It was strange how every time Grace pulled up outside her childhood home, it never changed, always stayed the same down to the tiniest detail.

It was comforting……….in an eerie sort of way. The fact that Grace herself had transformed into a completely different human being, yet her past still existed and dwelled within that house……….it was as though, whenever she wanted to escape her unpredictable, forever changing life………she could always time warp back into her childhood just by stepping into that house.

She payed the cab driver and insisted that her one suitcase wasn't heavy at all and she could manage.

Walking up to the front door, she continued to study the house- though it was dark and the two streetlights provided little or no light, she still looked to see that nothing had changed. It didn't appear to have undergone any major transformation since she was last here………it was still the same………it was still home; she wasn't surprised in the least.

She reached out and twisted the brass doorknob- already, just opening that door into her past, she felt at ease………like she was finally where she was meant to be……….the last 3 weeks worth of anxiety that had been building up about Eli, seemed to melt away as she stepped into the warm house.

Immediately, her mother, who had probably been listening intently for any signs of movement from outside, heard Grace; "Is that my girl?" Lily called from the kitchen. She soon emerged, a wide smile on her face as she opened her arms to Grace.

"Hi mum" Grace beamed, dropping her suitcase and walking into the familiar embrace.

Lily kissed her cheek, "I don't get to do this enough anymore!" she murmured, squeezing Grace tightly.

Lily hadn't aged a bit. She still looked radiant as always. It was as though the five years of her life had come and gone with no effect on her at all………she was still Lily, Grace and Zoe's mum. Rick's second wife. Eli and Jessie's stepmother. Judy's sister……….radio celebrity!

"I missed you honey!" Lily beamed, pulling away to get a good look at Grace.

"Look at you!" Lily laughed, swiping away a few escaped tears of joy.

LILY I have to remind myself every time I see her that she's mine!……….I just catch my breath every single time I think of what a woman she's grown up to be……….the woman she is still becoming! And I think 'none of that was my doing' (laughs) I don't know how she turned out so………wonderful!

Grace rolled her eyes, "I look exactly the same as last time, mum!"

"Oh! But last time was an age ago!" Lily waved off her daughter's remark, "a whole month!"

Grace had turned into a wonderful, and beautiful woman. Her hair had grown long down her back, it was wavy and a gorgeous chestnut colour. She had grown much taller, and had slimmed down quite a bit. She had her own unique style. Hardly wore makeup (she had flawless skin, and didn't need it), except for mascara and, occasionally, lipstick. Every weekend she and Carol caught a bus downtown to go clothes hunting at op shops and little boutiques. She was individual, as the old Grace had always been, but far more assertive and confident now. Especially when it came to men- who seemed to gravitate towards her, always falling for her charm and wit……….and complete sex appeal! Though relationships didn't interest her much, she found herself getting bored too quickly and dropping the men just as quickly as they fell for her.

"Nobody has come down with you?" Lily asked, looking past Grace who shook her head; "Not this time" Grace replied, quietly. Truth be told, she was slightly embarrassed by the new boys she brought home every holiday and long weekend. She'd hate to think what her family thought of her ever-changing partners………..and worse yet, what they reported back to Eli!

"Oh well! You'll do!" Lily smiled, hugging her again.

"Gee! Thanks mum!" Grace laughed.

Just then, Jessie, who was upstairs with Katie- heard Grace's voice and came running down.

Lily released her daughter, and Jessie made a flying leap into her stepsister's arms.

"Here's the bride!" Grace laughed.

Katie wasn't far behind Jessie.

"Sorry….……..bride'S!" Grace corrected, untangling herself from Jessie who was smiling wildly.

"OH! Grace! I am so happy you're here! Can you believe its only a WEEK away!" Jessie practically screamed.

Katie came towards Grace, leaning in for a quick kiss on the cheek- "so good to see you Grace!" Katie smiled.

"Well, well………there is a celebrity among us!" Grace beamed, and Katie blushed; "getting you're name in all the big mags!………very impressive Miss Katie!" Grace nodded approvingly.

"How long was you're flight honey?" Lily asked, walking towards the door where Grace had dropped her suitcase.

"Well, the drive to the airport was 40 minutes………and the flight was an hour………..the taxi drive here was 30 minutes………" Grace sighed, running a hand through her long, wavy hair that cascaded around her shoulders and down her back. She was wearing faded jeans, brown Birkenstocks and an old blue knitted jumper.

"You must be exhausted with all that travelling!" Jessie said.

Grace gave a small nod, "Just a bit!" she sighed with a smile.

"MUM!" came a scream from the kitchen.

"Zoe! Don't talk to me from another room!" Lily yelled back, just as loud!

Jessie, Katie and Grace all rolled their eyes and exchanged smiles. It wasn't hard to see who Zoe took after.

"Is Grace here yet!" Zoe yelled back.

