A chance meeting
Life moves on and relationships change . How can Caroline and Kate move on after a chance encounter?
"Caroline, you need to get a move on or you won't make it on time. Here's all your paperwork, now get going, I'll finish up here." Beverley thrust a wad of papers into Caroline's hand as she swept through her office, her handbag swinging over one arm, dragging a small 'wheely' suitcase with the other.
"Thanks have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday; this is my last conference, ever, I'm telling you!" 'I'm far too old for all this crap now'. She mumbled to herself
Caroline left and Beverley leaned back in her chair. She had glanced over the paperwork before giving it to Caroline, in case there was stuff she needed to take with her. Flicking through the brochure her attention had fallen on a name on the list of attendees, Katherine McKenzie-Walker. The paper seemed to scream at her, there was little doubt in Beverley's mind who it might be; she shuddered inside as she contemplated what it might mean for her boss.
It was five years now since Kate handed in her resignation. After taking time off to have her baby she had decided not to return to Sulgrave after maternity leave. The effect on Caroline had been not inconsiderable at the time; in fact it had been a disaster. She had fallen apart not so much at the ending of the relationship, which Kate had assured her had never really started, but rather the ending of hope; the loss of what might have been; a much deeper torture. Kate had gently and lovingly coaxed her to a crossroads in her life and she had taken the wrong turn.
"I may never see her again." She had confided to Beverley, through her copious tears, on Kate's last day, having opted out of going for a farewell drink with the staff. Beverley cried with her, without touch, feeling she couldn't invade Caroline's space, whilst desperately wanting to gather her up and hold her.
Shaking the memories out of her consciousness, and after wrestling with herself, she concluded that it felt right not alerting Caroline to this before she left, after all there was a minute chance she might be wrong.
"I can't thank you enough for this Kate; stepping in at such short notice. Are you sure Lucy's Ok with it?"
"Yes, she's fine. She's re-arranged her clients so she can be home in the evenings with the kids. I'm actually glad of a bit of space, Jack is such a handful, they talk about the terrible twos; he started at eighteen months;" the deputy offered up with a smile.
"Ok, here's the paperwork for you and we got the attendee name tag changed on time. There's also a taxi waiting to take you to the station. Have a great few days and make sure you get some downtime, don't feel obliged to attend every session."
"Thanks David, see you next week." Kate picked up the folder and headed off the to the school gate where the taxi was waiting. Once on the train, she pulled out the envelope of information but her eyes were unable to focus as the rocking of the train lulled her. Within minutes she was asleep.
Caroline bustled out of her car and out of the car park to the elevator at the entrance of the convention centre. The motorway traffic had been the usual nightmare and she was conscious that the conference may have already begun. She hated the idea of being late to anything. Going up in the lift, she fished her phone out of her jacket pocket and hastily sent a text to say she'd arrived safely. Helen texted back immediately saying she was missing Caroline already.
After taking her seat, and fussing about turning off her phone and pulling out the information for the first session, she settled back and started to flip through the papers, feeling happy with herself for actually getting there on time. She hadn't checked in at the hotel yet but that could wait until the gap between the opening speeches and the evening drinks. Like her secretary a few hours before, her eyes suddenly widened as she read the name; Katherine McKenzie-Walker.
Her heart stopped; 'no way, I'd know if Kate were a Principal; they always send the names to the ASP (association of school principals); you're being stupid Caroline'. Despite the conversation with her herself, she briefly cast her eyes around the room searching for her, suspecting that if she were indeed there, she would know, she would feel it.
Kate cursed under her breath as the taxi driver apologised for the traffic chaos they were caught up in. She took the opportunity to call home; "Hi darling, we're stuck in traffic so a quick call to let you know I'm almost at the conference centre. I'll ring again before bedtime. Kiss for you and the kids. Bye" The message timed out and Kate pushed the phone into her handbag as they turned into the centre, the taxi pulled up and Kate hurriedly signed off at the desk, grabbed her folder and went into the auditorium; it was quite full by now and she could see they were about to start, so she slipped into the nearest seat she could find.
The coordinator began by welcoming everyone and introducing the special guests; after the opening talk there would be a cocktail party which she hoped everyone would attend before heading off to the hotel. Kate flicked through the information for the evening; 'I wonder if they changed my name in the booklet as well as the tag. Searching for a few seconds, she did indeed see her name. 'Katherine McKenzie-Walker'. She smiled, getting used to being Mrs McKenzie-Walker, she still got a thrill, and now the added pride of being a deputy principal. Occasionally she would think fleetingly of Caroline trying to dissuade her from having a baby with the idea that she could somehow replace it with being a deputy. She smiled wryly 'if only she knew I now have both'.
Suddenly she caught her breath, several names along from hers, there it was, Dr Caroline Elliot. She was momentarily shocked by her response, but then she exhaled long and slow until she recovered her equilibrium. 'God I can't believe I didn't foresee this, I remember her coming to this conference nearly every year'.
