Maria turned out the light as she closed the door to her daughter Amy's room and then breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't used to Michael being away. Maria liked to call Michael out and criticize him when warranted. As they matured into adults, he gave her fewer reasons to complain, so she often nitpicked playfully. Now with Maria working, taking care of their 4-year-old daughter on her own and keeping up with all the household duties, she realized an even deeper appreciation for her husband.

Nearly 20 years ago, they left Roswell for good and never turned back. Only Max and Liz remained on the road and they didn't keep in touch with their closest friends ever since Maria and Michael bowed out to raise Amy. But somehow they rendezvoused with Isabel who called Michael with urgent alien business. He sweetly offered to stay if Maria insisted, but deep down they both knew he should help their family. In some ways, Maria wanted to go with him because she missed Liz after not seeing her for close to four years. However they both agree that, for the sake of their daughter, one of them needed to stay home. Michael's powers proved much more valuable than anything Maria could do in a fight.

Maria walked down the stairs and then over to the kitchen. The microwave clock read 8:33 p.m. She grabbed the half-eaten carton of cold Chinese food from the counter and took it to the fridge. Next, she walked into the living room and took a seat beside a full laundry basket on the couch. She reached for the remote and turned the TV on. Then, she grabbed a shirt out of the basket, folded it neatly and set it on the armrest of the couch.

The doorbell rang. Maria wondered who might come by at this hour. Ever since settling into their Flagstaff, Arizona home, the eventfulness of alien drama left them far behind, so Maria thankfully felt no rush of fear that one of Michael's enemies came looking for trouble. She stood up and walked to the front door.

A delivery boy probably around 16 years old wearing an unfamiliar uniform stood at the door with a large, plain, brown paper bag.

"You Maria dee-loose-uh?" he said, mispronouncing her last name.

While she and Michael did officially get married, Maria chose to keep her family name for her and her child, something Michael took no issue with since his identity as a Guerin didn't mean a whole lot to him.

"DeLuca," Maria corrected, reaching for the bag.

The delivery boy pulled it back and produced a crumpled piece of paper from his back right pant pocket. He handed her the paper.

"Sign here, please," he instructed.

"Shouldn't you have a clipboard or some kind of tablet for this?" Maria asked with a tired, disapproving tone.

The boy shrugged. "Sorry."

Maria sighed and then signed the paper indicating she received the delivery. The boy handed her the bag and turned to leave.

Closing the door, Maria looked down to see an envelope taped along where the paper bag folded over, almost forcing her to read the card first. She knew it surely came from Michael. While Maria would normally rip the card off and cast it aside, she felt compelled to act as Michael intended this time in an act of karma since she missed him so much the past handful of days.

She opened the envelope and produced the card which contained a typed out letter since Michael clearly phoned in this delivery from the road.

Dear Maria,

We didn't know what danger lied ahead when I charged off to help Max and Liz get out of whatever trouble they found. We all got so good at this stuff over the years, I think we both felt confident that I'd come home to you just like always.

You know why I can't share details in this letter, but circumstances have resurfaced old obligations I decided not to honor long ago. We all made that choice. But we can't outrun our former lives this time. We need to make one last stand at the place where it all started. It won't be possible to say good-bye.

I couldn't explain what's about to happen if it was safe to do so, but I'm sure Liz will track you down to give you the details. Just know that no matter what happens I love you and Amy and our beautiful family more than anything. If I could do whatever I want, I'd come home to you and stay there with you forever.

Oh, and in the bag… If you haven't looked already, it's a real time-saver, something as parents we need now more than ever. Plus, it'll wind up being my first gift to you and my last. Seems kind of fitting don't you think?

Love,

Michael

Maria next got caught up in the gift before all of those words could sink in. She ripped open the paper bag and smiled as she pulled out a large bottle of generic 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner.

Back in high school, Michael and Max picked up Maria and Liz for a double date at the Crashdown Café. Max brought Liz bubble bath to "make her skin soft" in a decorative gift bag with tissue paper. Michael, who didn't have a clue at the time, handed Maria a large, plain paper bag just like the one she held now. She pulled out his gift to discover a generic bottle of shampoo. Michael pointed out that it was shampoo and conditioner, ignorantly thinking that made it better. Maria sarcastically and disappointedly said, "A real time saver," so it moved her to see that Michael remembered and brought those words back in a loving, sentimental note.

But then concern washed over her. "Resurfaced old obligations" referred to his place as Second in Command to Max's King back on Antar. Maria knew that Michael went to meet Max and Liz near the sight of an alleged UFO crash, but they both assumed there was nothing to that. "The place where it all started" meant Roswell, their hometown which all of them agreed never go to again. Something major must be happening to bring them back to Roswell. "No matter what happens" meant Michael either intended to die in some foolhardy battle or blast off in some rocket ship to another planet, where his enemies would probably kill him in some foolhardy battle.

Concern blended with irritation. Maria trusted this letter wouldn't come in if Liz, who Maria always trusted to make sound decisions, didn't endorse the plan taking them back to Roswell. So she decided she couldn't dismiss the necessity of whatever sacrifice Michael hinted at that would forever take him away from his family. But to think that he would, or how he even could, just go to Roswell for some final showdown and not give her the details, not give her a chance to say good-bye and hopefully talk him out of it. It's like only Michael Guerin could write one of the sweetest notes he ever gave her but still somehow make her question if he even knows her at all. This was one of the now rare times where her criticism of Michael wouldn't be playful.

She whipped out her phone and paused a moment. Michael wouldn't answer. Maria knew she couldn't arrive in Roswell in time to greet him if he already left Texas, but she hoped she could catch up with him in time to get the truth and maybe even say a final good-bye if there somehow really was no other choice. Instead of Michael, Maria called her mother.

"Hi mom," she said. "Guess what? Amy and I are coming to Roswell for a surprise visit with Grandma! … Yes, I know we said you would always need to come visit us here in Flagstaff and that we were never going back to Roswell, but Michael… I'll explain when we get there."

Maria hung up the phone and ran back upstairs. Maria quickly packed a couple of bags for her and her daughter, gently woke her up and carried her out to the car. Maria pulled onto the road to Roswell, which from her Flagstaff home, meant about an eight hour drive in total, first east on Interstate 40 and then South on Highway 285.