Caroline sat opposite John as they ate his expensive dinner next to the trashed kitchen, giving him daggers every time he mentioned any topic that she felt might stray into territory she didn't want him discussing.
Once dinner was over, Lawrence and his father rushed to the front room to watch the TV, while William hovered by his mothers side.
"Can I help you?"
"No thank you, sweetheart." Caroline smiled at him as she turned on the taps to run some water.
William continued to stand there watching her. "..mum?"
"Yes?"
"…Kate usually comes on a Monday for her dinner."
"Yes, well. I didn't think she would appreciate your father."
"No, probably not." William nodded.
When he didn't move away, Caroline finally stopped cleaning and looked at her son warily. "Is there something else?"
"..I just wanted to say I like Kate."
Caroline looked down at the sink. "…okay."
"..so maybe if she can't come over while dad is here, we could go over there some nights?" William asked hopefully.
Caroline smiled. "I'll ask her."
"Thanks, mum." William smiled too, glad he might not have to spend every evening with his dad.
After Caroline watched her son walk away, she dried her hands and grabbed her phone to text Kate. "William misses you. He wants to know if he can come over sometimes for dinner."
"As long as he brings his mum and she cleans the kitchen afterwards. Anyone died? Or been injured?"
"Nope. I kept a cool head tonight."
"Well done. I'm proud of you."
Caroline rolled her eyes, embarrassed at how pleased that message made her. "So, dinner?"
"I can do thursday and/or sundays, if that suits? Tuesday is dad, Monday is choir, Friday is dates with my girlfriend, and Saturday I like to keep open just in case."
"Wednesday?"
"You're usually too grumpy on wednesdays to enjoy after your meeting with whoever you see in the afternoon. I'm surprised that's what you picked up from that message."
"Oh, I picked the other thing up. I plan to ruminate about it in bed later."
"Ruminate is a lovely word."
"I thought so." Caroline smiled down at her phone.
William watched from the doorway and smiled.
Hi."
"Hi." Kate looked up from her marking the next day as Caroline leaned against the doorway of the otherwise empty staff room.
"..do you want to play hooky with me?"
Kate smiled widely. "Obviously. But it's only 2, why are you ready to leave?"
Caroline toyed with the hem of her jacket. "…I know your free periods are on Tuesday afternoon, so last night I sort of did a lot of work so I could finish early. I thought we could go for cake or something and you could tell me all about your dad before we go to see him." Caroline glanced up and felt her cheeks go warm as Kate beamed at her.
"That sounds perfect. Give me 5 minutes to finish up, and I'll meet you by my car?"
"My car. I'm driving. I can't be seen getting into your car, I might flash my knickers."
"What..what sort of knickers might they be?" Kate asked lightly.
Caroline gave Kate a long look as a smile played on her lips. "5 minutes."
Caroline spent the rest of the afternoon feeling incredibly guilty that she had never shown an interest in Kate's father before. Kate told her stories, showed her photos, and smiled the whole time, happy to be able to talk about him.
It wasn't until they reached the nursing home that Kate grew quiet and anxious. Caroline wanted to help, but she didn't know how. She tried to think what Kate would do if the situation was reversed, but all that did was make her begin to panic. How could she possibly contemplate a relationship with someone when she could even think how to comfort them?! She-
"Thank you for coming with me, Caroline. I feel…calmer with you here. Usually about now I've already started the snotty crying and I'm trying to convince myself that I don't really need to go in."
"Would..is there anything else I can do? To help?"
"No." Kate smiled at her and took her hand, squeezing it and then releasing it as they walked towards the building.
After a few moments of hesitation, Caroline slipped her hand back into Kates.
…
Caroline had been anxious about meeting Kate's father. What if he reminded her of how her dad had been? What if Kate got upset, what if he got upset? What if she didn't know what to say to him?
She needn't have worried.
Half an hour later Kate stepped from the room and wiped away her tears, giving the passing nurse a watery smile. Her fathers regular nurse quickly approached with Kate's customary cup of tea. "..I thought he was having a good day today.."
"Oh, he is."
"Then why the tears?"
"..I think they're mostly happy tears. He's showing my friend all the photos he has of me, and telling her how proud he is of me, and hoping we might meet one day because we would get on well."
The nurse squeezed her arm. "No matter how he's feeling or doing, he is always ready with a smile at the mention of you."
"Yeah. He just doesn't know that I'm me." Kate's voice shook and she brushed away more tears.
"I know it's hard. But you need to cherish the good days. And today, I think it's pretty special that your partner is getting to meet your dad when he's able to tell her all about you growing up. Now she will be able to carry those memories for you, too."
