"A Gift of Life"
Chapter 3
After she had rinsed all the used breakfast dishes and mugs and stacked them in the dishwasher with her usual pedantic precision, Caroline gave the kitchen benches one final wipe down with a damp cloth before joining Kate as she sat on a kitchen stool nursing their baby daughter who was content for the moment to lie in her mother's arms simply being adored by her attentive parents. Enamoured by them both, Caroline encircled her wife and child in a protective embrace and placed a light, ever grateful kiss on Kate's forehead.
Suddenly they were startled from the peace and quiet of the moment by the loud blare of a car horn from the driveway followed by Lawrence dashing past the kitchen at warp speed calling out as he went, "Angus is here!"
Seeing as Caroline wasn't going into work until much later in the day, Lawrence had arranged for Angus' dad to pick him up and take him to school rather than have to catch the bus. Caroline would return the favour at the end of the day.
Before Caroline could respond with a 'good-bye', Lawrence reappeared in the kitchen doorway.
"You won't forget to call dad today, will you?" he reminded her.
Kate turned to give her wife a questioning glance.
"I won't forget…now go, Angus' dad is waiting," Caroline replied a little sheepishly knowing that she should have probably mentioned the problem to Kate before now. She had been going to tell her the previous night but she had fallen asleep before she'd had a chance. "I'll see you and Angus this afternoon…Bye…Bye-bye."
As Lawrence disappeared down the hallway and out the door, Kate asked, "Why do you have to call John?"
"I'll tell you in the car," Caroline replied, "we need to get moving if we're going to make our appointment at the Register Office…it was the only appointment available for this morning and that was only after a cancellation."
She gave her wife one more reassuring kiss on the cheek before going to collect their handbags and the bag of baby paraphernalia from the dining room where they'd left them. Kate secured Flora into the baby capsule ready to carry her precious cargo to the car.
On her way, she made a point of checking out the damage done to the Jeep's driver's side door that Caroline had mentioned.
Shaking her head in disgust and disappointment Kate asked, "Do you think you'll find out who did this?"
"I'm fairly certain I will know by the end of the day," Caroline announced confidently. "It's not common knowledge but you only have to look to see that there is a CCTV unit overlooking that part of the entrance. We'll only have to look at the footage from yesterday to find out who the culprit is which reminds me, I'd better call Beverley and ask her to take care of that."
"What will you do once you know who it is?"
"I'm not exactly sure yet but at the very least they can pay for the repairs."
Once she had secured Flora into the rear seat in her capsule, Kate then buckled herself in the front. Caroline could see from the strained set of her jaw and the anxious look in her eyes that she was nervous. Since the accident Kate hadn't ventured out much and it was still a rather traumatic experience for her to be out on the streets and in the busy shops.
"Are you alright?" Caroline inquired quietly as she ran a comforting hand along Kate's forearm.
Kate's throat was too constricted with nerves to allow her to form words so, keeping her eyes strictly focussed ahead, she gave a determined nod.
"You'll be fine," Caroline assured her, "but you have to promise to tell me if it's getting too much for you."
Each corner of Kate's mouth turned up tentatively into a weak smile.
Caroline turned the key in the ignition, carefully reversed down the drive and entered out onto the street, driving with particular care and caution.
More as a distraction from her fear but also out of curiosity, Kate asked, "So?"
Caroline raised a puzzled eyebrow.
"So why does Lawrence want you to give John a call?" she expounded so as to make more sense.
Caroline hesitated. It hurt more than she cared to admit even to herself that her son preferred to go and live with John rather than stay with her. She understood, at least in part, his reasoning but that made the idea no easier to accept.
"Um…Lawrence wants to go and live with his father so, rather than have a row about it, I said I would call John and discuss it with him…maybe arrange something we're all happy with. Lawrence is nearly 17…he's old enough to do what he wants anyway."
"Oh," Kate replied meekly before going quiet altogether. Her eyes dropped to her lap as she suddenly became very absorbed by a loose thread on the hem of her blouse.
Caroline slowed down and indicated as she came to an intersection and then, noting the continued silence asked, "What's the matter?"
"Why does he want to go and live with John?" she managed to say.
