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For the first time in a very long time, Mia Ausa wakes up in her own bed.
Well, she reluctantly wakes up in her own bed, an odd thing considering that she had been waiting so long to be back home. It's not such an odd thing, however, considering that waking up interrupted her from a particularly good dream.
A particularly good, romantic dream...
It wasn't long ago that Alex had saved Luna from certain abandon and it wouldn't be long before Jessica and Kyle were exchanging wedding vows. In the meantime, Mia has a lot to wonder about.
Mia stretches her arms across her bed and sighs.
"It'd be nice if he at least told me how he felt in no uncertain terms."
Ever since the events at the top of Myght's tower, Mia has been considering her relationship with Nash. For all his rooster-like confidence, Nash was as shaky as a house of cards when it came to talking to Mia, even after she told him that she loves him. All of his nervousness implied that he felt the same way, to everyone but the dearly oblivious Mia anyway, but it would be nice to actually hear him say it.
That's really what she wants today.
"Just to know what Nash is thinking would be enough of a birthday present," Mia quietly says to herself.
A small smile plays on her lips as a thought crosses her mind.
"Maybe he's just like me. I didn't know how to say it for a long time. Or rather, I was afraid to say it."
She giggles.
"Imagine that, the great Nash Rumack afraid of talking to a girl."
She gets out of bed and absently fluffs her hair as she walks to her dresser.
___________________________________________________________
There's a knock at the door.
"Come in," she says.
Lemia walks into the room.
"Oh, good morning, Mother," Mia says when she can tell who it is.
"Good morning, Mia, and happy birthday, dear," Lemia says back. "It's hard to believe that you've grown up so much, but I suppose all parents say that about their children."
Mia smiles softly at her mom.
"I haven't changed that much."
"Don't be so sure of that, Mia. You have become not only a fitting Guildmaster, but you are also a kind and courageous young woman. Quite frankly, I can't wait until it becomes official. You will be a wonderful leader."
Lemia pulls her daughter's hair back and offers her own smile.
"I am very proud of you."
"Thank you, Mother."
"And now for your birthday present."
"Mother, I don't need anything for my birthday."
"I can think of quite a few young ladies your age who would disagree with that idea, but it doesn't matter what you say because you're still getting a present."
She hands Mia a small pink purse. Inside is five thousand silver, a fairly impressive amount even in a pricey area like the Meribia-Vane portion of the Katarina Zone.
"Mother, this is far too much!" Mia says in shock.
"Oh, don't be silly," Lemia replies. "Vane is an expensive city, especially with all the rebuilding we have to do. I'm certain you'll make the merchants here very happy by rejuvenating their businesses. Besides, your friends sent most of the money. They want you to relax and have some fun and so do I."
"But it's so much. What am I going to do with it all?"
"Well, you can always go out for a nice dinner, see a theater performance, go take a visit to the hot springs... You know, I've heard in Iluk it's popular to swim in lemon jello. Or maybe you can treat your friends, but they'll probably tell you that today is the day when you are supposed to be treated. I'm sure you'll figure something out. Either way, it's all yours to keep."
Mia looks in the purse again, certain that it's far too much but knowing she couldn't give it back without a fight, and sighs that kind of defeated sigh when someone else gets their way and both sides should be happy about it.
"Thank you, Mother. And I'll be sure to thank my friends when I see them."
"You're welcome, dear, and happy birthday once again."
And with that, Lemia left her daughter to her devices.
___________________________________________________________
"Happy birthday, Majesty Mia," she hears for what must be the umpteenth time by now.
"Thank you," she says in reply for what must be the umpteenth time by now.
Mia loves her birthday, but she is glad it only comes once a year. Everybody seems to make it a point to wish her a happy birthday and, though she likes to talk to them, it's exhausting to talk to them all at once.
Birthdays also made work more difficult, as well wishers tend to stop it from happening. It had been a long day with a lot of talking interrupted by only a little progress in getting Vane back on its figurative feet. Speaking of feet, Mia needs to get off of her literal ones.
She's sitting outside, next to the pool behind Ghaleon's office, in a contemplative mood that's getting in the way of the statements she should be working on. (Mia couldn't just leave them alone on some cold desk with no one to look them over and make some notes here and there.) It's the first birthday that Ghaleon wouldn't be with her to celebrate. It hurts, but if she and her friends had turned a blind eye to him, all of known civilization wouldn't exist at this moment.
