"Thank you for a lovely afternoon Caroline. I have really enjoyed myself."
They had pulled up outside Kate's house and Caroline sat back in the drivers seat and stretched.
"You are more than welcome. And thank you for being such wonderful company. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to relax on the weekend and spend it with someone who was fun to be with. We should do this more often."
"Do you have time for a coffee? I know you said you were busy and you had some reports to read but, well, it would finish off a perfect day for me."
Caroline switched off the engine and leaned over into the back for her bag.
"I thought you would never ask."
As she followed her up the garden path, Caroline thought back to the encounter with Sophie.
"Do you think that Sophie suspected something when she saw us earlier? I mean, we weren't doing anything were we but, well, I have never asked another of my teachers out for lunch before and certainly not a picnic lunch. Do you think she will put 2 and 2 together?"
Kate stopped and turned around.
"Who knows what goes off in that young crazy head of hers. Are you bothered though Caroline, I mean really bothered? At the end of the day we were just having lunch together. It's not as if we were "
And Kate walked forward and kissed her, gently parting her lips with her tongue. Caroline responded and then pulled away.
"Oh, well, erm, I guess not, we we we we could have been doing that I guess. Or we could have been doing this."
And she wrapped her arms around her and returned the kissed. The passion rose in her and she had to remind herself that they were in Kate's front garden. She slowly stepped back and gazed at Kate, stroking her cheek with the back of her fingers.
Kate giggled.
"Dr Elliott! How very forward of you."
"Someone had to do it and I have been dying to do it all afternoon. You'd better get that door open before your neighbours see too much. We don't want Mrs M next door to have a heart attack when she looks through her window."
The sound of her phone vibrating on the coffee table disturbed Caroline and she slowly opened her eyes. It was getting dark and she was slightly confused as to where she was. She stretched and reached out to pick up her phone, sitting up as she did so.
"Hello." Her voice was husky.
"Mum. Where are you?"
"Oh oh, oh, Lawerence . Hello. Er, I am well, I am at Kate's. Miss McKenzies. Where are you?"
"At home. Its 9pm on a Saturday evening. When are you coming home?"
Caroline ran her fingers through her hair and looked over at Kate who was still sleeping, breathing gently under a thin throw.
"Soon. Give me half an hour and I will be home. Is everything OK? You're not, well, you're not hurt are you or in any trouble?"
"No. Just on my own in the house. Bored and hungry."
Caroline swung her legs off the couch and placed her elbows on her legs, leaning forward.
"Where's William? Oh, never mind. Lawrence, you are almost 16 years old. Most boys your age would love being home alone. They would be playing their music loud or slaughtering someone on their Play Box X Station thingy. Is the door locked?"
"Yeah, course it is."
"Well, make sure it stays that way. I'll see you in a bit."
Caroline stood up, suddenly aware that she was naked. She looked around for her clothes and started to get dressed.
"Kate. Kate. Wake up. I need to go home."
Kate stirred and rolled over onto her back. She reached out for Caroline's hand and played with her fingers, tugging her towards her.
"No, don't go. I don't want you to go. Stay here."
"I can't. I need to get home to the boys."
Kate laughed.
"We must have fallen asleep."
"No shit Sherlock. Have you seen my underwear?"
She looked around on the floor, moving the cushions, until she found what she was looking for. Their lovemaking earlier had been so tender and so special. They savoured every second with each other, every kiss and touch. And they had both nodded off to sleep, sated and satisfied, each of them sure of the others love.
Caroline raised an eyebrow and looked down at Kate who was stretched out in front of her. The sight of her beautiful long body in all its nakedness made her stomach leap and she wanted to lie down with her again. But she knew she had to leave and quickly averted her eyes. Picking up her blouse, she started to get dressed.
"Will I see you tomorrow?"
Kate turned over onto her side, supporting her head on her hand, watching Caroline's every move. Her eyes slowly moved up and down her body and she remembered how smooth her milky skin felt under her fingers, the way she writhed and moaned when she made love to her and the softness of her breath on her cheek when she slept.
