The door to apartment 203 opened, and Will let himself in. It seemed much quieter after the split with Terri, but nevertheless it was his own place now – having been granted sole ownership of the apartment as a result of the divorce proceedings, Terri had moved in with her sister until she could find her own place.

He had come home after a long day at his job at McKinley High teaching classes, preparing lessons, and arranging music for the glee club's upcoming performances and rehearsals. Ever since he found out that Terri's pregnancy had been a lie, his world had been spiraling out of control. The only things that kept him buoyant were his job, glee club, his students, and his love for Emma Pillsbury.

Will turned on the light in the room that used to be Terri's craft room – and what was going to be a nursery for the baby. All traces of Terri were gone from that room. With the help of some friends, he had turned the room into a place where he could think and just get away from stress. The walls were painted a pale blue, the only furniture was a small sofa, a bookcase filled with music books, his old yearbooks, a mini stereo with a few CDs and assorted photos, and a couple of small tables and lamps. Beside the bookcase was a stand on which a guitar rested, he had purchased the instrument recently and loved when he could just play and let the music relax him. His favorite photo sat on the side table beside the sofa, it was a picture of him and the glee club taken by Emma. It was in a black wooden frame decorated with 12 gold stars (one for each member) and one large silver star at the top (to represent him) – the frame had been decorated by Rachel and gifted to him by the students.

Sitting on the sofa, he opened his bag and pulled out a book he was reading during his free period after grading some pop quizzes taken in his sophomore Spanish class earlier that day. When he opened it, a small sheet of paper folded several times over fell out and onto the floor, Will's name written on it in very neat handwriting. Picking it up, he remembered that Emma had given it to him during lunch and he had put it into his book so he wouldn't forget about it. He unfolded the paper and read Emma's note:

Dear Will,

It is hard to believe that time has passed quickly since we declared our love for each other at the invitational performance. You don't know what kind of influence you've had on my life and how you've touched the lives of the glee club for the better. I know you've been through a lot lately, but whenever you need advice remember that I'll be there for you.

I also thought I'd let you know that my birthday is coming up. I don't usually ask for any kind of extravagant gift, but what I always hope for is a gift that comes straight from someone's heart. You are the most heartfelt person I know, perhaps your gift will be one I will always remember.

I look forward to it.

Love always, Emma

Will put the note down beside him. He did know that Emma's birthday was coming up – he had made a note of it in the small datebook he carried with him. And he knew that she loved heartfelt gifts. But what does someone like him get for the person he loves the most? He had no idea where to start, all he knew was that he was going to make his gift the most heartfelt she had ever received.

Maybe I can get some help from the kids at the next glee practice, he thought as he got up to make himself a cup of tea in the kitchen. Going to them for help would be a good place to start.