Caroline lifted her head with dismay when she heard the final bell ring. Her day was definitely nowhere near finished, and the thought made her exhausted. She was too old for this. She should retire and go and live in a cottage by the sea, where she could grow things and make jams.

"Ready?" Beverley entered the room with the headmistress' gown.

"Do you know how to make jam, Beverley?"

"I'm afraid I don't have anything to do with jams since my sister had a bumper crop of zucchini and thought zucchini jam would be a perfect Christmas present."

Caroline wrinkled her nose at the thought. "Maybe I'll have to rethink my retirement plans." At the look of surprise on her secretary's face, Caroline smiled. "I'm not retiring. Not for a long time yet. I just think and wish for it every parent's evening."

"I'll make sure there's a warm tea waiting for you when you're done." Beverley promised, straightening the gown until it looked just right. "Ready?"

"No."

"Too bad."

As she did every parents evening, Caroline gave a dramatic sigh and then took several strides towards the assembly hall, a well practiced smile adorning her face.

"Mum."

Caroline stilled and turned to the voice, surprised to see her son sitting on the set of chairs near the entrance. "Lawrence? Where's your dad?"

He gave an angry shrug.

"..has he called? Has he texted you?" Caroline drew her own phone from her pocket, but there were no notifications.

"No. I called this morning to remind him and he said he would be here. I hate him. I wish he was dead."

Caroline glanced at the assembly hall doors, then back at her secretary, then at her son. Her eldest had said that so often, but Lawrence never had. "Lawrence…"

"I wish he wasn't my dad. I hate him."

Caroline quickly sat down and pulled her son into an embrace, knowing if he was angry, he was also close to tears. "I'm sorry." She knew this must be more than John not showing for parent teacher night, and she cursed herself for not sitting down with Lawrence when she noticed he had been quiet earlier in the week.

"Not your fault."

"I'll call your granny. Or Beverley could..or maybe your brother?" Her eyes scanned the hallway as she kept her son held tightly. Shit shit shit! Bloody John.

"..I called Kate."

"Kate?!" Caroline looked towards the hall doors again. Kate, who had barely spoken to her in months. Kate, who was pregnant. Kate, who wasn't hers.

"She said I could always call her if I needed anything.."

"That was.. we aren't.."

"Lawrence? Are you-" Kate rushed into the hallway, slowing when she saw Caroline sat there, too. "Are you okay?"

"Can you please come in with me for my parent teacher interviews? Dad hasn't showed."

Kate glanced at Caroline who had her head lowered. "I..yes. Sure."

When Caroline lifted her head to say thank you, her eyes caught sight of the baby bump and she dropped her eyes to her lap again, staying there until the pair had disappeared into the hall.

"Caroline?" Beverley finally ventured.

"I'm going!" Pushing herself to her feet, Caroline smoothed her gown again, then lifted her head and made her way into the hall.

She tried valiantly to focus on her own interviews, but her eyes betrayed her and kept slipping to where her sons interview was. English looked very tense, PE looked like it was all positives, maths looked as though Kate gave the teacher a stern talking to as Lawrence hid a smile behind his hand. She couldn't see any of the other tables, and had to wait until Lawrence's customary slot at the end of her scheduled interviews to find out anything more.

Unusually, when he sat down it was with a smile. "Kate gave Mr Lawson a bollocking."

"I wouldn't say that." Kate replied as she sat down beside him. "I told him..look, I may have added to your work load on Monday, because I told him his lessons are uninteresting. Among other things."

Lawrence snorted.

"And I think he might make a complaint. But he was being unnecessarily harsh on Lawrence, and he's a…"

"She called him a pompous twat." Lawrence squeaked.

Caroline found herself grinning now, too.

"Well, he is." Kate responded, smiling now too.

"Angus is done. Can I get my bag from your office?" Lawrence asked. At his mothers nod, he quickly added "Thanks, Kate!" And was off.

"..I'm sorry for adding to your work load. I guess I might have been looking for an excuse to call Mr Lawson that since he started."

"Don't be sorry. You made Lawrence's night immeasurably better than it was going to be if my mum had come, or if John had come in drunk."

"Oh, I don't know. Celia is pretty good at giving bollockings from memory."

Caroline smiled at this, then dropped her eyes. "Im sorry Lawrence called you. I suppose he remembers you telling him once when we were..and he didn't think."

"It's fine. That offer still stands. For both your boys. I'm fond of them both. Just because you and I..well, just please let them know I am happy to help them out whenever I can."

"I guess it's.. when you view someone as your child, no matter how long for, you feel protective of them." Caroline said softly.

Kate absently put a hand on her baby bump. "Mm."

Now she had been given the opportunity to talk to Kate after months, she had so much to say. "Kate, I've been-"

"All done!" Beverley smiled. "I'll sort out packing up if you want to go home and plan your retirement."

"You're retiring?!" Kate asked.

Caroline smiled. "Thanks, Beverley. No, kate. I just imagine it every teachers evening. My throat always feels like sandpaper."

"I should let you get home." Kate stood up, grabbing her bag.

Caroline glanced at Beverley who hovered nearby, but she knew she had been given an opportunity and she needed to say it. "I've been going to therapy. And once a month we do a family therapy with my mum and the boys."

"Wow." Kate stilled.

"…it's horrible. I snotty cry the whole time I'm there. But i think it…it has helped. I'm beginning to understand myself more."

"..that's good."

"Is it? Before, I could happily bury my head in the sand and ignore everything, but now.. Kate, I know I'm not your favourite person, or someone you want to spend any time with, but do you think we could have dinner, or coffee? I need to explain…I know this is me being selfish, because maybe you don't need an explanation, but I need to explain certain choices I made."

Kate looked wary, her hand resting on her bump protectively. "..I'm free tomorrow."

"You could come over?"

"No. No, I'd prefer somewhere neutral. Somewhere neither of us have been."

"I'll find somewhere and text you the details."

Kate nodded, studied Caroline's face briefly, and then turned towards the door.

"thanks again. For tonight."

"You're welcome." Kate gave a small smile and then walked away.