Caroline turned around, her face contorted as she fought to hold on to her growing rage.
Kate looked at Mrs French, a middle aged small, portly woman dressed in a twin set and pearls. Her salon bouffant hair defied gravity and appeared like her to be rock solid. Kate turned to her girlfriend and saw the look she knew so well on Caroline's face. Dr Elliot was back with her armour. Kate immediately opened the rear door of the Jeep and gently placed a sleeping Helena in her carry cot onto the backseat and closed the door. This wasn't going to be pretty.
Kate gave her girlfriend a look of pleading to try to calm her down. The redness of her exposed chest gave away Caroline's true feelings. "Caroline. Now you know I don't want Helena learning all those naughty Anglo Saxon words you're about to use."
Caroline couldn't help herself. She ignored Kate's little joke and turned to the school governor.
"I beg your pardon Mrs French? Just who the hell do you think you are? You stand there making judgements as if you are pure as fucking snow. Well you should check first that your own house is in order before passing judgement on anyone else."
Caroline stopped and looked to Kate.
"Have you secured Helena into her seat darling?"
Kate knew Caroline wasn't really asking a question. She was simply hinting for Kate to make herself busy. Caroline turned back to Mrs French who by now was looking shocked at Caroline's outburst.
"I will be reporting you and your homophobic views to the Chair of the board of governors so that the necessary action can be taken. Goodbye."
Caroline turned around and walked to the driver's side of the Jeep. She opened the door and noticed Mrs French was about to talk. Caroline stopped her by placing the palm of her hand up at her face. It was a 'talk to the hand' gesture.
"I don't want to hear any more of your vile opinions or bigoted views or listen to your hatred. I'm taking my girlfriend and daughter home."
Caroline reversed the car out of the parking space passing a still shocked looking school governor.
Kate remained quiet in the passenger seat and gently took Caroline's left hand rubbing the top to sooth her lovers temper.
"Do you feel better now?"
"I'm so damn angry Kate. And well … shocked. She wasn't one of the board members I had down as being a downright bigot."
"Well. You know what they say don't you. There's now't so queer as folk." Kate couldn't help but giggle and Caroline relaxed and joined in with a smirk.
"Caroline what did you mean when you told Mrs French to keep her own house in order?"
Caroline laughed out loud.
"She's only been having an affair with one of the other Governors. The sheer bloody cheek of it. I've a good mind to wrap that halo she thinks she has around her bloody neck!"
"Ah. No wonder you're angry. I guess the John business doesn't place her in your good books."
"Damn bitch!"
"Caroline! There is a small person in the car. Language please!"
Both women turned to look in the back seat checking Helena was still asleep. She was happily in the land of nod and oblivious to Caroline's Anglo Saxon outburst.
"You really will have to watch your language with Helena around."
"I don't swear all that much." Caroline looked at her girlfriend for confirmation and only got a look that said she did.
"Do I really? When?"
"You are now banished to the hallway when you either call your mother; call John or when you and Gillian are arguing."
Caroline burst out laughing as she realised she had indeed chosen very naughty words to tell John what she thought and her mother at times. Kate joined in and then Helena's cries brought the woman back down to earth.
They arrived at Kate's cottage a short time later and gathered their precious cargo, taking her into her home. Kate placed Helena onto the coffee table in the sitting room and took the seat opposite. Caroline came into the sitting room and took the empty spot next to Kate taking her into an emotional hug.
"We're finally here. All we need is for Grace to come home."
Kate felt physically lighter with her girlfriend's touch and the release of her headache which had threatened to come all day. Tears fell down Kate's face preventing her from replying to Caroline.
"Kate? What's the matter?"
Kate didn't answer, too upset to reply and too emotional to explain all the thoughts she had running around her head and feelings running through her heart. She looked at her beautiful daughter in her carry cot on the table who was now wide awake and looking up at the two women.
Kate had gone through so much and had so many knock backs but she was finally here. She was a mum and she was with the woman she had day dreamed about for over 18 months. She remembered when she first drove down the Sulgrave Heath driveway for her interview with the Headmistress. The letter had said she was meeting Dr C Elliot. She had a vision of an old Oxford Don wearing a tweed jacket and smoking a pipe.