Once the coast was clear Caroline turned onto the main thoroughfare to Harrogate.
Aware of what Kate might possibly be thinking Caroline put her words together carefully before answering.
"John's his dad and they've always had a good relationship regardless of what's gone on….and I think Lawrence feels a bit sorry for him not having anyone."
"Are you certain that's all it is?"
"What do you mean?"
It was Kate's turn to hesitate. She'd always had a gnawing feeling that Lawrence blamed her for his parents not sorting things out and reconciling but she'd never really voiced these thoughts before, not even to Caroline.
"I think Lawrence harbours some resentment towards me and blames me for you and John not patching things up….and now, since the …accident…where you've spent so much of your time taking care of me and, of course, Flora…Caroline, I never intended to come between you and Lawrence." Kate stopped there as tears threatened to spill.
"First of all," Caroline responded firmly to ensure Kate understood her sincerity, "you are not responsible for John and me breaking up or not getting back together….that would be John and Judith's fault, as you well know and second, I'm a lesbian, I prefer to be with women….and perhaps Lawrence is feeling a little left out with everything that has happened but he's nearly an adult now, he needs to realise that the world doesn't actually revolve around him alone….there are always others to consider." Caroline took a deep breath in order to settle herself before adding more quietly, "He's my son and I will always love him but he needs to learn some compassion and maybe he will do that when he's been out in the world a bit more. Besides John is also his parent and should take some responsibility too. It won't hurt his father to have to deal with some teenage angst for a bit….who knows, they might both grow up."
"How do you feel about it all?"
"I'm not over the moon about the idea as you can imagine…John is not the ideal role model…but I'd rather we did it amicably rather than have Lawrence storm out," Caroline explained, "although I suspect that living with John won't be quite as easy as Lawrence imagines it to be."
As they neared the Harrogate Register Office Caroline slowed down in order to search for a place to park but the car park was full and, despite cruising the entire block, there were no spaces available on the same side of the road as the building they wanted. They would have to park and cross the road and she knew, as she watched her wife's features tense up, that Kate had come to the same conclusion. It wasn't a busy street but it didn't matter. Kate had only been out into Harrogate twice since the accident and each time the thought of crossing a road, albeit a quiet one, filled her with dread as it brought back such terrible memories. She honestly couldn't remember exactly what had happened and for that she was grateful but an innate fear was present nonetheless.
Caroline reversed into a parking space almost directly opposite the Register Office. As she cut the Jeep's engine she reached over and gave Kate's hand an encouraging squeeze before stepping out of the vehicle and going around to open the door for her. Kate had unbuckled her seatbelt but remained frozen in her seat. Rather than force her or cajole her out of the car, Caroline left her to gather her resolve. Kate needed to do this on her own. Meanwhile Caroline busied herself lifting the pram from the rear of the Jeep, unfolding it and then unfastening Flora from her capsule and nestling her in it. She also grabbed the baby bag and put it in the pram as well. By the time Caroline had organised Flora and her lot Kate was standing stoically beside her.
"You'll be fine," Caroline whispered as she offered Kate her arm in support which was gratefully accepted.
Together they walked a short distance along the footpath until they came to a spot where they had full vision of the street for a good distance in either direction. They waited for two cars to pass and then, when it was all clear, they began to cross, both women fighting the urge to run.
Once safely on the footpath on the other side Kate's features visibly relaxed as she released her vice-like grip on Caroline's elbow. Her relief was only tempered by the thought that she would have to do it all over again in a short while, however, each time it became a little easier.
Inside the Register Office Caroline approached the receptionist and let them know they had arrived for their appointment. There was only a brief wait until their names were called then Kate, Caroline and baby Flora were ushered into a nearby room by one of the clerks - a youngish, thirty-something man dressed in a neat suit and with a head of tight red curls the colour of rust and friendly blue eyes. His greeting was warm and genuine and his manner polite. The room was small but with modern furnishings that belied the traditional exterior of the building. The clerk offered each woman a seat as he took up his own on the opposite side of the desk and asked them what he could do to help.
While Caroline explained to him about wanting to officially register the birth of their daughter and also about the accident, Kate retrieved the necessary documents and proof of identification from her bag.
