Yes

"Michael, you want me to give you a chance?" asked Miranda, her voice not hiding her astonishment. This man was the definition of success. She was a woman in her mid-forties with a husband and more money than she knew to do with. She was not the kind of person that somebody like Michael went after. He went after teenage sluts making thousands whoring on Instagram.

"I can't help but think that if it was you I was with all those years ago and not Nadia," Michael hesitated. "I just mean, cheating on you with her was the worst mistake of my life. It was my first mistake and I'm here to correct it."

Miranda didn't know what to think. She didn't know how to feel. After all, emotions, thoughts and memories that she had kept buried were all emerging. In that moment, she wasn't a mature woman but that same schoolgirl crushing on Michael Knauss. She was also that girl nearing graduation who had her heart broken, who would have wished to hear this apology then more than anything. She realized with a shock that she enjoyed hearing Michael say that. Not because he was admitting his mistakes, not because he was praising her but because he wanted her. Michael Knauss wanted her.

"Every time you come into town, Michael," started Miranda, "and if I see you, I've always thought how different our lives would have been. I never would have married Daniel if you'd apologized then and chosen me."

"I cheated on you and you moved on," said Michael. "A part of me wishes you'd taught me my lesson then. I realize now that you taught me an even more important lesson."

"What's that?" asked Miranda and she felt his hand over hers. She saw him lean in closer to her over the table. She didn't know what to expect.

"Don't lose sight of what's in front of you," he whispered. "You're still so beautiful, Miranda."

He leaned back.

"I've been so disconnected from this town," said Michael as he slumped back in his chair, squeezing Miranda's hand mildly. "If I'd chosen you, I never would've lost that connection with my parents, with my brothers and cousins. Nadia always just wanted the high life. Look at you, though. You clearly have money but it hasn't changed you."

"Not how you think," said Miranda. "My life isn't perfect either. My husband and I never had children. The closest thing I have to a son is my sister's boy. He'd have begged to come with me if he knew I was meeting with a former pro player."

"Oh, yeah?" asked Michael.

"He's going for the same scholarship to Princeton that you got," said Miranda.

"Don't lose him," said Michael. "Maybe he'll get and if he does, don't lose him. Don't let him be disconnected from you like I was from my parents." Michael learned forward again, with a confident deterministic look in his face. "Like I was from you."

Then he kissed her and she kissed him back.