Mine.......
Epilogue - Chapter Thirteen


"...TIME IS A BROKEN GLASS THAT SPLINTERS AGAINST THE WALL..."


3 months later

Darren is finally getting back to being himself after the long exhausting tour.  He and Colby had made their divorce final and actually left court holding hands, to the amazement of everyone present.  They had been together since Darren was 16 and Colby was 15, so it was impossible for them not to be friends and in constant touch.  Colby had gotten a great apartment and even met this guy named Danny.  Darren, on the other hand, has a few lovely homes, but doesn't live in any one of them for more than a month and had no relationship whatsoever.  And often thought of Jennifer.

Daniel and Michelle got married and Darren was Best Man.  Colby was also there and it made the whole thing extremely difficult and painful.

Savage Garden is a phenomenon in every sense of the word.  They did a soundtrack for  "The Other Sister" and released their second album, which was platinum inside of a month.  Darren and Daniel continue to churn out great songs and B-sides and have finally made the transition from "boy band" to serious musicians.  They are well respected in the industry and have most everything they ever dreamed of............most everything.

Jennifer Wilson has gone on with her life, has a great new job and a fabulous bi-level apartment.  But she continues to brood over the experience with Darren.  She has seen him on TV hundreds of times and bursts into tears every time she sees him.  She is still completely baffled by everything that happened and it almost seems like a dream to her.  But..........she continues to love him and yearns for him every time she sees those eyes and that face and hears that voice that said "I love you" to her...........and wonders if he thinks of her .

Darren is now completely overwhelmed with the Savage Garden experience.  They are phenomenally popular and he feels he doesn't have a minute to himself.  It has been good in a way because it has helped him get over the break up with Colby.  Which was more difficult than he thought.  But he talks to her occasionally and she is doing fine.  Even lets him visit Obi.

One day in October, Darren & Daniel are sitting going over contracts and some offers they have received and Daniel asks him, "Hey, Daz, what ever happened to that girl?"  Without looking up, Darren says "What girls' that?"  "You know, that one.  God, what was her name?  You brought her back stage and was going out with her."  Darren looks up and stares at Daniel in thought.  Then he starts smiling.  "Jennifer."  "RIGHT!  Jennifer.  What ever happened with her?"  "Oh nothing, why?"  "Nothing???  You seemed pretty interested then.  Stopped the show, as I recall, looking at her"  "Well, that was right when Colby and I were breaking up."  He stares off in the distance and starts smiling.  "She was great.  I mean great.  Funny, smart, interesting, cute."  "So, why don't you look her up?  You're a free man now."  and Daniel laughs.  "You know, Dan, I have thought about her pretty consistently since then.  What a find!  What an amazing woman."  "So, go get her Daz." and smiles.  Darren just smiles, shrugs his shoulders and goes back to reading the contracts.



Jennifer came home from work really REALLY tired.  All she has thought about is coming home and getting into a hot tub and relaxing.  Finally, FINALLY, it's time to leave work and she gets home pretty quickly  No traffic tonight.

After changing and cleaning up the house a bit, she fills the tub and puts bubble bath in it.  And, as she always does, puts a few drops of Dolce & Gabanna in just to remind her of that smell in the bathroom when she was with Darren.  It's something she shouldn't do because it is all still painful for her, but it makes her feel like he's there in a way.

She sinks in the tub with a sigh and just lays her head back and closes her eyes.  Of course, after going over the days events, her thoughts drift back to Darren.  God, she has seen him so many times on TV since then.  Savage Garden is so unbelievably successful.  He must be so happy and satisfied with the way things turned out.  And she did notice a blurb on some mailing list on the internet that he and Colby got divorced.  So, I guess he has found someone by now.  Why would a guy who looks like that be alone for very long........?

One more promotion, one more question and answer session, one more photo shoot.  Darren feels as if he will scream if he doesn't get a vacation or at least some time off.  He has worked tirelessly and non stop on Savage Garden for what feels like forever.  The only time he has had off was during the divorce and that was a real party, right, Darren?

He and Daniel sit at the long table fielding questions from the press.  And they seem to be the same questions over and over.  How did you get the name Savage Garden?  God, didn't they beat that to death a year ago?  How did you meet?  GOD!!!!!!!!  How do you write lyrics?  How do you write melodies?  Are these based on personal experience?  He felt dizzy.  He felt like he wanted to just get up and walk out.

Daniel was answering some long winded question about a song on the second album and Darren just drifted off.  He started thinking about all that had happened to him.  Wanting to be a star, seeking to find it, meeting Daniel, the album, the hysteria that went with it, finding Jennifer, losing Colby, losing Jennifer..............always comes back to that.   He thought back on how shitty he treated her "the morning after".  Actually trying to give her MONEY.  He's surprised she didn't slap him in the face.

He was so far off, he didn't hear the question posed to him.  Daniel ribbed him and he turned around and said "huh?"  Daniel whispered, "come on Darren, hang on.  They asked you a question."  "Oh, I'm sorry, mates.  Again, please?"  A man in the back stood.  "I SAID, are you involved with anyone now or since the divorce?"  Darren just looked at the man stone faced and just said, "no, I am not."  And inadvertently knocked over a glass of water and the glass shattered on the floor.

At the same time, Jennifer is in the tub and reaches for a towel and accidentally hits the bottle of Dolce & Gabanna and it shatters on the floor.............

 Epilogue - Chapter Fourteen