The clerk listened attentively to Caroline's story, expressing his regrets at Kate's misfortune at the appropriate time and then listened some more. At the end Caroline waited with bated breath for the inevitable questions….Who's the father? Are you both married…to each other?... but none of these were forthcoming. Instead, the clerk checked the paperwork thoroughly, carefully recorded all the necessary details and then in good time had the birth certificate made out in the name of Flora Grace McKenzie-Dawson, born on Sunday, 8th March 2015 in Harrogate, England to parents, Katherine Abeke McKenzie-Dawson and Caroline Elizabeth McKenzie-Dawson.
Once it was all signed and stamped in the appropriate places to make it official, Kate and Caroline took a moment to admire it and all that it stood for, each silently recalling everything that they had been through to arrive at this memorable point in time. Caroline could feel her heart swell with a combination of happiness and parental pride as she also released an unconscious sigh of relief.
As they were leaving the office Caroline looked at her watch.
"I think they'll cope without me for a bit longer and there's a café not too far from here, do you want to have a celebratory bite of morning tea?"
"Why not," Kate replied, her mood somewhat lighter, "but Flora is going to want feeding soon."
"I'm fairly certain the people there will help us out with warming the bottle," Caroline assured her as she headed them out of the building and in the direction of the café, making sure that Kate, who was pushing the pram, was kept to the inside of the footpath and out of harm's way.
At one point, as they walked along, scaffolding from a renovation site protruded out onto the footpath narrowing their way. Caroline stepped aside and allowed Kate to lead past safely before following after her and then making it back to her side.
Fortunately there were only two other people in the tiny café that was decked out with traditional Yorkshire furnishings, for no sooner had they settled into their seats by the window overlooking the park than Flora let it be known, loud and clear, that she was wanting to be fed.
Kate lifted her daughter from the pram and attempted to soothe the wails with reassurances that nourishment was indeed on the way while Caroline quickly scrummaged through the baby bag until she found the bottle of formula which she took with her to the counter. The café owner was more than happy to oblige with the warming of the bottle, partly, Caroline suspected, because a howling baby couldn't possibly be good for business.
As Kate waited for Caroline's return she peered down at the tiny, helpless figure she held in her arms. She had so looked forward to giving birth to this life she had created…and then nurturing that life from its very first seconds, holding her close, feeding her from the milk her own body had created but within a split second all of those experiences and first vital weeks with her daughter had been recklessly snatched from her courtesy of some reckless fools mucking about in a stolen car.
Damn them, she thought to herself. They hadn't even stopped to see if she was alive….they'd run off like the cowards they were….damn them to….
Kate stopped her thoughts there. It served no purpose, she knew, to hold onto this internal wrath. She needed, for her own benefit, to let it go. Being angry would not change anything that had happened, would bring nothing back and, of course, she still had so much to be grateful for. Despite the very long odds, she had survived and was relatively unscathed and more importantly her baby was also, amazingly, unharmed and was now healthy and happy, apart from the present pressing need for her bottle. She also had the love and support of her wonderful wife, Caroline, the woman she had so truly loved for such a long time now which was something she was thankful for every single day.
"This should be warm enough," Caroline said as she presented Kate with the bottle, jolting her from her thoughts.
Kate tested the temperature of the milk on the back of her hand and seemed satisfied. Flora wasted no time in attaching herself to the teat and consuming it.
Both women watched on mesmerised in the ensuing silence.
"I ordered us a pot of Yorkshire tea….Is that alright? I'll change the order if you would prefer something else…A coffee?...Oh, and there's some scones and jam coming too."
Kate flashed her wife one of her 100 watt smiles, a smile that still lifted Caroline's heart like a helium-filled balloon and left her feeling like an infatuated teenager with a guileless crush on one of her teachers.
"Sounds perfect," Kate replied.
The waitress timed the delivery of the tea and scones almost perfectly as it wasn't long after the pot and plates arrived at the table that Kate was able to place a now-drowsy Flora back into the pram.
"John called into the house yesterday," Kate stated in a conversational manner as she poured them both a cup of tea.
Caroline looked up in surprise causing the heavy dollop of whipped cream that she was about to spoon onto her scone to plop onto the plate instead.
