Caroline used to hate Michael Dobson. These days she just felt sorry for him.

He would never know what it was like to see Kate's face light up when he walked into the staffroom unexpectedly when she was having a bad day.

It was never exactly agreed or discussed, it just was. Every Friday at 2pm, Kate would come into Caroline's office and they'd talk about the work week so that their weekend would, hopefully, be free of school. Kate had come into the office every Friday at 2pm for the last year. Today, though, it was exactly 2.15pm and Caroline was alone in her office.

She'd tried telling herself it wasn't like they'd made plans, Kate might be busy elsewhere. She'd checked her phone and there was no message, but it wasn't as though they'd agreed to meet.

Caroline made it to precisely 2.19pm before she got to her feet.

"You've got an appointment in 10 minutes." Beverley reminded her, surprised to see the blonde out of her office.

"I know, I ah…I was just going to go and make a coffee."

"I can make you one." Beverley went to stand.

"No! No, it's okay. I'll go. Can I make you one?"

As Caroline made her way to the staffroom a few moments later, she chastised herself. There would have been nothing wrong with telling Beverly she was just going to look for her wife.

She entered the staffroom hopefully, but her steps faltered when she saw Kat sat on the couch, Michael Dobson sat on the edge of the seat in front of her with a hand on her knee.

Michael was the first to notice Caroline, and Kate must have seen the annoyance cross his face, for she turned her head. Caroline couldn't help but smile when Kate's teary face lit up, a hand reaching out for her. She was quickly by her wife's side, taking her hand. "What's happened?"

Kate sniffed, shaking her head a little because she didn't want to voice it, edging closer to Caroline but hesitant to curl into her in view of the staff.

"Her dad." Michael finally offered begrudgingly. "She got a voicemail from the home he's in, but she's too scared to call them back."

Caroline didn't speak for a moment, just brushed her finger over Kate's hand. "…Do you want me to call?"

Kate nodded her head, eyes clouding with tears again.

"Will…Will they tell me anything? I'm not-"

"I put you down as an emergency contact." Kate sniffed.

"Okay." Caroline released Kate's hand to pull her closer into a one armed hug as she dialled the number on her phone.

As it turned out, Kate's father was having a good day and they'd hoped Kate might bring Flora in to meet her grandfather.

He would never know what it was like to have Kate curled sleepily in his arms after a long day.

Caroline was resting against the arm of the couch, legs curled beneath her, and Kate was at her side with her head resting on Caroline's hip.

"1930s."

"Hmm?" The fingers Caroline had been threading through her wife's hair stilled.

"The answer to the question." Kate motioned to the TV.

"What was the question?"

"…Don't remember." Kate smiled, glancing up at Caroline.

"We should go to bed." Caroline smiled back.

"Ten more minutes." Kate offered, eyes looking back at the tv. They'd not had any time alone all week, and she knew as soon as they got to bed they'd be fast asleep.

"Ten more minutes." Caroline agreed, her fingers resuming their massage.

He would never know what it was like to return home late at night to find Kate curled up with their daughter in their bed, both giggling wildly.

Gillian had offered her a bed for the night, for it was late once their dinner had finished, but Caroline was eager to get home and start her the weekend with her family, so at midnight she'd began the drive home.

The house was quiet when she arrived, the windows dark. From habit she walked around to the check all the doors were shut and then made her weary way up the stairs. It was midway up that she had reason to pause, a delighted giggle floating down to her from one of the rooms.

A smile lit her face and her steps had renewed vigour as she made her way up the rest of the stairs. She'd hoped Flora might be awake, giving her some time with her daughter, but it turned out to be something even better, for when Caroline pushed open the master bedroom door she found Kate sitting on the bed with Flora on her lap trying to read to her as the little girl giggled.

Kate smiled up at Caroline, beckoning her closer as she began to read again. "Spot says…"

"WOOF!" Flora yelled before falling sideways with the strength of her laughter.

"What's so funny?" Caroline asked with a laugh, heels coming off before she sat beside her wife and daughter.

"I've no idea." Kate giggled. "Flora, tell mummy what spot says."

"WOOF!" Flora repeated, tears now coming out of her eyes as she chuckled.

Tne minutes later, the bed was full of people. Caroline, Kate, William, Lawrence and Flora, the little girl sat in the middle and delighting in the fact that everyone was laughing along with her.

"WOOF!"

So she cut him a bit of slack.

She moved him to a classroom further from Kate's, she stopped pairing them for yard duty. She thought she was helping.

She thought not being around Kate would help.

But she also knew how intoxicating it was to have someone look at you with adoration, how powerful it made you feel. She knew her thoughts were not only for Michael.

In the end it was Gilian who finally put Caroline's mind at ease.

She'd made herself official photographer one Christmas and had forwarded Caroline the photos a couple of days later. There were what seemed like hundreds of candid photos that made Caroline smile, but the very last one was her favourite. In it, Kate was laughing at something and Caroline was almost out of shot watching her, a look of complete adoration on her face.