Abstracts aren't always the best comparison.
She put the pencil she brought behind her ear and pulled out a pair of reading glasses from a sleeve pocket. Darn that fine print legalese. She inspects the clauses written in impossibly tiny script.
Focus.
Focus.
Rustle.
Wait, rustle?
Oh, probably just a stray cat or something. Mia is outside, after all.
Focus.
Focus.
Focus.
"Ah-choo!"
Wait, that's not a cat sneeze.
"Who's there?" she asks, taking off her reading glasses as she does, turning to the source of the sound. Imagine her relief when she finds it's only...
"Oh Nash, you startled me," she says, her hand on her collarbone, glasses once again tucked away and statements once again forgotten.
"Sorry," Nash says, a wrapped finger under his nose, still there from attempting to stop the sneeze. "I was wondering whether I should bother you when you looked so peaceful."
Mia smiles.
"Nash, you're never a bother."
She stands up and walks to Nash. Mia can see the bandages on his fingers and thumbs well when she's near him. He's had them like this for a while and she's worried because of this, particularly because he's usually quite skilled with his hands. (She's never experienced this herself, disappointing her girlish desires that even the most prudish have somewhere. Mia has, however, seen Nash spin a comb very quickly with one hand. That means fairly nimble, dexterous fingers.) Every time she's asked him about it, though, he would say she can't know yet, but that it's not a problem.
"So, what do you want?"
Nash blushes at Mia's close proximity.
"Well, I have a couple of birthday presents for you."
"You didn't have to get me anything."
"But I wanted to."
Mia's face has the same look of happy resignation she had when talking to her mother.
"Well, thank you. It's sweet of you to do that."
Nash turns and begins to walk away.
"Wait, where are you going?" Mia asks. She didn't do something wrong, did she?
"I can't move one of the presents, so you'll have to come with me to see," Nash says in explanation.
Mia follows him, curious about what it could be.
___________________________________________________________
The walk was a long but pleasant one to what turned out to be the Spring of Transmission. Okay, it's not the most romantic spot in the world, but there's also no reason for why it shouldn't be the most romantic spot in the world. The truth is, however, that the events that are about to unfold aren't necessarily all that romantic, but it will do something to Mia and Nash's relationship.
"So you wanted to give me a present here? At the Spring of Transmission?" Mia asks.
"Well, one of them. Your first present is the Spring of Transmission itself," Nash explains.
Okay, that's a cause for confusion.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
Nash grins and walks across the circle, miming a check. He sneakily places a little box in the center, hidden behind his feet when he walks forward so Mia can't see her other, more portable present sooner than he'd like.
"I've been working on the Spring of Transmission so it can take people to Vane again," he says as he walks. "After all, not everyone can use the stairs and it will be important to have it working as soon as we get Vane soaring in the skies once more."
Mia looks wide-eyed impressed. It's a big job for one person and it couldn't have been the only thing he was working on. Well, this explains why he's been so busy for the last few weeks.
"You mean you've gotten the spring to work again?" she asks, hardly daring to believe it.
Nash smiles with all the confidence that is typical of him and his pride for Vane. "Yes. I've gotten it to the point that it is infinitely improbable that you will end up anywhere other than Vane."
Interesting choice of word, but sadly they aren't very true at all. It would be nice if they were, but circumstances they didn't know about were affecting the spring.
___________________________________________________________
Not long before Nash started working on the Spring of Transmission, a very clever student of the Magic Guild was working on his honors math homework. The only exercise that had been completed so far was calculating a formula for probability. Not content with the mundane beginner problems, this kid went straight on to the parts that talked about Dragonmaster Alex and his fabled White Dragon Wings. (The specific class was Mathematics in Contemporary Issues.)
It was virtually impossible to use the wings to take a person where they've never been, but that means it is finitely improbable. He had gotten as far as calculating how improbable it was, but ended up losing it with the rest of the contents of his backpack when it suddenly opened while upside down and still on his back over the Spring of Transmission. (Bullies can be so cruel, particularly the muscular ones who recently found out they can go to Vane, one of the few bad results of Mia Ausa's decision to let anyone into a city bursting at the seams with nerds.) Other than the improbability figure, his backpack contained a guide with the exaggerated title "How to Survive in Any Bar in the Universe," a bromide, and a thermos of really hot tea.
