The Race

Kate was resting on the sofa facing the door, waiting for Caroline to come home. Hearing a commotion in the foyer, Kate raised herself to a sitting position just in time to see the door flung back as far as it will go and Laurence burst into the room heading straight for her as fast as he can. Two steps behind him is Caroline, pivoting around the doorframe and picking up enough traction once she hits the oriental that she is only one step behind as Laurence taps Kate's shoulder passing on to make an end run circling back arms above his head, "Yes!" Intoning announcer style: "And the winner is…Laurence!"

"By a nose," protests Caroline with her last bit of breath. Dropping to the sofa beside Kate, a panting Caroline is grinning sheepishly at Kate who is still open mouthed in surprise looking from one to another. Then, in a severe teacher voice "Caroline Elliot! Have you been running in the corridor?"

Playing along, "It was him, Miss. He dared me."

Chortling, "Oh, that is so not true! You challenged me when you were three steps ahead!"

Giving Caroline a look that is a cross between astonishment and admiration, "You raced up the stairs? In those shoes?"

Caroline is laughing now, embarrassed but enjoying Kate's expression. Defending herself, "Well, he did dare me. He said he thought I might be getting a bit old to take the stairs." Listening to Laurence snort at this from the kitchen where he is foraging, "I had him on the steps, it was the parquet foyer that slowed me down."

Brows raised, "Not the 4" heels?"

Grinning again, "Well, the combination." Louder now, eyeing Laurence, "One more yard of carpet and we would have tied."

Cheekily, "In your dreams! In your dreams, Ma." Making a face at her he headed down the passage to his room. But he knew how close he had come to losing this race. Mentally promising himself that he would not rise to this bait again and risk the embarrassment of losing to his mother. He'd never live that down and heaven knows who they'd tell. Everyone probably.

Mother mode rising to the fore, Caroline called out. "Homework first. You only want to crash in front of the telly after supper."

Standing to disentangle her arm from the strap of her purse and remove her coat, as much so she would not need to face Kate as because she was too warm.

"So where were you when this began?"

A little proud, "Second flight." Heading for a glass of water.

Following, "So, you raced Laurence up three flights of stairs in those shoes?"

"Yep."

"Why would you do that?"

Shrugging, eyes sparkling, "To see if I could?"

"You don't do enough stairs at Sulgrave everyday?"

Gleaming eyes, "That is how I almost won."

"So, why were you on the stairs? Something wrong with the lift?"

Placing arms around Kate and leaning against her side, "Nope. I've been taking the stairs."

"Why?"

"As your mother so elegantly reminded me, I'll need to keep fit if I'm going to raise a baby at my age."

Seeing on Caroline's face that there was more, "And?"

Grinning, "And it was fun." Reaching for her kiss, "Kate, I haven't felt like this in years and it is all down to you." The kiss turned into a series of kisses, fueled with leftover adrenaline and the pure excitement of being alone with Kate again after all these hours away.

Caroline has found that she can get closer to Kate by pressing against her side and curling around breast to breast to bring their lips together. She puts her lips to Kate's ear, "I've missed you all day. I ran the stairs because I couldn't wait to see you." Allowing her lips to trail the golden jaw as Kate's face tilts slowly to meet her lips. The desire for each other that is only ever just beneath the surface rises like a sudden fever as they taste and twist into one another

"Mmmm." Pulling away finally, Kate is now the one out of breath, murmuring, "If you keep this up dinner is going to be very late."

Lips at Kate's ear, "Fine by me."

"Ma-aa!" Through Laurence's open door, "Could you give me a hand with this algebra problem?"

Letting out a long sigh with a soft groan just where it will do the most damage, Caroline's lips tug gently on a lobe as she turns away feeling the hand that had been creeping down her backside drop away. Backing toward the passage, eyes trained on Kate, lingeringly, Caroline slowly draws her blouse suggestively from the waistband of her skirt mouthing the word "Later."

Watching until Caroline disappears into Laurence's room, belatedly realizing that her mouth is open, Kate closes it with a swallow. The effect this woman has on her! Heading into the kitchen to begin meal preparations she plots ways to turn the tables on Caroline during dinner.

