Chapter 3

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The morning dawned bright and fresh but the two women did not have any inclination to start the day – at least not one which involved getting out of their bed. Caroline lay with her legs draped over her beautiful wife's thighs, the sweat and moisture from their lovemaking having dried to a light sheen on their sapped bodies. The sexual proclivities of the night had left them with a raging thirst, however, and soon there was a need for at least one of them to come to the rescue.

' Would you like a cup of tea darling?' Caroline asked.

'I'd love one but can't bear for you to leave me for a second' Kate answered softly. She looked at the long slim legs wrapped around her longer, defined brown thighs. She marvelled at the contrast in their colours, her warm brown against Caroline's pale white complementing one another perfectly. She was thinking that she'd like a picture of them laying like this blown up and put on the wall over their bed when Caroline's words interrupted her.

'We'll have a cup of tea with toast and marmalade, I'll only be five minutes, then you can show me how much you missed me.'

Despite her promise and best intention it was still another five minutes before Caroline extracted her limbs from Kate and the bedding. She slipped into a dressing gown as Kate's intense stare undressed her at the same time. Caroline began to open the bedroom door when she found the need to hold and kiss her beloved impossible to ignore and she returned to the bed to do exactly that.

When she eventually found herself in the kitchen she was somewhat surprised to find the kettle warm and the smell of toast in the air but she knew instinctively that Lawrence was responsible as his impressive appetite had called him from sleep early each day since he was born.

The kitchen was surprisingly neat and tidy, considering that it usually looked like a bomb-site if he just ran himself a glass of water but no, not today. Lawrence appeared back into the kitchen for a second round of toast for Angus.

He was what could be described as a cocky young lad. Girls were just beginning to notice him as his physique was filling out nicely due to his rugby and cricket playing. He heard that some of the girls thought he was 'well fit.' He lived in a nice house, his mum drove a proper car, not a silly hairdressers' car like a lot of women her age. He loved his mum, he was proud of her and the way she could verbally drop-kick anyone, no matter how big or powerful they were.

Lawrence was both ashamed and angry though at his actions on her wedding day. Why did she have to be gay, why did she have to tell everyone, why did she divorce Popsicola? Sure he was unreliable, had an affair and was a bit of a jerk, but he came back, he wanted to stay and work things out. And he only slept with Gillian because mum was too stuck up and too busy practising being a lesbian to notice that he wanted to get the family back together again.

It was these feelings that made him not want to go to their bogus bloody lesbian wedding. When his Gran couldn't make herself go either, that was all the encouragement he needed to stand by what he felt was the right way to show his mum that he wasn't happy with her new found dyke persona. I mean how can you switch from dicks to chicks just like that?

With all these feelings and opinions in full flow, Lawrence had not initially noticed that his mum was in the kitchen too. There she stood in her dressing gown just staring at him, her face a mixture of emotions but the most apparent one was that of anger; he was inwardly steeling himself for the verbal onslaught that he assumed would come his way. Lawrence was wearing his hallmark poker face but there was a glimmer of fear showing now that he was alone with his mum for the first time since the wedding. He expected the worst was soon going to be coming his way,.

'Morning. I'm making toast for Angus, do you want some?' thinking that he might as well try to charm his way out of the situation, as he gave her his best cheeky smile.

Caroline continued to stare.

'I can do some for Kate as well.' His smile was now reduced to a small hopeful grin.

Caroline glared almost disbelievingly at her son. She loved him like any parent loved their child but that love often struggled with her hatred of his periodic selfish behaviour and the way at times he reminded her of John. For the third time in 24 hours she did the exact opposite of the norm. Usually when Lawrence had pushed her too far, she'd take him down a peg or two, dish out the appropriate punishment and feel sorry for him within an hour. This morning however, the same feelings she had toward her mother the previous evening rose within her again and shaped her response to her youngest son.

'No Lawrence I do not want you to make toast for me or Kate. What I... what Kate and I wanted, was for YOU to have attended our wedding yesterday instead of behaving like a spoilt brat. You know this was the one thing one thing that I had asked you to do, after all that I do for you, day in and day out'.

Caroline paced the length of marble topped island.

