I once again wake up on Michel´s bicep and chest, but this time instead of recoil in horror and anxiety, I nuzzled closer and breath in his sent, I don’t want to move for the day, I think I could spend the whole day here, I felt Michels arm wrapping around me tenderly, he kissed my forehead “wake up sleeping beaty” he said in a low sweet tone “don’t… you know she is my favorite princess” he laughed and hugged me tightly “you always wanted a prince who would save you from the dragon” I nodded and hugged him “I generally am the one doing the saving, maybe I wanted to be the one saved for once, you know, someone that would arrived in their horse, kill the dragon and then wake me up with a true loves kiss” his mouth turned into a line he bite his lip and told me “close your eyes” I did and then I felt his soft lips on mine, is not a lustful kiss, it felt innocent and true something straight out of a fairytale, it was something I didn’t knew I needed until it happened, I opened my eyes and he smiled “I still need to kill a dragon, and arrived on a horse but I thi-” I returned the kiss, at the end he was flustered, he tends to lose it when I take the lead “I think you are doing good on your redemption arc”

“Teacher what happened to your arm?” Anika asked when I walked through the class room door on Monday with my arm through a sling, not only her but some of the students were looking a few consider to ask me if they could take a picture “now, now is not a big deal” I told them and allowed the students to take a picture “if it´s not a big deal teach why don’t you tell us” Ceecee said, a slight challenge I should have been prepared for and oh boy I was “I will actually tell you, this is a good opportunity to practice your Spanish speaking skills and a great segway into our main topic for this week lesson” to the annoyance and amusement of the whole class I retell the story of what happened in Spanish, some of the class were stunned when I told them about how the other´s guy shinai broke apart when I blocked, a few asked in Spanish if I needed stitches which I informed them that I didn’t and so on and so forth, afterwords we went through injuries and first aid in Spanish until the day was over, “so you had a very interesting time in main?” David asked me, lifting his eyebrow when he saw the sling, I stayed for a moment more at the office just to get David and Val´s reports on what happened while I was out “to be fair, I think that a flesh wound is way better than whatever Stephen King wriest about Maine” “true, a big gorilla is way better than a killer clown” Val commented  and then smirked “did something else happened?” she asked me and because I didn’t dismiss it quickly enough she grasped at my good arm “whit whom, where and what?” I blushed and mumble though my answer until David rolled his eyes “let me guess the guy that broke you heart and is trying to win it back?” “Michel is not trying to win my heart, there’s not a lot left to win” Val let my arm go and looked disheartened “oh babe, you are playing with fire” I nodded, I know is not the best idea but he has proven that he is changing and that maybe this is the new and improved version of him so maybe I should stop being so guarded at him, but then why do I feel like there’s something else going on?

Okay the first order of business, I need to tell the girls about Michel, I need to get them to understand that he is not the same person as back then, I´m not afraid with them getting upset, rather, I don’t want to disappoint them, but I have the proof now, I have tangible proof that he changed, all I have do is have an open conversation with each of them, one where I tell them that Michel has been talking and showing me the way he has change and I´ll start with Mari and a trip to De-frag studio; R: hello Mari, hey I wanted to see if you are free, we could go for a coffee M: Oh that would be lovely Rich, sure, my shift is about to be over why don’t you come to the studio, there’s a coffee house build into the building easy enough, I´ll bank on Michel showing he was a really good person whit the dead line and all, and then I´ll explain to her why did he left suddenly for the weekend.

“I actually haven’t seen much of him” she told me as she was putting sugar in her coffee “He has been mostly on his office, he did attended the new comers welcome party… maybe I give him the stink eye” she did the look that she did when she saw him and instead of menacing she looked adorable “I´m not sure if you could call that the stink eye… okay I need to tell you something and you have to promise you won’t tell the others” she took a sip of her drink and clocked her head “why?” “I don’t want them to freak out… okay here it goes I don’t really know how to tell you this” she looked from side to side to make sure we were alone “if you are about to come out of the closet, I have to tell you that I already know” she chuckled but she won’t for long “I have talked to Michel” her coffee fell from her hands, I managed to catch it before it spilled “you… You mean like when I went to the bathroom, and I left you on the line?” I shook my head, “More like a few… months back.” “Richard, the hell!” she scolded me. “I know how it looks like,” she shook her head. “Does it look like I will throw this coffee into his hard drive?” I stopped here by holding her arm “Can you please listen… please” she took a deep breath and sat back down, “pitch me” I sent a message and a moment later Michel appeared from inside his office and walked slowly to our table, Mari was about to pick her coffee again “You promise me!” she lowered her hand, switch places to be sitting next to me and with an adorable look in her face glared at Michel.