Chapter 19

'Hi mum, how are you?'

'Hello darling, hello Kate. Did you have a good break?'

Celia kissed and hugged both women and smiled warmly.

'Oh mum it was lovely; just being able to get up when we wanted and not with an alarm was worth its weight in gold.' Caroline replied excitedly. She was about to expand on how days were warm, long and refreshing when Celia interrupted.

'You look so well, Caroline. All the better for having a rest no doubt and I'm sure you got up to all kinds of nonsense as well but we don't need to go into that.'

'Now mother don't start, please. If I'd gone away with a husband instead of my wife you wouldn't feel the need to comment.'

Caroline held onto Celia while chastising her, just so she knew she was missed too.

'Yes, Celia, as fairly recent newlyweds I'm sure you can imagine what we've been up to,' Kate teased. She winked at Caroline, who mouthed 'stop it' to her mischievous bride.

'Right then, mother, would you like a cup of tea and us to tell you how lovely a time we had, or do you want to discuss who or what has ruffled your feathers while we've been away?'

Celia gave her daughter a loving but knowing smile and squeezed her hand as she took a seat at the table.

'Ok then yes! I admit I've missed you; I've missed you both,' she chortled, smiling at Kate. 'Even if Gillian were here she's not the most intellectually challenging. Alan is obsessed with that bloody canal boat and I haven't seen my one and only child in days.'

A still smiling Kate couldn't help herself as she replied, 'My goodness Celia, I never thought I'd see the day when you of all people craved the company of a couple of lesbians.'

Celia, open mouthed, looked at her daughter-in-law and tried to work out if she was being rude or sarcastic. Failing to fathom which, she burst out laughing, much to Caroline's surprise.

'Yes Kate, very droll. That's no more than I deserve, I suppose.' Celia responded light heartedly.

Even though Alan had been gone for less than 24hrs, Celia experienced a loneliness that cut her to the core, a feeling she didn't want to have ever again. Alan told her he might struggle for a phone signal and with everyone else enjoying quality time with their respective love interests, Celia had been left on her own with no one to talk to. It gave her a taste of what her future could possibly be like and she hated it. Despite having Radio 4 on continuously and lowering herself to reading the Guardian newspaper that she swore Alan bought just to antagonise her, the silence was deafening and her boredom threshold had been long since crossed.

So to be standing in her lesbian daughter's kitchen with her lesbian daughter's wife having a dig, was not only better than nothing but made her laugh for the first time in what seemed like ages.

As she popped a couple of teabags in the pot, Caroline noticed the slight look of sadness change to a warm smile in her mum's eyes.

'Yes it probably is what you deserve but despite your shortcomings and not having a politically correct bone in your body, we still love you. Now sit down, we've got some more baby news.'

Kate walked round the island to stand next to Caroline and, as they always did when next to one another, held hands. Caroline was just about to reach for the matching bone China cups but stopped and kissed Kate softly on the cheek.

This didn't go unnoticed by Celia, who regardless of her misgivings about the whole lesbian nonsense, was heartened to see her daughter happy, content and so obviously loved.

'Can't you wait until I've left the room, you two? I really don't need to…. '

'Oh mother!' Caroline interrupted, keen to stifle anymore comment from the old lady. 'I don't remember you saying anything when I used to have John pawing away at me over the Sunday roast. She pulled Kate in closer and without taking her eyes off her bride continued her conversation with Celia. 'I have a gorgeous wife, who I'll kiss in my own house, sorry our house, whenever I chose.' And with that she kissed a slightly blushing Kate.

'Alright, point taken. Now where's this tea, it'll be stewing while you two are eating one another's faces.'

The following two hours were spent with Celia regaling the two women about being 'left alone', and recounting how she found her recent urine infection so embarrassing that she remained indoors until it cleared up. Her whole demeanour changed when she spoke of how proud she was of her two grandsons and being true to form, comparing their bright futures to how Raff's appeared to lack direction.

'Mind you, you don't have to look too far to see why; his father's dead, his mother at one point being the chief suspect and now his uncle's his step-dad. I mean what kind of a start in life is that?'

'Now mother, what's your point? Don't hold back.' Caroline's sarcasm was not lost on her mother. 'Gillian has been nothing but fair to you and you do sleep in her house more often than your own, so don't you think you should be a bit more charitable and understanding in your opinion of her?'