She remembered her heart skipping a beat as she was greeted by a beautiful blonde goddess in high heels. Her interview seemed to float along without any issues and she wanted the job more than ever. She had jumped for joy after the telephone call from Caroline offering her the job.
Kate released her embrace from Caroline and looked into her gorgeous blue eyes. She gently brushed away a strand of her fringe which had fallen into Caroline's face.
"I'm just so happy right here right now. I know things are going to change for us and you really didn't want….."
Caroline was about to interrupt and Kate placed her finger over Caroline's lips stopping her.
"Please let me finish Caroline. I know this wasn't entirely what you had in mind when we started our relationship. But I can see you've changed and it means so much to me. Having Helena on my own would have been great but not having you in my life would have placed sadness in my heart and Helena's too."
Caroline smiled at Kate's words. She looked down to her hands in her lap and looked up at Helena who was awake and appeared to be frowning.
"You're right Kate. I didn't really have a baby in mind but you've changed my life completely. I'm so much happier than I've felt in a very long time. Today has shown that we aren't going to breeze through all this but I do really want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Kate smiled at Caroline's words and leant in placing her lips on Caroline's and relishing the feel of her warmth. As they each parted Caroline leant in closer and whispered into Kate's ear.
"I love you. I want to …."
Kate pulled away blushing and playfully slapped Caroline on the arm. "Not in front of Helena you naughty …..!"
Kate looked across at her daughter and lifted her out of the cot. She held her in her lap and gently kissed her on her head. Kate looked up at Caroline who feigned innocence at Kate's words and left the comfort of Kate's arms moving across towards the door. "Wait here I've got something for us."
Kate smiled and nodded feeling overjoyed by finally achieving her lifelong deepest wish of motherhood. She had so much love to give and Helena would want for nothing emotionally.
"Now Helena your other mum is going to say lots of naughty words whilst you are growing up and I don't want you learning them."
Kate heard a popping sound from the kitchen and saw Caroline return with two glass flutes and a large bottle of Moet and Chandon Brut Vintage Champagne.
"I didn't want to open it in front of Helena. I didn't want to frighten her but I wanted us to celebrate bringing her home and to celebrate the New Year and a fresh start for us all."
Caroline poured the bubbling liquid into each glass and handed one to a beaming Kate. Caroline looked at their beautiful daughter in Kate's arm who had fallen asleep again. She smiled at Helena's tiny dark eye lashes, brown button nose, soft latte coloured skin and wisps of black hair covering the top of her head. Caroline held up her glass and looked across to meet Kate's eyes looking back at her.
Kate at the hugest smile making the corner of her eyes wrinkle up. "Caroline. You're so sweet. You didn't need to ….."
Caroline interrupted Kate mid-sentence. "Please Kate."
Caroline stopped seemingly lost for words but inside she felt overwhelmed by the moment and the deep love she had for Kate and her new daughter. "I…. Kate, I …. God I'm such a clutz at times."
Kate laughed at Caroline. "I love it when you get tongue-tied. You look so sweet with no hint of Dr Elliot."
"Please Kate. I just wanted to say …"
Caroline had lost it again with her emotions taking over. She sighed then took a deep breath and looked deep into Kate's eyes.
"Thank you for coming back to me, for making me feel whole again, for Helena, for putting up with my foibles and most of all for being so beautiful and kind. I… I love you Kate."
Caroline took a sip of the liquid and felt it slide down her throat and warm her inside taking away her worries and stress. Kate took a sip and placed the glass down. She didn't want to drink too much having not had a drop of alcohol in 9 months. She walked towards Caroline and placed her left arm around her girlfriend's waste, holding a sleeping Helena in her right arm. Caroline placed her own glass down on the top and placed her arm around Kate's holding Helena. It felt comforting to be in a group hug.
Kate lent in to Caroline and met her lips in a gentle kiss. "I love you too Caroline. Thank you for being persistent and breaking through to my stubborn head, for taking back my fragile heart and thank you for your courage and resolve. I know it's not going to be easy for you but all I ask is that you tell me how you're feeling and together we can work through it. No matter what we have to face, together we are stronger than apart.