Sometimes Donna caught herself crying. Or sitting down on the sofa, staring into space. And she always felt so sad, like she'd lost someone. But she didn't know why.
Sometimes she'd have a massive headache. In the middle of work, or dinner with her husband. She never told anyone about it. But it wasn't normal. It was splitting pain, and it felt like her head was burning. But if anyone thought that she wasn't normal, her life would just be harder.
Who was she to be different? She was only a personal assistant. No special education, no important parents. No power, no connections, just a simple, average married woman. Donna Noble was simply not important.
Donna walked down the street one Saturday afternoon. Her arms were loaded shopping bags after a trip to the shops with a friend. She walked towards the little cafe on the corner, ready to have a lunch with her mum.
She stopped at the door. She could see her mother inside. She was talking to a young man in a peculiar outfit. He wore a tweed jacket and a bow tie. His hair was messy and dark brown, and he had a big chin. He smiled at her mum, then headed to the cafe door. The man walked out and held the door open for Donna.
"Good morning," the man said to her. "You look lovely today." He smiled widely at her.
"Thank you," Donna replied. She usually wasn't the biggest smiler, but something about that man made her want to be happy. So she smiled and said to him, "I like your bow tie."
He grinned, then took off. Donna walked over to her mother's table and peeled the shopping bags off her arms.
"Mum, did you know that guy? I saw you talking to him," said Donna, sitting down across from her mother.
Sylvia sighed, then replied, "No, not really. He just reminded me of someone that I used to know."
Donna thought for a minute, "Yeah, me too. But I really can't remember who." She shrugged and gave the waiter her order.
"We chatted for a while," said Sylvia. "He's a doctor."
Donna smiled at that. A doctor. Her coffee came, and she took a long, thoughtful sip. For the first time in a long time, her head didn't hurt. And she wasn't feeling sad anymore.