'Buster!' screeched Caroline as she skidded through the house with just a towel to protect her modesty, following a small black and white puppy that was happily carrying her bra in its mouth. 'Buster, just you come back here!' Kate stood in the kitchen doorway, laughing loudly and eyeing up her curvaceous wife. The puppy gave up and submitted to his mistress, dropping the undergarment and rolling onto his back eager for his tummy to be rubbed. Grabbing her black bra Caroline couldn't resist but to give in to his demands, in the process revelling a little more flesh than anybody but Kate would be banned from seeing.

'Now I remember why I married you...' teased the darker woman who was still standing in the door way. Instantly Caroline understood her words and turned to face her, loosening the towel and allowing her single member audience to take the view in. Feeling herself getting slightly more aroused than she had intended, the darker woman walked over to the naked lady and pulled her into her arms. 'Why must you do this, Caroline?' she joked, the pair kissing passionately with an excitable puppy rolling at their feet.

'As much as I would love to run straight back to bed, Mrs Elliott-McKenzie, we have Christmas shopping to finish off-'

'You mean start'

'Yes-Yes but if I say 'finish' it somehow makes the task seem a little less daunting'

Carrying Florence in his muscle filled arms, Lawrence charged into the kitchen giving his parents just seconds to separate for one another to save the boy from any embarrassment.

'Oh ma, do you have to walk around the house like that!' he jutted, although his smile showed he was only kidding 'Ah Busty, that's where you got to' he changed the topic as the baby in his arms started throwing her arms around happily having spotted the bundle of floor below them.

'Lawrence, if you take him for a quick walk we'll give you a lift to the cinema before we head into town'

'Deal!' he cheered, passing his adored baby sister into her mother's arms and running into the utility room to find the dogs lead. They had barely had the pup a month, and in that time he had only been able to go out walking for little over a week. Lawrence had fallen in love with the fur ball as soon as his eyes had set upon him; the blue mere Border Collie had a sense of mischief and love about him. The youngest child in the house had also fallen in love. Although never left alone with the naughty animal, her parents could already see the positives Buster would bring to Flo as she grew up. Buzz (as Lawrence had nicknamed him) seemed to sense to importance of being gentle around the infant, and had quickly learnt certain house rules.

Giving Kate one last kiss, Caroline flew off out of the kitchen and up the stairs to finish getting ready. Kate placed Flo in a sitting position on the hard kitchen floor whilst supporting her back. Buster crawled up to the girl's feet and, laying his head down on the floor, seemed to gently paw the child's feet playfully. The baby leant forwards and grabbed the floppy ears that hung freely from his head. Unlike the reaction he would give if Lawrence or anybody else did the same, he allowed her to pull them until Kate stopped her. He followed by collapsing on the floor and insisting on yet another tummy tickle.

'Right come on Florence Olivia, let's see if we can beat Ma!' her daughter's eyes lit up at the sound of her other mother's name.

'Hello?' called out Celia as she entered the property, the light from the street lights streaming through the hall window and illuminating the walls 'Kate? Caroline?'

'In the kitchen, Celia' replied her daughter-in-law 'Come on through!' Leaving her handbag in the hall along with her black shoes and coat the old woman walked through the familiar surroundings to the homely and warm kitchen.

'Hi love. Is Caroline not in?' she questioned. Florence sat in her highchair and as her Grandmother came into her line of view she banged her hands on the plastic table in front of her 'Hello sweetheart' the tone of her voice changed into something much more suited to the child as she stroked her head and planted a kiss on the girls chubby cheeks.

Kate joined her at the breakfast bar having just filled the dishwasher up after trying out a new cake recipe that Lawrence had been eager to taste 'She's just popped out to pick Lawrence up from a friends. Cup of tea?'

'That'd be lovely' taking the weight off her aging feet, the woman took a seat on a swivel stool next to Flo 'Alan and I have spent to afternoon at a little tea shop in Harrogate and now I've left him tinkering about with Harry' she paused only briefly for an intake of breath before continuing. 'Something about a game of cards; no doubt money and alcohol will be involved'

'How lovely. Caroline and I have spent the day shopping in Halifax' handing over the mug of hot tea Kate sat opposite her sometimes difficult mother-in-law, then lifted Florence out of her confined seat and placed her upon her lap 'With this little monkey'

'Have you finished your Christmas shopping now?' she questioned, sipping her drink 'We finished ours weeks ago, can't stand being crammed into shops and queuing for hours to buy senseless gifts' she insisted, a sense of superiority in her voice.

'I think so. All we've got to do is wrap them all up and then we'll be finished-'

'We've put all of ours into gift bags, saves having to muck about with wrapping them and then the bags can be re-used'

All Kate could do was smile, her beautiful smile.

