Michael couldn’t be happier with how work was going during his first few weeks. The staff was very friendly and he hadn’t run into any major issues with students or anyone else so it was going quite well. The last thing he needed was to be miserable at his new job, but so far he was liking it better than Faith Academy and that was a very good thing. The principal was a very respectable person and Michael was glad to have the man as his boss. It was refreshing to be able to work and not have to worry about hiding his relationship with Summer or worry about what people might think about it. He could now see her at work whenever she came to visit while having little to worry about. Sure, they still got a few looks as they always did and he was sure some of his students would talk about it if they got bored enough, but he really didn’t mind it just so long as they didn’t take it too far. For now things seemed to be working out and his salary was a bit more than what he had been making at Faith, which was surprising, but it certainly helped improve the situation with Summer and him. Worrying about finances simply wasn’t something they needed on their plate right now.

It hadn’t been difficult to stick to a good sleeping pattern so that he could be well-rested for work. There were some nights in which thoughts of his parents’ divorce would keep him up for a bit, but he wasn’t having too much trouble with that lately. Michael was in a light slumber when he felt Summer’s lips on his own. His eyes slowly opened as Summer broke the kiss. He blinked a few times to allow his eyes to focus and he smiled upon hearing her speak. “Thanks, baby,” he said softly. This was a very pleasant surprise for him. He was so used to waking up before her and now it was apparent she had made an effort to change that, if only for that one morning. He grinned after hearing her next words and was greeted with another kiss shortly after. He returned the kiss, bringing a hand up to tuck some loose strands of hair behind her ear. He felt her tongue in his mouth and with that he pressed his own against hers, wrestling it for a while. This was the best wake-up call he’d ever gotten by far.

He was ready to call-in for work after a while of fooling around, but in the end he knew that he couldn’t do that. He would end up feeling guilty all day for doing so, even though it was his birthday. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he always felt bad when he called in for work and he was also still working on making a really good impression at the academy he was teaching at. Although he was rather reluctant to do so, he managed to drag himself away from the bed with Summer and started getting ready for work. He missed being able to spend a morning with Summer without having to worry about being anywhere, but it was obvious that Michael really needed to be working so all of those things had to be limited to the weekend or holidays. It was hard, but he was slowly starting to get used to the new routine. His first week had been especially difficult. It was nearly impossible to not think about Summer while he was at work, but his focus had definitely improved as time went on.

Once he came downstairs, he found Summer and gave her a small kiss on the lips. “Thanks for making breakfast,” he said with a smile and touched her arm gently before making his way to the table to take a seat. He knew Summer was capable of making a decent meal if she wanted to and he certainly appreciated it when she did. He never insisted on her making a meal for him since he clearly enjoyed it more than she did and he always liked to be the one to do things for her, which had become apparent by now. They were really good to each other. He had never known Summer to not offer her help even if it involved her doing something she wasn’t fond of and vice versa. Neither of them were especially lazy and so things worked out great between them. He shook his head when she spoke, looking up from his plate. He never made plans for his own birthday. It had been a while since he had done anything special on his birthday, which he was okay with, but a part of him found it a little disappointing. As for this year? Well, he really didn’t care what they did as long as he was able to spend the entire evening with Summer. That was all he wanted.

Once they finished breakfast, he released a deep sigh and gave Summer a kiss. “I guess I have to leave now…” he said, frowning towards her in a bit of a playful way. He smiled shortly after and bid her goodbye before finally walking out the door. There was no telling when he’d just have one of those days in which he would absolutely have to stay home with her. Chances are it wouldn’t be soon simply because he couldn’t risk it with his new job, but it was likely to happen at some point, wasn’t it? There were days in which he couldn’t believe how crazy he was about her, but he wouldn’t change anything about it. He loved the feeling he got every time he saw her face and every time he held her in his arms. It was a feeling of bliss that he figured many people weren’t lucky enough to experience, which was probably why few people could really understand their relationship.

