Blue Productions – Part Three
Caroline and Kate approached the girls' about their father several times and there was no wavering on the decisions they'd made. They were certain that living full time with their parents was what they wanted, but were ready to gingerly step out and give their dad and his family a chance to get to know them better.
Issy had been in touch with Kate and assured her at this stage she was not pushing for any contact with her side of the family as she felt it would be too much. Kate was more and more relaxed about the arrangement, but Caroline was in another place. She dreaded the idea despite her head telling her that it would surely be alright.
She had never discussed it with Kate in any great detail, but John's parents were older and had died only two years apart before the boys were in high school. They had little patience with two boisterous boys and visiting them became only a duty when John put the hard word on her. John's older brother was the apple of their eyes as he was a surgeon and had married well. Their children were disciplined and mild mannered. John, as an author was a disappointment to them and over the last few years, as his life began to unravel, his relationship with his brother and family had become non- existent, barring Christmas cards; something Caroline could only be grateful for. However it did serve to colour her view on in-laws somewhat.
On the other hand, Kate's family were gentle happy people who despite any hardships they may have endured, offered full acceptance of Caroline and the girls and always made them welcome. David, Kate's cousin was the brother she'd never had and he and his family were close.
Despite Kate reassuring her that she had met Greg's parents many times and they were nice people, Caroline was worried about how they might be with Flora and Grace. Was this unrealistic, she asked herself many times, but still couldn't shake off her misgivings.
"Ok Caroline, here goes." Kate picked up her mobile phone and dialled Greg's number, putting hers on speaker so that they could both share the call.
"Hi Kate, how are you all?"
"We're fine and hope your lot are too."
Following a back and forward about what the two families had been up to; Kate finally jumped into the conversation they had to have. "Greg, I'm calling you because Caroline and I have had a couple of conversations with the girls about your proposals. We explained everything first and then gave them some time to talk to each other before coming back and telling us what they think."
"Ok that sounds good, what do you think they feel about it all?"
"In truth, we think they are a little bit conflicted as you may imagine."
"Conflicted, about what exactly?" Kate could feel Greg's resistance starting to build.
"Well they've grown up knowing that you are their dad and they have been lucky to have such a wonderfully supportive one. But, they see Caroline and me as their parents the boys as their brothers and this as their family and home."
"Yes well that would be normal Kate; we would have expected nothing else really."
"So this wish of yours to spend more time with you was a bit of a shock we think. They are very happy with the status quo and actually have seemed rather clingy and hesitant since we talked to them."
"What you mean as in afraid or something?"
"Well not afraid as such but they thought through by themselves what it could mean. For example, they told us they have friends at school who have to divide their time equally between two households and they said in no uncertain terms that they didn't want to do that."
There was a pause in the conversation; the tension was building in Kate's temples.
"Soooo you're saying that if Issy and I wanted them here every other week, they would not want that?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying Greg. Caroline and I would not be happy with that either, they aren't used to it and it's too disruptive."
"Well what are they saying then?"
"They came up with the idea of having a couple of weekend sleepovers each term; having breakfast or a meal with your parents and also having family holidays where we all go away together."
"Wow, that's not a lot better than what we get now is it Kate?"
"I don't think that's a fair thing to say Greg. We've never stopped you from having time with them; our home has always been open to you and the family."
Caroline was beginning to get angry and Kate could see it. They had agreed Kate would do the talking as Caroline could fly off the handle more easily.
"I don't know about this; it's not what Issy and I had envisaged. Maybe we should come up and talk to them ourselves."
Caroline was madly shaking her head; Kate stroked her face in a bid to calm her down.
"Greg, the words the girls used not only to us but to in front of their grandmothers, was that they both loved their dad and wouldn't want to hurt him, but this is their home and we, are their parents. That's how they like it."
"Yes, but surely we aren't forgetting that I'm their father Kate."
"No, not at all, you are their father, but we are their parents. It sounds like semantics, but it's a description of the role we all play. You've never really parented them as such and we've always been happy and comfortable to take all the responsibility for them. That was the understanding we had when you agreed to help us."
"Yes I know that; but surely you can understand that we want a chance for them to feel part of our lives a bit more. Time goes so quickly Kate and before we blink they'll be finishing school and off to university."
Kate's heart strings were really being pulled; she knew Greg well enough to know that this was not a matter of principle for him; it was a real cry from the heart. "Greg, I think that if you let the girls take this at their own pace, you might be pleasantly surprised that they start to want more, by themselves. The one thing we have never done to the girls is force them in to things.
At this point Caroline could not keep quiet any longer. "Greg, you need to know that this is really hard for us too. We don't want to deny you, but we aren't completely comfortable with it all. Mostly we are thinking of Flora and Grace and not wanting their lives to be disrupted."
