June, 1998

Michael stepped quietly into the dark bedroom, grateful to finally be going to sleep. He'd stayed up late preparing for a final the next day. He carefully got into bed, trying not to wake Tracey, but she was a light sleeper.

"Mm," she murmured, turning her head to look at him. "What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"3:30."

"Oh my god," she groaned. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks," he whispered. "Good night."

"Good night," she said, and turned away again.

Michael rolled over as well and closed his eyes, though he doubted he would be able to fall asleep anytime soon with his worries about the test tomorrow. He didn't feel as prepared as he'd like to be, but he'd decided at this point a few hours of sleep was more important than studying.

He was finishing up his first year of law school and feeling stretched to the breaking point. He was staying up almost every night and for the first time in his life he was getting C's on a regular basis. His classmates told him that was normal in law school, but it still freaked him out, and it was frustrating that all the hard work he was putting in still wasn't enough. He hadn't admitted it to anyone, but he missed his old job. His father may have treated him horribly, but at least he'd felt like he was good at it, and he'd gotten a full night's sleep every night and still had the evenings and weekends free to spend with his family. He was so busy with homework he barely had any time to spend with George Michael or Tracey anymore. And on top of all that they were taking out twenty thousand dollars a year in loans. He kept reminding himself that he'd get a job when he was done and pay it all back, but he still felt pathetic depending on his wife's income and draining their savings, savings that should be going to his son's college fund. And he was only one year in. He felt totally lost. He couldn't quit, not after he'd convinced Tracey to go along with it, not to mention all the time and money they'd put in. But he couldn't do this for another three years either. He should have never gotten himself into this mess, he should have found another job in housing like Tracey had suggested, or just stayed at the Bluth Company. Now he was in a constant state of anxiety and he didn't know how to get out of it.