DESIGNING THE FUTURE
7 Christmas Commitments / Mrs. McKenzie
As Kate pulled to the curb and put the car into park, Caroline released her seat belt, exiting the car quickly to get to the other side to offer an assisting hand to Kate. Touched, but somewhat self conscious about this attention from Caroline, Kate allowed her arm to be taken as she stepped up onto the curb before firmly moving the solicitous hand into her own saying with an indulgent smile, "Caroline, I am only pregnant, not infirm. " Seeing the fallen look on Caroline's face she hastened to add, "I must say, you do make me feel very special."
"You are very special," beamed Caroline giving her hand a squeeze as they walked up the path.
Once inside the door, Caroline turned to face Kate. Placing her fingers on either side of the face before her, Caroline tenderly kissed Kate. Hands on one another's waists, the baby bump keeping them the perfect distance apart to gaze lovingly into one another eyes, they stood together, enjoying this peaceful moment. It felt so good to be together again after so much time apart but the coldness and the misunderstanding was so recent that being together was also still a little scary. It still felt so tentative. Caroline was afraid every time she was parted from Kate that maybe she wouldn't return or if she did she might have changed her mind. Still when they were together as they were now, her heart swelled with joy.
Finally, the baby decided to go into an enormous stretch, seemingly moving in all directions at once and felt by them both standing stomach to stomach as they were, both women began to laugh releasing one another.
Kate glanced back as she rounded the curve of the stairs to see Caroline in silhouette against the sunlight pouring through the window. The sight of this shapely figure with the white gold hair and the admiring blue eyes on her arrested Kate's progress. Finding her mouth filling with water, she swallowed and resolutely continued up the stairs saying softly, "I won't be long."
Once Kate was out of sight and she heard the bedroom door close Caroline took a deep breath. She couldn't help but wonder at herself and the bold way she was following her heart. Logically, it made no sense for her to accept Kate back into her life with no more chance for discussion than they'd had so far. But there was a knowingness inside her that would allow her to do nothing else. She had to follow this intuition, surely she couldn't be more miserable than she had been these last six months.
Thinking of the effect of her misery upon her family she pulled the mobile from her purse to call her house. Laurence answered, "Mum! When are you getting home, presents are waiting you know." Unable to keep the happy laugh from her voice she replied, "Yes, I know Laurence. Then remembering the plan, "I thought you were meeting your Dad when you got back. Did you call him?"
Unenthusiastically, Laurence replied, "Yeah, William did, we're leaving as soon as he puts the turkey into the oven like you asked."
Caroline, trying to sound reassuring "It will be fine once you get there. It will mean a lot to your Dad."
"Yeah, if they're not piss…"
Ignoring this Caroline went on, "Don't forget to take the things you bought for your Dad and Judith from under the tree. Kate and I are going over to see her Mum for a while. I'll likely get home about the same time as you." Receiving no response but knowing there was nothing she could do to improve the situation, Caroline said, "OK, see you when we get home. Bye." Hearing a mumbled, "Bye." Caroline repeated, "Bye, Bye." Looking unseeingly into the distance and reflecting sadly for a moment on the Christmas scene in store for her boys she wished for the millionth time that she could prevent such things from touching them.
Knowing full well that this was impossible Caroline rang her mother's number. "Hi Mum. Drive home go OK?
"Yes, yes, Ted's just arrived through the back door. We are going to unpack and then put our feet up until you get home and the boys are ready to open their packages. Let me know when you've arrived won't you?"
"Sure Mum. Glad you got home safely. See you later."
By this time Kate could be heard descending the stairs. Caroline having been roaming through the rooms as she talked returned to where she could catch sight of Kate the soonest. Lovely in a red velvet dress Kate saw the appreciation in Caroline's face as it tracked her progress down the last few stairs. Taking the overnight bag from Kate she was unable to resist the urge to put her free arm around this woman who held so much appeal for her and pull her close. Neither of them seemed able to drink in enough of the other today. Kate had forgotten to breath again, watching the magnificence that radiated from Caroline, and caught another quick breath as she was drawn in by the loving arm. Once again it was the baby protesting against all of this squeezing into her space that brought them back to realization of time passing. After helping Kate with her coat, Caroline passed through the door first, allowing Kate to lock it as she followed behind.