It was a very long day at work. All he could think about was wanting to be home with Summer that day. Who wanted to spend their birthday at work, anyway? He was fortunate enough to have co-workers that cared enough to get him a cake and throw a small party in the teacher’s lounge. He was getting along really well with most of the staff and he was thankful for that. It helped to have other teachers he could discuss things with and who could help him get to know the school better. It seemed to take an eternity, but the final bell finally sounded to indicate the end of his last class. They had been working on a short worksheet which they were to turn in at the end of class. After collecting the sheets of paper, he had a few students that wanted to ask him a few questions. He ended up leaving about twenty minutes later than he had wanted to, but what kind of teacher would he be if he bolted out the door the minute the bell rang? He liked helping his students and it was his responsibility to make sure they understood the material.

A little while later, he was on his way home and was very excited to spend some time with Summer for his birthday. It took him about ten minutes to make it home and he parked the car in the driveway. He put on the parking brake and turned off the engine before grabbing his keys and bag and heading towards the front door. He could hear the faint sound of music before opening the door and was soon greeted by the full sound of a classical piece that Summer listened to every once and a while. He set his bag by the door and his keys on the table by the couch on his way towards her. “hey, I’m here. How’s your day been?” he asked her, an excited smile on his face. He had no clue whether or not she had something planned, but he would be just fine if all they did was sat around eating cake for the rest of the night. Michael wasn’t hard to please even if it was his birthday. Whatever Summer wanted to do was always perfectly fine with him.

It would have been a nice surprise if Summer had come to visit him that day, but he didn’t mind either way. He never expected her to come visit him, which was why he was so pleasantly surprised when she did. Okay, so there were some instances in which they would plan to have lunch together, but most of the time Michael preferred to let Summer decide whether or not she would visit him on any given day or not. He hardly wanted her to get sick of coming to the school each day just to pay him a visit. Besides, it probably wouldn’t be good for his work to have her there any more than she was. He could get easily distracted when Summer came to visit him. He always gave her his undivided attention and so grading papers and whatnot never seemed to be an option. During his first few weeks, Michael hadn’t been swamped by too much and so it was easy for him to set things aside for Summer, but he figured that would change once he got more situated and was able to go to work for an entire school year rather than half a semester. It was a good time to start because he basically just picked up where another teacher had left off and he felt he was fitting in just fine there.

Michael would be lying if the subject of their relationship didn’t come up every once and a while. Once his co-workers felt they knew him well enough, they started asking him some personal questions and he would always answer honestly. He wouldn’t go into any details, of course, but he made sure they knew how special Summer was to him and that it wasn’t just some fling or whatever else they might be thinking. Anyone who had observed them together would know that they meant a lot to one another. He had received a few comments about how cute they were together from a couple of fellow teachers, which always put a smile on his face. It was such a great feeling to know that he wasn’t being judged by everyone and that there actually were a few people out there who were able to ignore the age differences and see what a successful couple they were.

It made Michael a little curious to hear her say that her day had been busy. He hadn’t known about any plans she had that day, but after a moment of thought he guessed that it had something to do with his birthday. He would never ask her to go through a lot of trouble for him, but he also knew he couldn’t stop her once she decided she wanted to do something. The same went for him. When it came to doing something special for Summer, there wasn’t anything she could say to stop him from doing it if he knew she would like it. Most things were usually a surprise anyway so it usually didn’t make a difference. He couldn’t count how many times he had sent her flowers on a random day just because he felt like it. He didn’t do it too often so as to not ruin the element of surprise. To him, it was just a small reminder to her of how much he cared about her and that he was thinking about her. Anything to put a smile on her face was reason enough when it came to his random romantic gestures.

“Yeah, it was fine. Some of the teachers threw a small party for me so that was nice,” he responded with a smile. He hadn’t thought he’d be popular enough at this point for them to do anything for his birthday, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise. It helped his confidence about working there; he seemed to be well-liked thus far. He returned the kiss he received, which he always looked forward to when he came home from work. It didn’t matter if Mike’s day at work was good or bad, Summer always seemed to be able to cheer him up and melt away his stress every time. He followed her into the kitchen and was admittedly surprised to hear that she had made dinner, but he wasn’t about to complain. A small chuckle was released when she mentioned that her friend had helped. He peeked into the oven when she opened it so that he could see what she was cooking. “Looks great. I’ll try and make a good guess at it,” he said in response to her comment. He never really cooked chicken that often and had never made this particular dish so they’d just have to check it every-so-often and determine whether or not it was cooked well enough, but obviously not over-cooked.

