Obligations, Choices, Priorities.

Sarah had always been a planner. From a very early age she knew she wanted to follow the path to become an elder and she worked very hard to ensure this would happen. As an elder her entire life would revolve around the circle. This meant she could not hold down an outside job in the Common world for it would take her away from her responsibilities to her community.

Like most people in the way of the mystics Sarah married young. The union was arranged by her parents. Angus was smart, kind, and an honest young man. Although she wasn't in love with him, she respected him. This was about finding a partner who would support her especially while she was training to become an elder. The life of an elder would involve long hours, lots of travel, and the ability to always put the circle above her own needs and wants. An ideal spouse to an elder would need to be exceptionally patient and understanding. Sarah knew she had found such a match with Angus.

Not all elder's married, in fact most didn't because they saw family as a distraction from their role within the community. A system was put into place a long time ago to make sure those who held the elder position were always provided for as far as food, shelter, and other basic needs. Even if an elder did choose to marry they still received the same accommodations. Because of this the money Angus earned with his outside job was put away in case of a rainy day.

On top of holding down a full time job as a custodian among the Commons, Angus also did the majority of the cooking and housework in an effort to keep Sarah focused on her elder work. After about three years of playing the dutiful husband role he apprehensively approached Sarah about having a child. After all he had done for her, how could she refuse him the one thing he had ever asked of her?

Originally Gavin may have happened because Angus wanted him, but Sarah fell in love from the moment of conception. There was such a strong connection between her and her unborn child. She had no doubt he would be someone very special. The first time she held him she stared deeply into those pale blue eyes much like her own and knew not only was she meant to be an elder, but she was also meant to be a mother.

And for a while they were a happy little family just the three of them. When Gavin was ten years old there was a particularly rough winter, Angus caught a horrible virus. Sarah was away for her Elder duties and by the time she returned he had passed. She was allowed one day of grievance before she was expected to assume her usual responsibilities. Sarah could not begrudge the other elders because this was the life she had chosen.

Although she was not in love with Angus, she did care deeply for him, and the loss of him in her life ran deep. She decided to throw herself even more into her work. It wasn't long before she had the reputation among all the circles of being a very wise and dedicated elder. Her gift of intuition was especially helpful in troubleshooting potential issues before they occurred.

Unfortunately her personal life suffered as Sarah was unable to be the mother Gavin needed and deserved. She tried to bring him along on some of her travels but these trips were so consumed with business that she was hardly allowed any personal time to spend with her son. She cannot blame him for chasing after that girl of fire. Gavin was looking for affection and acceptance from a woman since he would never find it from his mother.

When the twins were born Sarah realized this was the second chance most didn't get. She took all the money saved away from Angus' several years of working to set up a very modest life for her and the boys. This time around she promised to put family first. Once she relocated them all to Valley Cottage she took a part time job at a local day care so she could work and spend time with them. This wasn't so much about money as Angus has left quite a bit behind for her to provide for several years, this was about filling her hours, building a bigger nest egg for her family, and learning to assimilate with the Commons.

And sometimes life has a funny way of bringing you right back to the fork in the road you thought you would never come across again. At first she thought this only applied to motherhood, but then Allan became a significant part of her life and she wondered if it could be for love too.