Chapter 1: Introduction
“Oh my god, Mrs Groves, is that you?
!”
Vicki, wearing her new uniform—a hideous combination of navy blue polyester and stripes—paused, mid-stack, as she heard the familiar voice. She looked up from the canned goods aisle and saw a young man striding towards her, his face split into a wide grin. His hair was a tussled mess of chestnut curls that flopped over his forehead, and his eyes crinkled at the corners as he laughed. He looked so grown up compared to the last time she has seen him.
“Lachlan?” Vicki answered, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
“Lachlan, right? Archie’s friend?”
He nodded, extending a hand. “Yeah, that’s me. You look...” he paused, his gaze flicking over her outfit, “different.”
Vicki smiled tightly, shaking his hand. “Well, things change, don’t they? How’ve you been?”
Lachlan’s eyes darted around the empty aisle before leaning in slightly. “Can’t complain. Still living at home, I’m in my second year studying engineering at Uni.”
“ Thats great… are you still playing football?” Vicki asked, trying to keep the conversation light. She knew what was coming next, the inevitable questions about Archie and the rest of her family.
Lachlan nodded, “Yeah, every chance I get. How about Archie? I haven’t seen him in ages?”
Vicki swallowed hard, her throat suddenly feeling dry. “Actually…” she began, “Robert, Archie’s dad and I, well we recently divorced
, and he and the boys have moved back to England.”
Lachlan’s smile faded, replaced with a look of genuine sympathy. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that, Mrs. Groves. I had no idea.”
“Please, call me Vicki,” she said, giving him a small smile. “It’s been a bit of a shock, but I’m trying to make the best of it. New job, new start, you know?”
Lachlan nodded, his eyes scanning her face. “Well, you look great, really. Different, but great.”
Vicki felt a blush creep up her cheeks. “Thanks, Lachlan.
That’s sweet of you to say.” Vicki replied, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She appreciated his kindness, but she couldn’t help feeling a tinge of embarrassment. This wasn’t the life she had envisioned for herself, and she certainly didn’t want anyone’s sympathy.
“Look I’d better get back to it, it was nice to see you again Lachlan” she replied with a small smile.
“Of course, yeah, I’ll let you get back to it. “ Lachlan said nodding his head toward the stack of cans she had been working on before walking back down the aisle, looking back at her one final time.
“Such a nice young man” she muttered to herself smiling.
The shift had dragged on, and Vicki found herself counting down the minutes until she could clock out. She was tired, both physically and mentally, and the last thing she needed was her car playing up on her. But as she climbed in to her old Honda, she could hear the telltale signs of a dead battery—the interior lights weren’t turning on, and the engine made a pathetic clicking noise when she turned the key.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she groaned, leaning her forehead against the steering wheel.
Just as she was about to call for roadside assistance, she heard a knock on her window.
She looked up to see Lachlan standing there, a concerned expression on his face.
“Everything okay, Vicki?” he asked, his breath misting up the glass.
Vicki sighed, rolling down the window. “Car won’t start,” she explained, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. “Dead battery, I think.”
Lachlan nodded. “I’ve got jumper cables in my car, if you want to try that?”
Vicki hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“That would be great, thank you, Lachlan.”
Lachlan flashed her a smile and disappeared, returning moments later with a set of jumper cables. He opened the hood of both cars, and soon the cables were connected.
“Try starting your engine now,” Lachlan instructed, stepping back.
Vicki turned the key, and the engine roared to life. She let out a sigh of relief, rolling down the window again.
“Thank you so much, Lachlan. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem, Vicki. Happy to help,” he replied, disconnecting the cables.
“That’s what friends are for, right?”
Vicki smiled, “Friends indeed. And it’s much appreciated. I owe you one.”
Lachlan grinned, “Well, I better give my number then so you can return the favour”
he teased. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts and handed it to Vicki.
“Just put your number in there, and we’ll call it even.”
Vicki took the phone, her fingers brushing against Lachlan’s as she entered her number. She felt a spark, a warmth that spread through her body. She quickly handed the phone back, making sure to keep her voice light.
“There you go. Thanks again.”
Lachlan looked at her, his expression softening. “You know, I was about to grab a coffee at Macca’s, I don’t suppose you’d like to have one with me… my treat?”
Vicki looked into the young man’s eyes , seeing the sincerity behind his invitation. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had offered to buy her a coffee, let alone a handsome young man like Lachlan.
“Sure, that sounds nice,” she said, returning his smile. “I’ll just follow you shall i.” They reached jumped in their cars and drove the 5 minutes to Maccas. Inside the bustling McDonald’s, they stood in line, the aroma of coffee and fries filling the air
“So, what’s your favorite?” Lachlan asked, gesturing to the menu.
“Ohh a cappuccino would be lovely please.” Vicki replied with a smile, grateful for the warmth of the coffee shop after the chill outside.
He nodded, “Coming right up. Anything to eat?”
“No, just the coffee will be fine, thanks.” Vicki answered as they moved along in the queue.
Lachlan ordered their coffees, and they found a table by the window. As they sat down, Vicki noticed him looking at her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
“So, how have you been coping? I mean, with the divorce and everything?” he asked, his voice sincere.
Vicki sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.
