When Aria Told Ella

Ella and Byron are over at Aria and Ezra's apartment for dinner, not long after the newly married couple has gotten back from their honeymoon in France. Ella and Byron, after all of these years, enjoy Ezra's company, and are able to admit both to themselves and out loud that Ezra is the best man that Aria could have ever chosen to spend the rest of her life with.

Although they are laughing and genuinely having a nice time with the Montgomerys, Aria still has a heavy weight on her shoulders, trying to grasp the concept of not being able to have children herself. Ezra thinks about it often as well, but he tries to be strong about it for Aria. They both knew that there were options such as adoption, and they had already talked about adoption prior to all of this information, but both of them, especially Aria wanted  to see something that was half her and half Ezra.

Earlier in the evening, Ella and Aria had spent some time in the kitchen making homemade pizza, so along with salad, that is what everyone was eating. It had been four weeks since the wedding and a week since Aria and Ezra had returned from France, and Ella had Byron hadn't seen them since they had gotten back. They were eager to hear about the beginning of this new chapter as a married couple.

"So how's married life treating you?" Byron asked kindly and very fatherly.

Ezra looked toward Aria, and she nodded to signal for him to take this one.

"It's everything I thought it would be. It's like engaged life but with a sense of normality. Not that it wasn't permanent before, but being married feels like it's forever and that's exactly how I want it to be," Ezra said, leaving Ella with a sweet smile on her face.

Aria grinned because she loved that her husband was a writer and could use such profound words. She also loved that she could call him her husband now. "Yeah, he pretty much summed it up." Aria and Ezra held hands underneath the table.

"Any plans for work in the near future?" Ella asked, knowing that between writing and the upcoming movie, their work lives would be becoming a little bit more busy.

Aria decided to take this one. "We hope there'll be plenty to do between everything that's going on. Until the movie is nailed down, Ezra and I are just working on different pieces and sending them around." Ella nodded contently. "What about you, Mom? How are the high school students?"

Ella cracked a smile and rolled her eyes. "Like animals!" She exclaimed. "You wouldn't believe how they think they can treat teachers. Worse than any other year by far. Still gotta whip 'em into shape I guess." The table laughed.

Byron went on to explaining how his job at Hollis is, and he offered that if Ezra ever needs a job, or even if he is just wanting to teach, he can squeeze him into the English department. Nobody in the room decided to mention the irony that was right in front of them, given the circumstances just seven years before. They were too far past that to dwell on it.

After a few minutes of conversation about work and life and jobs, the words went silent. Not awkward silence, just quiet. Ella brought it up.

"So, when do Byron and I get grandchildren?" Ella asked innocently, not knowing the sensitivity of the topic. She couldn't have known, and both Aria and Ezra knew this.

"Ella, they just got married; let them be together for a while before they have anymore  responsibility," Byron laughed, distracting Ella and himself from Aria's paralyzed paling face. Ezra noticed Aria, but tried to take the attention off of it, not wanting Aria to have to share something she wasn't comfortable with sharing quite yet.

"I know, Byron, I was kidding," Ella rebuked to her husband. "Kind of." She winked.

Byron noticed that his daughter's face was stuck in the same, sad position. "Aria, sweetie, what's wrong?"