From where they were sat they could hear the slamming of doors and then the key turning in the lock as Lawrence pounded in 'WE'RE HOME!' shouted Lawrence as he kicked his shoes off.

'Hi Lawrence' laughed Kate

'We're in the kitchen' added his Granny. Behind him Caroline closed the door and tidied up the shoes he had just thrown across the floor.

'Lawrence Elliott-McKenzie! Next time you do that I'm going to ram those blasted shoes where the sun doesn't shine' his mother threatened. The boy was too wrapped up in his baby sister to care. He had swopped the infant out of her mother's arms and was now covering the tot in kisses.

'I missed my Florence-Olivia' he muttered into her ear as she squealed, delighted at his presence.

'How was the film?' enquired his step-mum, watching him interact with their child.

'It was brilliant! When it comes out on DVD we should all watch it together'

'Sure-'

'Do I get a hello? Or is that too much to ask?' scowled Celia playfully

'Hi Granny' he replied, smiling at her before taking his sister off into the living room to play

'Hello mum' added Caroline, entering the kitchen and kissing her mother on the cheek and then walking around to her wife and giving her a much more loving welcome. 'Where's Alan?'

'Messing about with Harry and most probably gambling our entire lifesaving away I expect'

Pouring herself a cup of tea from the freshly made pot, the blonde woman seated herself next to her wife 'If you could tell Gillian and Robbie to be here for eleven at the latest on Christmas morning, then we can open all our presents together. I aim to have lunch served at about two'

'Alan and I will come over the afternoon before' instructed her mother 'And stay over'

'That's fine'

'I can't wait!' smiled the Nigerian woman 'We're going to have a full house'

'Fourteen people for lunch and I expect even more in the evening' explained the headmistress

'I imagine Gillian's already mentioned it but she's invited us all over to the farm for Boxing Day' remembered the Grandmother.

'Fantastic, I'll give her a phone and see if she wants us to take anything over. Food, drink...' answered the younger woman.

'Lawrence, bedtime soon I think' insisted Caroline as she set out a glass of milk, mince pie and carrot by the fireplace. Her boys had long outgrown a belief of the mystical Father Christmas and Florence was too young to understand, but Kate had insisted they carry on a tradition for their daughter. 'And you William'

'What you really mean is "Bugger off to bed so I can finish wrapping presents," don't you?' questioned her younger son, mimicking his mother's voice.

'Well erm yes-'her two sons interjected and high-fived one another.

'Could you both settle Florence first whilst I load the dishwasher?' requested Kate, handing Flo over to William who cradled the sleepy infant and carried her up the stairs with Lawrence following behind. 'Caroline, I'll come and help you in a minute with the presents' she kissed her wife and then exited the room.

For the first time all day Caroline had a moment to herself, to sit down with her large glass of red wine and relax. Kate's classical music played quietly in the corner of the room. From the sofa with the baby monitor on the coffee table besides her she could hear her growing sons talking to their sister, them too forgetting that any such microphone existed.

'She likes her pink blanket and the brown bear next to her' explained Lawrence

'Night night Florence' added William

'She's so beautiful, isn't she? The way she can bring so much joy to so many people is almost unbelievable'

'We were like that once. We were that small, that innocent'

'Where did it all go wrong?' questioned the younger boy before pelting out of the room with his big brother playfully chasing him.

'IT'S CHRISTMAAAAAAAS!' shouted Lawrence from the landing before bursting into Kate and Caroline's bedroom with Florence in his arms. Jumping on the bed with his baby sister carefully protected by his muscle he woke the two sleepy women up. 'Mum-Kate, IT'S CHRISTMAS!' he shouted again, this time down their ears.

'What time is it?' muttered his mother, turning over and rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the light. As she did William also joined them, perching himself on the corner of the bed in his pyjamas and blue stripped dressing gown.

'Half past nine' their eldest son replied in his calm and collected manner.

'Half past what?!' she exclaimed sitting bolt upright

'Nine' laughed Lawrence. Kate held Florence in her arms, the infant beyond excited to be surrounded by those she loved.

'Merry Christmas boys' the younger woman added.

'Merry Christmas Kate' replied William, walking over and kissing his step-mother and then leaning over to kiss Caroline.

'MERRY CHRISTMAS!' shouted the youngest boy. Christmas, even at such a mature age, was still Lawrence's favourite time of the year. 'Can we open our presents now?'

'No we cannot'

'We've got to wait for everybody else to arrive' explained the Nigerian woman 'Has anyone been in to wake up Alan and Celia?'

'I'll do it' volunteered William, and again Lawrence followed him. As they left the room Caroline leant in for a kiss off her wife with Flo lying beneath them pulling her Ma's hair.

'Merry Christmas Mrs Elliott-McKenzie' the woman thought back to a year previously to the day her mum and Alan got married, again. It was the start of her reconciliation with the woman she had always loved. Twelve months later and their lives were so different to what they had been. Each of them were content and happy and together they had built a life they were proud of.