"It's been tough, to be honest. I never thought I'd find myself back at square one, but here I am." She looked down at her uniform, her eyes tracing the stripes. "But I'm trying to make the best of it. New job, new start, right?"
Lachlan nodded, his expression soft. "It's brave, what you're doing. Not many people would have the courage to start over like you are."
Vicki looked up at him, surprised. "Brave? I don't know about that. I'm just trying to keep my head above water."
Lachlan smiled.
“Well, I think it’s brave. You’re not just sitting back and letting life happen to you. You’re out there, making things happen.”
Vicki felt a warmth spread through her at his words. She hadn’t thought of it that way, but maybe he was right. She had been focusing so much on the negative aspects of her new life that she hadn’t stopped to consider the positives.
“Thank you, Lachlan. That means a lot,” she said, smiling back at him. “And what about you? How have you been? University and all that?”
Lachlan grinned, relaxing back into his seat. “Yeah, it’s good.
Challenging, but good,” Lachlan said, his eyes lighting up as he talked about his studies. “I’m enjoying it, you know? The whole independence thing too. Living away from home during the week, making my own meals—well, sort of. I’ve mastered the art of pasta and toast, anyway, and then back home on weekends.”
Vicki chuckled, “That sounds like a level of domesticity I haven’t achieved yet. I’m still learning to use the microwave properly.” She said with a smile “but I bet your mom enjoys having you home on weekends ?”
Lachlan nodded, his expression softening. “Yeah, she does. She’s been great, you know? Always supporting me, making sure I’m doing okay.”
Vicki grinned, “That’s what moms are for, right?”
Lachlan paused for a moment, his gaze steadying on Vicki. “You know, it’s funny. I never really thought about it before, but you remind me a lot of my mom. The way you care for people, how pretty you are and the way you just… make things feel better.”
Lachlan said, his voice filled with a warmth that Vicki found comforting.
She felt her cheeks flush slightly at the compliment. “Well, that’s very sweet of you to say, Lachlan. I’m not sure I deserve such high praise, but thank you.”
Lachlan smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “No, really. You do. And besides, we’re all just trying to get through life the best we can, right? Sometimes it’s nice to have someone in your corner, cheering you on.”
Vicki looked down at her coffee, her finger tracing the edge of the cup. “You’re right.
And you know, it’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone cheering me on,” Vicki admitted, looking up at Lachlan.
“Well they must be fools” Lachlan smiled, a genuine warmth in his eyes. “I’d cheer you on if you were making me a sandwich ”
he joked, his smile contagious.
Vicki laughed, feeling the tension in her shoulders slowly unravel. “Well, it just so happens I make a mean ham and cheese.” She replied, her eyes sparkling. Maybe you’d like to come over some time and share one”
Lachlan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “You had me at ham and cheese, Vicki. Consider me your official cheer squad”
Vicki grinned, “I’ll take that as a yes then.”
Lachlan looked at her, his expression softening. “I’d like that, Vicki. Really.” Lachlan’s smile was warm and genuine, and Vicki felt a flutter in her stomach at his response. She hadn’t expected him to be so enthusiastic about the idea.
“Great,” Vicki replied, trying to keep her voice casual. “How about this weekend? Saturday maybe?”
Lachlan nodded. “Saturday sounds good. What time?”
“Six o’clock?” Vicki suggested, her mind already racing with menu ideas.
“Six it is,” Lachlan confirmed, standing up and gathering their empty coffee cups.
“What do I need to bring?”
“Just that handsome smile and your appetite ,” Vicki replied with a wink, standing up from her chair. “I’ll take care of the rest.”
Lachlan grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Deal. See you Saturday then.”
They walked out of the coffee shop together, the chill of the evening air nipping at their noses. Vicki zipped up her jacket, her hands sliding into her pockets.
“Thanks again for the coffee, Lachlan,” she said, looking up at him. “And for the jump start.”
Lachlan smiled, his breath misting in the air. “Anytime, Vicki. I’d give you a jump anytime,” Lachlan replied with a playful wink, causing Vicki to blush slightly. He turned to walk away, then looked back over his shoulder. “Hey, Vicki, if you need any help with anything before Saturday, don’t hesitate to call. I mean it.”
Vicki smiled, her heart warming at his kindness. I’ll keep that in mind.”
As she watched him walk away, she realised he didn’t have her address .
“Lachlan, wait!” She called out, hurrying towards him. He turned around, an eyebrow raised.
“Forgot something?” he asked, a playful smile on his lips.
Vicki shrugged. “My address. You’ll need it for Saturday.”
Lachlan pulled out his phone, his fingers dancing over the screen. “I’ll send you a message instead. That way you have my number, too.”
He tapped a few more times before looking up at her. “There. I’ve sent you a text.
Make sure to save my number,” Lachlan said, his voice warm and inviting. Vicki nodded, pulling out her phone from her pocket and seeing the new message notification. She quickly saved Lachlan’s contact and sent him a quick reply.
“Great, got it. See you Saturday, Lachlan.”
Lachlan grinned, waving goodbye as he walked towards his car. Vicki watched him go, a sense of excitement and anticipation bubbling inside her. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this way, this alive and hopeful. She quickly climbed into her car, starting the engine with a sense of relief.