“Waiting’s no fun,” he replied with a grin on his face. Now that she had mentioned it, he was immediately curious as to what she had gotten for him. He waited anxiously as she went upstairs to get his gift. As soon as she had come back down with a puppy in her arms, Michael’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened a bit. This hadn’t been what he was expecting at all. He had been meaning to get a dog for a very long time, but had never gotten around to it. As she walked closer to him, a big smile found its way onto Michael’s lips once he got past the initial surprise of seeing his gift. “You...you got me a puppy?” he said redundantly. He reached a hand out to scratch the puppy behind the ear, admiring the canine for a moment before looking back up at Summer. He leaned in and placed a brief kiss on her lips. “You’re amazing,” he said softly, smiling towards her. “Can I hold her? Or is it a he?” he asked, not sure what the dog’s sex was, but he remembered mentioning something about getting Boggart a girlfriend. The thought always made him laugh.

He waited for Summer to approve before taking the dog in his arms. “You are so adorable!” he said to the pup, holding her up for a moment to look at the dog’s face before holding her securely in his arms again. “I feel spoiled,” he said, looking over towards Summer with a grin. He never thought that getting a puppy could be so exciting. It was absolutely adorable and now seemed like as good a time as any to get another dog. “What about him? Is he okay with this?” he asked, jerking his head slightly in the direction of Boggart. Michael knew they had to make sure not to neglect Boggart while they were taking care of the new puppy. Even though Michael doubted Bogg would do any harm, it would never be fair to give the puppy all the attention when it came to play time. “Did you name her yet?” He wasn’t sure whether or not Summer had taken the liberty of naming the dog. Michael didn’t mind either way because he knew her ideas for a name would be just as good if not better than what he could come up with, but it would be nice to be able to decide on a name together.

It took him a moment to figure out what her words meant, but he was eventually able to catch on. He hadn’t considered anything physical between them for his present, but that wasn’t to say he would be disappointed if that happened to be what it was. Her little treat for him that morning before work was more than he would have expected for that day, but he was always secretly wanting more. He was very attracted to her, after all, but he knew better than to pressure her. Michael had learned that it simply wasn’t wise or fair to expect anything from her just because it was his birthday. There was no point in doing something she wasn’t entirely comfortable with because that would just spoil it altogether. Summer was getting more and more comfortable with certain levels of intimacy and Mike wasn’t exactly deprived of too much so he had little room to complain.

Michael let out a small laugh when she responded to his redundant question. “Oh, well I guess the bow is pretty nice as well…“ he said with a bit of a smirk on his face. He loved catching her in a playful mood because they always managed to have more fun when they were both able to joke around a little. Days like this hadn’t been too frequent when they were dealing with a few large obstacles in their relationship, but lately it seemed like a common thing between them. Things were looking up and he thought they had a lot to look forward to at this point. Of course, there were a few things they still had to get past. Summer’s trial would bring a lot of stress into their lives, especially for Summer, but he hoped they would both be able to stay positive and he planned on giving her all the support she would need from him. Michael had a feeling that once it was all over, life would be easier for the both of them. By that time he hoped to have somewhat smoothed out things with Summer’s parents and he also hoped to be able to accept his parents’ decision to get divorced by that point. He wanted to be free to focus on his relationship with Summer without having to worry about the events that surrounded them.

He nodded as she spoke about having already introduced the dogs. He didn’t imagine it would be a problem, but he was glad she had already confirmed that it wasn’t. His attention was taken off the puppy for a moment when she next spoke. A smile came to his lips as he shook his head slightly. “Hmm…is somebody a little jealous?” he said playfully, holding the puppy’s head up against his cheek as he looked over at Summer. “Don’t worry, you’ll always be my favorite,” he said, reflecting off of what she had mentioned about Boggart being her favorite. Michael agreed that this was a big step for them. They had never had something like this in which they both took ownership of. The dog would have plenty of loving care and Mike really hoped that there would never be any reason for Summer and him to split up. Right now he was feeling very confident about their relationship and after everything they’ve been able to get through it was hard to imagine ever being apart.

