Author's Note: This is so totally almost over. Sad huh? Well, I may be adding more to the upcoming chapters. Not sure though. Read. Enjoy. Review.

The next day Lilly and Alex came with me as I was baptized and received first communion. I was the only one that day because I had asked for a private ceremony. It didn't take very long though, and we were back with Ella by that afternoon. She was giggly and happy because my father had taken her to the playground and she got all dirty. She loved getting messy. "So you are giving her a bath?" I asked my father.

"You know what son?" he asked, pulling me aside. Lilly and Mom were playing with Ella and trying to get the sand out of her shorts.

"What Dad?" I asked.

"I think I figured out who she looks like."

I felt a knot in my stomach form. "Oh?" I looked at my daughter who was not shortless and was running in her diaper.

"Yeah."

"So?"

"Who do you think I'm talking about?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I think she looks like me-"

"She looks like Lilly did when she was a baby."

That surprised me. I didn't think she looked anything like Lilly. "Okay, I guess if you say so."

This was followed by a few minutes of complete and utter silence.

"Did your mother tell you that we have been invited to Mia's wedding?" he asked as we made our way to the cooler filled with beer.

I shook my head as I twisted a cover off my bottle. "Nah, she didn't say a thing."

"I find it a bit odd to be invited to this type of occasion, don't you?"

"I'm not invited," I replied automatically.

"You weren't? I was sure you would be. You being her first love and all…"

"Yeah, that would make me eligible for an engraved invitation," I said sarcastically. I needed to sound bitter. "I think Lilly was going to bring Ella though. She needs to go somewhere while I move back to New York, ya know?"

My father raised an eyebrow, "You are going to let Mia meet your daughter?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, why not? She can see that I am happy and fulfilled. And that I don't need her." Yes I do need her. And I wanted her to possibly have some time with her daughter alone. I've had plenty of time with Ella all to myself, it was her turn to see her daughter.

"Oh right, have you found a new apartment yet?" he asked. "In New York that is."

"Nah, I'll figure something out though, I'm sure." Little did he know that new place was in Genovia in a palace. And he'd hardly ever get to see his granddaughter anymore. But I couldn't say all that to him.

I packed up my townhouse and put my stuff into storage. There was no going back now. It had been a mere six months here and somehow we had gathered more junk than I could have ever imagined.

I filled a bag of Ella's toys to bring to Genovia with me. I had forgotten to pack her taggy blankie and Lilly was freaking out about it.

Ella had left three days before so that she could be with her mom. Lilly called and told me that she was crying for me throughout the flight over, and freaked out when she saw Mia. She knew that Mia looked familiar, but not enough to calm her down. Mia was kind of hurt, but understood.

They hung out on their own the next day, much to Grandmere's dismay. She told Mia that is wasn't proper for the princess to be seen with a baby who's parents were unknown. She told her grandmother that she would be spending her time however she pleased; only a small sign of her huge display of familial disloyalty to come.

As I rubbed Ella's fleece taggy blanket against my cheek (I'm such a dork, it smells like her baby shampoo that we use for her...I miss her so much and it's only been three days!) the phone rang. "Hello?" I asked, not looking at caller ID. I don't think this phone has one come to think of-

"Michael, I lost her."

"Hello?"

"It's me, Mia. I can't find Ella."

Panic. "You what?"

"She was here a little while ago, taking a nap on my bed. I went and took a bath and got up and she was gone!"

"Calm down," I said, trying to sound calm myself. Breathe. Breathe. "Does anyone else know she's missing?"

"Lilly just ran out to look for her."

"She's probably just exploring, Mia. That's it. Relax. She likes to snoop around places, most two year olds do. Her little friend Rex once toured the entire art museum while his parents scampered around looking for him. It's normal. She can't get very far-"

"How can you be so calm? Why don't you yell at me for losing our baby?"

"Mia, stay calm," I repeated. "Don't be freaking out or you'll freak out everyone else."

God. I was talking to my wife for the first time in months and I'm telling her to be calm? I'm not telling her how much I love her? Weird.

"I'm a terrible mother," she sighed.

"Baby, you aren't a terrible mother,"I said plopping down on my couch. "Just a new one. We'll work on this together, okay?"

"How have you done it all this time? Alone? I can't even handle it and I have the Genovian guard out there looking for her."

"Well, I put that electric collar on her, of course. When she starts running off I just zap her," I said, keeping a straight face.

"Not funny Moscovitz," she mumbled. "But we can do this together, right?"

"Sweetheart, in a few more days you won't have to ever be alone again," I promised.

"Ever?"

"Ever."

"Ever Ever?"

"Forever," I said with a laugh.

"Wow...three years comes down to a few days."

"I know, can you believe it?"

"I can't wait to wrap my arms around you and kiss you in front of everyone in that cathedral."

"To tell the whole world," I agreed.

We stayed on the phone until Ella was returned to Mia. We were worried at first that my number would be recognized but then realized that

1. The phone was in Alex's name

2. They won't be able to trace it for days. By then it'll be too late.

"Ella wants to talk to you," she said softly, handing the phone to our daughter.

"Da da!" she said proudly.

"El-El!" I said, almost with a tear in my eye. This is the longest we'd been apart from one another. ANd the furthest.

"I get dress!" she said, trying to tell me she got a new dress.

"I'm sure it's beautiful baby," I said wiping the tear away. "Daddy loves you."

"Love too Daddy," she said handing the phone off.

"I have to go," Mia said quickly. "I have my final dress fitting in five minutes. I love you though."

"You too baby."