"What's for dinner?" Lawrence asked as soon as they were through the front door the next day.
Caroline rolled her eyes, but then stilled. "Shit."
Lawrence grinned. "You forgot to get any food! Will, mum forgot to shop!"
"Mum never forgets to shop." William offered as he walked in.
Caroline smiled guiltily. "Oops."
"..where's Kate? Can she get something on the way home?" William suggested.
"She's not coming. There's a viewing for her place, so she's staying there."
"On a Friday?" Lawrence frowned.
"Yes, on a Friday." Caroline nodded glumly. "Maybe I can find something in the freezer.."
Lawrence had his phone to his ear and suddenly greeted, "Kate! Have you got anything to eat? Mum forgot to shop." He listened, pointedly not looking at his mother who stood with arms folded. "Yeah. Sounds good. I'll tell her. See you soon."
"Tell her what?" Caroline asked.
"Kate doesn't have anything in either, which she says is your fault too, so she said we have to come over with pizza. Which means take away two nights in a row!" The boys high fived.
"Right, ok, back in the car!" Caroline herded them back outside and locked the door, holding back a smile.
..
"Boys. I want to talk to you both before we go in." Caroline turned in her seat.
"Kate's pregnant." The boys said in unison.
"Wh..yes. How did.. she's..I know she's told you about what happened in the past to her and her husband, Roxy's father. She's going to be very scared and worried, at least for the next few weeks, so I need you both to help me keep things as calm as possible. And that includes being on your best behaviour if we are here, or at home, any time anyone comes for a viewing. Ok? If you want to ask anything, or vent, or feel like being unkind about the situation, please talk to me." The last part was directed at Lawrence.
"Of course, mum." William squeezed his mums arm and they shared a smile, before they both turned to look at Lawrence.
"…dad says I can go and live with him if I don't like living with you and Kate." He shrugged.
Caroline raised her eyebrows, a pain blooming in her chest. "Well that's..something to discuss another day. When you've spent some more at-"
"I told him to fuck off, because Judith has moved in." Lawrence shrugged again and got out of the car.
Both relief and annoyance flooded Caroline. Bloody John.
"You're not going to tell him off for swearing?"
Caroline still gave William a cheeky smile before she climbed from the car and he grinned as he followed her.
Kate opened the door before they reached it, Lawrence barging past her with a muttered greeting.
"Hello, Lawrence!" She called after him, before she smiled at Caroline. Then, she just managed to tear her eyes away to smile at William. "Hi, Will. Come in. How was your mock today?"
"Good. I think. But I found a couple of areas I'm not as versed in as I thought I was."
"That's good! It shows you where you need to focus your study, so now you can make a plan."
"Can I use your study while we wait for dinner? I like it in there."
"'Course." Kate nodded, valiantly trying not to respond to Caroline's hand that was sliding under the back of her shirt. When he smiled and left the room, Kate turned to Caroline. "Hi."
"Hi." Caroline smiled, moving her hand up further to rest on the centre of Kate's back and pull her closer. "I missed you."
"So much that you couldn't even last an hour before making the excuse to come here. Because you did an online shop in your lunch hour that's being delivered at 6."
"Bloody Beverley." Caroline grumbled. "I didn't want to spend Friday apart. Or leave the boys. William's stressed, and-"
"You don't need to justify anything to me. Missing me is enough." Kate smiled, wriggling out of Caroline's grip as her hand had began to try and undo her bra clasp. "The viewing is in 10 minutes. I've tidied. I've put some candles on. I think the lighting is ok?"
"It's perfect." Caroline smiled as she gazed at Kate.
Kate smiled back and reached out to move Caroline's face in another direction so she could actually see what she had done.
"It's perfect." Carolone repeated more gently. "I didn't bring the pizza, I didn't think pepperoni is the most welcoming smell, so it will be here in an hour."
"Ok. Do you want a glass of wine?"
"Nope."
"No?" Kate looked surprised.
"Nope. How long is it going to take for you to kiss me hello?"
Kate smiled and her eyes briefly dropped to Caroline's lips. "Why don't you want wine?"
"Because I hated not being able to drink as I watched John having a glass and relaxing, so I'm not going to drink. I'll have a sparkling water if you're insistent."
"Ok." Kate went to pull away.
"Where are you going?! I haven't had my kiss yet!"
"The sort of kiss I want to give you, Caroline Dawson, is not the sort of kiss one gives someone with two teenage boys in the house and a viewing in ten minutes. You'll have to wait. And I can promise you it will definitely be worth it."
Caroline sighed as she was left alone in the entrance, but it was a happy one. "I can't wait to marry you."
…
When Caroline and the boys returned home a few hours later, the shopping was gone from the doorstep and John's car was in the driveway.
As Lawrence raced inside, Caroline released a sigh.
"Why does he still have a key?" William asked.
"…he still partially owns the house. And he might need the key to access you and your brother."
"So will he have a key to your home with Kate? Do you think she'd like that?" William asked pointedly before he climbed from the car.
Caroline sighed again and looked at herself in the mirror for a few seconds until she moved her focus to the car pulling in behind hers.
"John's here." She offered as they both got out of their car.
"So I see. Do you want me to go?" Kate asked.
"Do you want to go?"
"…if he's here and going to stay, you and I could go back to my place?" Kate offered hopefully.
"Come In for a cup of tea and I'll find that book I mentioned, then I'll talk to him?"
Kate nodded, following Caroline inside a few paces behind.
"Caroline! How lovely of you to grace us with your presence!" John cried as soon as she entered the kitchen.
"I hope you didn't drive here in that state."
"I brought the shopping in. You're welcome."
"I'm sure I'd thank you if I had needed or wanted your help. Kate's here."
Annoyance soured johns features as Kate walked in hesitantly.
"Hi, John."
He grunted on response, then looked to Caroline. "Would you like a glass of wine? It's your favourite."
Caroline pulled out a stool for Kate and then smiled at her. "Cup of tea?"
"Please." Kate smiled back.
Caroline reached for the kettle. "If you're going to spend the night, which I assume you are planning to, given you've brought your bag, then I will be going back to Kate's."
"Will won't be happy." John said smugly.
"Then he can come back with us, too." Kate replied with irritation. When she realised she had spoken, she glanced up at Caroline to see her smirking to herself.
"Lawrence told me you've got a viewing on the house tomorrow."
"Yes. We do. And I'm not discussing what time with you, so you can stop thinking about being here to try and ruin it." Carolone replied with her back turned.
"I would actually like to be here to make sure you don't ruin it."
Caroline smiled now, turning toward him. "Need the money?"
John stepped forward to argue, more from habit than because she was actually wrong, but the words died on his lips when Kate suddenly barged past him, hand over her mouth. "What?"
"Are you wearing Lynx? For heaven's sake John, you're 46!" Caroline offered as she rushed after Kate.
…
"I wish you'd vomited on him." Caroline offered a couple of hours later as they lay in bed reading at Kate's house, William still studying downstairs.
"Don't." Kate released a slow breath and took another sip of her tea, putting down the book she had been reading.
"Sorry." Caroline offered, putting a hand absently on Kate's middle as she used to when the boys were sick. Kate was quick to wriggle away, and Caroline watched her with surprise but said nothing.
"I'm going to go and check if Will needs any help." Kate offered as she left the room.
"Ok." Caroline offered the empty room.
Caroline never got her kiss that evening, and a seed of worry began to bloom.