'Merry Christmas Caroline'

'And Merry Christmas, Florence Olivia' the headmistress scooped the child into her arms and covered her in kisses 'Aren't we both lucky to have mummy?'

Along the corridor William had knocked gently on his grandparents door and having being allowed to entry the boys had found the elderly relatives in bed with a tray of tea and newspapers.

'Merry Christmas Granny and Grandad' wished their eldest grandson.

'MERRY CHRISTMAS!'

'Good lord, Lawrence, I think the rest of the neighbourhood can hear you' commented Celia, grimacing at the loudness of his voice.

'Merry Christmas boys' smiled Alan as he sipped his mug of tea and closed the newspapers

'Mum says she wants everybody breakfasted and dressed for eleven o'clock so we can all open our presents when Gillian arrives' instructed Willie, kissing his Grandmother and shaking Alan's hand.

Alan answered the front door with his granddaughter in his arms 'Let's see who this is, Florence.' On opening the door he was greeted by his daughter, Robbie, Raff and the girls 'Look who it is, it's Aunty Gillian' he added.

'Merry Christmas, Dad' she hugged him tightly and then took her baby niece into her arms and entered into the warmth the house held.

'Everyone's in the living room waiting to open presents' he pointed out as they all piled in, the men carrying large bags of wrapped presents for the family to enjoy.

From the hallway the aging man could hear the niceties being passed around from one person to another, each of their voices held the joy of Christmas cheer. Kate was sat in the armchair with Caroline sat beside her on the floor, a hand placed on her Wife's thigh. William sat on the opposite side of the room, also on the floor with Lawrence; Raff had joined them. Celia and Alan had taken over one of the sofas leaving enough room for Ellie, Calamity, Gillian and Robbie on the other one.

'Now can we open our presents?' begged Lawrence. Each person was surrounded by piles of wrapped gifts that had originally lain underneath the decorated Christmas tree.

'Yes, now you can' encouraged his mum watching his eyes light up as they always did. This year he didn't tear into the presents as always, instead he savoured each corner he unwrapped. Florence had been returned to her mothers who let her rip off random wrapping paper and chase bits of cellotape.

The room was full of squeals of happiness and comments as each present was unwrapped one by one. The kids had got new technological gadgets that they had been eying up and hinting towards for months, as well as clothing and money. The adults got jewellery and presents personal to themselves and their partners.

'I bought you something else' whispered Caroline as she handed a small square box over to Kate. Looking at the box for a short second she flipped the lid open to reveal an eternity ring with their date of marriage engraved on the inside.

'I-I don't know what to say' she uttered

'You don't have to say anything' the room around them had quietened to listen to the conversation the pair were having 'This past year has been quite something, Kate; marrying you and having little Florence together. The boys agree, you have both added stability and love to our family. I love you beyond conceivable words and I am yours...forever'

'Now, if you pair have been finished shoving your tongues down one another's throats Willie and I have a present for you' insisted Lawrence handing over a large rectangular package that had been finished off with a green bow. Looking at one another, the married women worked together to rip the paper off their gift. In front of them they had revealed a canvas with their three beloved children posing in a studio. 'Granny and Alan helped us organise it'

'It's beautiful' beamed Kate, taking in the sight of the two growing boys with their baby sister posing for the camera.

Leaving their family to open presents, set up new items and chat amongst themselves with the two babies interacting with one another, Kate and Caroline sneaked off to finish cooking the Christmas dinner. The pair worked in harmony in the kitchen with Kate's preferred music playing in the background. Whilst the younger woman washed a glass at the sink Caroline wrapped her areas around her ladies waist and kissed her neck romantically.

'I love you, Kate. Thank you for just being you'

She didn't reply, instead she just smiled and carried on with their tasks.

Pulling away, Caroline too continued cooking 'So, what time's your mum coming around?' questioned the headmistress.

'She said she'd be here for five at the latest'

'What did you say she was doing this morning?'

'Helping out at the homeless kitchen; she's done it every year since Dad deteriorated. I think it's her way of giving back to the community'

'We'll have to make sure she puts her feet up this morning and wait on her hand and foot in that case'

'Oh Caroline, she loves you just as much as she loves me' reinforced Kate as she laid the table and placed hot dishes of vegetables onto the table ready for the guests to spoon whatever they wanted on to.

The woman of the house left the kitchen briefly and stood at the living room doorway 'Dinner is served!' Lawrence was the first to tear through the hallway and find where his name had been placed at the table.

With everybody seated, Kate at one end of the table and the rest of the family in their dedicated seats, Caroline took a moment to savour the meal. In front of her was all she had ever wanted; a family that loved each other just as much as she loved them and a beautiful wife with three gorgeous children. She was so lucky.