A/N: I'm getting a bit stuck writing now, so I'm not sure how many more of these I have in me! I might try a longer fic instead based on one of these chapters, so please let me know which is your favourite.
Caroline wasn't jealous. Nope! Not in the slightest. Kate might be out for the night with a female she had probably once slept with, but she would be coming home to her, to their house, to their family. So, no she absolutely wasn't jealous.
"Is your phone broken, Ma?"
"Why?" Caroline was startled from her thoughts by her youngest son's question.
"You keep looking at it."
"...No. No, it's-" Caroline began, but was entirely unsure about what she could say. She'd been checking it for a message from Kate. Something along the lines of I miss you, I love you, I'm having a horrible time, Come and get me. Anything, really. Except she'd received nothing.
Lawrence turned from his movie and looked at his mother with raised eyebrows. She'd suggested they watch a movie together, but he didn't think she was paying much attention. "It's what?"
"…It's Kate's first time out since Flora, and I want to make sure that if she calls to check on her, I can reassure her that Flora is fine."
Lawrence nodded, looking entirely unconvinced. When he turned back to the TV, she was sure she'd managed to convince him until he offered, "You're scared she's like dad. You think she's gone out to get drunk and sleep with other people."
Caroline opened her mouth to defend herself, but nothing came out except a whoosh of air. It's not that she worried Kate was anything like John- she knew she wasn't. Logically. But unfortunately Caroline's mind did not want to be logical tonight.
"She won't." Lawrence added.
Caroline really wasn't worried. Not one bit.
And so what if she was so eager to answer her phone when it rang that she knocked it onto the floor, dove after it and then answered while on her hands and knees. "Kate?"
Kate frowned, for Caroline sounded breathless. "Are you okay?"
"Fine. How's your night going?"
"…Well, the thing is, Anna's hotel has had a fire, and they're not admitting guests back in until the morning. We can look for another hotel, but I thought, i-if you wouldn't mind, that she could stay at ours overnight? Lawrence would have to be fine with it, too, obviously."
No. Absolutely not. Absolutely bloody fucking NOT. "Okay. Sure. It's fine. Lawrence won't mind either, I'm sure. When will you be here?"
And so what if she waited by the front door for half an hour waiting to see the lights of a taxi turn into the driveway.
She waited only a nanosecond which felt like hours before she rushed outside, pulling open the taxi door.
Watching from the window, Lawrence saw Kate briefly touch Caroline's arm but didn't kiss her. He wondered what his mother's mind might make of that in her current state. He knew soon enough by the sag of her shoulders. Rolling his eyes, he shut the blind and returned to his movie.
"Caroline." Caroline held out her hand to the younger woman who climbed out after Kate, forcing a smile to her lips.
Anna returned the smile and shook the proffered hand. "Thank you so much for letting me stay."
"Oh, it's fine. The house is huge, there are plenty of spare rooms." That's it, Caroline, impress her with your wealth, show her who's boss. "I can show you to one if Kate would like to-" She looked towards Kate, only to find her no longer there. "-Check on Flora."
Anna smiled, following Caroline into the house. "It's fine. I know it's her first proper night away from the baby. She talked about her non-stop. Well, almost non-stop. The rest of the time she told me all about you."
"ALL about me?" Caroline asked with a nervous laugh, hoping this all didn't include her behaving like a petulant child as soon as Kate had said she wanted to go out alone because she would only feel ok if Flora was left with Caroline.
And so what if she saw them sat on the sofa together and promptly pressed her bum between them until they were forced to move apart so she could sit between them.
"I saw this movie three times the week it came out. I love scary movies." Anna told Lawrence.
"Ma hates them. Only let's me watch them when she's-"
"WOULD anyone like a glass of wine? Or a cup of tea?" Caroline stood.
And so what if Kate walked in on her a few moments later wrestling angrily with a wine bottle that wouldn't give up its cork.
She only stilled when Kate took the bottle away. She steeled herself for an argument, but instead Kate just moved into her arms, wrapped herself around the blonde and quietly burst into tears.
What's the matter?!" Caroline was startled by this and it took a few seconds for her mind to move into gear and allow her to lift her arms to pull Kate closer. "What's happened?"
Kate shook her head, sniffling. "I ordered the red wine you like because it made me think of kissing you, but I'd forgotten that red wine always makes me cry."
Caroline emitted a soft laugh at this confession, lowering her head so her lips brushed against Kate's ear. "I only let Lawrence watch a horror because I made him sit through a French film because it reminded me of you."
This time it was Kate who gave a faint laugh. "We're silly."
"We're in love."
And so no, she wasn't jealous. She really wasn't.