Caroline looked at her out of the corner of her eye, afraid to turn her head in case she was pulled back towards her again.
"I could be free tomorrow afternoon."
She stopped buttoning her blouse and this time turned around to look at Kate. She kept her focus on her face.
"Erm, are you sure you want to see me again so soon? You don't think we are rushing into this do you Kate? I mean, going too fast? Do we need to slow down and give each other space?"
Kneeling down in front of Kate, she took head in her hands.
"I'm scared Kate. Scared that I am falling too hard for you. Scared that this might all come crashing down around my ears and I will be left on my own again. I don't think I could handle that."
Kate covered her hands with her own and lifted them off her face. She stood up and pulled Caroline to her feet. Kate looked long and hard at her and then started to fasten the 3 undone buttons of her blouse. Caroline stood in silence, looking deep into her brown eyes. She was desperate to do something with her fingers, to run them down Kate's arm, play with her nipples, caress her and hold her. The moonlight shone in through the window and its rays seemed to light up Kate in all the places that Caroline was trying not to look at.
"Do you want me to give you some space Caroline? I could if that is what you want, only I thought that you liked being with me. I thought this is what you wanted. Us, together."
She stood back and looked at Caroline who was dressed only in her underwear and her blouse.
"I want this as much as you do. I want to be there with you, to support you. I love you Caroline."
Time seemed to stop and Caroline's head snapped up and she looked at Kate.
"Do you mean that? Do you really mean that?"
Kate reached out and took Caroline's hand in hers.
"I have never meant anything more in my whole life."
She leaned forward and kissed her.
"I love you too Kate."
She hesitated.
"But this is a big thing for me. You have been, well, you have been who you are for a while now. You know, out there and open. I am just getting used to the idea. I don't know how people will react."
"Does it matter? Who cares whether someone stops talking to you because you have a girlfriend instead of a husband? Why is that so important to you?"
Caroline bent down and picked up her jeans. She put one leg into them and realised she needed to either sit down or hold Kate for support. She chose the latter and Kate steadied her.
"Being accepted is important to me."
"What, even if you are being accepted for someone who you aren't? Caroline, you need to stop lying to yourself and to others about who you are. Your friends, your real friends, will accept you whether you are straight or gay. You need to remember that."
Caroline looked at Kate, her eyes filled with tears, her mouth small.
"I know. It's just that … well, I need to"
"You need to remember that I love you."
And Kate silenced her with a kiss. Caroline smiled.
"Do you want me to be there with you when you tell the boys and your mother?"
"No. No thank you. I need to do this on my own."
When Caroline pulled into the drive, she was surprised to see John's car and quickly concluded that he had had too much to drink again and been left with no option other than to take a taxi home. When she opened the sitting room door, she was even more surprised to see John crashed out in the chair. He bolted upright when he heard the door open.
"John. I didn't expect to see you here. How long have you been here?"
"Since I dropped the boys back off at tea time."
Caroline was confused and angry.
"But Lawrence rang me and he said. Lawrence, you rang me and you said you were on your own."
"I was. Dad was in the kitchen or somewhere and he was ages. So I was on my own."
Caroline threw her bag onto the settee.
"So you weren't on your own then?"
She was getting angrier by the second.
"John, I think you had better leave. Please. Now. I am home and I can take care of the boys. Where's William?"
"He's gone out with some friend of his. I think it's a girl."
Lawrence emphasised the last word.
"I think that William has got a girlfriend. Although I think it is all for show because everyone knows that he is gay. He is a big pouf."
"Lawrence, that's enough."
The tone and volume of Caroline's voice surprised everyone, especially herself.
"John, I have asked you to leave. You know where the door is. Please close it quietly on your way out. Lawrence, you need to clear up this mess that you have made. The pots live in the kitchen, not on the living room floor. Preferably washed and in the cupboard, not dirty and on the counter. Move, now, the both of you."
Caroline picked up her bag and walked back into the hall. She stood looking at the ridiculous number of coats hung on the rack and added her own to the collection.
