Caroline wasn't sure what time she went to sleep the night before, but when she woke the next morning she felt exhausted. Kate was fast asleep, though her arms were still wrapped tightly around Caroline's middle.
When the blonde glanced at the clock, she realised they had agreed to meet Claire in fifteen minutes, but suddenly Caroline wasn't so interested in kitchens. Reaching for her phone, she glanced at Kate to make sure the movement hadn't woken her, and then sent a text.
…
Kate woke up with a frown. Her head was throbbing and her face felt tight with dried tears. She didn't want to open her eyes and admit the day, but the fact she felt alone in bed forced her hand.
Caroline was gone. Her bags were gone. Kate's words, her admissions, her fears had been too much.
But then suddenly Caroline exited the bathroom, dressed only in the shirt she had abandoned on the floor the day before, the buttons done up haphazardly. She didn't immediately realise the beds occupant had woken, and first walked to the tray that now rested on the table, pouring herself a cup of coffee as she considered the food that had come along with it.
She still had smudges of make up on her face, her hair was less tousled and now more matted and messy, but the look on her face was one Kate hadn't seen before. Not happy, not quite, but a form of contentment, perhaps. A feeling of security.
Kate realised she felt it, too. The last hurdle in their relationship, the last thing they'd never properly discussed, was out in the open. It had hurt, voicing her past and her pain, but now she realised she had been trying so hard to be the level, calm one of their relationship that she hadn't truly been completely open. She had asked Caroline to be brave and be vulnerable so many times and yet had rarely been herself.
"Caroline." Kate's voice croaked, but it didn't seem to matter to the blonde as her face lit up and she moved quickly to the bed, moved into the arms that were held open to her, moved to wrap her own around Kate. "Good morning."
Caroline hummed a half hearted laugh. "It's almost midday."
Kate turned with astonishment to the clock beside the bed. "Claire-"
"I sent her a message."
"Where are your bags?"
"Downstairs, except for carry on. I've booked a flight back for us later. It's quicker. And I don't want to have to wait hours to hold you like this again."
Kate turned her head to kiss Caroline's forehead.
"We have..if you want to, we have time to talk to Greg. He's still here. I called reception."
Kate studied the freckles on that forehead. She could only nod her head.
"Ok." Caroline tilted her head back to kiss her. Kate had admitted last night that she was terrified she was running out of time to try again. Caroline had been furious with herself for not waking up to her feelings sooner, for making Kate feel as though she had to wait. "But only talk. Anything else, I want to happen in our own bed. In our own home."
"But-"
"I want to buy a home with you. Somewhere that is a fresh start for both of us."
"But your mum-"
"I don't care. We can find somewhere with another granny flat, or she can move somewhere with Alan. Whatever she wants to do."
"The boys-"
"We will pick somewhere with room for both of them. They can help pick. William will be over the moon to be living with you."
"John-"
"He can buy me out, if he can afford it, then he can have his precious house."
"I thought it was your precious house."
"It was, once, when I had nothing else. But now you're more precious to me than any house could ever be, Kate."
Kate kissed Caroline's hair again, a smile on her lips. "You've had a busy morning of decisions."
"No, I haven't. They weren't decisions, they were what my heart has been telling me to do all along." Caroline admitted. "I'll call Greg now and-"
"No." Kate reached out and drew her hand back from the phone. "Soon." Was all she offered as she moved Caroline's hand to her chest. "Soon. I want to make love first."
"..I suppose I can deal with that.." Caroline replied with a smile.
…
"Hi." Greg gave a cautious smile when the women joined him in a private dining room. Caroline had been quite cryptic on the phone, and he'd had the impression the night before that she didn't like him a whole lot.
"I'm sorry about last night.." the blonde offered, surprising him.
"..it's fine. Claire and I had a lot to catch up on anyway." He glanced at kate, who was being unusually quiet and gripping Caroline's hand so tightly that it looked painful.
Caroline opened and closed her mouth several times before she looked at Kate.
"…Greg." Kate began.
…
Several hours later, Caroline dumped her purchases on the kitchen counter in her house, then went looking for her children.
William was sitting outside reading, and was surprised to see his mother. "Mum! I thought you'd be hours yet."
"We decided to fly back. It's quicker." She kissed his hair. "Where is Lawrence?"
"Him and dad went to the movies."
"You didn't want to go?"
William gave his mother a look that made her smile. She sat on the edge of the sunlounger he was on. "Well, I'm glad you didn't, because there's something I want to talk to you about."
"We want to talk to you about." Kate corrected from the doorway.
"We." Caroline corrected herself with a smile. "But no talking to anyone about it until we've had the chance to discuss it with everyone, okay? It's about this house."
…
After a lot of kisses and a lot of talking, Kate had left before John arrived back. Caroline had sat forlornly on the couch for a while missing having her close before she finally forced herself to get up and interact with her family.
At her own home, Kate unlocked the door and walked in, met by silence. She stood in the doorway for a long time before she finally walked into the room, reaching for her phone to call her mum to chase away the sudden loneliness. She already had 3 messages from Caroline.
"I love you." This made Kate smile.
"Kate, I'm 46 and I've got a hickey on my breast!" This made Kate laugh.
The last one was a link to an open house.
