Since their visit to the tea rooms, Kate and Caroline had exchanged mobile numbers and Caroline was delighted to discover that Kate wasn't one of those people who sent insipid texts every five minutes followed by a string of smiley faces and kisses. Instead, they called each other some evenings when they were both free. Kate seemed to have a sixth sense about which days had been particularly bad; it seemed that the other woman just knew when Caroline would be lying on the sofa, eyes glazed over at some property show on the TV, desperate for company but too proud to go over to her mother's. It was lovely to have someone to talk to, but despite – perhaps because of – the phone calls, they didn't see each other at school outside of staff meetings and school assemblies.

In addition to (in some shape or form, something that was not to be thought too hard about) missing Kate's physical presence, Caroline was growing a little concerned at the imbalance of the phone calls she had been exchanging with Kate; while she had only mustered up the courage to call Kate twice over the past three weeks, the other woman had checked in with her five or six times. It was a Saturday, and the boys and even her mother were off out doing their own things. She took advantage of the empty house and pottered around doing odd jobs for a while before realising it wasn't yet 10am. She took out her phone, scrolled through the shamefully short list of contacts, and called Kate.

"Hello Caroline!"

"Are you busy?"

"Right now? Not especially, why?"

Caroline found herself wishing she was talking on one of those old-fashioned landline phones with a cord she could nervously twirl around her fingers. "I was thinking, if you were free, we could do something. Today. Me and you."

"That sounds wonderful," they hadn't talked in person for weeks, but Caroline could still picture the big smile on Kate's face as she said it. "What did you have in mind?"

"To be honest, I hadn't thought that far ahead. I'd assumed you'd have plans."

"Definitely nothing that won't keep till Sunday. Are you sure there's nothing you'd like to do?"

Caroline floundered about for a moment, cursing herself for a lack of forward planning and wondering if she hung up and turned off the phone, she could go to bed, sleep the day away, and pretend the call hadn't happened.

"Well, it's nice out," Kate said, saving her, "do you fancy going for a walk? We could drive over to the dales and have a bit of a stroll."

Smiling, relieved; "I'd like that."


She found her walking shoes buried under a mountain of muddy rugby boots and was pleased to find that the waterproof, windproof cagoule that she'd bought several years ago and never worn still fit. The satnav got her to Kate's cottage with no problems, and she was slightly disappointed that Kate was ready to leave as soon as she arrived; she'd wanted to see the interior of what looked like a very charming, if small, house. Caroline eventually relented and allowed them to take Kate's car (really though, a Fiat 500 was a ridiculous car to be driving to the dales in, especially when Caroline's car was made for country driving) and Classic FM filled the comfortable silence as they drove.

Going for a walk was an excellent idea. She hadn't realised, staring out of the passenger window, watching the built-up residential areas of Harrogate give way to long snakes of dry stone wall and patchwork fields, how long it had been since she'd left Harrogate. There was an away match she'd had to pick Laurence up from near Wetherby last month, but other than that, her life had scarcely acknowledged a world outside of her house and school. They'd decided on a walk around Nidderdale, a particularly beautiful stroll on crisp, bright days. Parking was painless, and the women divided the water, flasks of tea, and small picnic between them to carry before setting off, Caroline trusting Kate with navigation.

"Do you come up here a lot then?" Caroline asked, pushing hair out of her eyes to better survey the unbroken green scenery. The smell of grass and gorse and fern was invigorating.

"Not recently. When I moved here from York, I'd drive out here all the time, it was so exciting having it on my doorstep."

"John and I used to come out here with the boys sometimes, years ago. Before my dad died and Mum came to live with us."

"Really?"

"Oh you needn't be worried, it's not upsetting. It was quite different to walking with you, though. Laurence would find all sorts of creepy-crawlies under rocks and logs and torment William with them. John would point out wildlife and pontificate about their Latin names. It feels like another lifetime. It's good to be back here."

Caroline was pleased that the walk wasn't more vigorous than she remembered and she didn't embarrass herself by demonstrating just how long it had been since she'd been out hiking. The two women strolled leisurely along, stepping easily over streams starved by the lack of recent rainfall. Kate led them onwards, over the brow of a hill and towards a set of glorious rock formations.

"I thought," Kate said, a little out of breath from the hill, which Caroline found gratifying, "we could have lunch here and then sort of circle back."

"Sounds great." Caroline helped Kate sort out the blanket and the two women sat atop one of the smaller rocks, passing water bottles and sandwich boxes back and forth.

"It's lovely, being here and not having to yell at Lawrence to get down from there," mused Caroline, nibbling on a carrot stick.

"It is nice. Much more peaceful than usual – when I came here in summer, it was packed with families," Kate smiled a little cheekily, "including shouting, well-meaning, overprotective mothers."

Butting Kate's shoulder with her own in reprisal, Caroline was surprised that Kate had so quickly arrived at the level of friendship where she could, even in jest, make fun of Caroline as a mother. The number of people who got to do that and live could be counted on one hand. It was warming, but it was also cause for some concern. Caroline knew what other barriers Kate was breaking down, with every thoughtful gesture, every teasing comment, and she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to stop it, but wasn't that precisely the problem? The day was too peaceful to worry, though. She filed her concerns away for later and she sat side-by-side on the rock with Kate, picking at the fruit cake, watching a pair of honey buzzards circle lazily in the sky.

The pair lost track of time making their way back to the car, and it wasn't until they were halfway back to Harrogate that Caroline's phone buzzed with multiple texts.

"Someone's popular." Kate remarked.

Flicking through them, Caroline remembered how poor the signal out on the dales was. There didn't seem to be any great emergency, just her mother and William getting home and wondering where she was. Kicking herself for leaving her sons wondering where their responsible parent was, she had to turn down Kate's polite offer of a quick cup of tea.

"Maybe next time."

Kate nodded in understanding. "I didn't put you off then."

Put her off walking? Off tea? Off Kate? Caroline smiled noncommittally, said her goodbyes and waved as she drove off in her car. She called ahead, letting her family know that she'd be home soon, and went via Waitrose to pick up ingredients for dinner. She felt more settled, she decided, pushing her trolley past the deli counter. The walk had helped put things in perspective, and she was pleased that the memories she had of walks with her family had been fond, rather than painful. If only she could stop her mind wandering to Kate every five minutes, she could call it a total success.