"Did he? What did he want?" she asked trying to remain casual as she scooped the cream back on to her spoon.
"I'm not sure…..you, I suspect," Kate replied, the annoyance and frustration rising in her voice despite her best efforts to control them. "He wanted to know if 'his wife' was in and he expected to just walk into the house like he still owned it, no matter that we've had to beg, borrow and steal a small fortune in order to buy him out."
The initial look of surprise on Caroline's face soon turned to one of controlled fury, an expression the students at Sulgrave Heath had learned to fear. She'd had enough of John's interfering nonsense.
"What did you say to him?" Caroline asked, her words clipped.
"I made a point of telling him that my wife wasn't home….and I reminded him that the house was no longer his and that we had bought out his share…. I also told him he needed to phone in future if he had a need to visit."
Caroline's frown softened. She couldn't help a small smile. Her wife was such a kind soul and it would have taken a lot for Kate to be so firm with her recalcitrant ex-husband. She reached out and gave Kate's hand an affectionate squeeze. While there, her fingers played with the platinum band that several weeks ago now she had slipped onto Kate's slender finger at their wedding as a physical symbol of her love and commitment to this woman.
"Caroline, I don't think he considers us and our marriage to be real….in his tiny, vacuous mind he thinks this is all pretend and that he can win you back…I would really like for him to go away."
"You and me both…You do know how ridiculous that notion of John's is don't you?" Caroline said to reassure her. "As a matter of fact, I must remember to thank Judith if I ever see her again.
"Thank Judith? What for?"
"For all of this." Caroline gestured towards Kate and Flora with her scone-filled hand. "For you, for Flora….for giving me back my true self…..If Judith hadn't slept with John I'd still be stuck living a half-life with that self-centred twat."
Kate's annoyance subsided and she laughed. She hadn't thought of it from that angle. They really did owe Judith a great deal. The woman had unknowingly done them both an enormous favour.
"When I talk to John about Lawrence I'll set him straight on these other matters as well," Caroline promised.
oooOooo
The owner of the Harrogate Panel Works shop knelt down in front of the vandalised car door running an experienced eye over the damage as he carefully considered what was required in the way of repairs. He ran one hand over where the writing had been scratched into the metal while the other hand rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully. As Caroline stood beside him waiting anxiously for his assessment she could feel a flush of embarrassment colour her neck and face. A hint of amusement played on the man's lips.
"Oh well, I guess it pays to advertise," he suggested, chuckling at his own joke.
Caroline shot him a glare that would have sunk a battleship.
"Sorry," he muttered noticing that his customer didn't share his sense of humour.
After a few more minutes of deliberation he delivered his verdict.
"Well, the good news," he said more seriously as he stood up, "is that the damage is restricted to just the one panel and they've not gone too deep with the scratches….it should be very straightforward to fix."
Caroline acknowledged the assessment with a nod.
"Do you know who the little brat is who did this?" he asked out of curiosity and to perhaps put himself back into his customer's good books.
"Not yet," was all Caroline replied.
"If you leave it with us today I'll have it back to you by Friday lunch time…in the meantime you can use one of our courtesy cars if you like." He nodded towards a Fiat 500 and a Vauxhall Insignia that were parked by the fence amongst a pile of discarded tyres. Both cars had probably seen better days. The Fiat 500 was too small and definitely out of the question which only left the Vauxhall to select.
"Thank you," Caroline answered hesitantly, "I'll take the Vauxhall if that's alright." It wasn't in the same league as her Jeep Cherokee but some form of transport was going to be required.
Caroline followed the shop owner into the office where she filled out the necessary forms for the work on the Jeep to proceed as well as providing some insurance details for both the Jeep and the loan car. Kate busied herself transferring things from one vehicle to the other including baby Flora.
The Vauxhall wasn't quite what Caroline was accustomed to with its interior entirely of vinyl and plastic, fitted with bass speakers that would shake your fillings loose mounted near the rear windscreen and an engine with a kick like a mule. The indicators and wiper controls were also on the opposite side to what she was used to but by the time they had made it back to 46 Conway Drive Caroline had stopped indicating with the wipers and was confident she had it all under control. She parked it at the top of the driveway and while Kate collected Flora from the backseat Caroline gathered everything else together to take inside, including, of course, the birth certificate.