'Being your chauffeur and supporter at rugby matches, taxiing you back and forward to Angus' house. Allowing you to treat this house like a hotel and giving you everything, everything, that you need and want. Taking that cheating pillock of a father of yours back because I knew how much you love him, only for him to cheat on me again with my own step sister.'

She couldn't stop now. If she and Kate were to stand any chance of living a happy life in the house she insisted they live in, she had to lance the final emotional boil that she allowed to grow and cause so much pain.

'And don't forget, it was Kate who came to rescue you when he and his floozy were too drunk to look after you. So, no, we don't want a piece of bloody toast, we can do that for ourselves. What we wanted was for you to honour us and show me and Kate a bit of respect, for two hours out of your selfish life.'

Lawrence was shocked; his mother had been mad at him on many occasion, torn strips off him before, grounded him, confiscated his mobile and X Box and he either hated her, or didn't care but this time something was different. He could see that she was disappointed and upset, not mad and spitting fire like she normally did. He didn't like to hear her talk about his dad the way she did but she was right, he was an arsehole like William had often said. However his stubborn selfish teenage streak would not let him admit he was wrong and his mother right.

'I was keeping Gran company, I couldn't just leave her on her own and anyway, you never asked me if I wanted to go, you just told me I had to. You didn't think of how I felt, having to watch you and Kate making your silly lesbian vows in public.'

With a look of incredulity and anger Caroline replied.

'Now listen Lawrence because I am only going to say this once, and once only. When I have finished I do not want to hear anything else on the matter. This is my house and my rules. If you don't like it, well I'm sure we can arrange for you to live with your grandma, who is as equally as homophobic as you are, or your father. I'm sure he will welcome you with open arms.'

Caroline could feel her blood pressure rising as she knew this was a make or break moment with her youngest son. Her anger was simmering but she had never been a believer in knee-jerk reactions towards her children's behaviour and she did not intend to start now. She spoke to Lawrence calmly and kindly, albeit with a note of determination in her voice.

'I appreciate that this may be difficult for you, Lawrence, but I do not accept for one minute that you could not have worked through your feelings about the wedding in a more reasonable manner. You know as well as I do that your grandmother's actions were not appropriate. I refuse to accept that you could not have left her to wallow in misery, so please do not insult my intelligence by suggesting that your actions were altruistic.

The long and the short of it all is that Kate and I are now married and although I do not believe in ultimatums, you have limited options. None of the choices involve you continuing to behave like you have been doing. Kate and I would both like you to live with us but, if you wish to do so, respect and politeness must be evident in your attitude to both of us from now on. This is not up for debate and neither is it an optional extra. Please spend some time today reflecting on your behaviour.'

Caroline had finished making the pot of tea during this conversation and she turned her attention to make up the tray. Lawrence was watching her facial expression and body language and they spoke to his heart as much as her words had done. She was right; he had behaved disgracefully and like the allegorical brain functioning of a drowning man, his life flashed before him. He was just finding the words for an apology when Kate walked into the kitchen.

As his mum turned towards Kate he saw the instantaneous lightening of Caroline's demeanour, her shoulders rose from the slumped position, her eyes shone as if back-lit and her smile radiated blissfulness. Perspective hit him like a thunder bolt. He daren't look at Kate. In fact he didn't need to as he knew he'd see the same look reflected back at his mother. The transformation from Attila the Hun to love struck puppy was seamless.

Caroline had said all that she needed to say. She walked over to Kate and kissed the nape of her neck, turned her around and whispered in her ear before picking up the tray of tea and following Kate out of the kitchen without so much as a backward glance at her son. Their giggles and whispered endearments travelled easily down the stairs, through the quiet house, to the kitchen.

Emotion battled with emotion in the head and heart of the young man who felt humiliated and humbled. In those few moments Lawrence felt himself compelled to mature. Realisation dawned that his mum was stronger and more determined with Kate at her side than she had ever been with his dad and he would never again underestimate the power of their love.

Upstairs in the bedroom Kate was barely half way through the cup of tea when she put the mug down on the tray. A few steps across the room took her towards the Ipod and another play list started with Adele singing 'Someone Like you.' Kate leaned on the chest of drawers and looked resolutely over her shoulder as she spoke.

'I don't know about you but I would rather like to continue where we left off and have some more of the same.' With that Kate took a leap towards the bed and pinned her besotted wife underneath her.