Incidentally, the student who owned the backpack and came up with the improbability figure was and still is the president of the Mia Ausa fan club, which means the bromide was one of Mia Ausa herself. It was the only one Nash didn't take when he confiscated all the others the president had.
The figure and the tea brewed together in what magic remained in the Spring of Transmission made it an excellent Spring of Infinitely Improbable Transmission. The guide and the bromide gave it something of a signature for Mia, like how supermarkets ask you to get their super plus card and every time you swipe it, the machine knows it's you and what you want to buy.
As it is, a bar is likely the most infinitely improbable place that Mia Ausa would ever go to willingly, even if it was the last place at the end of the universe.
___________________________________________________________
Of course, Nash and Mia didn't know any of that. Nash had experimented by powering the spring with his own magic and then trying it, but since it is infinitely improbable that any of his experiments at this point in time would be successful, the Spring of Infinitely Improbable Transmission actually sent him to Vane every time he tried.
"Wow, so who has tried it?" Mia asks.
"Just me so far," Nash answers. "I wanted to bring you here to see a demonstration, that is, if you want to see."
He puts his hand on the back of his head. It's weird to be so nervous and so proud at the same time, but by now Nash practically had it down to an art.
Mia walks up to the circle and toes the circumference.
"Actually, I'd like to try it," she says.
This takes Nash by surprise.
"Really? You do?"
"Yes," Mia replies with a smile. "I trust your work, Nash, and I trust you. If you say it works, then it works."
Those should be famous last words.
What is it called when someone feels nervous, proud, and respected all at the same time? Whatever it is, that's how Nash is feeling.
"Well, you're welcome to try it if you want, Mia," Nash says, a blush apparent across the bridge of his nose.
"Thank you, Nash."
She smiles again and begins to walk to the circle, but then she stops.
"Wait," Mia says to herself. "Maybe... Maybe the reason Nash hasn't said anything is because I haven't done anything to show him I mean it as more than just friends."
What a time for Mia to remember the last time she told Nash she loved him. After she had said it, she included that she loved all her friends. That's a good way to generalize what she meant. Hindsight comes up at the least convenient moments, but if it showed up when it was convenient, it wouldn't really be hindsight, would it?
"Did you change your mind?"
"No," she answers, an idea forming in her mind as she turns around and walks back to him.
"I just forgot the goodbye kiss," Mia says with a sly smile.
"Ha ha ha... What?" Nash asks, laughing nervously.
Mia stands up on her tiptoes and gives Nash a kiss on the cheek. Before he can react, aside from the natural jaw drop that comes with sheer disbelief of his own blind luck, she walks into the center of the circle. She turns to face him from the middle. Right before the spring kicks in, she sees him put his hand on the blessed spot and a small, dizzy sort of smile sits on his face.
Once Mia is gone, Nash leans his head back, letting his smile get wider as the sweet realization that what just happened wasn't another dream kicks in. He's said he was speechless before, but he didn't truly understand what it is to be speechless until he started searching for words to describe how he feels at this moment.
He starts walking back to Vane so he can meet Mia on the other side.
And maybe give her a hello kiss if he still has his spine by the time he gets there.
Too bad he won't once he realizes what happened.
___________________________________________________________
Mia ends up in a room that is in much better condition than any of the buildings in Vane. This is her first tip off that something went wrong. Another hint is that the floor is blank, which is unusual for the destination of a transmission spring. In fact, the whole room is nothing but white and square except for a door in one wall.
"I guess this is just one of those infinitely improbable moments that Nash mentioned," she says to herself.
She takes a step, but when she does, her foot feels the box that Nash had left in the circle earlier. It is small and brightly wrapped in silvery paper with a yellow bow. She picks it up and looks at the attached note.
"Happy Birthday, Mia
I hope you like your present. It should explain why my hands have been bandaged for the last few weeks. I'm sorry if I worried you, but telling would have spoiled the surprise. It took a lot of work, and it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be, but if it makes you happy, it was well worth it.
Love,
Nash"
The letters were wobbly and there were lots of ink blotches at the bottom, most likely the result of Nash losing his nerve and blotting out the word "love" but later rethinking it and writing it in again. The note had to be the sweetest that Mia had ever received.
With a smile, she goes to the door of the little white room so she can start figuring out the quickest route back home.