The speaker began and both women found themselves struggling to stay focussed on what he was saying each desperately trying to work out how they would react when, not if, they saw each other. There would be no escaping now, not unless they got up and left right away. Kate was in no position to do that and Caroline wasn't even sure it was her Kate.
The lecture seemed interminable, in actual fact it had only lasted forty five minutes. It must have been good as there was a lengthy session of applause and several very well constructed questions. At long last it ended and people began to move out of the auditorium to the cocktail bar.
Kate stood at her seat waiting for the stream of humanity to pass her row. She found herself staring straight ahead, looking neither to right or left, as if trying to put off the inevitable. Then, there she was walking straight towards her, her eyes fixed on her. Caroline paused at the end of the row, allowing people to pass her, nodding and excusing herself for interrupting the flow. Eventually Kate was beside her and their eyes met.
"Well this is a surprise, I had no idea you would be here Kate, it's lovely to see you." She leant over ever so slightly in case there was a hint of a hug or kiss; instead she was rewarded with a warm handshake which lasted just a fraction longer than normal.
"Yes, it was a last minute arrangement; my Principal couldn't come so he asked me to step in for him."
"Oh so you're a deputy principal now?"
"Yes, this is my first year." After a momentary silence Kate suggested they move off and have a cocktail. "I'm ready for a drink and a nibble, I fell asleep on the train and so I haven't had anything for a few hours."
As they walked together, Caroline began, in her head, to construct what can only be described as a lengthy interrogation; she felt hungry for information, wanting to fill in the all the spaces where she had spent hours, days, months even, fantasizing about Kate's new life. They both got a drink and a plate of canapés and Kate followed Caroline to a quieter spot away from most of the delegates.
After taking a few sips of her drink, Kate pulled her phone from her jacket and smiled at Caroline, "would you excuse me just for a moment I need to say goodnight to the kids."
Caroline nodded and then realised what she'd just heard, 'kids, that means more than one; God that's a surprise; I mean how, when'.
"Hi it's just me. I thought I'd better call and say goodnight to the munchkins. Yes, yes, we've had the first session and I'm now at the cocktail party. I bumped into Caroline Elliot so we're just catching up. Yes, I'm fine. I'll call you when I get to my room. Can you put them on now?"
Kate spent a few minutes chatting with her children and blowing kisses down the phone. "Mummy loves you both, you sleep tight now, be good for Mo."
She slipped the phone away and turned her full attention back to Caroline.
"So, Caroline how are you?"
"Oh I'm fine thanks, still at Sulgrave, every year I tell myself it will be my last but I seem to just cruise on; and you, how are you?"
"I'm fine too, as you will have heard I have two children, Flora who's five and Jack eighteen months; as you can imagine life is pretty hectic for Lou and me."
"Lou?"
"Lucy, my wife, Caroline."
"How lovely, when did you get married?"
"Two years ago now, although it still feels like yesterday. We married when we found out that Lou was pregnant with Jack." Kate was conscious of a shift in Caroline's gaze, she remembered the look; it was a struggle look; wanting to say something and feeling something else. "How are the rest of your family?"
"Well, mum and Alan are still going, although Alan is quite frail now; they moved to an assisted living set up in Harrogate two years ago. They have their own little apartment and they seem to like it there. William is working in London he's a trainee museum curator and Lawrence is in his third year of university in Aberdeen."
"Are you still at Conway Drive?"
"Yes for the moment. It's too big for me really but I want Lawrence to still feel he can come home and when he's ready to let go, I'll sell up. My partner Helen has a lovely home, but she's in the same situation as me, her daughter still at university and needing a home."
Kate sat quietly and allowed this information to wash over her; steadying the butterflies in her stomach, breathing into the confusion and confrontation she felt.
"How is your mum Kate?"
"Mum's fine thanks, she retired three years ago and is just doing the odd lecture tour now. She spends half her time in New York and half with us. She has a small flat in Chester."
"Is that where you live?"
"Close to Chester in a village; I'm at Holbrook Grammar in town and Lou is a clinical psychologist – part time in the oncology unit at the hospital and a handful of private clients which she sees in her office at home."
"Holbrook, mm, that's David Smith isn't it?"
"Yes, he's very nice and very good at his job. I took the position of head of languages when I left Sulgrave and I was made deputy at the start of this year."
Caroline smiled as she too remembered the conversation about motherhood or career, she thought better of mentioning it. She had so many questions, deeper questions that she wanted to ask.
"Caroline, would you mind if I checked in now? I'd like to freshen up a bit and get settled, it's been a long day."
"Of course I'm sorry, it's just so lovely to bump into you and have a chance to catch up. I need to check in myself are you staying here in the hotel?"
"Yes."
"Ok then well erm would you be interested in having dinner together or are you bushed?"
"No, if you give me an hour I could meet you here and we can go and get a bite to eat; that would be nice."