Caroline opened her mouth to call for Kate, but seeing how busy it was quickly shut her mouth. Instead, her eyes searched the immediate area, and when she saw William, she rushed to him. "I need your help to find Kate."
"Playing hide and seek?" He smiled, though it dropped when he saw the worry on her face. "Ok. I'll check outside."
"Call me if you find her." Were Caroline's parting words as she moved in the opposite direction.
Soon, Caroline, William and Beverley were all on the case.
William said Kate's car was still on the grounds, but Caroline was more and more sure she had left. Maybe gone to her dad? The park? Home? Caroline returned to her office to get her car keys.
Where Caroline had once sat on the floor crying with relief was now Kate, knees pulling tightly to her chest and head down.
"kate?" Caroline asked softly.
Wiping at her tears ineffectually, Kate lifted her head. "You weren't here."
"I was looking for you." Carolone moved quickly to sit beside her. "…Anna?"
Kate nodded, her tears beginning again in earnest. "It's not fair."
Caroline gently pulled her girlfriend into her arms, tightening her grip when Kate came willingly.
"It's not fair!"
"No, it's not." Caroline agreed. "But we don't know that… that is hasn't worked this time yet, do we. Maybe in a few weeks we can have pompous balloons and overly stereotypical pink and blue things everywhere, too."
Kate sniffled. "Did you do that with the boys?"
"I refused to give them anything blue at all until they were about 3, just so everyone would think I was progressive."
Kate let out a huff, and then a laugh. "Classic you."
"rude." Caroline replied with a small smile, kissing her hair before she pulled back a little and wiped Kate's tears away with her sleeve. "I'll tell them to take it down."
"No. She has a right to be happy."
"…do you want to go home?"
Kate shook her head. "I can't leave every time something makes me cry. I'll be okay in a minute."
"Okay. Why don't I ask Beverley to get us some tea and something to eat, then you can stay in here as long as you like."
Kate nodded, wiping her face again as Caroline texted both Beverley and William.
After Beverley had been in with the tea and Kate was deposited in the most comfy chair playing with her food and eating a little, Caroline tried to focus on the form in front of her. Something for a field trip for Lawrence. She didn't know why she had to fill out forms when ultimately she was the one responsible for his well-being on school trips as well.
"Tomorrow."
"Hmm?" Caroline looked up, gazing over her glasses.
"I could..can. I can do a test tomorrow."
"Okay. If you're..okay."
"Will you get one? On your way home?"
Caroline envisioned herself in a pharmacy trying to pick the right test out of the probably hundreds on display. "…ok."
Kate nodded and went back to ripping apart her sandwich.
Caroline watched her.
"..Kate?"
She lifted her head.
"…you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I feel like I can finally draw a proper breath after years of drowning. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but whatever happens, whatever the result, I will be by your side forever. Happily. And I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife. When my divorce comes through. I want…" Caroline trailed off, suddenly embarrassed. When she fumbled in her pocket and pushed a small velvet box across the desk. "…I bought this in America. Your mum helped me pick."
Kate looked at the box, then up at Caroline again.
"I don't…I don't want you to feel forced or like I'm doing it for the wrong reasons, so you don't have to say anything. Not yet. But I would like to you have it. And when you're ready, you can tell me, and-"
Kate let out a sudden laugh, and despite herself caroline smiled. "What?"
Kate covered her mouth and then laughed again.
"What is that?" Caroline asked with a laugh.
"Why on earth would I want to wait to say yes?!" Kate laughed.
"I don't know! I didn't want you to think I was asking for the wrong reasons. Or at the wrong time in the wrong place."
Kate laughed again, then pushed the box back across the desk. "You're mad. Ask me."
"Now? Here?!"
"Yes."
"…I'm nervous now."
"You're magnificent."
Caroline smiled. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes. Yes. Yes. 100 times yes!" Kate replied, jumping up to kiss Caroline, her nerves forgotten at least for a little while.
"She proposed."
"She didn't?! well, i don't need to ask what you said. I thought she was still married, though?"
"She is. But when the divorce comes through, hopefully we will be.. you know."
"How did she ask?"
"At school. Over her desk."
"Over her desk?!"
"I was in the big comfy chair." Kate smiled, toying with the new ring on her hand. "She was..I think really she was trying to cheer me up, because someone had..a colleague at work is pregnant, and she did a big announcement, with balloons and a sign. I wasn't prepared when I walked in, so I got a bit upset."
