Michael left the office way past midnight; it had taken him hours to make all of the proper arrangements. He had to schedule security and expedited packaging, as well as book a private jet to take the CardioArm and Midori, one of his more prized programmers, to Genovia the next afternoon. He was incredibly grateful that she had been so agreeable despite him calling her well past office hours. She said that she had always wanted to see Europe anyway and in an annoyingly knowing voice said, "there's no way she can say no now," before hanging up the phone. Michael wasn't even the slightest bit embarrassed to hear that.

Surreal. He still couldn't believe that this was his life now.

It was after 2 in the morning when he finally got back to his parents' apartment. It would have been more convenient to just walk back to his new loft, but it wasn't furnished yet and most of his clothes were still sitting in his childhood bedroom. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he opened the front door but was startled to see Lilly sitting there in the dark, working on her laptop.

"Jeez, Lil, you scared the hell out of me," he complained, reaching down to pick up the tuxedo jacket he had dropped in surprise.

"Working late?" she simply asked, fully ignoring the mini heart attack she had inflicted upon him. He just shrugged in response.

"She practically ran off the stage after he asked her. But then like 20 minutes later I saw her wearing the stupid ring. As if anyone wears promise rings anymore? It has this absurd, gargantuan diamond that everyone was going completely ga-ga over," Lilly informed him without being prompted. There was a familiar edge to her voice.

Michael didn't look back at her as she told him, simply staring off and nodding along to her words. Despite what he had just spent hours doing, feeling confident that Mia did in fact love him back, it still felt like being punched in the gut. There was no way he had read the signs wrong, but… The thought of her wearing another guy's ring made him feel even worse than when he saw them kissing in the hallway years ago. It somehow seemed like an even bigger betrayal.

His face had obviously given him away, so Lilly's voice softened. "He just asked her to the prom… And" she paused for a moment, but he still wouldn't look at her. "I could tell she wanted to ask about you."

When it was clear she had finished talking, Michael gave her a curt nod and went to the bathroom without another word. The stupid fucking prom. Of course, they were back to that. He could clearly recall Mia's obsession with his own prom, which he had firmly refused to go to until she got his band to play.

He stared at himself in the mirror, noticing some purple coloring under his eyes from his poor sleep patterns over the past few days. He had been in New York for less than a week and had already gone through every emotion possible. Unfortunately, that's what love can do. He splashed some cold water on his face. It all didn't matter. The promise ring, the prom, whatever. He wasn't giving up so easy this time.

The next day wasn't nearly as eventful as the night before. Michael woke up early for work and headed in without having to speak to anyone. He stopped and got a coffee from a stand outside, noticing a large photo of the princess herself on a teen magazine. The title read, in big gold letters, "America's Very Own Princess: Engaged to Her Prince Charming!"

Michael felt the sudden urge to rip the magazine up, but he just grabbed his coffee and left. Whatever, it wasn't his problem right now.

Work was busy as always. The first thing he had to do was assistant interviews, which luckily went extremely well. He was happy to find a great match early on and ended up offering him the position on the spot. It was a bit funny because Michael's new assistant was a college graduate and a few years older than him. But then again, so were most of the people who worked for him.

He then approved of the images his interior designer (hired by his publicist who insisted that his loft be furnished professionally- "you might need to get interviewed there!") sent over to him. Everything looked cool, and he was impressed by how well the designer seemed to get him and what he would like. She described his style as "industrial-tech-modern-chic", which Michael interpreted as "really-rich-computer-geek". He forwarded some images of the loft to Boris's email.

This was followed by a conference with his managerial team, who explained that the CardioArm waiting list was getting longer by the day.

