Lawrence, who outwardly looked and sounded like Caroline to her staff, was holed up in the Head Teacher's office. He was under strict orders to not interact with anyone. He was bored and frustrated; he tried to trawl through the employee and student records looking for dirt on some of the people who bullied him on a regular basis but discovered those records were all password protected and he had no idea what those passwords were so he spent his morning playing solitaire and binging on the junk food he had in his backpack instead.

A quiet knock on the door made him sit up straight like his mum would have sat. "Come in," he said as authoritatively as possible.

"Caroline, sorry to disturb. I know you said no calls or meetings today but John's here. Did you know he was coming?" Beverley inquired delicately. "I know you said no visitors but wasn't sure if that included him."

Without thinking, he said, "Nope. Any idea what he wants?"

"Not a clue. You okay? You don't seem yourself." Beverley removed the empty tea cup from the desk and gave her boss a double take when she noticed a couple of candy wrappers on the floor that had missed the waste bin; she'd never known Caroline to eat candy bars, or any snack at all, for that matter; often she had trouble getting Caroline to even break for lunch. The only time she could remember Caroline eating a junk food at her desk was after her break-up with Kate. Given that Caroline had only the day before invited her to their wedding, she worried something had gone awry between the newly engaged couple. It was the only way to explain Caroline's moping around the office all morning refusing all calls and interruptions.

"Send Po… uh…John in," Lawrence said, quickly catching his slip. As an after-thought he added, "Can you bring us a Coke?"

Beverly shot her boss a startled look as she opened the door: first chocolate and now soda. Something was definitely off. "John, Caroline says to come in."

"Whassup?" Lawrence began before realizing he needed to sound more like his Mum. "I mean what brings you here?"

"Caroline. You look good," John began, his voice dripping with treacle. "I haven't seen you in a while. Have you lost weight or have you done something different with your hair? How are things?"

Not falling for how his father was trying to suck up to his mum, Lawrence decided to try to be as clipped with him as he knew his Mum would have been. "What do you want, John? I don't have much time, cut to the chase."

"I heard from Lawrence you're thinking of marrying again and I wanted one last time to see if there was any chance of getting you to take me back instead." He braced himself Caroline to give him a proper clipping around the ears. "I've just been lost without you and still love you. I want our old life back. Tell me there's a chance for us and I'll do anything."

"What about Judith?" Lawrence said incredulously. He hated how he'd run out on him but now it was clear he'd run out on the baby, too.

"It's not working—she's not you. I screwed up and never meant for it to go this far. What can I do to get you back?" John wiped his sweaty palms on his thighs, sitting forward on his seat to lean against the front of Caroline's desk.

Lawrence noticed his father looking at her cleavage and was instantly more disgusted by his father than he'd ever been before. "You are sitting here, admitting you're not in love with the woman you cheated on mu…me with. The woman you left the boys for," he caught himself in the nick of time. "Yeah, you screwed up."

As John ran his hands thru his hair, Lawrence noticed them shaking. He wondered if it was because his father needed a drink of alcohol or if it was because the enormity of the situation was finally hitting home with him. He also noticed John was clean shaven for a change, something he knew he did when he wanted something from his mum. In that moment, the low simmering anger he'd had at his father since he learned of Judith's pregnancy finally over-boiled. Lawrence took advantage of John's silence and laid into him from the safety of his mother's persona. "She's knocked up and you're worried about yourself. Shame on you. You'd run out on that helpless baby like you did our kids? It's like I don't even know you anymore."

"Me? You're planning to raise a baby who's not even related to you? Shacked up with that…that…dy…that homewrecker? And you judge me?" John pushed back, realizing he had nothing further to lose.

Lawrence wasn't a fan of his mum's relationship with Kate but he knew Kate was far from a homewrecker. He glanced at the photo of his mum and Kate resting on the desk; he'd looked at it on and off all morning because there was something about it that he couldn't put his finger on. But after taking in his father's unabashed performance, the broad smile on his mum's face finally registered with him and he realized he couldn't remember ever seeing her look that happy in a picture with his father.

"You want to come back but let's be honest. How many women were there before Judith? Were they students or just university employees? Be honest for once."

John's sheepish expression gave Lawrence the answer. Since he wasn't forth coming with any tacit admission, Lawrence picked up the gauntlet he'd thrown at his former hero's feet.

"How dare you call Kate a homewrecker?"

"I've learned a valuable lesson and I'll never do it again if you'll only take me back," he groveled.

"And I'm supposed to believe you? You don't even realize you left the boys, too. Do you have any clue how much you've hurt them? It's time for you to go and think about how you can make this up to them."

After John slinked out, Lawrence stewed as the smell of John's aftershave lingered like the stench of desperation it was. His stomach turned as he understood the level of hurt his mum must have felt over the years from his dad's selfishness.

The sound of an incoming text from Kate interrupted his thoughts.

Hey there gorgeous. Heading to the market. What do you think Lawrence would like for dinner? I was thinking burgers but I know you're not a fan.

Lawrence didn't immediately respond as he was surprised by the mention of him. Thinking about his mum's preference, he offered one of his mum's favourite dishes instead.

How about your lamb tangine? But maybe leave the out aubergine since he doesn't like it. It's nice of you to think about what he wants.

He wasn't expecting Kate's response.

Tangine it is! He didn't seem happy about our wedding plans yesterday and I don't want him to leave us for John's.

Lawrence laughed out loud at that concern; after the visit from his dad a few minutes ago, being around him was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

I don't think that will happen anytime soon. I'd be more worried if we asked him to change nappies or if the baby cries endlessly. But over there and he'll have a baby and Judith and John to care for. If it's 3 babies to 1 I bet we win.

He hit send on the text without thought about how he could play Kate's insecurities to his advantage. At least in that moment he didn't want to torture her since, although he didn't fully understand, he was beginning to see she made his mum happier than she'd been with his dad.

I hope you're right. What's about dessert?

Dessert, now Kate was talking his language. He wanted that peanut butter pie from market but his mum refused to have peanuts anywhere near Kate.

He loves sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream. He might even clear the table if you got him that.

Kate's response was immediate.

Done. I'm going to head out now. I plan to nap in this afternoon so I have some energy for you later tonight. Don't work too hard. Save some energy for me. XO

Lawrence was too embarrassed to respond and dropped the phone on the desk like it was a hot potato.