When she responded about naming the puppy, he smiled a bit before looking back at the puppy. He thought about it for a while, but it didn’t take him long to come up with a name he thought was suitable. It was fairly simple and perhaps not the most original, but it seemed to fit her. “How about…Molly?” he said, looking over at Summer for a response. He preferred it if Summer liked the name as well since she’d be looking after it quite a bit while Michael was at work and he didn’t want either of them calling the pup a name one of them didn’t like. The puppy began to squirm in his arms a bit so he decided they needed to do something to drain some of the pup’s energy. “Let’s take her to the backyard so she can play a bit,” he said. Once Summer agreed, he lead the way to the small fenced yard at the back of the house. Once they were outside, he set Molly down and allowed her to run around. As soon as her paws touched the ground, she sprinted off into the yard to begin her exploration that Michael was sure would last a few weeks until the puppy was used to all of its surroundings.

Michael sat down in one of the patio chairs they had outside and watched as the puppy romped around in the yard. Molly seemed far more interested in exploring than she was in her owners for the time being. He looked over at Summer with a smile. “So are you done with the surprises? ‘Cause I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now,” he said, grinning. “I feel like I need to give you something now, but I guess that’s not allowed, right?” he added with a small chuckle. Michael was never big on being the center of attention. He typically enjoyed giving more than he did receiving mostly because he loved seeing the joyful reaction of the people he was gifting, especially Summer. That wasn’t to say he didn’t like his presents. He was really excited about the new puppy and was definitely looking forward to the dinner Summer had prepared. This was certainly one of his better birthdays and he couldn’t think of anyone else he’d rather be spending it with.

After a few more minutes of watching Molly run around, he glanced over at Summer again and patted his knee a couple of times to indicate he wanted her to sit on his lap. The puppy was hardly going to get the majority of Michael’s attention that day, no matter how cute it happened to be. All he could think about while he was at work was how great it was going to be to spend the rest of the day with the woman that he loved on his birthday. “I love you, baby,” he said softly. He could swear he couldn’t go very long without saying it to her, but he always just felt the need to say it at least a couple of times a day. Michael was the type that would leave a message on her phone while she was at an appointment with her therapist just to tell her that he loved her if he happened to forget to say it before he left for work or before she left for her appointment if he happened to have the day off. He had a hopeless romantic in him that would likely never die and so he found himself going out of his way to let her know how much she meant to him, which certainly helped to keep their relationship going strong along with several other factors.

Michael couldn’t help but let out a small laugh when Summer gave a reason for Boggart being her favorite. As long as Boggart was his only competition, he didn’t think he had anything to fret about. Besides, he couldn’t imagine Summer not having her dog at her side. Mike was actually very grateful for Bogg because of how much he had helped Summer to get back on her feet and it was always good to know the dog was there for her when her boyfriend couldn’t be. Sure, perhaps Michael was deprived of some attention now and then because of the mutt, but in the end he really had nothing to complain about. Things were going great between them and he couldn’t think of anything he’d change right now. It just made life easier to know you had someone that would support and love you no matter what. Often times all it took to cheer Michael up when he was having a rough day at work was to hear Summer’s voice over the phone. He wasn’t sure how it managed to get to this point after all that had happened or how he had managed to be so lucky, but he knew better than to question it by now.

He was glad she approved of the name. The less time they took debating on a name for the pup, the better. It was nice knowing what to call her and to get a head start on familiarizing her with the new name. Michael had a grin on his face when he saw Boggart immediately go after his tennis ball. It was apparent that they’d have to get Molly her own toys. Even though Mike couldn’t imagine Boggart making too much of a fuss over Molly playing with one of his toys, it wouldn’t be fair to him if the new puppy hogged all of them. The tennis ball had caught Molly’s attention for a brief moment after Summer had kicked it, but didn’t bother with it once Boggart came charging over to fetch it. There was no use in competing with another canine over twice her size. Of course, once the pup became more comfortable around Boggart and her new family, perhaps she’d be more apt to further explore her many curiosities.

