Chapter 8
As the enticing smell of the pancakes Kate was cooking for breakfast wafted throughout the house, Lawrence miraculously appeared from his room to join his mum, Kate and Caitlyn in the kitchen. He waited impatiently by the stove with plate in hand. Once the pancakes were done, all three sat at the table to eat while Caitlyn was perched in her highchair next to Caroline. The women bantered casually as they ate while Lawrence unceremoniously scoffed down several pancakes with no time for idle chatter.
When Kate and Caroline left the table and took their morning coffees and Caitlyn into the living room to continue the relaxed theme for the day, much to their surprise, Lawrence joined them. Usually he would almost immediately disappear back to his room, to the X-box or scoot off to Angus' place. Instead, he sat on the floor with Caitlyn and entertained her with her toys and 'deep' conversation which, in turn, entertained Kate and Caroline as they watched on in wonder. Each gave the other a questioning glance but neither dared break the spell by asking Lawrence what was going on.
Amidst infectious baby laughter and Lawrence's comical, noisy animal impressions they heard a knock at the front door.
"I'll get it," Caroline volunteered, not wanting to disturb Lawrence and Caitlyn's game.
She got up from the couch where she had been lounging beside Kate, collected the empty coffee mugs on her way and headed for the door. As she opened it she saw an unusually solemn-looking Angus.
"Hello, Dr Elliot," he said rather timidly, "is Lawrence home?"
"He is," Caroline answered. "He's in the living room with Kate and his sister."
Angus followed Caroline into where Lawrence was still sitting on the floor with Caitlyn.
"Lawrence, Angus is here to see you."
Angus hung back while Caroline re-joined Kate on the couch. Lawrence looked up from his position on the floor to see a sheepish-looking Angus hovering in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?" Lawrence asked abruptly, giving Angus a look of disdain.
"Lawrence!" Caroline interjected, "you can't talk to your friend like that."
"I'm not sure he is a friend" was Lawrence's terse reply.
"Can we talk?" Angus asked in a voice that was almost pleading.
Making his reluctance obvious to all, Lawrence stood, patted Caitlyn's soft, dark brown curls and then strode past Angus, indicating without words that if he wanted to talk he needed to follow. Angus did so without question. Caroline and Kate had looked on wordlessly at the curious scene. Both women were bewildered and clueless as to what had happened between the two best friends.
"What was that about?" Kate finally asked.
"I've no idea," Caroline replied, "but they've obviously had a falling out."
"It must have been over something fairly serious…I've never seen Lawrence so short with Angus before."
"It's probably something to do with a girl," Caroline surmised. "That's usually what boys their age fall out about, isn't it?" They'll be fine."
It was barely twenty minutes later when Kate noticed, through the living room window, Angus slinking off down the driveway by himself, his head down, shoulders hunched and his hands thrust deep into his trouser pockets. She put her book down, picked Caitlyn up off the floor and went into the kitchen where Caroline was cleaning up the breakfast things.
"Angus has left….on his own, looking a bit the worse for wear," she informed Caroline.
Caroline stopped her cleaning long enough to give Kate a concerned frown.
"I wonder what's going on," she thought aloud.
Shortly afterwards they were joined by the source of their puzzlement as Lawrence strolled casually into the kitchen on yet another forage for food.
"What's happened between you and Angus?" Caroline ventured to ask, cornering him between the fridge and the kitchen island. "You've obviously had a falling out of some kind. Is it over a girl?"
Lawrence's face coloured with embarrassment as he answered, "Ah…no. He's an idiot, that's all."
"It can't be that bad surely?" Caroline persisted, determined to find out what the problem was.
"It's not a big deal, mum," Lawrence replied in an attempt to stave off any further questions.
Caroline gave him a look that said she wasn't going to accept anything other than a full explanation and knowing his mum as he did, Lawrence realised that resistance was pointless and eventually he'd have to tell all anyway. She wouldn't drop the subject until she had a satisfactory answer. His only alternative would be to reveal to her what had happened.
Lawrence slumped into one of the kitchen stools and ran his hands through his thick auburn hair as he gathered his thoughts and words together. Noticing his anxiousness, Caroline put a comforting arm around his shoulders and waited patiently for the forthcoming explanation. Lawrence took a calming breath and began.
