"Ready?" Kate asked as she headed toward the door of their room. She knew Caroline wanted to get down to breakfast on the early side to avoid arriving after all the others were seated. Trying not to reveal she had some butterflies fluttering about in her stomach at the thought of facing Celia and Muriel, who had only just learned about Kate the night before and was sure to try and grill them if given a chance, Caroline reached a hand out to Kate to stop her in her tracks and pulled her in for one last kiss.
"You look beautiful. The colour of your dress looks gorgeous on you," she told her lover in an effort to boost her up since she figured she wasn't too happy about wearing last night's dress to breakfast.
Kate gave her a quick peck on the lips and, with an un-reassured look on her face, said, "Come on, let's get my walk of shame over."
"I think you mean our walk of shame. Just hold my hand as we go in and it should be fine," Caroline suggested as she opened the door to head to the elevator.
It was about a quarter to nine when they entered the dining room, hand in hand, relieved to only find Gillian there, alone, sipping a cup of coffee but looking exceedingly nervous, like she'd already had too much caffeine. Caroline could tell in an instant something was wrong. "What's up Vincent," she said in greeting.
"Oh thank God it's just you. I did something really stupid last night," she began before Kate's presence registered with her. "Sorry, good morning Kate. Hope you two had a nice evening."
"Happy Christmas," Kate responded as she nodded her head in further response and flashed Gillian a kind smile. She really didn't know her but from all she'd heard about her she knew drama of her own creation seemed to follow her everywhere. Fearing the worst, Caroline asked Kate if she'd mind getting them a cuppa from the coffee and tea station to give her a minute alone with Gillian.
The new sisters were tucked into a table, heads leaning in toward each other and talking in low voices. Kate noticed that as soon as she took a seat with them, the conversation seemed to instantly shift from something serious to light-hearted banter. The switch up gave her a pause for concern and she decided to address it, fearing it might have been about someone reacting badly to seeing her and Caroline together on the dance floor. "Did I interrupt something?"
Caroline shot a long, questioning look at Gillian who merely nodded her head in consent. "It's just that after we left the reception, Gillian and Robbie hooked up. It just wasn't something she expected to happen and she's worried about how our parents will react."
"Is he here? Will he be joining us?" Kate inquired as she didn't understand why this was could be an issue.
"No, he agreed to go feed the sheep so I can make it to yours today, Caroline."
"Wait a minute," Kate responded, as the penny dropped. "What happened to that blonde he was with at the wedding?"
"Cheryl and Robbie had a little bust up and she stormed off but not before telling him to stay here and sleep it off…which he did…eventually," Gillian explained with a self-satisfied smile overtaking her otherwise dour face; her expression revealing that she didn't fully regret it.
"So how did he get back to yours and when did this all go down?" Caroline asked.
"After the folks headed off to the honeymoon suite," she responded as she started nervously twisting her napkin in her hands. "He took my Landy."
"So presumably they don't know then," Caroline offered in a slower speech pattern than usual which told Kate she was trying to process the situation.
"Yeah, but they might put two and two together when I ask Harry to give us a ride home." She put her elbows onto the table and dropped her head into them, eventually running one of her hands through her hair as though it would help her think harder and come up with a plausible explanation about why she, Raff and Ellie need a lift.
"Have no fear, I'm sure that Mum will be too hung up on us to give you a second thought. You'll live to shag another day," Caroline said as she lifted her cup for Gillian to clink hers against it.
Raising her cup to be part of the clink, Kate winked at Caroline and contributed, "Have no fear, Caroline, so will you."
Suddenly there was some commotion at the entrance to the dining room because Angus and Lawrence were boisterously making their way in, just steps behind Roxy and William. Lawrence gave his mum a half-hearted hug and merely acknowledged Kate with a nod of the head and a curt 'Merry Christmas'. William, sensing his mum's disappointment in Lawrence's coldness to Kate, pulled her into a big bear hug and told her that on the way down to breakfast he got Lawrence to agree to be on his best behaviour. As he released her from their embrace, William suggested she just give him some space in front of Angus.
Caroline got the four youngsters situated at their own table, with two extra seats waiting for Ellie and Raff to materialize; Alan decided to treat them to a room as part of their Christmas gifts and it was their first hotel room together.
Before too long, Ted and Harry entered, followed closely by Muriel, who was intent upon sitting with Caroline and Kate to get the full story about them, but Harry invited her to sit with him before she had a chance to grab the fourth seat at Caroline's table. Thinking quickly, Muriel suggested that they push some tables together so all the adults could dine together. A nearby waiter overheard the suggestion and, before anyone could say otherwise, he started to move the tables.