Well, she reluctantly wakes up in her own bed, an odd thing considering that she had been waiting so long to be back home. It's not such an odd thing, however, considering that waking up interrupted her from a particularly good dream.
A particularly good, romantic dream...
It wasn't long ago that Alex had saved Luna from certain abandon and it wouldn't be long before Jessica and Kyle were exchanging wedding vows. In the meantime, Mia has a lot to wonder about.
Mia stretches her arms across her bed and sighs.
"It'd be nice if he at least told me how he felt in no uncertain terms."
Ever since the events at the top of Myght's tower, Mia has been considering her relationship with Nash. For all his rooster-like confidence, Nash was as shaky as a house of cards when it came to talking to Mia, even after she told him that she loves him. All of his nervousness implied that he felt the same way, to everyone but the dearly oblivious Mia anyway, but it would be nice to actually hear him say it.
That's really what she wants today.
"Just to know what Nash is thinking would be enough of a birthday present," Mia quietly says to herself.
A small smile plays on her lips as a thought crosses her mind.
"Maybe he's just like me. I didn't know how to say it for a long time. Or rather, I was afraid to say it."
She giggles.
"Imagine that, the great Nash Rumack afraid of talking to a girl."
She gets out of bed and absently fluffs her hair as she walks to her dresser.
___________________________________________________________
There's a knock at the door.
"Come in," she says.
Lemia walks into the room.
"Oh, good morning, Mother," Mia says when she can tell who it is.
"Good morning, Mia, and happy birthday, dear," Lemia says back. "It's hard to believe that you've grown up so much, but I suppose all parents say that about their children."
Mia smiles softly at her mom.
"I haven't changed that much."
"Don't be so sure of that, Mia. You have become not only a fitting Guildmaster, but you are also a kind and courageous young woman. Quite frankly, I can't wait until it becomes official. You will be a wonderful leader."
Lemia pulls her daughter's hair back and offers her own smile.
"I am very proud of you."
"Thank you, Mother."
"And now for your birthday present."
"Mother, I don't need anything for my birthday."
"I can think of quite a few young ladies your age who would disagree with that idea, but it doesn't matter what you say because you're still getting a present."
She hands Mia a small pink purse. Inside is five thousand silver, a fairly impressive amount even in a pricey area like the Meribia-Vane portion of the Katarina Zone.
"Mother, this is far too much!" Mia says in shock.
"Oh, don't be silly," Lemia replies. "Vane is an expensive city, especially with all the rebuilding we have to do. I'm certain you'll make the merchants here very happy by rejuvenating their businesses. Besides, your friends sent most of the money. They want you to relax and have some fun and so do I."
"But it's so much. What am I going to do with it all?"
"Well, you can always go out for a nice dinner, see a theater performance, go take a visit to the hot springs... You know, I've heard in Iluk it's popular to swim in lemon jello. Or maybe you can treat your friends, but they'll probably tell you that today is the day when you are supposed to be treated. I'm sure you'll figure something out. Either way, it's all yours to keep."
Mia looks in the purse again, certain that it's far too much but knowing she couldn't give it back without a fight, and sighs that kind of defeated sigh when someone else gets their way and both sides should be happy about it.
"Thank you, Mother. And I'll be sure to thank my friends when I see them."
"You're welcome, dear, and happy birthday once again."
And with that, Lemia left her daughter to her devices.
___________________________________________________________
"Happy birthday, Majesty Mia," she hears for what must be the umpteenth time by now.
"Thank you," she says in reply for what must be the umpteenth time by now.
Mia loves her birthday, but she is glad it only comes once a year. Everybody seems to make it a point to wish her a happy birthday and, though she likes to talk to them, it's exhausting to talk to them all at once.
Birthdays also made work more difficult, as well wishers tend to stop it from happening. It had been a long day with a lot of talking interrupted by only a little progress in getting Vane back on its figurative feet. Speaking of feet, Mia needs to get off of her literal ones.
She's sitting outside, next to the pool behind Ghaleon's office, in a contemplative mood that's getting in the way of the statements she should be working on. (Mia couldn't just leave them alone on some cold desk with no one to look them over and make some notes here and there.) It's the first birthday that Ghaleon wouldn't be with her to celebrate. It hurts, but if she and her friends had turned a blind eye to him, all of known civilization wouldn't exist at this moment.
