Caroline and Kate stood on the side lines as the spring sun broke through the clouds. Surrounding them were numerous other parents, all there supporting their rugby playing child. Both women had their long smart coats on; Kate customised hers with a purple scarf whilst her wife wore her coat freely flowing.
'Go on Lawrence!' shouted his proud mother as her son pelted forwards with the ball in his grasp. As he touched the line at the far end of the pitch the boys who had been just milliseconds behind pounced on his back, pinning him to the ground. Kate gripped Caroline's hand as the action escalated. Their team cheered for his determination and the result it bought.
'That's my boy!' squealed his step-mother, barely taking note of her words until Caroline turned to her smiling. She shrugged it off and laughed as the woman kissed her cheek. 'Assuming Lawrence and William don't turn her head towards the route of football and rolling around in mud, you'll have to get used to watching a room full of girls practice ballet as oppose to sliding around a pitch.'
'Oh I think I can manage such a change' replied Caroline, her eyes fixated on the pitch and her athletic son 'As I recall from my younger days, ballet doesn't result in a shower sprayed with mud and blood!'
The blonde haired woman helped ease her heavily pregnant wife into the passenger seat of their Jeep before placing her handbag on the darker ladies lap and shutting the door.
'Stop right there young man!' vocalised the headmistress 'I want those shoes off your feet and in the bag in the boot before you even think about stepping inside that pristine car!' she warned, to which her son just laughed and kicked his boots playfully in her direction. His mother then walked around the car and got into the driver's seat where they waited for the boy to do as his mum had requested.
The rear door flung open and Lawrence dived in, smearing mud over the back seats much to his delight. 'LAWRENCE ELLIOT!' Caroline shouted as she watched him laugh gleefully. 'If you hadn't have just played some of the best rugby to grace that pitch I would have a good mind to make you walk all the way home, shoeless'
Ignoring her warning,, Lawrence popped his head through the middle of the front seats and kissed his mother with his muddy lips 'What's for lunch, Ma?' His cheeky grin and sparkling eyes left both women unable to do anything but laugh as they pulled away from the pitch and waved to several friends of theirs from school.
Lawrence lay on the living room rug, freshly showered and clothed in clean joggers and a t-shirt. 'What are you going to call the baby?' he asked Kate who was reclining on the sofa quietly. Caroline stood metres away on the other side of the wall in the kitchen prepping food for the five of them.
'I'm not sure yet, we'll have to wait until she's born before making a final decisions' she explained, caressing the space in which the baby lay 'Do you have any suggestions, Lawrence? Any names you'd like to add to the list?'
He lay for a few moments staring at the ceiling, musing over thoughts and ideas in his head 'As long as it's not something old-fashioned like Mary I'm sure it'll be fine!' he commented, making judgement over certain names 'Harper; Harper Elliot-McKenzie. Or Scarlett? Olivia?' Kate smiled as he reeled off names he had being storing away. For him to want some sort of involvement and interest in the child was mightily encouraging progress. 'It can't get much worse than Sebastian Elliot, can it?' noting John's baby sons name whom he shared with Judith. 'I mean, really?!'
The two women had noticed Lawrence took far more interest in their baby than he ever had in John's new child. His relationship with John had become a little rocky and fragile in the months that had passed, mainly due to the uncertainty or how Judith would behave. 'We'll be sure to run her name past you and William before anything concrete is decided.'
As if by magic the front door opened and two laughing voices were heard entering the house 'We're home! Mum? Kate?' shouted out William with Roxy following close behind.
'In the kitchen darling' his mum replied
'And Lawrence and I are in the living room running through baby names' uttered Kate, closing her eyes once again.
Lawrence scooped large helpings of meat and vegetables onto his plate. Once finished he passed the dish to Roxy for her to take what she wanted. Caroline joined her wife and the children at the table, pouring a glass of wine for herself and her eldest son. 'Can I have some, mum?' begged Lawrence.
'Absolutely not! Growing rugby players don't drink alcohol, do they?' she teased, before putting a small amount in his glass. 'How's your family Roxy? We really must meet up with again at some point'
The young woman looked up from her spot next to William and engaged in conversation with her boyfriend's family 'They're great, thank you. Mum was saying the exact same thing last night. She can't wait to meet the baby once she's born'
'We'll put her down for babysitting duties then' joked Kate, winking slightly
'At least that will get Lawrence and I out of such duties' added William whom was eating his longed for meal 'Roxy and I were saying in the car, that it would be nice to take you all out for a meal tomorrow evening, if you have no plans? With us both heading back to uni in a couple of days it would be great to spend some time together, where you don't have to cook, mum' Since joining university William had become self-efficient with a nicely paid part-time job, as well as being on the board at the university.
'What a splendid idea!' smiled Caroline, proud of the well mannered and thoughtful son that sat in front of her.
'Roxy phoned Gillian and Granny and they said they're free and would be pleased to join us all. So there's Roxy, me, Lawrence, you, Kate, Granny, Grandad, Gillian, Robbie, Raff, Ellie and Calamity. Oh as well as Kate's mum.'
'I hope you don't mind, we took the chance to drop in on her on the way past' added Roxy smiling
'That's very kind of you both' spoke Kate, almost overcome with emotion 'Very kind of you indeed. We'd be delighted to join you tomorrow evening.' The woman of Nigerian decent felt so privileged to have joined such a welcoming family. A family that included her and her own extended family so freely.
'In that case I'll be having a starter and a pudding!' joined in the current youngest member of the family who had been very quiet devouring his food 'It's not every day my big puff of a brother offers to take us out to eat!'