Michael realized about halfway through the meeting that he'd cleared his gift last night with the business team. He cleared his throat, "Oh, right. I've arranged for an arm and a programmer to be taken to the Royal Genovian Hospital later today. It's completely complimentary for them, but I'll be paying for it personally." He spoke with an air of authority and then finished with a look that said, 'just try and argue with me.' The team all gave him a perplexed look, some having never even heard of Genovia before, and others wondering why Michael would ever choose to take such a loss

But no one argued or followed up with any questions, and Michael felt a wave of relief fall over him. He didn't really know how he would have explained his donation. He hadn't been asked by anyone, including Mia or her family, about getting Genovia a CardioArm. But the idea came to him at Mia's party last night, as he watched her nervously discuss her father's election. She was so concerned about the fact that he had taken a single day off to attend his daughter's own birthday party. It didn't seem right to him that she felt so bad about it. So, he thought, why not? Send a CardioArm personally from him, practically endorsing Prince Phillipe's campaign. He already thought that Phillipe would be a good Prime Minister, and he really just wanted to make Mia. And it also didn't hurt that he knew it would blow J.P.'s stupid ring out of the water.

For lunch, Michael met up with some of his old friends from Columbia, including his freshman year roommate, Doo Pak. He was really thankful to have stayed in touch with them through emails and the occasional visit to Japan because he knew exactly how easy it was to make "friends" now that he had money.

He was a bit embarrassed when they all toasted to his success, but it was still a good feeling. The end of the meal was happy, but also a bit bittersweet. They all talked about their classes, and internships, and roommates, and although Michael was excited to hear all about it, he couldn't help but feel… A little left out. Which is what he was feeling when they all headed back for class while he made his way back to his office. It was great to be so successful at such a young age, but it also made him realize that he had skipped a majority of his college experience and would probably never get anything like that back again. As he walked back to Pavlov Surgical, it hit him how much of an adult he was now, walking back to his full-time job at the ripe age of twenty-one.

For an odd reason, that thought made him think of Mia. She had always been younger than him, and seemingly in different places in life. But she too had her whole life planned out for her. She had had her life decided when she was just 14 years old. Perhaps that's why he had been so ready to plan his own around hers when he was just a teenager.

He wondered how many times she had felt the same way he was feeling now, that bittersweetness about everything being decided so early on. Well, hopefully not everything. She was still wearing that guy's ring.

Passing a video game store, Michael paused and glanced into the window. Just because he was an adult now, didn't mean that he still couldn't enjoy his free time. With a smile, he opened the door and walked in without a second thought.

He came home late again that night, though nowhere near as late as the day before. His parents were sitting in the den watching TV, while Lilly was sitting and working on her laptop again. Michael heated up some leftovers and sat down next to her.

"You do realize that you're a senior who's about to graduate, right? There's no way you have that much work to do," he teased, digging into the meal. Maya was still making his favorites in celebration of his homecoming.

His sister stuck her tongue out at him in a mocking way. "Please, I have more important stuff to do than school."

He nodded knowingly. "Your show? At lunch today, Doo Pak told me that it's still a huge hit amongst his friends in Korea."

"It is doing really well," she cracked him a smug grin. "But no, I'm not working on that either. It's actually Mia's birthday present."

He choked on the chicken he was eating, coughing a bit, "Huh? Wasn't her birthday yesterday?"

Lilly rolled her eyes but looked satisfied by his shock all the same. "Well, you did tell me to be nicer to her."

He shrugged, still looking unconvinced. "Yeah, I know, but… What even is it?"

"Happy you finally asked," she said, looking excited and turning her laptop around so he could see. "I'm almost finished, I just haven't found the right music to use 'cause of stupid copyright laws."

She pressed play in the editing software and presented Michael with what looked like a commercial… In support of Prince Phillip for Prime Minister. It was still a rough cut, but there were a bunch of interviews from celebrities at Mia's party the night before, praising her dad. There were also some really nice shots of Genovia that Lilly must have taken during their trips there.

"Woah…" was all he said as he watched in complete shock. There was no music yet, which made the whole thing feel a bit awkward, but it was still really impressive. And then he laughed, which made Lilly gave him an irritated look.

"I told you it's not finished yet. And I'm not even sure if I even want to release it," she said defensively, turning the laptop away from him. But Michael wasn't laughing because of the commercial.

