Hanging on a Moment Part II

Chapter 6

"So, what did you think of Aria's husband?" Caleb questioned his wife as they rode up the elevator from rehearsal dinner.

"He was a freaking douche." She sighed as their elevator dinged open to their floor.

"Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only one!" He laughed grabbing the room key out of his pant pocket.

"Their baby is so cute. I just feel bad, she really doesn't seem like herself anymore." Hanna exhaled flopping off her heels and changing into her pajamas.

"Are you sure you really have to go?" Caleb pouted as she grabbed a smaller bag.

"Yes, it is tradition! We have all stayed together before each of us has gotten married. Well, except for Aria. She just had to run off and have her secret wedding in Europe." Hanna remarked throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"Maybe she was afraid if you girls had met Philip, you wouldn't have let her marry him." Caleb snorted as he rummaged through the mini bar for a beer.

"He is so damn controlling, I'm sure he didn't let her invite anyone. Shit, he probably picked out her dress." Hanna rolled her eyes disgusted at Aria's husband's behavior.

"I'm so lucky I have you." She smiled giving Caleb a parting kiss.

"You sure are." He winked as she pulled away.

"Alright, I will see you tomorrow morning." She laughed heading out the door.

****PLL****

"Party is here!" Hanna announced as she entered Emily's suite.

"Shhhh!" Aria greeted Hanna as she stepped in the room confused. "Tallen is asleep in the bedroom."

"Oh." Hanna replied caught off guard looking over at Spencer who made a face.

"Em!" Spencer cheered as Emily entered from the bathroom. "I brought the good stuff." She smirked as she dug through a canvas tote pulling out a few bottles of wine and champagne.

"Yes please!" Hanna giggled as Spencer began pouring everyone a plastic cup full.

"Oh, none for me!" Aria butted out as Spencer pulled out a four cup. "I'm still nursing and I will have to wake up with him through the night." She shrugged as she took a sip of her juice.

"Mommy problems!" Spencer giggled as she passed the drinks to the other girls.

"I am so glad all of you could make it, especially on such short notice!" Emily smiled sweetly to all of her friends.

"Em, you know we'd never miss something like this!" Hanna replied taking a drink of her wine.

"Well, I know how hard it is especially since all of you have families of your own and busy jobs and everything." She replied looking at the red beverage in her hand.

"Oh honey, I am thoroughly enjoying this! Five days kid free, work free in paradise celebrating one of my best friends marrying the love of her life, who could ask for anything better?" Hanna replied raising her cup in the air.

"Oh, shit!" Spencer blurted out. "Speaking of kids, Han can you give me my shot before you get to shmamered?"

"Shot?" Aria questioned concerned.

"Remember when we talked the last time; I had mentioned that Toby and I were thinking about doing IVF?" Spencer spoke trying to jog her memory.

"I have to do injections until I get to go have my eggs harvested."

"Why don't you just do it yourself?" Emily questioned as Hanna grabbed the needle from her.

"This one is a huge whimp." Hanna chuckled as Spencer groaned a little feeling the stick and burn of the shot.

"I hate needles." Spencer shuttered as she pulled her shorts back up and sat back down. "When my mom was getting her cancer treatment, I just couldn't stand the sight."

Hanna squeezed Spencer's arm into a side hug. "That's ok Spence. Good thing I have a million kids and absolutely nothing shocks or disgusts me anymore."

"Oh crap!" Aria whispered as she heard Tallen's cries over the laughter.

Spencer and Hanna took a drink from there cup noticing Emily still was looking down at hers.

"Is everything ok Em?" Hanna trailed off as Emily looked back up. "Oh yeah, I just was waiting for Aria." She smiled confidently.

Aria reappeared with Tallen in her arms and sat back down at her spot. "Ugh, sorry to be the buzz kill guys, carry on." She smiled swaying her son in her arms.

"I haven't got to hold him yet!" Emily smiled putting down her drink and holding out her arms. "Oh my goodness you are just a little nugget man." Emily cooed in a sweet tone.

"How is being a mom Aria?" Emily questioned the small one as she adjusted her shirt.

"It's a lot different then I expected." She admitted looking lovingly over to her son.

"You are the only boy allowed to crash this party." Hanna spoke in a baby tone grabbing the little boy's hand.

"I'm so sorry! My mom was going to come along but Philip insisted she would kill the romance and didn't want the added person." Aria added looking a little bummed to her friends.

"You know, I should text Toby!" Spencer's face lit up as she came up with the idea. "He has baby fever like nobodies business. He wouldn't mind watching him for a few hours." "No, I couldn't ask him to do that. He really should be with his father, but I know that would never happen." She grumbled to herself.

"I'm texting him!"