"YES! Come and see you're sister!" Lily replied, and Zoe soon appeared.

"Hey" she grunted, walking towards Grace and giving her a fleeting hug. Zoe was wearing baggy, black jeans and a long sleeved red sweater, she had terrible bed hair and wore a sour face.

"Mum made me stay up and wait until you got here," she mumbled.

"What? You let Zoe stay up past her bedtime?" Grace asked, looking at her mother.

"Shut up" Zoe grumbled as she headed up the stairs.

"She's here………we hugged……….goodnight!" Zoe muttered as she went to her room.

Lily sighed and groaned, "that girl!" she muttered as she carried Grace's suitcase up to her room.

"I'll go get you're bed ready so you can hit the hay-sack straight away!" Lily called over her shoulder.

Grace nodded, "where's Rick?" she asked Jessie.

"Dads outside………putting up a white tarp"

"You're having you're wedding in the backyard?" Grace asked.

Katie tucked an arm around Jessie's waist, "well that backyard is very significant to our relationship………..it's where we first 'came out' to you're family………"

"Plus………..we wanted to keep it pretty small and simple" Jessie added.

"Elegant!" Katie agreed.

"Well I'm gonna duck out and say hello, then I am off to bed!" Grace announced, and headed for the back door.

Outside, Rick was kneeling down, hammering a stake into the ground that was holding up half of the white tarp that was covering less than a quarter of the back garden.

"Hello!" Grace smiled.

Rick turned around and stood up, "Grace!" he beamed.

She went over and gave him a quick hug; "look at you! You look beautiful as always!" he said, bending down and pecking her cheek.

"You look great too!" Grace said, hugging herself against the cold outside.

Rick shrugged, "for an old man!" he smiled.

Unlike Lily, 5 years had taken a small toll on Rick. He had laugh and worry lines etched into his face, and a few white hairs on his head. He didn't exactly have one foot in the grave……….but he was definitely 'getting on' in life.

"How have things been?" Grace asked, hopping from one foot to the other as the cold air around them nipped at her body.

Rick shrugged, "can't complain…..…..my little girl is getting married………my son and stepdaughter are home, finally! My wife is radiant………I have no complaints!" he smiled and shrugged again, "and you?" he asked.

"Finishing Uni in 6 weeks………moving into an apartment by myself………final exams coming up………." She paused, "life is pretty damn hectic!" she laughed.

"Its good that life keeps moving though………keeps throwing curve balls………that's what keeps you on you're toes!" Rick smiled.

Grace gave a small nod, and exhaled a breath- a white cloud forming around her face.

"You get inside and into bed, now! You must be tired!" Rick ordered.

She gave a small nod, and pecked his cheek again, "good to be home!" she smiled, as she headed back inside, and lugged up the stairs……….up to her nice warm bed……….to her room that hadn't changed one bit………..just like her house……….just like her family………..it was all………home……….and she had missed it!


Eli couldn't quite believe it as he stood outside the white, weatherboard house. It looked the same as it did the day he left. And everyday since then, when he had returned home for the holidays. It always astounded him how it could remain so exact.

He slowly opened the door handle. The door creaked open, and he winced at the noise as he stepped inside the sleeping house. They had left one light on for him, in the kitchen. He quietly placed his case on the floor, peeled off his trench coat, and hung it on the banister.

The house even smelt the same as always……… like candles, like aromatherapy stuff, like……….women……….like home.

ELI strange as that sounds (laughs!)


She had held her breath at the sound of the creaking door. Knowing who it was downstairs. And listening so intently at the faint movement that he was making………..

GRACE this person who has been in a completely different Universe to me for 5 years, is now downstairs………..so close……….

She heard as he opened the fridge, milk bottles clanking together as he closed it again.

GRACE downstairs (closes her eyes) breathe……….just breathe………..

Grace peeled the covers off her, and sat up. She stood, and slowly tiptoed to her bedroom door, twisting the handle and opened it. All the time, her movements were so agile.

She slowly patted down the stairs, seeing the glowing light of the kitchen as she got to the bottom step. She held her breath as she crept forward, so slowly, using the darkness of the living room to keep herself invisible.

GRACE (close up of her face as she opens her eyes)

She stood by the kitchen door, still hidden by a cloak of black. She stared at Eli as he leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping a glass of water. His back was turned to her, but even though she couldn't see his aged face, she knew, already, that so much had changed about him.

He was wearing sandy coloured chord pants, and a light, loose white shirt. He had tried hard to look casual.

His hair was shorter than Grace remembered, and sleeked back with gel. He wore polished brown shoes…………..you could tell a lot about a person by their shoes……….Eli's said he was sensible and didn't like to think too far outside the box. Grace felt her heart sink as she continued to stare at him.