Just as everyone was about to find a seat, the bride and groom arrived and another round of greetings ensued. Without hesitating, Caroline stepped forward to embrace the new Mrs. Buttershaw. In a low voice, Celia asked Caroline to reign herself in and said she wanted to talk about this 'thing' with Kate this evening after everyone was gone, expecting her daughter to knuckle under her iron will. Instead, Caroline took her by the elbow and led her out to the reception area.
"There's nothing to discuss. I'm sorry if we embarrassed you last night, but I won't apologize for wanting Kate back. She's willing to try again so you are going to have to accept her and the baby or there really will be nothing left to discuss," she very quietly began. The last thing she wanted was for anyone in the family to hear them this time.
Celia started to speak but Caroline cut her off. "I love you mum but either you accept us or you don't. I will not have a repeat of your first dinner with her at my house and I suspect your new husband won't either."
Celia was gobsmacked. She took a step back and considered her daughter's stooping to play the Alan card. "I guess you know best. Let's go back or people will be wondering what's keeping us."
As Caroline settled back into her seat, Kate leaned over to inquire if everything was okay. Caroline reassured her it was by saying she merely wanted to set Celia straight on a few details about the rest of the day's activities. She held Kate's hand on the table as much for Kate's benefit as Celia's.
Seeing the affection, Ted was the first to comment. "Perhaps you two will be the next ones to follow them up the aisle." He gave them a wink of the eye as Muriel joined in and commented on how fashionable same sex relationships seem to be at the moment. By the end of the brunch, Kate and Caroline felt much more at ease and were buoyed by the support they seemed to receive from everyone except the stone-faced Celia and the distant Lawrence.
As the brunch was ending, Caroline slipped William her keys and asked him to take the boys home, saying she would follow with Kate in her car. About an hour later, Kate dropped her off to get the turkey in the oven and then proceeded to her home to change and pack a suitcase before heading back to Caroline's.
As soon as Caroline entered the house, Lawrence was on her about when they would be opening gifts. She responded, "You can each open one now if you can't wait but we'll do presents this afternoon when everyone is here."
"Is Popsicola coming too?"
"No Lawrence and don't invite him. He's with Judith now so he needs to spend the day with her. You can go see him after dinner if you wish." Lawrence stormed off, without a word in response, only to be called back by Caroline.
"What," he demanded as he defiantly plopped down on a stool at the counter.
"Why the attitude? I don't deserve it." She was ready to blow but was trying to keep her cool to not send him into a full-tailspin that could ruin the rest of their day.
"I bet if Kate weren't coming he would have been invited," he challenged.
"If you recall, I didn't know Kate would be here today and yet he wasn't invited to the wedding or to Christmas dinner so don't go blaming this on Kate." Caroline reached out to her son who was now pouting like a six-year-old who didn't get his pudding. "I expect you to be a perfect gentleman when Kate gets here. Remember how she came to your rescue a few weeks ago when your dad left you on your own? She'd do anything for you so you better start making her feel welcome. Enough said. Go decide which present you want to open now."
He didn't say anything but she could tell he was thinking about her words as he slinked off to shake his presents to decide which one to unwrap before their guests arrive.
After turning the oven on, Caroline went into her office to quickly wrap a gift for Kate. She hadn't thought to buy her anything but knew there was something she had that Kate would probably appreciate more than anything she could buy her at a store. Her only concern was when she'd be able to give it to her in private. Fortunately, she had her answer when Kate returned with her suitcase well before any of the Buttershaws arrived. Kate barely had time to take her coat off before Caroline wrapped her in a warm embrace and whispered to her, "Come on upstairs, I have something for you in the bedroom." A naughty smile overtook Kate's face in anticipation as she realized Caroline had a very playful look about her.
Caroline took her suitcase and led her to their bedroom. On the bed was the thinnest gift-wrapped item imaginable. She trailed Caroline over to the bed and as soon as they were both sitting on it, Caroline took Kate's hands in hers and caressed the backs of them with her thumbs for a few seconds while looking her deeply in the eyes.
"Kate, obviously I didn't know we'd be together today so I didn't buy you a gift but I just got this the other day and I want you to have it," she said as she dropped her hands and nervously handed the gift to her.
"Caroline, you don't have to give me anything, you're all I want for Christmas, corny as that sounds," she said.
"Just open it," Caroline replied anxiously and Kate carefully removed the coloured paper and opened the envelope it concealed. As she slid the paper out, she knew instantly what it was as she had one of her own at home. She stared at it for the longest time because not long ago she doubted she'd ever see Caroline with one.
"I guess this means you're really all mine now so you have given me exactly what I wanted," she replied as they began kissing and getting so lost in each other that they didn't realize they were crinkling Caroline's divorce decree, which somehow wound up under them on the bed.