his voice. "Why don't you text me the address?" They exchanged phone numbers and information quickly, and Ella's eyes twinkled as she met her husband's over their heads.

"I can't believe Ella didn't introduce us earlier," continued Simone as she finished her pie.

"I'm still getting used to Rosewood," said Ezra vaguely, "I just moved here a few months ago."

"I'm so sorry about your grandparents," exclaimed Simone sincerely. "Everyone loved the Springers, really."

The conversation continued long after dinner as the adults headed into the living room for coffee and drinks. Aria watched them go as she cleaned up and did the dishes before heading upstairs. She checked to make sure Mike was asleep before plopping down on her own bed, picking up her journal and writing about her day before worrying about the next.

A few Fridays later found her lying on her on her back in her backyard, staring up at the stars. It was nearly April and warm enough to be outside with only a light jacket. Aria sighed and breathed in the night air, looking and counting at the celestial formations that danced in her vision. It made her smile.

"What do you think is up there?" asked a voice.

Aria looked up and craned her neck to see who it was that was talking to her. It was Ezra leaning over the fence. She settled down back onto her back and looked up. "I'm not sure," she replied. "Something beautiful, I think."

"There's a legend," started Ezra.

"Yes?" she prompted.

"It's a Greek myth about Andromeda, a princess. To save her city, she was chained to cliff by the sea, so that she could be sacrifice to a terrible monster, the kraken. But Percy, a son of Zeus, the king of the gods, rescued her and saved her people from destruction. The story goes that the gods honored them by making them constellations when they died. They're somewhere up in the stars, frozen in time."

"That's a beautiful story," sighed Aria.

"Is it?" asked Ezra uncertainly. "How do we know she really needed saving, that she couldn't have saved herself and her people on her own?"

"I guess we don't," said Aria. "But it's definitely romantic that Percy saved her." She turned her head to look at him again. "How do you know so much?"

"I went to college." She saw him shrug in the moonlight.

"What do you think is up there?" she asked him.

"I hope something wonderful."

"Me too," she responded.

As March and April passed and May rolled by, Aria saw Ezra and Simone grow closer and closer. She supposed that meeting with Simone's editor went well. Ezra spent more time writing and journaling, always busy doing one or the other when she went over to see him. When he wasn't at home or at work, he was out with Simone, visiting her in the city or she was with him in Rosewood. She made him laugh, Aria noticed. Sometimes she saw them in his house as she looked outside her window.

In first days of June, school let out for the summer, and Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna said good-bye to their junior high. In a few months they would all be together in high school. Their summer plans meant that they would be apart for the next two months. Hanna was spending time with her grandmother in Maryland, and Spencer was spending time in Boston with her family, dropping Melissa off at college and then getting a jump-start on touring some schools herself. Emily's father had been stationed in Texas, and she and Mrs. Fields were going to visit him. Aria was spending the summer at a girls camp, the kind in Baltimore where she would be learning a greater appreciation for the arts. Both of her parents had thought it would be a good idea for Aria to spend some time away from home, to stretch her wings.

There was a first day of summer party at the Khan's the next day. Aria went with her friends. She was more excited about swimming in their pool than anything else. But when she came home that night, Ella noticed she was seemed anxious and worried, forgetful even. Aria didn't want to seem to want to talk about it, so she had Simone talk to her the next time she was Ezra's.

The day before Aria headed to camp, Aria rang Ezra's doorbell, intent on returning his copy of Romeo and Juliet.

"Done with it already?" he asked as he let her in.

"Yeah," she answered. "It's been kind of boring these last few days. I was hoping you had something I could borrow while I was at camp."

Ezra nodded. "Wait right here and I'll bring it to you."

As he disappeared, Aria noticed the subtle changes around the house. Not only had the sofa been replaced with a new one, but there was new flat-screen TV, and a few pictures and posters that hadn't remembered from the last time she went to visit. He reappeared with a hardcover book in his hands. "I know your birthday is not for another week, but I thought I should give you your present now. I'm sorry it's not wrapped."

Aria smiled in pleasure. "Much Ado About Nothing?" she asked.

"I know how much you enjoyed Romeo and Juliet. I thought you could use something with a happier ending."

"Thanks, Ezra," she said, giving him a rare hug. She was gone the next day.

"Is everything alright with Aria?" he asked Simone a few days later, as they were walking from her apartment in Philadelphia to a restaurant a few blocks away. "Something seemed different when she came to see me before she left."

"Her mother asked me to talk to her," Simone admitted. "I guess she thought it would be easier for Aria to talk to me about it."

"What happened?" asked Ezra.

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

"I hope things get better for her," responded Ezra reaching 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, 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.

Ezra spent the next few months writing and spending time with Simone, taking a few weeks to visit his dad in California. When he came back home, he was tanner and happier, filled with new ideas about his writing and genuinely happy to his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Aria was in Baltimore, her new friend, Courtney, standing over Aria in the bathroom a box of dye in her hands. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Very," answered Aria.

"Are you sure your parents won't kill me?"

"Positive."

"Okay then," replied Courtney placing a towel over Aria's shoulders. "I need you to lean over the tub for me." Aria did as she was told and Courtney concentrated on her work for a few moments before starting the conversation back up. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to," answered Aria. "It's time for a change. Besides, I'm fourteen." She was home a week later, pink streaks dyed into her hair.

Her parents were fine with it, like she knew she would be. As long as she hadn't gotten anything pierced or tattooed, they were okay with whatever she did to her appearance. Ezra, however, looked at her in shock when he saw her new hairdo.

"Do you like it?" she asked, twirling for him.

"It's different," he replied carefully, letting her into the house.

"I came to say Happy Belated Birthday," she said, extending a package towards him. "What did you do for it? Did Mom make you chocolate-chip pancakes for you like she does for me and Mike?"

"Yes," answered Ezra, setting the package onto his lap. "Your dad, Mike, and I went to a Phillies game and Simone made me dinner." He turned his attention back to the package and began opening it.

"I know it isn't a very manly gift, but I thought it was something that you could use and remind you of Grandma Springer."

Ezra discovered a lump of black wool and opened it, realizing at once that it was a blanket, intricately and time-comsumingly knitted. "It's beautiful, Aria. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she smiled. "Grandma Springer taught me the basics of knitting, and I took a class for it at camp. Who knew an arts camp would have a class on home creations?"

"Did you like your time in Baltimore?"

"I really did." Aria went on to describe the friends she'd made, including her quirky green-haired roommate, Courtney, and some of the things she'd seen. "Well," she concluded. "Mom sent me over here to ask you if you wanted to come over for dinner. Dad's barbecuing. She said to bring Simone if she was going to come over tonight."

Ezra nodded "We'll be there."

That evening was the last day of summer. School started the next day.

March 12, 2008

Mom asked Ezra why he hasn't been dating anyone. Why did she have to ask him that? It's an embarrassing question for anybody. I think she has a plan in mind. Why else would she ask him. I do think she's genuinely worried about him, but still. There are limits, but apparently my mother doesn't think they apply to her.

On the other hand, it's good to have Ezra be considered part of the family. I think he always has been, ever since he moved next door, but it's still nice to have verbal confirmation. I know Mom loves him like a son otherwise she wouldn't be sending him all those baked goods every week. Dad and Mike like him too, a part of me thinks it's because they like having a way to outnumber me and Mom, boys vs. girls. I think that's Mike's reasoning anyway. There have been lots of changes lately and I think this is one more to add to the list.