Kate smiled. "Caroline. Will you come with us to the hospital? I want you to be there." Caroline nodded. "Of course."

"Will you ... Will you ring my mum please?

"Yeah sure. Is her number in your phone?"

Kate nodded. Caroline found Kate's bag and her phone. She found the entry 'mum' and pressed the screen before she realised she didn't know her name! "What's her ...?"

Kate interrupted and smiled, "It's Grace!"

"Hello Grace?... No Grace, it's Caroline, Kate's fr ... Girlfriend." Caroline looked at Kate whilst talking with her mother. She was conscious of not having met her mum when Kate had been exposed to Celia's judgements for some time. She vowed to correct this and invite her over for dinner. Caroline passed the phone to Kate.

Dave came back into the room. "Caroline. We're going to have to take them both in to check them over. Would you be able to get Kate's bag and bring it to the hospital?"

"Yeah. Sure, no problem."

Caroline had waved Kate off in the ambulance, got a quick shower and changed. She met her mother in the kitchen as she was about to leave. "Are you alright love?"

"Yes mum. Are you?"

Celia looked at her daughter with concerned eyes. "I'm just worried about you that's all. I can't help worrying about you. I want you to be happy. After everything John put you through."

Caroline took a deep breath. She smiled. "Mum. I am happy. You have Alan who is the love of your life. I can see it in your face. Even when you're scowling! I have Kate and now we have Helena. Can't you see how happy I am?"

"I suppose. If you're sure?"

"I am very sure. I knew it from the moment Kate and I danced at your wedding. There had been something missing and I was completely lost. I found it that night and I'm not going to lose it ever again."

Caroline kissed her mum and walked out the door to her car. She drove over to Kate's to collect her baby bag and then on to pick up a special someone.

Caroline arrived in the hospital car park and retrieved Kate's bag from the back of the car. She then helped Grace, Kate's mum get out of the passenger seat.

Grace was a portly woman in her late sixties with a round happy smiling face. She had Kate's eyes and her mouth. Her cuddly figure showed she was a good cook. Kate described her visits to her ancestral home back in Nigeria when her gran and mum would cook for over twenty extended smiley members who would travel from all over Nigeria. There would be food, singing and dancing and lots of drinking too.

"Thank you Caroline. Kate was right. You do have eyes as beautiful as sapphires." Grace smiled to herself.

Caroline blushed at Graces words. "I think Kate's biased."

"She also warned me that you cannot take a compliment. I see again she is right with this point. I don't understand this when you are so very beautiful." Grace smiled at Caroline.

Caroline laughed. She walked with Grace into the maternity ward. They approached the desk and Caroline spoke with the older nurse at the reception. "Hello, we're here to see Kate Mckenzie. She was brought in this morning."

The nurse smiled politely at Caroline and Grace. "Are you family?"

Caroline smiled. "Yes we are."

The nurse asked again with what Caroline now realised was a fake smile. "And what relation are you exactly?"

Caroline was about to tell the nurse it was none of her damn business when Grace stepped in. "Listen my dear. Kate is my most precious and beautiful daughter. The Lord gave her to me and I made a promise to watch over her. Helena is my most special granddaughter. God has given her to Kate and Caroline on this very day. I'm sure they will be making their own promises to god in time. Caroline here is the best and most gorgeous daughter in law a mother could ever wish for. She is also a Head Teacher of a very important private school who I'm told can strike fear in the bravest of men. So if you're not too busy asking all of these silly questions we'd like to see Kate and Helena please!"

Caroline looked down trying to hide her grin at Grace's retort at the nurse. Damn she had the sass to be out and proud for her. She looked up at the nurse and smiled. The nurses fake smile was back. "Follow me please."

Caroline found Kate in a ward of six beds. She was in the corner by the window. Helena was fast asleep in a cot at the side of the bed and Kate was sleeping too. Caroline had such pride and love in her eyes at the beautiful site of her Kate and Helena. Her heart was bursting with an overwhelming joy.

There was only one other bed occupied on the ward on the opposite side to Kate's. A woman with long dark hair lay asleep with a baby in the cot next to her. Her bed surrounded by cards telling Caroline he was a boy.

Caroline and Grace walked over to Kate's bed and Caroline looked into the cot at Helena. Grace stood next to Caroline with the biggest smile. "You have both made me a very proud woman. Thank you."

Caroline put Kate's bag down by the side of the bed and took a seat in the chair next to Kate. Caroline took hold of Kate's hand and kissed it gently trying not to wake her. Kate let out a moan, "Caroline."

Caroline whispered. "Shh Kate. I'm here with your mum."

Kate opened her eyes and smiled at her mum. "Love you mum." She then turned to Caroline. "I love you Caroline."

Caroline smiled at Kate. "I love you too Kate."

Caroline then heard a commotion from the reception desk down the hall. There were two familiar voices ringing out. One she knew and had known from the day she was born - her mother. The second she had only known a short while and already she disliked it.

Like Grace she could hear her mother giving the nurse some grief. "She's my bloomin' granddaughter thank you very much. Nonsense, I'm entitled to see her and I will, so go get your security guard to throw a poor defenceless seventy year old out. You'll only make yourself look more of a fool than you already do."

Caroline then watched her mother striding down the corridor towards her. She was carrying some flowers and a card. Celia noticed the sleeping babies and mouthed to Caroline. "The bloody cheek of her!"

Caroline smiled and Kate laughed. Caroline introduced Celia to Grace. Both women smiled politely and said hello to one another.

Celia stood opposite Caroline and Grace at the other side of the bed. "Hello Kate love. You gave us all a terrible fright earlier. Nice to see you're looking much better." She put the flowers on the side table and gave the card to Kate. Kate placed it on the bed for later.

"Caroline love. I brought you a flask of tea, a paper and a sandwich I made for you. I'm guessing you'll be staying a while. Alan and I will take care of Lawrence so don't worry."

"Thanks mum. I'll ring him later."

Celia looked into the cot. "She's very beautiful. But then again all babies are. Have you given her a name yet then? We can't go on calling her 'it'."

"Shall I? Caroline asked Kate who nodded. "Well. We've had lots of thoughts and we're pleased you're both here. We've decided on Helena Grace Celia McKenzie-Elliot."

Grace had a huge smile on her face. "That is so beautiful. You have given her our names. I'm sure Celia will agree when I say you have made us very proud grannies!"

Celia looked up at Caroline with a blank expression. Caroline asked Celia directly. "What do you think mum?"