"The other night when I stayed over at Angus' place we were talking about stuff and …he kept calling you and Kate 'muff munchers' and other disgusting names. I told him to stop….I warned him but he kept on going like an immature idiot."
Lawrence paused for a moment to gauge his mum's reaction. Her expression was merely one of interest rather than hurt or offense so he continued.
"So I left….walked out….it was either that or stay and punch him in the mouth," Lawrence finished, a degree of anger in his voice.
"Good choice," Caroline said evenly but her heart was swelling with pride that her son…her Lawrence…would actually stand up for her and Kate against his best friend on this issue and also that he chose to walk away rather than fight.
Caroline then asked, "So what did he want this morning?"
"He came to apologise to me," Lawrence explained, "and I told him that he needed to apologise to you and Kate, not me, but he didn't have the courage so I suggested he leave and not come back."
"But you've been best friends for forever," Caroline exclaimed.
"Yeah …well sometimes you outgrow a friend…or you eventually see them for what they really are," her son responded. "When he grows up a bit maybe we can be friends again but I'm not holding my breath."
Lawrence looked at Kate and then at his mum. He detected the slightest of grins on Caroline's face.
"It's not funny, mum. He shouldn't say stuff like that," Lawrence protested.
"I remember when you said something like that….What was it?... 'muff-munching shirt lifters' I believe the exact words were," Caroline quoted, her grin now a full-blown smile.
"Exactly my point," Lawrence retorted heatedly, "that was nearly three years ago….I was an immature jerk….Angus still is."
Giving up the argument, Caroline replied, "Anyway, I'm not smiling because I think it's funny, I'm smiling because I'm so proud of you and the grown-up you've become. " She closed in on him and hugged her son closely to her. Lawrence pretended to squirm uncomfortably at his mother's show of affection but not too much, he didn't want to discourage her entirely. She gave his hair a rough scruff and then picked up her cloth and went back to wiping down the kitchen surfaces, her head down until she had the tears of pride that were welling in her eyes under control.
Kate, who had remained quietly in the background for most of the exchange, was also touched by Lawrence's actions and followed up by putting her hand on his shoulder, pecking his cheek and whispering a heart-felt 'thank you'. He turned to look at Kate, his cheeks beginning to colour, and gave her a quick but sincere smile. He knew that in the past he'd treated Kate poorly at times. She had been an easy target as a much younger Lawrence had lashed out because his world as he knew it was being torn apart. When he thought about it, he cringed with regret. Lawrence now saw Kate through new and different eyes. She had brought love and happiness into his mother's life and, in turn, into his life for which he was truly grateful.
"You're more than welcome," he whispered back to Kate. He then pushed back his stool and reminded his mum, "I've got a rugby match this afternoon. Are you still okay to drive me there?"
"Sure," Caroline replied, "give me a yell when you're ready to go. Do you want me to stay or pick you up afterwards?"
"The team's having a barbecue after the match. I thought I'd stay and catch a lift from someone afterwards, if that's okay?"
"You've got school tomorrow, don't forget, so don't be late…..home by 7," Caroline commanded in a tone that defied resistance. Lawrence gave her a dramatic eye roll and a cheeky grin then made a quick escape from the kitchen up to his room.
oooOooo
Once Caroline had deposited Lawrence at the rugby field and returned home, she reluctantly ensconced herself in her study for the next several hours determined to catch up on some severely neglected paperwork that she could no longer afford to avoid or defer.
By late afternoon, to her great satisfaction, the 'in' tray was almost empty. Caroline tossed her glasses onto the desk and rubbed her tired eyes. Then, as she rolled her aching shoulders and stretched the cramped muscles in her back and her legs, Kate appeared in the doorway.
"You've been tucked away in here for hours. Are you nearly done?" she asked. "I'm beginning to think you're avoiding me."
"Yes….I'm done and no…I'm not avoiding you….never."
Kate could see the tell-tale signs of tiredness in her partner's body. She stepped in behind Caroline and gently kneaded her shoulders and neck. Caroline slumped forward limply as the divine pressure of Kate's fingers relaxed her taut, weary muscles. Kate worked her hands gradually down Caroline's back while she began to place feather-light kisses on the back of her partner's neck. She then took one ear lobe and then the other in her warm mouth and teased them lightly with the tip of her tongue, eliciting a series of soft sighs from the object of her affections. Caroline then felt Kate's nimble fingers unclasp her bra and her hands move to cup the fullness of her breasts and gently massage them.