Abstracts aren't always the best comparison.
She put the pencil she brought behind her ear and pulled out a pair of reading glasses from a sleeve pocket. Darn that fine print legalese. She inspects the clauses written in impossibly tiny script.
Focus.
Focus.
Rustle.
Wait, rustle?
Oh, probably just a stray cat or something. Mia is outside, after all.
Focus.
Focus.
Focus.
"Ah-choo!"
Wait, that's not a cat sneeze.
"Who's there?" she asks, taking off her reading glasses as she does, turning to the source of the sound. Imagine her relief when she finds it's only...
"Oh Nash, you startled me," she says, her hand on her collarbone, glasses once again tucked away and statements once again forgotten.
"Sorry," Nash says, a wrapped finger under his nose, still there from attempting to stop the sneeze. "I was wondering whether I should bother you when you looked so peaceful."
Mia smiles.
"Nash, you're never a bother."
She stands up and walks to Nash. Mia can see the bandages on his fingers and thumbs well when she's near him. He's had them like this for a while and she's worried because of this, particularly because he's usually quite skilled with his hands. (She's never experienced this herself, disappointing her girlish desires that even the most prudish have somewhere. Mia has, however, seen Nash spin a comb very quickly with one hand. That means fairly nimble, dexterous fingers.) Every time she's asked him about it, though, he would say she can't know yet, but that it's not a problem.
"So, what do you want?"
Nash blushes at Mia's close proximity.
"Well, I have a couple of birthday presents for you."
"You didn't have to get me anything."
"But I wanted to."
Mia's face has the same look of happy resignation she had when talking to her mother.
"Well, thank you. It's sweet of you to do that."
Nash turns and begins to walk away.
"Wait, where are you going?" Mia asks. She didn't do something wrong, did she?
"I can't move one of the presents, so you'll have to come with me to see," Nash says in explanation.
Mia follows him, curious about what it could be.
___________________________________________________________
The walk was a long but pleasant one to what turned out to be the Spring of Transmission. Okay, it's not the most romantic spot in the world, but there's also no reason for why it shouldn't be the most romantic spot in the world. The truth is, however, that the events that are about to unfold aren't necessarily all that romantic, but it will do something to Mia and Nash's relationship.
"So you wanted to give me a present here? At the Spring of Transmission?" Mia asks.
"Well, one of them. Your first present is the Spring of Transmission itself," Nash explains.
Okay, that's a cause for confusion.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
Nash grins and walks across the circle, miming a check. He sneakily places a little box in the center, hidden behind his feet when he walks forward so Mia can't see her other, more portable present sooner than he'd like.
"I've been working on the Spring of Transmission so it can take people to Vane again," he says as he walks. "After all, not everyone can use the stairs and it will be important to have it working as soon as we get Vane soaring in the skies once more."
Mia looks wide-eyed impressed. It's a big job for one person and it couldn't have been the only thing he was working on. Well, this explains why he's been so busy for the last few weeks.
"You mean you've gotten the spring to work again?" she asks, hardly daring to believe it.
Nash smiles with all the confidence that is typical of him and his pride for Vane. "Yes. I've gotten it to the point that it is infinitely improbable that you will end up anywhere other than Vane."
Interesting choice of word, but sadly they aren't very true at all. It would be nice if they were, but circumstances they didn't know about were affecting the spring.
___________________________________________________________
Not long before Nash started working on the Spring of Transmission, a very clever student of the Magic Guild was working on his honors math homework. The only exercise that had been completed so far was calculating a formula for probability. Not content with the mundane beginner problems, this kid went straight on to the parts that talked about Dragonmaster Alex and his fabled White Dragon Wings. (The specific class was Mathematics in Contemporary Issues.)
It was virtually impossible to use the wings to take a person where they've never been, but that means it is finitely improbable. He had gotten as far as calculating how improbable it was, but ended up losing it with the rest of the contents of his backpack when it suddenly opened while upside down and still on his back over the Spring of Transmission. (Bullies can be so cruel, particularly the muscular ones who recently found out they can go to Vane, one of the few bad results of Mia Ausa's decision to let anyone into a city bursting at the seams with nerds.) Other than the improbability figure, his backpack contained a guide with the exaggerated title "How to Survive in Any Bar in the Universe," a bromide, and a thermos of really hot tea.