Caroline walked down the path ahead of Kate to open the car door for her. The sun having come out and the day being warmer than expected, Caroline had chosen not to pull her coat from the back seat and put it on for the short walk to the house. For the first time today, Kate had opportunity to watch Caroline while being unobserved. The dark green knit dress with the matching sweater coat trimmed smartly in red, clinging to Caroline in all the right places was bewitching enough but watching those mesmerizing hips sway tantalizingly, had Kate wishing she could pull Caroline back into the house and forget all of their well laid plans for the day.
Caroline turning at the car to look back for Kate caught the open mouthed look of lust on Kate's face before she could close her mouth and recover. Caroline pleased that she still held appeal for her long estranged lover couldn't help teasing. Opening her eyes wide, raising her eyebrows up under her fringe, to let Kate know that she had been caught, she tilted her head prettily and held the car door open.
Kate embarrassed at having been caught fully in the act of ogling Caroline, began to blush. Caroline well aware of the signs of a blush on this dark skinned woman couldn't suppress a grin. Kate realizing that her blush had been noticed as well as the ogling simply got into the car as quickly as possible to escape the mocking eyes so amused at her expense.
Caroline, deciding that she would continue the joke, started around the front of the car in her most provocative style. Given that Caroline had no idea of the effect she regularly had on people around her in her everyday persona, had even less idea that the sight of her being deliberately provocative, might be truly overwhelming to observers. Busy peeking through the windshield to see Kate's reaction, Caroline was unaware of the car approaching from the other direction, it's occupants having an unobstructed view of this striking woman in all of her magnificence until she heard the catcalls and wolf whistles of two boys slowly cruising past, windows down to communicate fully their appreciation of this glorious show.
Surprise registered on Caroline's face, then seeing that her admirers were unknown to her and that they continued to roll past, decided to go with the moment. She rounded the street side fender of Kate's car and gave them a classic sex symbol pose, one hand on a hip, the other behind her head, until the car disappeared around the corner. Then hearing a car door slam not far away, thought for the first time of Kate's neighbors and climbed quickly into the car with Kate.
Turning her now, appalled at herself, face to Kate and meeting her eyes, both women burst into laughter. Caroline laughing even harder than she and Gillian had done that day at the hotel when they realized the hotel staff had thought the two of them were getting married. Each time Caroline and Kate began to wind down they would catch one another's eye and shriek uncontrollably again. At last Kate calmed enough to wipe the tears from her eyes and start the car to begin the drive to her mother's.
Caroline, still breaking out in embarrassed giggles from time to time and unable to speak without breaking up, occupied herself in the visor mirror dabbing at her eyes to preserve her make up as much as possible. Thinking with some satisfaction over this episode, that she must not be as completely past it as John would have her believe with his characterization of her as a flaccid overripe fruit of a woman.
Suddenly she realized that in just a few minutes she would be meeting Kate's mother again for the first time in many months. This thought sobered her immediately and she turned a stricken face to Kate. Seeing this sudden change in Caroline, Kate asked with concern, "What?"
"Your mother! What have you told her about me? About us?" The normally unflappable Caroline Elliot was once again panicked. "Stop the car. Pull over now," she commanded. Why hadn't she thought of this before? This was also very unlike her and only added to her panic. "So, what have you said to your Mum? About me? About us?" worried Caroline. "What am I about to walk into here?"
Having parked at the curb near a park, Kate said with a reproving expression, "Caroline, you don't think I would have asked you to do this today if I thought it were going to be difficult for you? Well, no more difficult than last night. Seeing this had done nothing to reassure Caroline, "Early on I didn't actually say too much, just that I was seeing you and inevitably she knew I was seeing quite a lot of you since I wasn't over at hers nearly as much. Later, after… " Kate looked away briefly.