Once everything was where it should be Caroline took a quick glance at her watch which told her that she needed to hurry as she had a Head of Departments meeting in just over thirty minutes. However, before she could rush out, Kate sidled up and surprised Caroline by dipping both hands into her blonde hair and guiding their lips together in what quickly became a searing kiss ….a kiss that instantly stirred parts of Caroline that probably shouldn't be stirred when she was required back at work in only half an hour's time. It wasn't until Kate's hand began to purposefully stroke and press between her thighs, however, that Caroline reluctantly drew away.
A little breath-taken Caroline said, "You can't do that to me now! I have to be in a meeting this afternoon."
"Are you sure," Kate whispered as she moved in to try again but Caroline quickly manoeuvred out of the way leaving Kate with a quick kiss on the cheek and a good-bye as she headed for the door noting, with an imperceptible grin, the slippery commotion that had begun to form between her legs.
oooOooo
The meeting began with Mrs Aspinall, on behalf of all the staff, giving Dr McKenzie-Dawson a warm, heart-felt welcome back to Sulgrave Heath. Caroline thanked them for their greeting and then it rapidly became business as usual.
The meeting was a busy one with several major matters having been put on hold during Caroline's extended absence and now, with her return, required her urgent attention and action. New questions and concerns were also raised. Caroline had Beverley make note of all these items and any business that wasn't dealt with during the meeting she had promised to address as a matter of priority. The list seemed interminable. Why hadn't Mr Harrison dealt with these issues, she had to wonder?
Eventually Caroline was saved by the sounding of the bell which signalled the resumption of lessons and the end of their meeting as several of the HODs were required on class. Even then, it was only after she had assured Mr Edwards that she would personally look at the resource list he had submitted and get back to him before the end of the week that her office was finally vacated.
"A cup of tea, Caroline?" Beverley asked.
"Yes please….if you wouldn't mind."
While Beverley went to make the tea, Caroline returned to her desk and looked for her phone which she eventually found under some paperwork she had been ploughing her way through. The last thing she felt like doing now….or possibly ever…was talking to her ex-husband but she had told her son she would do it so, with about as much enthusiasm as one would gather for having bamboo shoots shoved under their fingernails, Caroline found John's name in her contacts list and pressed 'call'.
The phone rang once….twice…three times…with no answer. Maybe he wouldn't answer and it would go to message bank allowing her to delay this conversation until another day.
"Hello….Caroline?" John's surprise at getting a call from his wife…ex-wife…was evident in his voice.
"Damn," she thought to herself before replying, "Ah…yes…John, I need to talk to you about something." She kept her tone friendly but formal.
"Hi…How are you? I haven't heard from you in….Did Kate tell you I called in yesterday?"
"Yes, yes she did….John, I need to ask you something…discuss something with you…"
"Where are you? Are you at home? I could come over," he suggested hopefully.
"No…no…I'm at work." Caroline could feel her patience already rapidly draining away.
"We could meet for coff…"
"No, John," she said firmly, "I'm not meeting you anywhere."
"Okay…Another time perhaps…"
Caroline gritted her teeth in frustration. The man was insufferable.
"Are you listening, John?"
"Yes, what do you want to discuss?" A little less friendly now that his advances had been turned down.
"Lawrence."
"Lawrence?….What about Lawrence?"
Caroline took a second to steady her emotions. She didn't want John knowing that it upset her that Lawrence wanted to live with his dad.
"Lawrence wants to know if he can…come and live with you…in your flat?"
There was a stunned silence at the other end of the line so Caroline filled the space.
"He asked if he could come and live with you and I said I would discuss the matter with you and see if we could arrive at some arrangement."
"He wants to live with me? …..Lawrence does?" John asked in disbelief.
Caroline could picture the self-satisfied grin on his smug face and it was almost too much to bear. She would have dearly loved to have hung up there and then so as not to have to listen to the gloat in his voice.
"Yes…what do you think? What will I tell him?"
She hoped that John would find some excuse not to have Lawrence but that wasn't to be.