He shook his head, still chuckling to himself. "No, Lil, it's actually really good. You should definitely send it. Really, no sarcasm whatsoever. It's funny because I think two Jewish kids from Manhattan are going to win Prince Phillipe's election for him."

She frowned at him, obviously not following, so he continued. "I donated a CardioArm to them, it'll be arriving tomorrow."

"Why would you do that?" her eyes were the size of saucers now.

He shrugged, looking back down at his noodles. "I thought it would make Mia happy, and everyone needs one anyway." Glancing up at her, he saw her uncertain face. "What?"

"Uhm, it's just something I heard from Mia today…" She didn't elaborate, so Michael kept looking at her.

"And that was?"

She looked down to inspect her fingernail, "it's nothing, really. It was just pretty clear that she was pissed about you leaving her party yesterday."

"Mia told you that? Are you guys finally friends again?" He didn't really care that Mia was angry about him leaving. Obviously, he left when her boyfriend was practically proposing to her. But it was nice to know that she noticed and cared. What he did find strange, is why Mia would tell anything like that to Lilly.

She glared at him, "No, we're not. And she didn't tell me. I was in the bathroom and overheard her." Lilly paused for a moment as if considering whether to tell him more or not. "She also said some more stuff… About prom." She was back to inspecting her nails, ignoring his frown at her.

"Okay. So?" Prom again, of course. This conversation was starting to get really annoying.

Lilly opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, and then opened it again. "Never mind, it's not even important. You wouldn't even go to prom if she wanted you there, would you?" She was now looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

He gave her a wary look, basically answering the question. He wasn't sure if even his love for Mia could convince him to go to a high school prom as a graduated twenty-something.

He didn't care to continue the topic and then had an idea. "Hey," she looked back up at him expectantly. "How about you use some Skinner Box music for the commercial? I have a song that I think will be perfect for the end."

She considered his suggestion but looked a bit skeptical. Sure, they hadn't been the greatest band in the world, but Michael knew that this melody was perfect. He had written it when he was visiting Mia in Genovia over the summer. It was totally cheesy at the time, strumming his guitar as he sat on a beach, looking out onto the ocean. But the song was pretty good, and he knew that Mia had loved it when he played it for her. It was perfect for this, and there would be no copyright to go through. "Come on, I swear it's actually good. Let me send you the recording and you can decide for yourself."

Finally, she agreed. "Knock yourself out. If I send it, it'll be sometime tomorrow so they can start playing it midnight their time."

He grinned at her, putting his plate in the sink. "When you send it. This is really decent of you, Lil. It'll make her happy."

Lilly nodded neutrally and he started heading back to his room, but she called him back again. "Hey, Michael?"

He came back into the room and just kind of looked at her like "What now?"

"You should be there at prom... By the elevators, around midnight... Mia might need some assistance."

He stared at her, blinking, but she just went back to her laptop like she hadn't said anything at all. He was too confused to answer, so he just spun around and went back to his room. What the fuck did that even mean? He literally had just told her that he wouldn't be caught dead at a high-school prom (in so many words), and even though midnight hardly qualifies as being at the prom, what? By the elevators? What kind of help would Mia need?

Oh, whatever. He didn't have the time or energy to try and comprehend Lilly's cryptic messages. He had to fish out his backup hard drive and find the song to send to her.

A call around lunch the next day confirmed that the CardioArm and Midori had landed in Genovia and been taken to the hospital. They also confirmed that Prince Phillipe had been sent the card stating that the donation was done personally by Michael Moscovitz, President and CEO of Pavlov Surgical Industries. Yeah, maybe Michael had laid it on a little thick, but he wanted to make a point. He knew that Mia's father had always liked him well enough, but he still really wanted to show off to him. And this way, there would be no question about the donation.

Throughout the rest of the day, he (somewhat) anxiously kept glancing at his phone, waiting for… Something to happen. The best-case scenario was that Mia called him directly, or came to see him, and thank him. The worst-case was if he got a fruit basket with Genovian olive oil delivered to the office.