Lawrence may have only been joking about William but it had touched a raw nerve. If he could be so bigoted and small minded at 15, what would everyone else think when she finally decided to tell them about Kate?
The sound of someone knocking on the back door interrupted Caroline from her Sunday morning ritual of reading the papers and drinking tea in her pyjamas. She instantly recognised the knock and went to let her mother in.
"Morning love."
Celia leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
"Mum. There's tea in the pot if you want it."
"Thanks. That would be grand. 'Ere, did I see John's car parked in the drive last night?"
"Yes mum you did. He dropped the boys back home."
"So he hadn't come to see you then? The two of you, you're not, well, you're not getting back together again?"
"No, no, we are most definitely not. John and I are over. In fact, while we are on the subject, there is something that I need to tell you. Sit down will you."
"Go on then. I'll tell you my news later."
Caroline paused. This was her big chance to tell her mum about Kate but something on Celia's face was intriguing her. She paused and then lost her nerve.
"No, you go first. What did you come to tell me?"
Celia pulled out one of the breakfast stools and climbed onto it, placing her hands on the counter and leaning forward.
"Well, our Muriel rang last night."
"Aunty Muriel? Oh good Lord. When was the last time you spoke to her?"
"I can't remember. Anyway, she rang and she said that she wanted to come over and see me. Apparently, she has been going through some old papers in her bureau and she has found some that belonged to my father and it would appear"
Celia leaned in towards Caroline, looking around her furtively to see if anyone was listening. Caroline pursed her lips to stop herself from laughing.
"It would appear that he has some sort of hidden investment in a large company and we might be in for a bob or two. Can you imagine that? And I thought he was always a tight old beggar."
Caroline stood up and took her glasses off. She placed her hands on her hips and looked over at Celia.
"No! Well, I can't see how that can be. After all this time. How come you never found this out before? Is this company even still in business? It might have gone to the wall years ago."
"Apparently not. They have offices in Sheffield, Doncaster and Leeds and they are doing very well."
"But even so. You can't just march into one of their offices with a bit of paper that must be at least, what, 50 years old and demand some money from the business. Is this piece of paper even legal?"
Celia took a sip of her tea.
"Well, that's what I don't know. So that's why our Muriel is coming over today. Will you be around? I could do with you here to look over the stuff she is bringing."
"Well I could be if you want me there. I oh damn, what time is she coming over?"
Caroline just remembered she said she was going to go round to see Kate.
"Tea time she said. You know what our Muriel is like. She will want to come over on Sunday tea to see what sort of a spread you will lay on."
"Me? Why is it down to me? Mum. You didn't invite her for tea did you? "Oh our Caroline will make us a spot of tea." I bet you did didn't you? I bet you told her that."
Celia smiled and lifted herself off the stool.
"About 5pm. Is that OK?"
She leaned forward and kissed Caroline.
"No mum. No it isn't. I have plans."
"You? Plans on a Sunday tea time. Pull the other one. See you later love."
Caroline leaned forward on the counter and sighed. There was no way that she was going to be able to see Kate now unless she actually invited her to tea.
And then Celia stopped in the door way.
"Oh, what did you want to tell me about? What was this exciting news of yours?"
"Oh, er, me? My news? Oh, it was nothing. It can wait."
"I didn't know your mother had a sister."
"Well she does. Muriel. They don't see eye to eye on many things. Not since she ran off with mum's boyfriend, the one she had before she met my dad. I don't think she ever forgave her for that. Anyway, she is coming over the tea today and I wondered if you would like to come along. It will probably be very boring but it will be the only way that I can see you. And you can meet her and the boys. Oh, and my mother."
It went quiet.
"Kate, are you still there?"
Caroline balanced the phone on her shoulder, shutting the oven door with one hand and reaching over to put something in the sink with the other.
"Yes, sorry. Does this mean that, well, if you want me to meet the family, that you might be thinking of introducing me as someone more than just a work colleague, a friend?"
Caroline paused, surprised by the question.
"Oh I err, I mmmm I don't I don't I hadn't really thought about it. I need to tell the boys first and that would be best done when we are on our own. Let's see how today goes shall we. It might turn out to be a good day. I don't think that the timing would be right to tell my mother though. Not when Aunty Muriel is coming over. That would just set her on edge and quite possibly shove her over it."