"Of course…that would be fabulous….I'll come over on the weekend and we can collect his things….he can move in on Saturday…it will give me a few days to …um…clean up a little."
"You mean throw out all the empty wine bottles," Caroline muttered to herself before continuing, "But, John, if his marks begin to fall or his schoolwork suffers in any way, he's coming back to me. I don't care if I have to drag him kicking and screaming. Do you understand?"
"Don't worry…everything will be fine.."
Caroline could feel hot, angry tears forming in her eyes and she didn't trust herself to speak without faltering so she ended the call there and tossed her phone carelessly back onto the desk.
Feeling emotionally wrung out, she put her elbows on the desk and rested her face in the palms of her hands in order to block out the world that seemed to be whizzing by her, tossing up one mad thing after another. Was she doing the right thing by letting Lawrence go and live with John? It didn't really matter as he was old enough to leave without her permission. At least this way she didn't come out looking like the 'bad guy' again...the Wicked Witch of Whatever to John's Jack Kerouac.
Suddenly she remembered the other things she had promised Kate she would discuss with John. In her anger and haste to be rid of the man, she had forgotten. She would do it on Saturday, face to face.
"Are you alright?" came the familiar voice of her assistant.
Caroline looked up. She was sure her eyes were still a little watery but it was only Beverley. She would understand and could be trusted to be discreet.
"John," was the only reply necessary.
"Oh…enough said. Here's your tea."
Beverley placed a steaming mug of tea on the desk in front of her.
"I'll get that list of items from the meeting sorted for you and email it to you….Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"
"Yes, there is actually….I meant to call this morning but I didn't get a chance…There's been some vandalism done to my car….."
Beverley grimaced. "To your car? Done here?"
"Yes…it's nothing too serious but I would like to find the culprit…they can't be allowed to get away with that kind of thing…"
"Of course not!...I can't believe it."
"Would you contact the security company and have them take a look at yesterday's CCTV footage and see what they can find, please?"
"I'll do it straight up and get back to you," Beverley replied as she strode purposefully from the office. Over the years she had grown very protective of her boss and couldn't stand the thought that something like this had happened.
oooOooo
Caroline had waited until they had arrived home to tell her son about her phone call with John although Lawrence had brought up the topic almost immediately after Angus had been dropped off but she had managed to deflect the conversation knowing that it would be too difficult for her to discuss the matter and concentrate on driving as well. However, the moment they were inside the house, Lawrence had bailed her up in the kitchen.
"Did you ask dad like you promised?" Lawrence asked eagerly but half-expecting her to say no.
Caroline had her back to him as she filled the kettle with water.
"Yes…yes, I did," she replied barely loud enough for him to hear.
It was as though a hand had reached through her chest and was squeezing her heart with all its might. Did he think she was that unbearable to live with?
"What did he say?"
"He said he'll come over on Saturday and you can move some of your stuff over to his flat….if you like?" Caroline swallowed hard on the lump forming in her throat.
"Cool!"
At the last minute Lawrence realised that perhaps his mother was upset and he moved around the bench to give her a hug.
"Thanks mum," he said in a more considerate manner. "He doesn't have anyone."
"Sure," Caroline replied, hugging him back, "but I've told your father that if your schoolwork isn't being done or your marks drop, you're back here, no questions asked. Do you understand?"
"Everything will be fine, mum, don't worry."
Famous last words she thought as she watched him race off to his room….probably to give the good news to Angus.
"Where's Kate?" Caroline wondered. She needed some solace and Kate could always make her feel better.
She took her fresh cup of tea and went in search. They were both to be found napping peacefully in the living room, Flora in her swing seat and Kate stretched out lazily on the sofa. The sight of the two girls she loved most in the world looking so serene automatically lightened Caroline's mood considerably. Caroline wasn't sure how she did it but even asleep Kate could stir her heart and so it was, with a great deal of self-control, that she resisted the urge to lean over and kiss her wife's inviting lips and instead, she left them to their dreams as she went upstairs to change.
When Caroline returned downstairs dressed more casually, she found Kate was now in the kitchen about to prepare some vegetables. Flora was there too also alert and following the movement of her parents as best she could from her where her seat had been placed.