“Wow, a cake too? This is the best birthday ever!” he said with a grin, obviously aware that she would have gotten him a cake, but he felt the need to joke nonetheless. In all honesty, though, this truly was turning out to be the best birthday he had ever had. He had never really felt this special on his birthday. In the past few years, especially in college, he had just thought of his birthday as another day of the year and didn’t think much of it. Sure, he’d get a few gifts and cards, but that was about it. Today, however, Summer seemed to have set her whole day aside just for him and he was definitely grateful for that. He hadn’t expected her to put too much effort into it, mostly because he didn’t want her to feel like she needed to go out of her way to get a gift for him or whatnot, but then again, he should know better. Summer had a big heart and he always felt like he was being spoiled by her because he had never experienced the kind of care and love she showed towards him on a regular basis. They always seemed to be willing to help each other out and do little things for one another, yet they never set their expectations too high which made everything work out perfectly.

When Summer mentioned their anniversary, Michael perked up a bit. For some reason just hearing the word ‘anniversary’ was enough to put a big smile on his face. He had played around with several different ideas in his head for that day, but nothing seemed to be good enough. He wanted it to be extremely special, something they would both remember for a long time to come. It was a whole other holiday for a hopeless romantic like himself and he couldn’t wait for the day when they would celebrate one full year together. It symbolized a lot of accomplishment for them and it strengthened his confidence in their relationship. He never thought he could feel so sure about someone, but now he had found the woman that he simply couldn’t imagine being without and he knew he would always love her no matter what the circumstances happened to be. They got along so well and on the rare days that they didn’t, it never seemed to take long for them to make-up and feel crazy about each other again.

“Sounds good to me,” he replied with a slight nod as well as a grin on his face. Michael never said no to giving her a massage. It wasn’t a chore for him at all and he was more than happy to be able to help her out, even if it was his birthday. She had worked hard to make sure this day was special for him and he couldn’t even begin to show how appreciative he was for everything. After patting his lap for her to come over, he was a little confused over her hesitation, but it didn’t seem to be a matter in the end. He thought it was an innocent gesture, but there was no way of reading what was on her mind. His arms were wrapped around her as soon as she had settled onto his lap.

Michael smiled and looked down modestly when she talked about him being gorgeous. “I guess I may have underestimated myself a little,” he said, looking back up at her with a grin. “But I have to look decent in order to be seen with the most beautiful woman in the world, right?” he said with a grin still on his lips. He kissed her forehead softly and pulled her a little closer to him. He was so glad he was able to simply relax and be at home with Summer after what seemed like an incredibly long day at work. He had been looking forward to this all day and he wasn’t exactly sure how he managed to make it through all of his classes without having too much trouble with his thought process. Sometimes it just became rather difficult to focus on what he was teaching when he had other things on his mind, especially when that other thing was Summer. He got him sidetracked rather easily, but he found ways to concentrate and not be caught daydreaming in the middle of a lecture.

After dinner, Michael insisted on helping with the dishes. Even though it was his birthday, it was difficult for him to just sit back and let Summer do all of the work. He would be much more content with helping out because he hated not being useful when he knew he had the opportunity to do so. Once everything was cleaned up, Michael was curious what else there was for them to do that night. He hadn’t yet seen his cake, which he assumed was being saved for dessert. “That dinner was amazing. Thanks, baby,” he said, feeling the need to show his appreciation for the great meal. It truly was delectable and he would probably consider making the dish himself in the future if he was motivated to do so. “So other than the massage you have scheduled for later, any other plans for tonight?” he asked her, looking over at her as he walked back into the dining room and took a seat at the table to relax. The entire day had been perfect so far. He couldn’t think of anything he would change about it. This was more than he ever could have expected on his birthday and he certainly wouldn’t be quick to forget it.