Incidentally, the student who owned the backpack and came up with the improbability figure was and still is the president of the Mia Ausa fan club, which means the bromide was one of Mia Ausa herself. It was the only one Nash didn't take when he confiscated all the others the president had.
The figure and the tea brewed together in what magic remained in the Spring of Transmission made it an excellent Spring of Infinitely Improbable Transmission. The guide and the bromide gave it something of a signature for Mia, like how supermarkets ask you to get their super plus card and every time you swipe it, the machine knows it's you and what you want to buy.
As it is, a bar is likely the most infinitely improbable place that Mia Ausa would ever go to willingly, even if it was the last place at the end of the universe.
___________________________________________________________
Of course, Nash and Mia didn't know any of that. Nash had experimented by powering the spring with his own magic and then trying it, but since it is infinitely improbable that any of his experiments at this point in time would be successful, the Spring of Infinitely Improbable Transmission actually sent him to Vane every time he tried.
"Wow, so who has tried it?" Mia asks.
"Just me so far," Nash answers. "I wanted to bring you here to see a demonstration, that is, if you want to see."
He puts his hand on the back of his head. It's weird to be so nervous and so proud at the same time, but by now Nash practically had it down to an art.
Mia walks up to the circle and toes the circumference.
"Actually, I'd like to try it," she says.
This takes Nash by surprise.
"Really? You do?"
"Yes," Mia replies with a smile. "I trust your work, Nash, and I trust you. If you say it works, then it works."
Those should be famous last words.
What is it called when someone feels nervous, proud, and respected all at the same time? Whatever it is, that's how Nash is feeling.
"Well, you're welcome to try it if you want, Mia," Nash says, a blush apparent across the bridge of his nose.
"Thank you, Nash."
She smiles again and begins to walk to the circle, but then she stops.
"Wait," Mia says to herself. "Maybe... Maybe the reason Nash hasn't said anything is because I haven't done anything to show him I mean it as more than just friends."
What a time for Mia to remember the last time she told Nash she loved him. After she had said it, she included that she loved all her friends. That's a good way to generalize what she meant. Hindsight comes up at the least convenient moments, but if it showed up when it was convenient, it wouldn't really be hindsight, would it?
"Did you change your mind?"
"No," she answers, an idea forming in her mind as she turns around and walks back to him.
"I just forgot the goodbye kiss," Mia says with a sly smile.
"Ha ha ha... What?" Nash asks, laughing nervously.
Mia stands up on her tiptoes and gives Nash a kiss on the cheek. Before he can react, aside from the natural jaw drop that comes with sheer disbelief of his own blind luck, she walks into the center of the circle. She turns to face him from the middle. Right before the spring kicks in, she sees him put his hand on the blessed spot and a small, dizzy sort of smile sits on his face.
Once Mia is gone, Nash leans his head back, letting his smile get wider as the sweet realization that what just happened wasn't another dream kicks in. He's said he was speechless before, but he didn't truly understand what it is to be speechless until he started searching for words to describe how he feels at this moment.
He starts walking back to Vane so he can meet Mia on the other side.
And maybe give her a hello kiss if he still has his spine by the time he gets there.
Too bad he won't once he realizes what happened.
___________________________________________________________
Mia ends up in a room that is in much better condition than any of the buildings in Vane. This is her first tip off that something went wrong. Another hint is that the floor is blank, which is unusual for the destination of a transmission spring. In fact, the whole room is nothing but white and square except for a door in one wall.
"I guess this is just one of those infinitely improbable moments that Nash mentioned," she says to herself.
She takes a step, but when she does, her foot feels the box that Nash had left in the circle earlier. It is small and brightly wrapped in silvery paper with a yellow bow. She picks it up and looks at the attached note.
"Happy Birthday, Mia
I hope you like your present. It should explain why my hands have been bandaged for the last few weeks. I'm sorry if I worried you, but telling would have spoiled the surprise. It took a lot of work, and it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be, but if it makes you happy, it was well worth it.
Love,
Nash"
The letters were wobbly and there were lots of ink blotches at the bottom, most likely the result of Nash losing his nerve and blotting out the word "love" but later rethinking it and writing it in again. The note had to be the sweetest that Mia had ever received.
With a smile, she goes to the door of the little white room so she can start figuring out the quickest route back home.