Caroline lifted her daughter from her seat, held her in her arms and plied her chubby, toffee-coloured hands with gentle kisses.
"So when is it my turn?" Kate asked with feigned jealousy.
Caroline obliged immediately by reaching out to Kate with her one free arm and drawing her into a loving kiss also.
oooOooo
It was that time of the evening that both Kate and Caroline really treasured. Dinner had been eaten and the cleaning up afterwards was all done. Lawrence had gone up to his room, ostensibly to sleep but in reality he was probably immersed in his latest Death Grip comic book. Caroline had fed and bathed Flora and put her in her cot. All was quiet for the time being.
Finally they had some precious time to themselves. They had each taken their glass of red wine into the living room and made themselves comfortable on the sofa, lying stretched out and side by side, their head and shoulders supported by the many cushions and their legs entwined. Many late evenings were spent like this where the couple would chat and catch up on each other's day but tonight there didn't seem to be a need for words; there was a more basic desire simply for the touch and taste of one another as they kissed, with one tender kiss leading to the next and the next and yet another.
Suddenly the buzzing of Caroline's phone disrupted their quiet and burst their perfect bubble.
"Don't answer it," Kate suggested between kisses.
Caroline tried her best to ignore it but its persistence won out as she reached across Kate's lap and grabbed it from the coffee table. She checked the screen and looked puzzled.
"It's Gillian," she whispered to Kate as she answered. "Hello. Gillian?"
"Oh, hi Caroline….Sorry to be calling so late….How are you? And Kate and the baby?"
"We're all fine, thank you ….You?"
"Yeah…good…we're all good," Gillian replied sounding rather nervous.
"What can I do for you?" Caroline asked, getting straight to the point. She wasn't really in the mood for mindless nattering with her stepsister, not when she and Kate had finally managed to grab some time to themselves.
Gillian hesitated. "I just wanted to tell you something."
That's never a good sign, Caroline thought dubiously as she untangled herself from Kate and sat up.
"What?"
"I wanted you to know before you heard it from somewhere else….it's about me and Robbie."
Alarm bells began to ring. Caroline stood up and ambled towards the kitchen and out of earshot of Kate.
"What about you and Robbie?" Caroline asked with a sense of dread.
"He's asked me to marry him…..and I've said yes."
Kate sat up on the sofa and followed Caroline with her eyes curious to know what was happening. Despite not being able to hear the conversation she could tell from her wife's expression and body language that things were rather serious.
Finally, when Caroline had ended the call and re-joined Kate in the living room, her mood was quite subdued…more solemn.
Kate waited for Caroline to volunteer an explanation but when nothing was forthcoming she asked, "What was that all about?"
"Oh, nothing really...Just Gillian being...Gillian," Caroline replied in an attempt to avoid any further discussion.
Kate persisted. "You seem to be rather serious all of a sudden for it to be nothing."
Caroline detested the idea of lying or keeping secrets from her wife and occasionally she thought this secret of Gillian's would be an easier burden to bear if she could share it with Kate but then, of course, the dire implications of what might happen if she did share and put Kate in the same position Gillian had put her….an unwitting accessory to murder…kept her silent.
Now, against her advice and any common sense, Robbie and Gillian were to be married. What if, after a couple of drinks when her judgement wasn't at its best, Gillian took it upon herself to confess to Robbie what she had done to her husband…his brother? It was all too frightening to contemplate.
"Can we talk about it in bed?" Caroline suggested wearily, hoping that by the time they had crawled into bed the subject would be forgotten or overshadowed by another matter.
Still bothered by Gillian's news, Caroline lay in their bed, unable to stop her mind turning over all the possibilities and consequences. At that moment she decided that if Gillian was foolish enough to confess then she would lie about any knowledge of the murder….she wasn't going to lose everything she had because of Gillian's ridiculous desire to purge her conscience….she would lie and be happy enough to live with that lie.
Kate slipped into the bed beside her.
"You look worried. What's happened?"
There was no response for a moment or two. Kate thought Caroline had perhaps fallen asleep as her eyes were closed but then suddenly they opened and looked up at her, troubled and anxious and then Caroline spoke.
"Do you remember when I told you that Gillian's husband had committed suicide…..?"