"Oh my god, Kate, that feels wonderful," she gasped faintly.
Feeling Caroline's arousal heightening, Kate turned the office chair around so that Caroline now sat facing her. Their mouths met in a deep, delicious kiss as Kate unfastened Caroline's jeans and removed them with her lover's help. Kate drew back a little to take in the sight of her partner sitting there naked from the waist down and looking incredibly enticing. Their lips locked once more as Kate gently guided Caroline's knees apart and then knelt before her, pulling Caroline forward slightly. She then removed her lips from Caroline's mouth and languidly kissed the inside of each thigh.
"Oh Kate…." Caroline murmured several times as Kate neared her centre. Caroline didn't think she could take much more before she'd be toppling over the edge into the abyss of ecstasy. She moved both of her hands into Kate's dark hair and guided her partner's mouth to where she needed it to be. Kate's warm tongue found Caroline's most sensitive of spots and set up a steady rhythm as she lapped the sweet ambrosia of Caroline's sex until her ministrations finally, intensely, brought her lover to an oh so exquisite release. As she waited for the tremors to cease, Caroline drew Kate in close and held her tightly until her body slowly calmed.
Suddenly their tranquility was shattered as the sound of loud, male voices ruptured the peace and quiet.
"Shit…Lawrence is home!" Caroline gasped hurriedly jumping up out of the chair. "Where's my jeans?"
Kate handed Caroline her jeans as she stood up. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched a desperate Caroline dance around the room struggling to maintain her balance and get her jeans on before Lawrence came looking for her.
"Stop laughing and help me with my bra," Caroline demanded. "This is the only problem with having children…they put in an appearance at the most inappropriate times."
Just as Kate finished reclasping Caroline's bra and straightening her jumper, Lawrence appeared at the door. Both women did their best to seem casual.
"Hi, Lawrence," they chorused.
Lawrence looked from one woman to the other. He wasn't fooled for a moment.
"Oh no…you two have been at it in the study…haven't you?"
Each woman looked at the other like naughty school children and were barely able to hold it together.
"Is there a room in this house you haven't had….no….forget it….I don't ever want to know the answer to that question," Lawrence decided then, changing the direction of the conversation he continued, "mum, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine."
It was only then that Kate and Caroline realised that there was another figure standing behind him. Lawrence stepped aside so that they could see each other more clearly. His friend was tall, fair-haired and extremely handsome.
Lawrence introduced him. "This is my friend, Robert. Robert, this is my crazy, sex-obsessed mother…."
Caroline's jaw dropped open, horrified. "Lawrence, I am not crazy! And what kind of way is that to introduce your mother to a friend?"
Caroline reached out to her son's friend and shook his hand. "Hello, Robert. You'll have to excuse Lawrence's appalling manners."
Robert simply smiled at her, a little uncertain as to how to respond.
Lawrence continued, "And this is my mum's partner, Kate…..they're getting married ….whenever…."
"Hi, Robert," Kate said with laughter in her voice as she found the whole situation highly amusing. "Nice to meet you."
Robert then gave both Kate and Caroline another charming, friendly smile.
"Right…well, we'll leave you two alone to get back to whatever it was you were doing," Lawrence said boldly as he gave his mum a knowing glare, "we're going upstairs."
"Don't forget you have school tomorrow so not too late," Caroline called after him, righting the mother/son balance of power.
As Lawrence and Robert headed off, the two women looked at each other and burst into laughter.
"I think we may have embarrassed them both slightly," Kate finally managed to say.
"Embarrassed them! I was the one who was nearly caught with her pants down," Caroline replied indignantly but with a huge smile. "That Robert is very good looking,"
"And very gay," Kate added.
"Do you think so?"
"Absolutely…..do you think Lawrence realises?"
"I don't know," Caroline replied, "but now that I think about it, I think you're right."
"Do you think there's a chance Lawrence might be gay too?"
Caroline gave Kate a quizzical look. "I hadn't really thought about it but I guess he could be and it would explain a lot…that would be one for the books though….he used to be the one always teasing William about being gay. I guess we can only wait and see….not that it matters, of course."