Kate nodded, brushing away more tears. "H-How did you know that…"
"That she's your partner? She told me."
Kate's eyes flew up in surprise. "When? What did she say?"
"When you went to sign you both In, I found her right here looking anxious. I asked her who she was here to see, she said your dad, and I said was she a relative, and she said did she bloody look like one."
Kate let out a burst of a laugh. "She gets…like that when she is anxious."
"It's okay, she apologised." The nurse smiled. "Then I asked who she was because it's usually only you who visits him, and she said-"
"That I'm your girlfriend." Caroline offered softly from behind Kate.
When Kate turned to look at Caroline, the nurse slipped into the room.
Caroline reached out to wipe tears from Kate's cheeks. "Come back inside. He's asking for you."
…
"Home." Caroline offered to break the silence as she drew up in front of Kate's house. The ride from the hospital has been done in complete silence, aside from Caroline saying she would pick Kate up in the morning so they wouldn't need to pick up her car. Kate had just nodded.
"Thank you." Kate opened the car door, climbed out, grabbed her bag and then closed the door.
After some hesitation, Caroline got out of the car, too. "Can I..would you like me to make you something to eat?"
"I'm fine."
Caroline toyed with her car keys as Kate unlocked the front door. Was this how she usually behaved after her father? Was this because of what Caroline had said to the nurse? "…maybe..could..could… maybe I could come in and we could-"
"I'm just going to have a shower and go to bed." Kate said flatly.
"Oh. Ok."
Kate opened the door and took a step inside before she turned to Caroline and held out her hand.
Caroline took it and followed her inside.
That evening was spent in a quiet place, barely any words spoken, but when Kate fell asleep in her arms, Caroline was relieved to see the frown that had adorned Kate's forehead had gone. Caroline kissed where it had been.
"Caroline! How lovely of you to join us!" John called sarcastically when she unlocked the front door to her home an hour later.
"Hi, mum." The boys called in unison.
"Hi." Caroline smiled at her boys as she stuck her head in the front room. "How was school? All packed for tomorrow?"
"Yep."
"Out with Kate McKenzie again?" John asked.
"Yes." Caroline replied tersely.
"I'm surprised you didn't stay out all night. I suppose you'll need to shower if you've been-"
"If I've been what, John?" Caroline asked icily.
"…nothing."
"Kate goes to see her dad on tuesdays, doesn't she? Is she okay?" William asked.
"I'm sure she would appreciate a text to tell her we're thinking of her." She kissed William's hair, throwing another glare at John lest he make a comment about the L word.
"Angus says Kate is a lesbian." Lawrence was the one who offered it instead.
"Does he. I'm going up to bed. Your father has agreed to drive you both in the morning."
"If Kate's a lesbian, won't people talk about you two being together so much?"
"…yes, I imagine they will." Caroline said with dismay, no energy to have this conversation tonight. "Would..would…"
"They are seeing each other you pillock. They have been for months. Possibly years." John shot out.
"Don't be an idiot." William glared at his father. "Kate's nice, Lawrence. We both like her. If mum and her want to be more than friends, then good. Hasn't mum been happier recently?"
"…I guess." Lawrence mumbled, looking shocked at his mother.
"Lawrence. Nothing has changed. I'm still me." Caroline walked in and sat between her children.
"How long?"
Caroline drew in a breath and released it. "..I realised that night the power went out. About a week ago. That Kate has feelings for me, and I have…Lawrence, she makes me happy. And I don't think I've been properly happy in a long time. I'm not going to be suddenly making huge grand gestures and embarrassing you, because that's not me and it never has been. I also hope you realise that I would never have started anything with anyone if your father hadn't done what he did."
"..what if people are mean to you?" Lawrence asked tearfully.
"It's 2012. The only person who might have a problem is your father."
Both sons look towards their father.
"I…I..I don't.. don't have a problem with lesbianism. Inherently. It's-"
"Good. Well, there you are, then. No one is going to be mean to me. And I'm not going to be shouting it from the rooftops, because I'm 46 and I'm frankly too tired and unfit to climb onto a roof."
Lawrence sniggered at this.
"So. Are we ok? Are you ok?"
Lawrence thought for a few moments and then nodded.
"Good." Caroline kissed his hair, then Williams, giving him an appreciative smile for his support. "Then I'm going to bed, because I'm old and exhausted."
After his mum left the room, William waited, but all that was said by anyone else was Lawrence's "does that mean Kate has to give me an A if I take Italian next year?"
"Idiot." John hit him with a cushion.
William hesitated, and then sent the recording of the conversation to Kate.
..
When Caroline finished showering and putting on her pyjamas, she found a singular text message waiting for her.
"I love you."
