I feel as though the road to self discovery is full of turns and bumps and unexpected rabbits that speed in front of you and throw you momentarily off course. Of course, all those turns and bumps and potential road kill are bits of your life, the unplanned bits, the bad bits, the bits that we sometimes spend hours wishing to forget.

The thing about life though is that no matter how well we plan our journeys, there are always things that we won't expect, there will always be rabbits.

Well, of course, not actual rabbits, but you see the picture I am trying to paint. Life is an obstacle course and it's our purpose to finish it successfully.

Although, much like love, I haven't really actually got life figured out either. But I feel as though my road metaphor is an appropriate one. And I really do feel that heartbreak is one of those massive pot holes that turn the tiniest of cracks in your windscreen into a shattered mess of glass. But enough about love and heartbreak, no one likes to dwell on times of sadness, though most do anyway.

Of course, life isn't just full of heartache and devastation, it also has its fair share of absolutely brilliant moments that just sweep you off your fe-

'Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!' the startled voice of the beautiful blonde that just crashed into me, sending a plethora of books and papers shooting in all directions, sounds in the small uncrowded corridor.

'No, that's fine, it's okay.' I bend down in an attempt to exit the situation as quickly as possible by shuffling a seemingly random pile of documents into my arms.

'Oh, that's my book.' there is a softness to girl's voice as she points a finger at the Chemistry book clutched in my left hand.

'Oh,' I try to muster a soft laugh to ease the evident awkwardness as I sweep a section of my long brunette hair out of my face. I hand her back her book, feeling the blush of embarrassment threatening to creep its up my neck as I remember I don't take Chemistry. 'Sorry.' I smile and attempt to move past her as soon as she's taken the heavy book from my hand.

'Emma, by the way.' I am stopped abruptly by the unexpectedness of her introduction.

'Sorry?'

'My name, Swan, Emma Swan.' her smile sends of jolt of butterflies into my stomach as I realise the stupidity of what I just said.

'Oh, right, yes, Regina, Regina Mills.' I acknowledge her outstretched hand with a gentle shake and turn before she has the chance to speak again.

It takes me a full twenty minutes before I am able to shake the sleepy grip that had snaked its way around my whole body and soul. I slowly creep out of bed and into the shower and then into my work clothes after.

The walk to the cafe that I work at doesn't take long, but it does this morning. It's as though the tiredness I feel in my mind had entered my bloodstream and turned my legs to some form of rock that has made is seemingly impossible to do anything effectively.

I finally reach the amber front of the shop I'd be spending the next hour and half of my day in, before dragging myself out and attending another two hour lecture for my law assignment.

The soft ding ding of the bell above the door resounds throughout the almost empty cafe and the sound of my feet hitting the floor seem a hundred times louder than they do on my exit when the hubbub of everyday life is filling the air around me.

'Morning,' the sweet voice of a co-working by the name of Ruby, but more commonly addressed as Red, sings through the room. 'What's up, Buttercup?' she asks after seeing my dishevelled appearance.

'Late night.' I answer in one simple grunt that conveys my mood plainly and effectively.

'Ooh, out partying?' she laughs slightly, as a recollection of soft curves and sweet smelling hair floods through my mind. I shake my head in an attempt to empty it of the unwanted memory.

'I wish.' I force a gentle chuckle out before moving to a position that ends the conversation.

The hour moves slowly, and there is only twenty minutes left of my shift as I hear the familiar chime of the bell above the door. I look up, more awake now but still aware of the fatigue pulsing through my body. A girl with light blonde hair has entered rummaging through her bag, her head buried within the material.

As she slowly reaches the counter and I prepare to take her order, her hand leaves her bag with her desired item (her purse) and her head slowly rises as she returns her bag strap to her shoulder.

A familiar pair of hazel coloured eyes meet my gaze and it takes me a second to return to reality. I hadn't noticed the girl's striking beauty during our first encounter. I didn't take in the way her hair falls gracefully around her face, neck and shoulders, shaping her perfectly.

'A latte, to go please, medium sized.' she shows no hint of recognition in her eyes as she orders her drink and I try to ignore the disappointment that fills my stomach.

'Will that be all?' I ask, retrieving a cup and marking down her order.

'Yes,' she smiles softly and politely, 'the name's-'

'Emma Swan' I finish for her, placing her cup under the dispenser. A clear flash of confusion crosses her face as she visibly tries to place a name to my face. 'We bumped into each other in the corridor at college yesterday,' I remind her, 'I picked up your Chemistry book by mistake.'

'Oh, yes! Regina Mills.' she smiles again, but more genuinely and the disappointment in my stomach is replaced with a mixture of relief and happiness, 'I didn't recognise you with your hair tied back and in a net.' she smirks and I can't help but smile.

I hand her her drink and she bids me goodbye as she turns and leaves the cafe.