.Suddenly Fate.

.1.

The insistent beeping of her alarm clock was what woke Sally up on that fateful Thursday morning. A narrow shaft of light poured in through her slightly closed curtains and fell onto her face. She frowned against the light and rolled onto her side, throwing her arm around someone who wasn't there; someone who hadn't been for nearly twelve years now. She didn't think she'd ever get used to the fact that her husband was gone. Moving to sit on the edge of her bed, clad in her sombre nightgown, Sally breathed deeply. She shook her head slightly, not wanting dark thoughts to engulf her, like they had the night previous.

Shame and embarrassment suddenly overcame her and her cheeks tinged red. Pippa had found her crying in the garden after she'd come back from school. She'd comforted her and said soothing words. They had kissed and cuddled each other. Sally found a relief in her that calmed her. She was all she had of Flynn; of the past that she so wanted to hang onto.

Sally trudged into Pippa's room. She leaned against the doorframe and watched her sleeping, the slow rise and fall of her chest. Her chestnut brown hair framed her oval face, angelic in the soft light. A small, sad smile played on her face as a tear ran down her cheek. She was getting over-emotional, remembering what day it was tomorrow; it never got easier. Time didn't heal anything.

"Pip," Sally called, making her way over to her. "Come on, up you get, it's time for school." Pippa grumbled and turned over. Sally laughed.

"Come on, if you're not down in thirty, I'm leaving without you!"

"Mum, please; five more minutes!" Pippa grumbled as she rubbed her eyes slowly and turned away.

"Nope," Sally replied firmly.

After a quick shower and choosing her attire; a dark pencil skirt that fell under her knees and a grey suit jacket under which she wore a plain white shirt and donning heels, Sally strode downstairs, careful to hear music blaring on her daughter's hi-fi, a sure sign that she was fully awake and running around. Sally half-smiled, remembering her words. Taking a seat on the sofa and crossing her legs, she switched on the television; she saw the meaningless images but didn't understand them, saw their lips moving but didn't hear them. It was at times like these; the little moments, the things you would forget soon but knew you'd shared with someone special that Sally missed. Sure, she remembered the special moments she'd had with Flynn, their first meeting, their dates, their wedding, the happiness of receiving Pippa, Ric and Cassie, the list went on… but the small moments meant something as well, like now; getting ready for just another day of work. Flynn was meant to be here. But he wasn't.

Suddenly realising that her thoughts had wondered away, Sally flicked her eyes to her wristwatch and cursed silently. She turned off the telly and went into the hallway.

"Come on Pippa! You've got twenty seconds before I leave." And she meant it. It wouldn't be the first time she'd left Pippa in the lurch.

"I'm coming, just got to grab my purse!" Came Pippa's frantic reply.

Sally grabbed her bag and briefcase, before shouting,

"Five, four, three…"

Pippa burst in, looking scruffy and disorganised, nonetheless here.

Sally sighed. "You know how Colleen gets if we're ever late, we rush her, it's not good at her age…"

Pippa opened the screen and front door and they exited.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"No, I mean it-"

"Colleen loves serving me. She thinks I'm adorable."

Sally frowned. "Yes. Well, I suppose-"

"You have to agree with her mum, I am your daughter." Pippa smiled slyly, knowing she had her mother cornered.

Sally put the key in the ignition and revved up the engine of the Jeep before they drove away, leaving their home and the caravan park behind.

-

"Colleen, we're sorry we're late!" Sally apologised, before taking a seat across from Pippa in a booth. "We'll have um, uh…"

"The usual?" Colleen said, smiling down at the two.

"Yes, thanks." Sally and Pippa said in unison.

Sally tucked an escaped lock of her raven hair behind her ear and adjusted her glasses, smiling at Pippa.

"So, what have you got today?"

"Double Math first thing with Doible," Pippa groaned. Sally chuckled.

"Hey, she's not that bad. Emily's really nice once you get to know her."

"Well, Doible's my teacher, she won't ever be nice."

Sally shook her head disapprovingly at her daughter, before beaming at Leah who was coming over to them. She sat down beside Pippa, giving her a quick pat on the head and a smile.

"And how are you this morning?" Sally asked, gesturing to Leah's belly. Leah was pregnant with her fourth child. Vinnie was seventeen already and the twins, Jordan and Tristan were eleven. Leah had found the man of her dreams after the messy break-up with the twins' father, Thomas, and she had met Gordon.

"She's alright. Kicking a lot at three in the morning, but that's to be expected, I suppose." Leah grinned.