If Caroline could have seen the smile on Kate's face, she would have smiled as broadly too. Kate was suddenly hopeful that Caroline would at least tell the boys.
"Thank you Caroline."
"So, I'll see you around 4.30pm then shall I?"
"Looking forward to it. Bye."
"Bye Kate. Bye. Bye."
Caroline walked over to the sink and pushed her sleeves up. She had made that commitment now. She had told Kate that she would find the time today to tell the boys. Her heart was already racing and she started to rehearse what she was going to say to them.
"So the thing is boys. The thing is this. You know Kate, the new teacher from school? Miss McKenzie. Well she and I are friends. Actually, we are more than friends. She and I are together and we oh gosh, this is going to be difficult. Right, Caroline start again."
She glanced at her reflection in the sink and, moving her hair back from her face, she stood upright, pushing her chest out and holding her head up high.
"So when I was younger, I had this friend at university. A special friend. She was a girl and we were like girlfriend and boyfriend only we were two girls. And then …. Shit! This makes me sound about 11 years old. Why can't I do this? Right. OK. I need to tell you something boys."
"I need to tell you that I am gay and that Kate and I are having a relationship."
Caroline suddenly dropped the plate that she had been absentmindedly drying and it fell to the floor, shards of pottery scattering everywhere. She spun round to face William who was standing in the kitchen in his dressing gown, listening to her. He slowly walked over to her.
"How how how long … when did you when did … how much of that did you hear?"
"All of it. I heard all. It's OK mum. Really it is."
William smiled and reached out and gently stroked Caroline's arm. She dropped her head, staring at the broken plate on the floor, briefly thinking that it resembled her life at this very moment in time: broken and impossible to put back together again.
"I don't care. You are still my mum and it doesn't matter who you are with. I just want you to be happy. I know that things haven't been right since dad left for that, that woman but these last few weeks, you have changed. You have been happier and brighter and more relaxed. And if it is Miss McKenzie that has done that, then I am pleased for you, I really am. I like her. She is a great linguist and she is funny and caring and you are very well suited."
Caroline wiped away the tears that were falling down her cheeks and she turned away, embarrassed to be crying in front of William. More than anything, she was touched by his understanding, his great insight into the situation and his reaction.
"I don't know how this happened. It just sort of, well, it just sort of did. I didn't plan this you know. God knows what they will think at school when this gets out. Oh good gracious, how I will tell granny? What will she think?"
William laughed.
"Who cares what granny thinks? As long as you two are happy. What are you baking?"
"What? Oh, I have a quiche in the oven. Aunty Muriel is coming over for tea. Yes I know. I was surprised too. Anyway, she is coming over and so is Kate. I have asked Kate to come over too. I don't know if I am going to tell granny about us but I, well, as you know, I was planning to tell you and Lawrence. So now you know. And I am sorry for the way this came out. I was just so nervous. Anyway, now you know and I just have to tell Lawrence. Oh, and your father at some point. I guess I should tell him."
"Do you want me to tell Lawrence?"
"No, no, I can do it. Well, yes I guess that it might be best coming from you. Actually, no. I'll speak to him myself. Is he up?"
"I haven't heard him yet. He will probably be under his covers with one of those magazines that the boys in his class share."
William pulled a face in disgust and Caroline laughed.
"I'm sure he will come downstairs when he's hungry. Thank you William. Thank you for being so understanding. This hasn't been easy for me and I am sure that it will get harder before it gets better. But it is who I am and it is something that I should have done a long time ago. "
"I won't pretend to understand mum. You just need to know that I love you and I will support you."
Caroline bit her bottom lip to stop herself from crying again and she wiped her index finger underneath her nose.
"So what are your plans for today?"
"I need to study for my mock exams so I will be upstairs if you need me."
She reached out and ruffled his hair.
"At least one of my boys is studious. Where did I go wrong with Lawrence?"
William shrugged and they both burst out laughing.