(Two days later)
Vanessa looked at the room she'd inhabited for the last few weeks. It was now practically empty, well it looked it anyway. All her essentials, make up, clothes were all packed away into a number of neat, designer suitcases. She noticed the children's suitcases sitting near hers. They were small and sweet, printed with various characters that Vanessa at this present moment could not really be bothered to name. She took one deep breath. Today was the day she left this place, this area. She vowed she would never live here again. Her life and future now was in Zimbabwe, her native city.
Alice was walking through the halls past Vanessa's room as the more elegant of the two women exited her own room. Alice gave her a small smile and a slight greeting as she continued walking in the direction of the animal hospital.
"Alice." Vanessa called her, causing her to stop, turn round and return to where Vanessa was stood.
"Yeh?" Alice asked casually.
"I um... I'm leaving. Today." Vanessa told her.
"Oh... what time? Where?" Alice questioned looking down momentarily before raising her eyes to meet Vanessa's.
"Early afternoon, Zimbabwe." Vanessa replied shortly.
"I'll miss you Vanessa, we all will." Alice told her softly, "I'll tell everyone for you as soon as I've done down the animal hospital. Danny's done most of it, so I shouldn't be long."
"Thanks." Vanessa smiled, before shocking Alice by hugging her tightly. Alice simply gave her small smile before rushing off down to the animal hospital.
(x)
Charlotte was helping Danny put the straw down in the pens. Together, they'd managed to clean them all, feed the animals and water them. Charlotte glanced at Danny, before biting her lip. She noticed his back was too. Slowly she crept up behind him, and as he bent down to grab some more straw to shake out, she stuffed some of the itchy irritating straw down his shirt.
"AH!" Danny shouted, jumping up as Charlotte leant against the opposite side of the pen in hysterics. Danny turned round and laughed too, her mother had a habit of doing that too! Seemed he couldn't trust either of them! "STRAW WAR!" He shouted before they both threw it at one another. They were laughing when Alice walked in. She leant on the doorframe for a minute, staring softly. Melting as she watched her daughter and husband having fun, bonding. She sighed before walking forward.
"Hey mum." Charlotte grinned.
"Hi love." Danny smiled, looking up at her from Charlotte's headlock.
"Hey." Alice said a humour evident in her tone. "Straw war?"
"Yeh! She started it." Danny announced pouting.
"I simply tripped." Charlotte argued.
"You're mother's excuse." Danny muttered. Charlotte turned to him in shock. Her mum and Danny actually had straw wars?
"I taught her well." Alice beamed. "I am proud of you Charlie!"
"Thank you mum! Care to join me?" Charlie grinned.
"Hmm..." Alice picked up some straw and placed it on Danny's head. He scowled moodily as Alice pulled out her phone.
"NO!" Danny shouted but it was too late as Alice laughed at the picture.
"Oh, facebook." Alice teased. "Anyway, is everything done cos um... Vanessa's leaving early this afternoon, so we need to wave her off."
"Where to?" Danny asked standing up as he and Charlotte shook themselves down. Charlotte was grumbling as she picked the straw out of her hair.
"Zimbabwe." Alice replied.
Danny nodded. "We should go up."
Alice agreed with him before shouting for Charlotte. The three of them slowly made their way up to say farewell to Vanessa.
(x)
Matt and Zoe had just arrived at Leopards Den. Sam ran straight to Lyndon and both began to chat excitedly about what they'd done that morning at school. Zoe smiled at them before carrying on. She was now an expert with her crutches and could get around anywhere.
"Yo Liv!" Zoe beamed as she sat down on the sofa.
"Thabo." Matt smiled as she sat down beside Zoe.
"Hey." Liv and Thabo mumbled together.
They were soon chatting away when Danny and Alice walked in. Everyone stopped talking as they noticed that the pair wore their 'announcement' faces. Dupe and Caroline, Evan, Nomsa and the children walked in behind them, taking seats around the living room.
"Everyone, Vanessa is leaving today with the girls. She's going to Zimbabwe and she's leaving in the early afternoon." Alice announced.
"So, if we could all be there to wave her off?" Danny added.
Everyone agreed before walking out of the room, Sam went off with Zoe and Matt. Leaving Lyndon alone with his parents. As they sat down he wandered over to them. Danny lifted him up, to sit between him and Alice.
"Why's Auntie Vanessa going?" Lyndon asked them, looking innocently between them.
"Because she doesn't live around here anymore." Alice replied.
"So she's got a new house?" Lyndon replied.
"Yeh, that's it." Danny smiled.
"Is it near?" Lyndon pestered.
"Not really, but I'm sure we can go visit her sometimes during the holidays?" Alice said softly. Lyndon nodded in understanding.
"Will you help me make her a card?" Lyndon asked shyly looking between them.
Danny and Alice looked to one another, catching each other's eyes and smiling.
"Of course we can." Danny replied as he and Lyndon lowered themselves to the floor. Alice patted Danny's shoulder as she grabbed Lyndon's arts and crafts box and a LOT of old newspapers. She too lowered herself to the floor, she and Danny quickly setting up for Lyndon.
"Pink! Cos they are all girls." Lyndon smiled looking at the card Alice was holding out to him. She laughed and shot a look at Danny as she handed it to him.
"Your son is better at you than knowing what girls want." Alice whispered, "How's that feel?"
"Very good, I'm proud of him, good lad. Though, like father like son." Danny winked in an equally low tone. Alice laughed, kissing him quickly and softly on the lips. Both were broke from their moment though as Lyndon turned to them. Hands on his hips, a look of pure disgust upon his face.
"Mummy – that's yucky, why would you want daddy's germs?" Lyndon exclaimed in pure confusion as his parents chuckled at their sons innocence.