"Well, I couldn't say much without coming face to face with my own responsibility in the matter and it didn't seem necessary to go into it too far. Of course, my mother is not daft, when I turned up pregnant and you out of the picture I'm sure it didn't take too much imagination for her to come to conclusions that weren't far from the truth," Kate finished with a rueful look.
Caroline, saying nothing simply nodded, took Kate's hand and kissed it before holding it for a long moment against her cheek in understanding. Blue eyes met brown as they both once again acknowledged to one another the seriousness of the issues still to be discussed. Determinedly, they started off again, to greet another person who would loom large in the joint life they were embarking upon.
Caroline, thinking past the visit to Mrs. McKenzie now, of all that was before her until she would see Kate again, thought all at once to wonder if Kate would get a chance to rest today, in light of the plans she had outlined earlier and asked the question.
"Oh yes, Mum and I agreed that while she is reading to Dad today, I'll stretch out on the sofa in his room. It really is nice there. He loves to hear Mum read and it calms him, so I'll get a nice rest. Mum is as concerned about me as you are," assured Kate. "It wasn't easy on her either when I lost the babies. I don't like to think…" began Kate before stopping herself.
Caroline started in briskly, "No, we don't want to go there, not today." Then firmly, making eye contact, "promise me that you will take a good rest today." Following Kate's assurance, Caroline said, "text me?"
"Of course," smiled Kate, "if you like," as she pulled to the curb in front of her family home.
"I like" said Caroline leaning into kissing range, waiting for Kate to bring her lips to Caroline's as she knew Kate liked to do. Gentle kisses once again running into one another, warm lips and touching tongues communicating their desire, promising more and better things to come.
Mrs. McKenzie
Caroline managed to get to the other side of the car in time to assist Kate just as the front door was opened. They were met by Mrs. McKenzie's smiling appraisal of the couple before her. Having caught the loving look just exchanged by her daughter and this stunning blonde woman, she was in little doubt about the news Kate had called to say she wanted to share with her.
Kate aware of her mother's astuteness said only, "Mum, Happy Christmas! You remember Caroline."
Hugging her daughter Mrs. McKenzie felt the excitement humming through her and wondered with some apprehension how this would affect Kate and the pregnancy that seemed so precarious given the babies lost when she was a younger woman. She ushered them into the sitting room at the front of the house, offering them tea.
Kate aware of the tight timeline for the day declined for them both and asked her Mum to sit down. Mrs. McKenzie, a slender woman with elegant bearing in her late sixties, dressed smartly for the day, seated herself in her favorite chair while Kate and Caroline sat side by side on the sofa.
Kate, seeing her Mother's worry, began earnestly, "Mum, Caroline and I have reconciled." Taking Caroline's hand into her lap, "Last night. It's all very new, of course, but we're moving forward as a couple. Caroline has agreed to raise the baby with me." Looking into Caroline's face for confirmation of what she had told her Mum, she found the reassurance that she needed and watched as Caroline turned to verify this to Mrs. McKenzie.
Caroline met the eyes of the older woman, "We've found through this separation that instead of fading, our love became stronger. Obviously, we have a lot to talk through yet, many plans to lay, but I want you to know that I am committed to Kate and to the child she carries." Pausing to read the older woman's face, Caroline saw relief still tinged with doubt. Turning back to Kate, she continued, "We plan to spend the next several days together, the two of us, to talk and plan for the future." Facing Kate's Mum, conscious of all that would be on this mother heart, "I know this comes as a surprise to you and our time is so short today, will you have dinner with us on Friday evening?" Glancing back at Kate and seeing her smile of approval, "We'll all have had more of a chance to grow accustomed to this change and we can talk more then. Are you free on Friday?"
Mrs. McKenzie, somewhat reassured by Caroline's confident manner and Kate's look of admiration and love for this woman that she herself still knew so little about, but instinctively respected, replied, "Yes, of course."
The mantle clock chimed the hour which set them all in motion once again. Mrs. McKenzie gathering her things while Kate and Caroline carried to the car shopping bags of gifts, a cake and a casserole dish prepared to share at the family dinner. On the way to Conway Drive, they made plans for the promised dinner on Friday.