Their eyes meet across the yard. There's a spark, a thought, a wish ... a hope.
Nestled away in the Australian countryside, two teachers find each other, but how long before either of them act on their feelings? That's where the friends step in ...
A week after Isabelle's christening, it was life as normal for Kylie and Jack; teachers and colleagues by day and lovers by night. The effort they put into trying so hard not to give themselves away at work was exhausting, but once they were in the safety of his ute or her car and on their way home (whether it be Jack's place or Kylie's), all bets were off and they could enjoy each other's company without being wary of getting caught.
Kylie had started to spend more time at Jack's, even commandeering their kitchen table one mid–week night as she wrote out reports and getting a weird look from Kieran, who had asked her when they could have their table back.
"I'm so sorry, Kieran – but we really need to get these reports done now ... I promise – like, another hour? Please?" Kylie had apologised to Kieran who was ushered out of the kitchen by Jack before he could reply.
"Just drop it mate. Don't rush her tonight," Jack had advised Kieran before he joined Kylie at the table to continue writing his own reports.
As the pressure of reports started to mount, Kylie very nearly forgot about Shannon's seventeenth birthday, which would be next Tuesday. She had had Amy on the phone a few days earlier to remind her that they were all going out for dinner on Saturday night.
Even Shannon began to remind Kylie of her birthday dinner.
As Jack set up his classroom one morning, Kylie sat on one of the students' desks, telling Jack about her niece's birthday.
"I keep forgetting that you still haven't actually met Amy's kids yet," Kylie said, scrolling lazily through Facebook on her phone. It was half past seven and she had, for once, gotten her classroom set up yesterday afternoon.
"I think I met one of them ... but that was a while back now ..." Jack said slowly, writing up the week's spelling list on the board.
"Huh? When?" Kylie asked, actually looking up from her phone.
"Uh ... friend, because, home, would, could, didn't, father ... ah, I'm pretty sure I ran into you at the shops and you had a kid with you ... back, after, people, what ..." Jack muttered the spelling words in between answering Kylie.
"Huh ... I don't remember that ... how old was the kid? Shaz and Alicia are teens now and Lachy's just ten – unless it was one of Loz's boys?"
"Huh? Oh sorry Kylz ..." Jack continued muttering the spelling words as he wrote them on the board.
Kylie looked down at her pinging phone to see a message from Shaz.
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She beamed at Shaz's message, biting her lip and looking up at Jack who still had his back to her, writing on the board. It very nearly made her laugh, that Jack had no idea he was about to gain three more nieces and a nephew, whether he wanted to or not. It appeared that Amy had sold the idea of Jack to the kids already, which meant – with a nervous jittering in her stomach – there was no backing down now. She replied quickly to Shaz, keeping an eye on the time.