The Papers

Putting the last few cups into the dishwasher as Caroline gives the countertops a final wipe, Kate mentions overly casual, "Oh, and I think the post has finally caught up with us. Quite a pile arrived today." Giving Caroline an odd look, "There is one very official looking envelope." Seeing the question in Caroline's eyes as she looks up, Kate nods, "It's on your desk."

Folding the dishcloth neatly over the sink, Caroline dries her hands and towing Kate behind, heads for the study. Seating her in the rather large overstuffed armless rocker/recliner that they had purchased because they could both fit into it together if they crowded and they never minded crowding. They had placed it within reach of Caroline at the desk with a swing arm floor lamp beside it so that Kate could be here with Caroline, reading or nursing the baby when the time came.

Standing beside the desk, Caroline pulls out the likely looking item and picks up her letter opener. Seeing Caroline so grave, with the lines in her face turned down, Kate starts to rise, "Are you sure you want me here?"

Appealing eyes, "Please don't go." Glancing through the documents Caroline drops into her desk chair. Raising her eyes to Kate's, "There was a time when I thought I would feel elated when this came through. Now it only feels like failure." Seeing the look this brought to Kate's face she hurried on, "God, no. I don't want him back!"

Moving quickly Caroline pulled Kate out of the chair and seating herself in the vacated space drew Kate onto her lap. Gazing up into the loveliest brown eyes she had ever seen, "You are everything I want, everything I need from now until forever." Needing to connect more deeply with Kate she raised parted lips never releasing Kate's eyes. Tasting Kate. Those three kisses bringing her home, now she could go on. "I feel guilty being so happy, so satisfied, so secure while John is still floundering so badly. If I had only handled it all better starting years ago, maybe he wouldn't be where he is today."

Tipping up the regretful face, "He isn't one of your boys, Caroline. He is a grown man. He's responsible for himself."

Her expression registering the truth of this, Caroline said, "Still, maybe I could have helped him see that for himself if I'd done better."

Cupping the upturned face in her hands, "Dear Heart, you can't save the whole world from themselves." Circling her arms around Caroline, "Maybe this is what he needs to start pulling himself together. Make a new start."

Giving Kate a squeeze and looking lovingly into her face again, "You are so good for me. I don't know how I went so many years without you."

"OK! Algebra complete. Thanks for your help, Mum," as Laurence dropped into the desk chair. Picking up the papers on top of the pile he read the first few lines then looked over at his Mum. "So, that's it then, you and Dad?"

"Yes," said Caroline meekly. Watching him stare at the papers for a moment, "Are you alright?"

Giving her that searching look he was so good at lately, "Are you?"

Kate started to rise again but Caroline held her in place. "I'm sad that it all happened the way that it did. I think there are things I could have handled better but…" meeting Laurence's eyes she continued softly, "we hadn't been making each other happy for a long time, your Dad and I. It was going to happen sooner or later." Watching Laurence take this in, "I wish things were different for your Dad now. That it was all going better for him but I don't have control over that." Giving Kate a little squeeze she slid gently out from beneath her to squat beside Laurence, "I never did really. You do understand that don't you, Laurence?"

At last, "Yeah. Will said pretty much the same thing the other day. They have been talking on the phone you know, Will and Dad."

Surprised, "Have they?"

"Will calls him sometimes. He said Dad is really trying now. To stop drinking so much and trying to keep Judith off the stuff too. He's been lecturing again and even writing a little."

Pushing the hair on the side of his head into rows with her fingernails as she studied his face, "So you're OK with this?"

Shrugging, "It all happened last summer really, didn't it? It has been over for a long time now." Looking up at Kate then back at his Mum with a grin, "And at least you are not boring now." Placing an awkward kiss onto her cheek, "Dr. Who will be on in a minute, later Mater," and smiling at Kate he jumped up to touch the ceiling before passing through the door.

One knee still on the floor, love on her face and a tear in her eye, Caroline had swiveled to watch her boy leave the room before catching Kate's eye, her face working to keep the tears from spilling.