So far, it was already almost the end of the workday, and he hadn't heard anything. He was sitting at his desk, going over his new assistant's contract, when he finally heard his phone ping.

He hesitated for a moment, trying not to get his hopes too high up. The message could be about anything, and from anyone. It could be his designer confirming their meeting later today, it could be his mom telling him that she was buying him new underwear (God, he hoped not), or… It could be Mia proclaiming her gratitude and love for him.

His willpower barely lasted a minute, and he was thrilled to see that the message was actually from Mia. It was a really formal thank you message on behalf of Genovia and Mia's father, which made Michael snort a little. He could imagine her most princess voice as he read it. But then his heart jumped out of his chest when he read that she wanted to meet in person, to say thank you. She signed off the message with "Sincerely, Mia" which he tried not to let bother him. The whole thing was weird to see, especially considering that they had been wrestling over hot chocolate just a few days before.

But, honestly, he didn't care that much. He just wanted to see her, alone, and as soon as possible. Without even bothering to try and conceal his eagerness, he replied immediately.

Would love to see you "in person." How about tonight? he wrote back. But before he sent it, he thought he might add something a bit cheekier, to really make his feelings known. Who gave a damn if he was being obvious? He was in love with the girl, and he wanted to make it clear. He didn't care if the whole world knew at that point, he just wanted her to know. So, he finished with P.S. No need to thank me on behalf of your father or Genovia. I only sent it because I thought it might help out your dad in the elections, and that, in turn, would make you happy. So you see my motives were completely selfish.

He almost added a wink but vetoed that idea in his mind. He was definitely being quite clear with his intentions, there was no way even someone as oblivious as Mia could misconstrue that statement. He clicked SEND, feeling quite pleased with himself.

He imagined Mia's reaction as she opened the message. Would she be happy or freaked out? It really didn't matter, though he did hope it was leaning towards the first one.

He spent the rest of the day even more frequently checking his phone, but no messages from Mia came. She had obviously seen it since he replied right after her. But she was ignoring it. That thought made him feel just the slightest bit crushed, but whatever. He just needed to keep telling himself whatever. Maybe tonight was too soon, but at least it was honest. Maybe he came on too strong, but… At least he was honest.

He continued to discretely check his phone every few minutes as his interior designer showed him around the newly furnished loft. It was amazing how different it looked and how quickly the company had managed to do it. After just a few days, it was practically move-in ready. It was shocking how quickly things could be done with the right amount of money.

He especially loved the whole TV set-up, which featured every current gaming platform available on the market. There was also a perfect place to display his CDs. He complimented the designer, who looked quite pleased to have done so well.

The whole place was just so perfectly him; it was as if she had gone into his mind and extracted everything he would have liked.

There were still some things that needed to be finished, but his loft was totally livable now. He would just have to get the rest of the things from his parents' home, and then he would be free to move in.

He thanked the designer as she left, and then took a few photos to show his parents and Boris. It was really happening now. He was officially back living in New York City.

He headed back to his parents' place and the four of them had dinner. Lilly told them about how her commercial was now airing over in Genovia, and begrudgingly thanked him for the song, which she did end up using. She showed them all the finished product and it was really impressive actually. It looked totally professional and praised Prince Phillipe to high heavens. Their parents looked incredibly proud of her and gave their nods of approval.

Michael told them about the loft and showed off the photos he had taken, which made them all realized that it was their last family dinner with him living there. That bittersweet feeling Michael had felt the day before returned for a moment, that reminder that he had grown up. They were all still really happy for him, and he invited them to dinner at his place later in the week. It was a bit strange, knowing that they were all still going to be living in the city, but separated at the same time. It was nice, though, to know that they would always be around when he needed them.

By the time Mia finally answered him, Michael was well-aware that they would not be meeting up that night. This message was much relaxed and actually sounded like Mia his friend, not Princess Mia Renaldi.