"Oh, Kate.."
"And Caroline hates when I get upset about anything. When anyone is upset actually, really. She tries immediately to make them smile. Sometimes it's infuriating if you want to wallow for a bit and she keeps making you laugh. But I think that's why she asked then and there. But she was carrying it around in her pocket. Since America! Which is months. She's been trying to plan how to ask, apparently."
"Have you called your mum?"
"Yep. She knew it was coming, she helped Caroline with the ring. She was ecstatic! Happier than even me, possibly. But no one but you and her know, for now. We want to keep it quiet in case.. there's just a lot going on at the moment."
"Ok. I can't believe Caroline bought a ring probably less than 24 hours after she realised she was in love with you. Had you even kissed?!"
"Ah. Well. Umm…"
When nothing else was forthcoming, Claire smiled. "Earth to Kate?"
"Hmm? Oh! Sorry. I've got to go, I think Caroline is back."
"Call me tomorrow, okay?"
"I will. Thanks for calling, I really appreciate it." Kate said sincerely before she hung up, putting the phone on the side table. Opening the door, she walked to stand on the top step with folded arms, suddenly both anxious and excited.
"And what did we discuss?" Caroline asked her youngest.
"No games until homework is done." Lawrence offered gloomily, grabbing his bag from the car.
Nodding, Caroline slipped from the car, smiling when she saw Kate waiting, fingers toying with the necklace that she always wore, which now hid a diamond ring under her top. Hid it for now, at least. "Hi."
"Hi." Kate smiled, breaking eye contact briefly to greet Lawrence as he came past her, though she only received a grunt in return. "You didn't..take him with you, did you?"
"Hmm? Oh. No. We stopped off in town and I let him get something to eat while I went into the chemist." Caroline shut the driver door and then opened the back door to get her bag out. "How..umm..how…"
"Nervous."
"Me, too." Caroline admitted as she finally locked her car and approached the woman on the step to kiss her. "Hi."
"Hi." Kate smiled.
Caroline put her hand briefly on Kate's cheek, then to rest over her necklace, and then let herself be led inside. "Did you call your mum?"
"She's very happy, but wants you to call her later and explain what happened with your other planned proposal settings. Which I would also like to hear about."
Caroline wrinkled her nose and set her bag down. "I think possibly all the phone lines in England are going to go down for the night about..probably now. So I'm not sure I can no matter how much I'd love to."
Kate smiled, wrapping her arms around Caroline's waist to hold her close. The minute her head rested on Caroline's shoulder the mood in the hallway changed.
"Do you want to do it now?" Caroline asked gently, knowing neither of them could wait much longer.
Kate nodded, reaching out to pull the paper bag from Caroline's bag.
...
Ten minutes later Caroline sat on her hands on her bed staring at the closed bathroom door. Was this was how it had felt for John? Wanting to go in there and be involved in every moment just to feel some control of the situation? Actually, thinking back, John hadn't been there when she had taken the first test for either boys. When she had taken one for Lawrence it was done with a snotty William in tow wanting to know why they couldn't go to the park in the rain.
"I did a 1 minute one and a 5 minute one." Kate slipped out the door and sat beside Caroline on the bed. "Just to be...certain."
"Ok." Caroline nodded, glancing at the clock.
"...When I did my first test with Richard we sat just like this. And he-"
"Dance." Caroline suddenly shot to her feet, holding out a hand nervously. "Dance with me."
Kate looked up at her with surprise, but took her hand. "I cant hear any music. Are you going to sing to me again?"
Caroline huffed out a laugh and switched on the radio. "I'm too nervous. I just want to do something we will both remember fondly instead of just sitting nervously waiting like we have both done before."
"Ok." Kate moved into Caroline's arms and they soon found a rhythm of slow dancing, and then tender kisses, which stopped when Caroline suddenly squeezed Kate close and then let her go.
"5 minutes?" Kate asked nervously.
Caroline nodded.
Kate looked toward the bathroom, then back at the blonde. "...Maybe it's better to wait until-"
She stopped talking when Caroline took her hand, lifted it to her lips and kissed it before leading her into the bathroom.
Leading her to two pregnancy tests.
Two positive pregnancy tests.
Kate and Caroline's eyes met in the mirror. Beats passed in silence. When Kate finally smiled, Caroline grinned and wrapped her arms around her partner, kissing every inch of her she could reach without letting her go.