A big part of her hoped she would come home and be face to face with the Eli she knew 5 years ago. She so desperately wanted to see him wearing his favourite clash t-shirt, his hair spiked, and wearing baggy, ripped pants. Instead, before her was a stranger. A man she did not know. A man she couldn't remember falling in love with.

GRACE (close up of her face as she lets out a disappointed sigh)

She bit her bottom lip, and turned on her heal, deciding to leave their meeting until the morning……….but as she turned, she banged her hip against a table beside her. She winced at the loud sound that would surely give her away.

"Hello?" Eli called out faintly.

'Dammit' Grace mouthed.

"Jessie? Dad?" he called.

Grace forced herself to turn around; her shoulders tightened, her back became perfectly straight and her hands hung dead at her sides as she stepped into the light of the kitchen.

Eli had turned around now- Grace could see his face. He had grown a small goatee. His brow had one or two worry lines………which could only be expected from his hectic job……….his eyes seemed tired- still a beautiful green, with a hint of brown………but tired, Grace could remember looking into those laughing eyes and being warmed by their twinkle……….now they just looked, glassy and bored with life.

His face did look older……….still handsome, of course……….it was still the face Grace had looked up to and said 'I love you'………but those eyes……….she didn't seem to remember those tired eyes.


Everything seemed to slow down; everything around him just stopped moving and existing……….there was only him and Grace in that kitchen……….staring at each other as though they were trying to recall who the other was. And then everything slowly started to wake up and start living again……….suddenly the light hum of the refrigerator could be heard, the clock was ticking again, they could hear Rick rolling over in bed above them, crickets started chirping outside………and Eli suddenly knew exactly who was standing before him in a pink tank top and tweety bird pyjama bottoms.

ELI close up of Eli's face as his jaw drops slightly.

She looked…….…..stunning………even though she had tangled bed hair and red, puffy eyes………and she didn't look exactly 'glamorous' in her tweety bird pyjama's……..she still looked………beautiful……….just like he remembered…..……almost!

Her hair was longer, and wavier it seemed. She was taller, and slimmer. She looked a little more tanned in the face……….and her eyes looked a deeper brown and so profound that it hurt his heart to look into them for so long. He could tell those eyes had done a lot of brooding and laughing over the past 5 years. Her lips were still full and perfect. Her skin still looked soft and creamy.

As far as he could see………she was still Grace………he was dying to her hear speak, so he could know if the inside was just the same as the outside.

"Grace?" he whispered, setting his glass of water down on the bench. She felt a chill down her spine when she heard his same deep, thunderous voice. And she suddenly had the strangest desire to hear that voice sing……….to have that tremor run down her back as he sang a sweet melody………what a strange thing to desire?

She gave a small nod, and swallowed, hard. She told herself to apologise for disturbing him, and race back up the stairs………..but her mouth refused to open and her feet wouldn't move.

He cracked a small, nervous smile; and Grace distinctively felt her heart flutter as she saw that familiar smile. They cheeky, sexy smile. It still had the same effect on her, and she couldn't help cracking a small, nervous smile in reply.

"You look so,………" he mumbled, looking her up and down. She liked having his eyes on her; "great" he finally ended.

She rolled her eyes and looked down at what she was wearing. Her face blushed a hot red when she took in the tweety bird print!

She looked up, her smile more nervous now; she crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly aware of how big her boobs looked in the small tank top.

"And you………" she started, and then found herself struggling for words to describe the stranger that stood before her.

Eli waited for her to continue; "umm………different………" she finally nodded, no other word coming to mind.

Eli let out a breathy laugh and nodded his head aswell, "Yeah……….I have……..err……….changed…….." he said, looking himself up and down.

Grace looked anywhere but into his eyes, she didn't mean to offend him or anything; but, truth be told, he did look different.

"Not exactly a 21-year-old, punk-rocker anymore!" Grace added, and immediately cursed herself for saying something so stupid that made it seem like she'd pondered over her ex every night since he went away!

Eli's smile seemed to diminish a little at that comment; "no…not exactly" he replied numbly.

She bit her bottom lip. Feeling as though she had backed herself into a corner she couldn't get out of.

"Well you just got in…" Grace started, as she slowly backed out of the kitchen. Eli nodded. "I'll leave you to it then…my mum made up Zoe's old room for you to sleep in…" she stood in the kitchen doorway, "nice seeing you again Eli, welcome home" she murmured, and then turned to walk up stairs.

"Good seeing you too, Grace" he called out after her. And as she walked up the stairs, a small smile crossed her face.


AUTHORS NOTE

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The first meeting in 5 years! I know most of you are thinking that was a pretty poor chapter. Perhaps you wanted them to kiss and make up, or have a huge screaming match in the middle of the kitchen………well………there is still more to come, so just bear with me, ok! Please review (I really don't care if you hated this chapter, really!)