She asked him to lunch on Friday (Senior Skip Day), citing Boris's senior project the next night. Michael already knew about the concert and had been planning on going, but it was nice to know that she would be there as well. He wasn't overly thrilled about the idea of lunch, rather than dinner, but he could make it work. Grinning to himself, he knew exactly what he wanted to do immediately. He sent a quick text to his new assistant, asking to get him a reservation for one o'clock on Friday. And then he had a confirmation within five minutes. God, he was so glad he hired that guy on the spot.

He messaged her back, suggesting the Central Park Boathouse, lakeside. He remembered how they used to walk around the park together and how Mia would sometimes sneak longing looks to the restaurant. He had always planned on taking her there one day.

He deliberately ended the message with "Love, Michael" this time, because he meant it. He didn't care one bit about how obvious he was being or even if he sounded desperate. The time for games and subtlety was over. He loved her and he was ready to let her know.

He had been packing up his things in some boxes when he got another message. This time, it was from Boris.

Boris "Metalhead" Pelkowski: Mike, the loft looks so COOL. Are you sure you're okay with me staying there? And not paying rent?

M: Dude, I'm happy to have you there. And don't worry about rent. We're gonna have some sick video games night.

B: ! Heck yeah.

Michael got another message about 30 seconds later.

B: I'm on my way home from J.P.'s play. You should have seen it, it was so stupid. It wasn't even original- he literally just wrote it about himself and Mia. And guess what?

M: What?

B: He made YOU the villain. You seemed like a total jerk in the story.

Michael almost snorted when he read that. He, who had spent two years working tirelessly on a project designed to make heart surgery safer, was the villain to J.P., the guy who wrote a play about his girlfriend's life.

M: Ha-ha, of course he did. How did Mia feel about the play?

B: She said she was happy, but Tee was worried about it. He made her look her look totally dumb.

M: What a shock. I'm the villain, she's the zany princess, and he's the hero. Sound about right?

B: Yeah, you've got it down. Sean Penn's going to option it and dude almost shit bricks. Tina and I left right after that because the paparazzi was starting to freak out outside.

Michael cringed at the thought of yet another movie about Mia's life. And of course there were paparazzi at his stupid play.

M: Alright, well thanks for letting me know, man. And good luck tomorrow! I'll be there right after work.

Boris texted him a quick bye as Michael went back to packing his things away. He definitely didn't feel any bit guilty about his Friday date with Mia. This guy was no freshman Kenny Showalter; he didn't deserve any of Michael's pity.

He glanced over at his bed and again remembered the box sitting below it. This time, he confidently went over and pulled it out.

The last time the box had been opened was after his family's first trip to visit him in Japan. It was around Christmas and at that point, Michael was mostly over his breakup with Mia. He was deep into his work and was no longer plagued with random thoughts of her (a drastic difference to now). The night before his family left to go back home, Michael was riffling through his top desk drawer looking for an adapter. It was then that he saw a small box, hidden under the random things he had thrown into the drawer over the previous 4 months. He didn't even bother opening it, knowing that it might set him back more than anything. He knew it held that damn snowflake necklace he had fished out of the carpet at the Ritz. The thought of it just brought him back to their last fight, and he had made so much progress with her since then that he didn't want to bring all that back up.

So, the morning they were leaving, he walked over to his mom. Quietly, he requested that she take the necklace back with her and leave it in the box under his bed. He didn't want to throw it away, but he also didn't want to be weighed down by the tiny piece of metal in Japan. She agreed without the need for any convincing, understanding quite well.

The last time the box had been opened was by his mother, hiding away the only remaining piece of Mia that Michael had taken with him. But now, he felt like he had so much more of her back and wasn't scared of what was inside anymore.

He opened it and right on top was the small box. He looked at the necklace sitting inside, shining just as it had years ago. He shut the box carefully and put it on top of the pile he was bringing back to his loft.

After a long time, that little snowflake suddenly didn't seem so intimidating anymore.