"Spence…" Aria was interrupted by an incoming message.

"Mr. Mom says to bring him on down."

"Really?" Aria replied with a frazzled look.

"I will help you with his stuff!" Spencer replied as she helped collect the baby items in the room next door.

"Ok, I get to hold him for a little bit before he goes." Hanna mentioned as Emily passed the baby boy over to her. "You are thee cutest wittle tuber."

Aria and Spencer came back into the living space and the new mom retrieved her son. "We will be right back!"

About fifteen minutes later the Spencer and Aria came knocking on the door again.

"This is weird. Tallen and I have been together ever since I peed on that test about a year ago!" Aria said with laughter that soon became tears.

"Aria, he is just down the hall. He will be ok." Spencer tried her best to comfort the distressed girl.

"It's not that. I literally take him everywhere. Philip never helps. With anything." She sighed wiping the tears that were running down her eyes. "I'm sorry." She forcefully stated plastering on a fake smile. "This night is about Emily." Aria stated grabbing a bottle of alcohol and holding it up.

"To our gorgeous friend and the love of her life." Emily intercepted the bottle before Aria could put it to her lips.

"You don't have to do this."

"It's fine, I will just have a little. It will be fine."

"Well, then take mine. I can't have it anyways." Emily stated as the girls looked up at her confused.

"I should have told you this sooner, but I'm pregnant."

"Whaaat?" Spencer exhaled almost painfully slowly.

"Does, Alesandra know?" Hanna mumbled quietly.

"Of course, she is the one who did it, I mean the insemination." Emily laughed as the girls still had very stunned expressions on their face.

"I've been wanting to have a baby for a really long time now. We found a donor and got the specimen. I knew that sometimes it takes awhile and we wanted to try before Alesandra had to go to Millian for awhile. I just never thought it would take so quick. Like literally, it was that one time."

"Ah, I'm so happy for you Em!" Spencer stood up giving Emily a tight hug.

"There is a little baby in here." Hanna laughed placing her hand on Emily's non existent baby belly. "How have you been feeling?"

"I was really tired at first but now that second trimester energy is creeping in." Emily mentioned as the girls' faces dropped again.

"Wait, how far along are you?" Aria questioned.

"Like thirteen weeks." Emily replied slowly.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us!" Spencer replied with her eyes bulging out. "Stand up, show us."

Emily followed the orders and flashed her stomach. She looked a little bloated but that was about it.

"I didn't ever think I would be getting married pregnant." Emily laughed as she looked around the room at her closest friends. "I really wanted this week to be about the wedding and our marriage. We plan on telling everyone in shortly after."

Hanna was now a little red in the face after sinking two bottles of wine with the help of Spencer. "This is so crazy guys, can you believe this is our lives after the shit we went through in High school?" she stuttered a little as the alcohol started kicking in. "My life has been pretty stressful lately, but at the end of the day, I am pretty damn lucky."

Aria started tearing up again. The other three girls were going through some stressful times but none were in the same predicament she was.

"Guys, I think I'm going to leave Philip."

"Do you think you could go to therapy or try counseling?" Emily tip toed around the subject not wanting to upset her friend.

"We had been married for a few months and I felt like I made a mistake. I asked him to try counseling and he threw a fit and basically blamed me for all of our problems. I pushed it back because I wanted to try to make it work. When I got pregnant, things just got a lot worse and we didn't agree on anything. I kept trying because I didn't want my kid to grow up in a broken family like I had to. I can't do this anymore." She wept as she received love and comfort from Spencer, Hanna and Emily.

"This trip was like my last stitch effort to see if we could work through it or not. I might as well do it on my own like I have been without having him being a constant pain in the ass."

"So are you going to stay in New York then?" Spencer timidly spoke.

"No, I've been applying for teaching jobs in Philly. My mom offered to help and I could use the extra support."

"You could always move to the West Coast. I know some pretty cool chicks who live there that would love to have you and Tallen." Spencer perked up her eyebrows.

"Thanks you guys, I really do appreciate it. As fun as that sounds, my heart will always be on the East coast." Aria smiled tucking her shorter bobbed haircut behind her ear.

"You and Alesandra are certainly welcome to make the great trek too." Hanna added to Emily.

"We still have to figure out where we are going to settle down and plant our roots. We have some pretty great friends where we are, but I'd like to raise this baby in America, closer to family. I guess we still have a little bit of time."

"I want to make a toast, take aria's orange juice." Hanna bossed the two girls. "Here is to a whole new generation of us and the adult chapters of our lives. Let us hope that none of our children keep any secrets like we did when we were teenagers."

"I'll drink to that!" Spencer announced as the four girls clinked their party glasses and fell into a fit of laughter.