'Well yes. I suppose I should,' the older lady replied. 'But this is the woman who called my daughter a snotty bitch.'

'Yes mother, that's old news now. Gillian has been a good friend and a great source of comfort when…. when….' The women had moved to the more comfortable seating and were working their way through a second pot of tea. Caroline was sitting next to Kate on the sofa in the lounge, and with the emotion of the unfinished sentence hovering in the air she reached out her left hand which was then held and massaged gently by her proud wife.

'Yes, Gillian helped me when Kate and I weren't together and I'll always be grateful.' Kate's ministrations gave her the courage to finish her sentence.

Celia, unable to resist temptation, rolled her eyes then adjusted her posture to sit more erect. 'Yes, well, we all know that was your own silly fault. You've never been good at….'

As much as Kate had drawn a line under the past and accepted that the old woman couldn't help having staunch opinions, she didn't want the conversation to dwell on any reference to the past especially if it reflected negatively on her beloved wife.

'Well Celia, Caroline and I were both to blame but that's over and done with now. There's none of us in this room who haven't upset those we love, or driven a precious one away at some point.'

Kate's gentle rebuke marked a change of subject. Celia listened without comment as the two excited women spoke of early morning starts to Manchester for daily blood tests to see when Kate was ovulating. Her eyebrows raised as they described the whole donor insemination process, parental responsibility agreements and Caroline's name being on the birth certificate but she sensed the couple's real commitment to each other and the process and knew better than to rain on this particular parade.

All three shared the preparation of the evening meal, Celia having gratefully accepted an invitation to join them. Caroline and Kate continued to entertain Celia on a wide range of subjects including details of their break on the coast. The couple had just shared with Celia what Lawrence had written on their calendar about his holiday when Caroline's mobile 'phone rang. Coincidentally, it was William to let them know of a last minute change to their flight times for the following day. Caroline joked with him that she was expecting a mountain of washing but her elder son assured her that, firstly, they had worn little else than swimming trunks and t-shirts and, secondly, Angus' mum had made them keep up-to-date with their own laundry over the course of the week at the villa. Shortly afterwards the evening drew to a close when Celia announced that she could stay awake no longer and thanked them demonstratively for their welcome and company.

Despite everything Kate was growing fond of her cantankerous, opinionated mother-in-law and volunteered to escort her back to the flat while Caroline loaded the last of the crockery into the dishwasher. Celia accepted Kate's kind offer and as they walked the short distance arm-in-arm Celia had more spring in her step than she had felt for some time. The long and the short of it all, she realised, was that she shared with Kate the love of and for a most wonderful woman.

Caroline made short work of the remaining chores and was blowing out the last candle when Kate returned and locked the door behind her. She held her arms wide to welcome Kate into a cuddle.

'I've found it so hard to share you today after having you to myself for three days,' Caroline whispered into her wife's neck.

'Ditto! Mind you, I'm praying for the days when we don't have time alone together because that will mean we have a little one to care for so let's make the most of now. Care to join me under the duvet for a continuation of this display of affection?'

'I'd race you to the top of the stairs but I'm not as fit as I once was and I'm worried that I won't have enough puff to do with you what I have in mind!' She smiled into the dark eyes of the woman who returned her smile. They walked arms entwined until they reached their bedroom.

As Caroline was closing the bedroom curtains Kate's phone pinged to say that she had a message, a cue for Caroline to be the first to head into the en-suite.

'It's my mum. She says she hopes it goes well this week and sends you her love.' Kate shouted towards the bathroom.

'Send my love back to her,' came the mumbled reply as Caroline struggled to talk and clean her teeth at the same time.

Mum's so anxious, Kate thought to herself and then aloud to Caroline, 'Poor mum, she always wanted more children and not to have become a grandmother was like salt in an open wound. As much as I want this baby for us, I want things to be successful for her too.'

Sensing her wife's angst Caroline threw her toothbrush into the sink and walked quickly back to the bedroom, wiping the superfluous toothpaste from her lips on the back of her hand.

'My darling, my dear sweet darling,' she cooed.

Reassurance and comfort flowed into Kate's soul from the words of her lover. Soft, gentle caresses were returned with fierce, needy kisses which quickly escalated into vigorous love making. Clothes were discarded, being superfluous to need and a hindrance to both women who at that moment in time, as always, wanted nothing more than to feel flesh pressed against flesh.