"Ok I understand, we understand. Let's just go with what they've suggested and see how it works. Will you ask them if they would be willing to come next weekend as it's my mum's birthday and it would be the best present I could give her?"
Kate heard Caroline suck in air. This was real now. No more discussion. The call ended with the promise they would ask the girls and ring back soon.
Kate watched Caroline get up and walked out into the garden; her stooped shoulders showing that she was holding in a lot of something. Kate didn't immediately follow her; instead she went to find the girls and explained what Greg had suggested for the following weekend. They both looked taken aback but agreed to the proposition albeit without a lot of overt enthusiasm.
"So it's OK for me to tell dad that he can pick you up next Friday and bring you back on Sunday?"
"No mum." Flora said emphatically; "pick us up Saturday morning and bring us back Sunday afternoon."
"Why not Friday darling?"
A gentler Grace stepped in; "Mum you know Friday is always our pizza and movie night with you and Ma. Anyway, Will and Roxy are coming aren't they?"
"God, I'd forgotten all about that. So next weekend is no good; Ma wouldn't stand for you not being here when your brother comes home." She could see straight away how complicated this could get, trying to balance everyone's calendars. "Ok leave it with me and I'll try and organise something." Now she was torn; there was on the one hand Greg's mother's birthday and on the other, the news about the baby. She sighed deeply and walked outside to find her wife.
Caroline was sitting on the garden bench, very teary. Kate sat beside her and gently picked up her hand and kissed it. "It's going to be OK, you know that don't you?"
"No, I don't really know that;" not here anyway as she thumped at her heart. "I sometimes wish we'd or you'd used an anonymous donor. We wouldn't have these complications."
"You can't really mean that Caroline. Our girls are who they are partly because their father is such a good man. I know the whole conception, then involvement thing has always been difficult for you, but we've had twelve years of joy and happiness; two gorgeous daughters who are healthy and happy. That has to count for something."
"I suppose so, but it seems now we have to start paying for that and in my mind the price is too high." Kate pressed her lips to Caroline's as she stroked her tears away. "Trust me darling, trust the girls." She then told her about the conversation she had just had with them and how simple and innocent they were in not wanting to miss their pizza/movie night." This had become a delightful family tradition and if you were to look in on them this Friday, you would see a large pizza of tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella (favourite of all of them); watching 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children', and were it to be half way through the movie, two girls engrossed lying on the rug in front of the TV and Caroline stretched out along the couch with her head in Kate's lap; slender gentle fingers delicately massaging her scalp and temples.
Caroline smiled."Yes they are innocent in lots of ways. I often think of some of the worldly twelve year olds I had to deal with at Sulgrave. How long Kate before ours step over that line?"
After another call to Greg, it was arranged that the twins would go to him on the Sunday for the day so that they could meet their grandparents and celebrate the birthday. Kate had felt obliged to share Will and Roxy's good news and why the girls had to be home Friday and Saturday. He understood but she could hear the disappointment as he capitulated.
As the movie was just about to finish they heard the crunch of gravel as Will and Roxy arrived. Kate watched as Caroline embraced Roxy, her hand gently resting on the small but perceptible baby bump. Family brunch was transferred to Saturday morning so that the announcement could be made. Both grandmothers were delighted; as Celia put it; "well I never thought I'd be a great grandmother." Ginika could only nod in agreement as her eyes welled up. The girls squealed with delight and hugged Roxy asking all kinds of questions about names; when it would be born; would there be two like mum had; would they be able to hold it.
The dreaded Sunday morning came around far too quickly for Caroline. Will and Roxy were leaving after breakfast as they were going into the city to have lunch with John, so that they could tell him. He now never came to Kate and Caroline's; he had at last reached a point where he conceded that his efforts to disrupt their relationship or indeed to worm his way into their life, was totally over. There were times when he still bemoaned his loss to anyone who would listen, but those people had become almost non-existent now.
Greg and family were expected at ten o'clock and the girls were busy getting ready in their rooms. It had been agreed that they would go to Greg's parents for lunch and then have a family tea together before they were dropped home at eight thirty. Caroline didn't know it but Kate had organised for them to go out for the day and include in that a lunch at a very classy restaurant. Anything to keep her out of the house and distracted.
The car arrived and the twins came out looking very lovely and colourful. "Wow, you two look so pretty." Their father had gushed as he hugged and kissed them. "Are we all set to go?" There was a genuine but non-the-less hesitant 'yes' from them both. Both mothers stood at the door watching them climb in to the car and drive off until they turned on to the road and out of sight, Caroline rushed indoors and leant over the kitchen bench. Kate walked up and put her arms around her waist. "Hey, come on, it's only for today, and I have a nice surprise for you. A special lunch followed by a walk around the gardens of Bamforth Manor."
"Kate that costs an arm and a leg!"
"Yes but you are more than worth it and I will show you that in a moment. We have an hour before we need to leave and in case you haven't noticed we are all alone."