Her mother forgotten for now, Kate pulled out her laptop and sat down. Two weeks into a relationship and they were going to move in together.
"You are such a lesbian, Caroline Elliot."
Caroline laughed into her wine glass at her reply from Kate.
….…
Early at work the next morning for Lawrence's training, Caroline found herself wandering the halls aimlessly instead of getting down to work. She had to roll her eyes when she found herself outside Kate's classroom and quickly forced herself to go back toward her office.
"Morning, Caroline! I saw your car and wondered where you'd got to." Beverley smiled. "I thought you might have braved watching the training for once."
"Never. Lawrence would be mortified when I ran onto the field to check him over every 5 seconds." Caroline smiled, perching on the edge of Beverley's desk. "How was your weekend?"
If she was surprised to be asked, Beverley didn't show it. "Paul and I spent all weekend arguing over which colour to paint the new fence."
"What colour did you decide on?"
"We didn't." Beverley pulled out a pile of paint swatches. "If you'd like to have a look.."
Caroline took them and considered them. "…you know how you and Paul do up houses and sell them…"
"Well, when we can agree on things, we do. Yes."
"Is there…have you…I suppose that means you're aware of a lot of houses that are or might be on the market over the next few months in the area?"
"Yes, I suppose…"
"…I like working here, Beverley. With you. And I like having a short commute, and the boys like being close to their friends. But we've..I've decided to sell up. A fresh start."
"And you were wondering if I knew anywhere? If you can make a list of what you'd like, I can talk to Paul and let you know?"
Caroline nodded, placing the swatches on the desk. "Ok. It will..umm.. it won't just be my specifications, though."
"I imagine the boys will want an input, too."
Caroline nodded, tapped the swatch of dark green. "And umm…Kate. She's..I've..we will be looking for a place. Together."
"Finally."
Caroline smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing. "Cheeky. I'm still your boss."
Beverley reached out and squeezed Caroline's hand. "Make a list with your family, and make a note of things that will be deal breakers, and I'll talk to Paul."
"Thank you."
"Given…ah..given your propensity to ..plan things thoroughly, is Kate aware of all this?"
"Yes. Kate is aware of both this conversation and Caroline's propensity to take things over." Kate offered from the doorway.
"I think I've lost all credibility in this school if all the staff have started talking so cheekily about their boss…"
"Work boss. Because at home, we all know who is the boss." Kate retorted.
"Who?" Asked Beverley.
"Lawrence's stomach." Came a joint reply, just as Lawrence, still filthy from training, rounded the corner.
"Ma, I've already eaten my lunch, can I have some money to buy something else at lunch time?"
Rolling her eyes, caroline stepped aside to let him into her office, and then smiled at Kate and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later."
Despite so many changes happening, the next couple of months were much calmer than the previous 2. Caroline talked to all her family, individually and then together. They all knew the voice she was using meant she wouldn't have her mind changed, and so the only person who dared complain was John. Even Celia had nodded quite meekly and admitted her and Alan were looking for somewhere between Halifax and Huddedsfield already.
Greg had been spoken to again, by Caroline alone this time to discuss legal standing. Kate had been furious when she found out but had soon come round to see Caroline's point of view. Regardless of how well she thought of Greg, and what he said now, if a baby were to be born, they needed to make sure he or she was fully theirs.
The time was filled with what used to feel like the mundane of the day to day, but which seemed to have a new light having someone to share them with.
It wasn't a pile of laundry that overwhelmed, it was a chance to chat to Kate about nothing important. Caroline found herself asking questions, finding things out that she had never thought to ask about.
It wasn't a mess after a party, it was a chance to plan together their new kitchen.
It wasn't an early wake up for rugby on a freezing morning, it was a chance to share a thermos of coffee with Kate and look through photos Beverley had sent.
"This is not at all how I imagined this." Kate offered one Saturday morning as she trailed behind Caroline at the supermarket. The boys were up ahead somewhere, and Caroline was wearing flats and jeans and not a tight skirt and heels, for starters.
"Disappointed?" Caroline asked as she reached out for the least spotty bunch of bananas she could find.
"Not at all." Kate gave a dreamy sigh as she saw a slip of skin at the top of Caroline's jeans when she reached up to get a punnet of strawberries.
"Kate. Look, I found a nut free hazelnut spread!" Lawrence almost barrelled into her in his enthusiasm to show her.
"Wow." Kate offered half heartedly, making Caroline snort. "How does that work?"
"No idea, but if we get it, granny can make her famous Nutella biscuits and you'll be able to eat them!" Lawrence put it in the cart.
"Have you asked granny if she will make them?" Caroline asked mildly as Lawrence raced away again.
"…do you think he's going to bring me every nut free alternative in the shop?" Kate asked.
"Possibly."
"…I suppose it's good he's learning how to read the labels…"
"Mum is not going to make biscuits for him. She hasn't in years." Caroline turned to look at Kate, her face lighting up as she stood with her back to a display of organic lettuce. "But I can definitely think of something else to do with that spread."
"I've created a monster. You've just leered at me in a supermarket, Caroline. Actually leered." Kate took over pushing the trolley.
"I can't help it when you just have the most perfect WATERMELONS."
Kate looked up to find a mortified Caroline directing William away towards the watermelon display, having almost been caught.
Kate laughed and followed behind them.
