Caroline and Kate had had a leisurely dinner during which they had talked and laughed easily about the trivia of their working lives. Kate knew Caroline was nervous and she purposely tried to keep the conversation light and to be as amusing as possible in order to relieve some of the tension.

As Caroline started to relax her eyes danced with pleasure at some of the absurd staff room stories Kate was telling. 'I was right' thought Kate ' I couldn't bear not being able to see the light dance in those glorious eyes or to look at this woman's beautiful face.

Although Kate didn't realize it Caroline's thoughts were moving along very similar lines. The older woman was well aware of how much effort Kate was making to ensure this was a relaxed and enjoyable occasion. 'I'm so lucky' thought Caroline 'to have this kind, compassionate and beautiful woman show this amount of interest in me'.

After dinner Kate asked Caroline back to her house for coffee. The invitation sent a thrill of anticipation through Caroline rapidly followed by a flash of terror. Kate sensed Caroline's apprehension and reached out to touch her hand.

'We said dinner and talk Caroline, there is nothing to be anxious about'

'Yes, sorry' said Caroline smiling briefly 'silly of me'

Caroline had never been in Kate's house before but she felt comfortable almost immediately. Like its owner the house had an air of peace and tranquility that quickly started to influence Caroline's mood.

Coffee made Kate sat down beside Caroline and looked tenderly at her

'Are you ready to talk?'

Surprisingly Caroline was, she told Kate all about how she had fallen in love when she first went away to University, how she and Lynn had spent an idyllic first term together until Caroline had come home for the Christmas break. Thrilled with her new found love Caroline has spoken to her mother about her friend Lynn on may occasions during that trip home and had finally confided the full extent of her feelings. Watching her intently Kate saw the joy and delight in the memory of her first love light up Caroline's face only to see it rapidly replaced by a look of pain and loss as she described for the first time to anyone the full excoriating revulsion that Celia, her mother, had expressed on hearing Caroline's confidence. Celia had condemned the relationship as unnatural, had warned Caroline not to speak of it to anyone else and threatened to disown her if she ever publicly acknowledged she was gay.

'My mother scared me so much, made me feel so guilty about my love for Lynn I broke it off with her as soon as I returned to college' said Caroline as a tear slowly trickled down her face.

Kate was deeply touched to see this strong woman cry as she spoke of an experience that was obviously still emotionally raw even after more than two decades. Kate ached for the years Caroline had carried this burden without being able to tell anyone of her pain. Gently brushing aside Caroline's tears Kate sat in companionable silence waiting for the older woman to continue.

After some time Caroline started to talk of John and their years together. Over the past few weeks Kate had seen some of the anguish John had caused but never to the extent that Caroline now confided.

'I was a good wife to him Kate, I thought we had a good marriage. When the boys came along and we both got caught up in them, in family life and in our careers maybe we did lose some focus on our relationship but I just thought that was normal. I have never been unfaithful to John and had he not left me I don't think I ever would have been. I don't do casual. But John did leave me and I have to ask myself if this was that the first time in all those years that he was unfaithful, have I been being deceived all this time'

'All I do know' Caroline continued 'is that our marriage is dead and it has left me feeling…..oh, useless, hopeless…..worthless'

Caroline took a deep breath and said.

'Kate I am attracted to women, I have know this about myself since I was 18 but I have buried it deep out of fear. I am very attracted to you; I find your physical presence exciting and disturbing but all the while I am conscious of the possible impact this could have on my boys and on my mother. To be honest I am also aware that public opinion can still be fickle even in 2012 and I really don't want to be talked about in the staff room at school and particularly not in the class rooms.'

'I needed to tell you all of this Kate so you could understand why I seem to be so inept at relationships and why us being together won't be easy.'

Caroline looked questioningly at Kate to see how her confidences had been received, had she painted such a black picture that Kate would only want to run for cover rather than embarking on a relationship that would at best be turbulent and at worst could be heart breaking. Caroline knew she had taken a risk in being quite so candid but she did believe in honesty and as she had said she didn't do casual. She had wanted Kate to fully understand what she might be taking on before they began.

Kate looked deeply into Caroline's eye's reading the turbulent emotions that the older woman was experiencing as she sat waiting for an answer.

Taking Caroline's face in her hands Kate brought their lips together in a kiss of warmth and tenderness, a kiss told Caroline everything she needed to know.

As Kate pulled back gently to check Caroline's reaction she was delighted to be caught by the shoulders and pulled back into a fierce embrace. Caroline wrapped her arms around Kate and kissed her with heat rather than warmth, with passion rather than tenderness, it was a kiss that set both women's senses reeling.

'Dr. Elliot I believe you have hidden depths' exclaimed Kate slightly breathless as they finally pulled apart.

Caroline smiled but Kate could tell that she was tired, the evening had taken its toll and Caroline needed time to recover.

Gently grazing Caroline's lips with her own she pulled the older woman into her arms and sat quietly holding her, both women at peace in each others company.