New Beginnings

Parents Night

He gave a deep sigh, tapping his fingers along the kitchen island before reluctantly agreeing. "Fine, I'll go to the damn thing."

Alice's lips curled into a pleased smile, still chewing on the breakfast meal. "Good."

"Wow, you two agreeing on something?" Betty speaks ironically, feigning shock as she rests her hand on her chest. "Almost like we're a normal family." She adds before adding a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.

"Why would you wanna be normal baby? Normal's so boring." Alice jokes as she lightly rubs Betty's chin.

•••

"I've probably been to five parents evenings in 17 years." Alice reveals as she climbs the ladder in the stock room, preparing to reach for a crate. "It's not that I don't care, it's just that they're all the same." She adds as she reaches the top.

It may have been a very little amount for somebody with two kids in their teens, but every parents evening Alice had attended had been subtle insult sessions on her daughters and her parenting.

"Polly needs to apply herself, Betty is a trouble maker, is everything okay at home, blah blah blah." She mimicked in a groaning voice, trying to replicate the many teachers of the past who would take any chance to criticise Betty and Polly to her.

FP chuckled at well done impression of an older woman and a middle aged man, gazing up at her as he held the ladder steady. "That was pretty good."

"Years of lying over the phone taught me some very valuable skills."

Too caught up in the excitement and laughter, Alice was too hyper to properly focus on the ladders steps, and instantly lost her footing.

Her screams caught FP's attention, causing him to drop his clipboard and bring his arms out to catch her just in time.

She gasped in worry, still shaking and bringing her arms tightly around his neck as he held onto her waist.

"It's okay, it's okay." He nervously assured her as panic crossed her face and she panted, trying her hardest to regulate her breathing.

"I've got you." He spoke once more, gazing into her glistening blue eyes that rendered him weak upon initial sight.

She kept her longing gaze on him too, staring deep into his soft chestnut eyes as she removed her legs from the final steps.

All she could think about was how strong he was, and grateful she was that he was there. She also couldn't stop thinking about how drawn she felt to him in that moment, and how seeing his face just made everything easier, made her feel safe, made her feel at peace.

"Are you okay?" He asked her softly, his voice laced with concern.

She gulps, shifting her head to the side as she stands up properly, her arms still around his neck and then moving down this his chest.

"Yeah." She whispers with a slight nod, still gazing into his brown orbs. "I think I will be."

He hadn't even registered that his hands still remained on her waist as the twos breaths were being felt by each other and chest practically touched. She however did, but for some odd reason, she didn't feel the need to remove them, or remove herself from his grasp. She actually felt this was natural.

"FP? The card machines playing again!" Hog Eye calls out from the bar, interrupting their mini trance.

They instantly let go of each other, blinking up and down to bring themselves back to reality and adjust their eyes.