"And how are you holding up?" Sally asked concernedly.

"Right as rain. It's you who I should be asking that to," Leah said seriously. A heavy silence rang in the air and Sally looked down uncomfortably. Pippa coughed.

"I'll just um, go up and see Vinnie, is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Leah answered.

"…So…" Leah trailed off.

"Yesterday I started crying in the garden, I remembered this time that Flynn and I planted an apple tree on the day Pippa was born. Pippa came out…It just brought back memories…" Sally blurted out, wanting to get it over with.

"Oh Sal, I'm so sorry…Hey, what do you want to do tomorrow?" Leah asked as Colleen came over with plates of toast and eggs.

Sally flushed. "Well, I don't know, I've taken the day off, I was going to visit his grave and then…stay home, sleep maybe…" She really didn't know.

"Hmm. Well, I was thinking, that after you visit Flynn's grave…we could maybe, go see a movie…" Leah said hesitantly.

Sally looked up in horror.

"She's right Sal, you've got to start living sometime," Colleen put in.

Sally bit into her toast; unsure of what to do, what to say.

"…I'll think about it Leah." But she wasn't going to. There was no way she would mar Flynn's anniversary by going to the movies.

After they finished their breakfast and after Colleen would stop nattering on about the local charity ball that was coming up in a month's time, Sally and Pippa left with a sleepy Vinnie in tow, waving goodbye to Leah who stood in the doorway of the diner.

"I didn't think she'd ever stop," Pippa said, flicking on the radio. "Now we're late."

"Colleen doesn't mean any harm. It's just the way she is," Sally said on Colleen's behalf. "How late?" she asked a moment later, a worried frown on her face but not taking her eyes off the road.

"Well, we will be if you don't step on it," Pippa answered. She turned around in her seat, "Hey, sleepy head, what's with you?" she asked Vinnie, who had closed his eyes in a vain attempt to get some sleep.

"I'm sleepy," he snapped.

Pippa's jaw dropped. "Sorry, no need to bite my head off." She turned forwards again.

"I'm sorry Pips, the twins were up to no good more than usual yesterday, and Kelly and I were talking on the phone till two in the morning," Vinnie explained.

"Oh," Pippa said shortly.

Sally looked over at her daughter quickly, concerned. Since Pippa had started high school this year, or maybe even before that, she'd believe Pippa liked Vinnie more than a friend. The feelings were unrequited however, and Sally didn't know how to feel about that. It would be cute if the two of them were an item since she and Leah were best friends, she'd always loved close families, but perhaps Pippa was still too young for those kinds of relationships. She didn't want her heart to be broken; she didn't know how she would deal with it.

"We're here," Pippa said as Sally rolled into the staff's car park. She slammed the door with more force than required when she left and Vinnie sighed.

"I don't know what's with her lately. You're her mum Sally; do you know why she's been acting strangely recently?"

Sally looked at the fair-headed boy in the mirror.

"No; I don't." Though she had a pretty good idea. "And it's Mrs Saunders while we're in school." She stepped out of the car.

-

Making her way through the morning rush hour of students, Sally smiled as students greeted her. She was already late for a five minute staff meeting, but she wouldn't get there any time soon in her heels.

"Tessa, that report's due in today, 12.00 on the dot, or ne-" She didn't get to finish her sentence as she suddenly knocked into someone, the force making her stumble. Their hands shot out and steadied her, but her bag which she had opened to retrieve some papers fell to the floor. She cursed silently as she went down on her haunches to collect everything before they were stampeded over by the students.

"I'm so sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going." The voice was deep and round, a strange feeling ran up Sally's spine but she ignored it.

"It doesn't matter." He leaned over as well, gathering everything up. "Look, you should be going, you're going to be late for class."

The person laughed. That was when Sally looked up, and stared. Her heart sped up. He wasn't a student at all, but a man, definitely not a teacher, because she knew everyone. His eyes were an electric blue, they were so beautiful. His hair was dark and fell messily down to his ears. He had a small, dark goatee. His jaw line was strong and chiselled.

"I'm Darren Westcott," he said, offering a hand to help her up.

"Sally Saunders," Sally replied, taking his hand and standing up. Her brain was working slowly, she realised that he was at least a foot taller than her. They looked at each other for a moment before Sally snapped out of it.

"I'm late. Goodbye," she said. All she knew was that she had like the feeling of her hand in his. She left. She didn't turn back.

A/N: How'd you like it so far? Come on people, review!