Chapter Text
As night fell over the Calder Valley, the lights of the town below winking in the inky darkness, Caroline Mckenzie-Dawson stared out pensively at the view afforded her. It was beautiful - a panorama she usually loved, and the main draw of moving away from her lovely, perfectly decorated home in Harrogate to a house that didn't even have a working boiler, at the time. She was sure that her mother had made it up about the vermin, though. Tonight, however, there was a turmoil raging inside her that had nothing to do with the storm clouds that had been gathering ominously all day, although it threatened her equilibrium just as much. Sighing, she raised the glass of red wine to her lips, the heady scent of it wafting up her nose and offering a slight balm to her mood as she gulped a big mouthful. Even this would have been enough to tell anyone watching that she wasn't quite feeling herself - she was usually an elegant sipper, not someone who shotted their alcohol as quickly as they could, mind already on the second glass. Gillian had been known to of course, but it was best for her not to think too much about the sheep farmer at the moment. Such thoughts seemed to be fraught with a kind of danger right now that she had never felt before when it came to her stepsister.
It had been a week since she had finally given in and gone to Hebden Women's Disco at Gillian’s insistence, having worn her down and given her so many different reasons not to say no that she had given in. It had the added bonus of meaning that John had finally taken the hint, yet again, and disappeared from the house in a cloud of exhaust smoke and a whiff of bin bags and desperation, leaving her mercifully alone - save for Flora, of course. And although she savoured her independence and the fact that she was no longer shackled to him, and having him coming back still like some sort of unwelcome boomerang, the house was now so quiet that she couldn't help the sense of loneliness that threatened to engulf her.
One week since the disco. One week since she had had a few too many cocktails in search of that elusive feeling of confidence that would have made her feel just a little bit more at home. And one week, one torturous, self flagellating week since she had kissed Gillian Greenwood.
It had all started so well, as these things usually tended to, despite the fact that things had gone downhill by the end of the night. Gillian had driven over, as planned, and they had got a taxi into Hebden, both giggling like schoolgirls and sipping from the hip flask of whisky that the farmer had thoughtfully prepared before she had left home. Gillian had looked beautiful, of course, but then Caroline always thought that she did. It was something that she had noticed the first time she'd seen her, despite being blinded by the rage of her stealing her parking space and yet another day where the universe seemed to be conspiring to beat her down, amongst other things. Caroline wasn't usually one to admit that she was wrong, but when it came to the sheep farmer she was more than happy to admit that her first impression of her had been so way off base that it was ludicrous. She and Gillian had grown close over the years, and she now didn't know what she would do without her in her life. She had grown to rely on her, which only made the events of that night so much harder to deal with.
After her third long, hard screw against the wall - the cocktail, unfortunately, although Caroline definitely wouldn't have said no to the other variety - she had noticed yet again just how the other woman's eyes sparkled, the light dancing in them as the lights of the disco flashed all around them. A shot of lurid green liquid that professed to be some kind of apple schnapps was all that it took for her eyes to drop to her lips, soft and sumptuous looking as she sang along to yet another eighties track that she seemed to know all the word to. And then a double vodka and lemonade that had led to them dancing together, pushed close on the packed dance floor, Caroline feeling freer and somehow like she had finally let her hair down as they jived against each other.
It was during a rather spirited chorus of Tainted Love that Caroline was jostled from behind, a sharp elbow having dug right into the small of her back, shoving her forward so that she was pressed right up against Gillian’s front, mouth just a couple of inches from hers. Gillian had looked up at her, eyes slightly clouded from the alcohol they had imbibed, but still stunningly gorgeous. Another shove - this time from the brunette’s side - made them stumble, arms wrapping around each other to save themselves from falling, and then suddenly… they were kissing.
For a few moments Caroline was lost in the sensation of the other woman's mouth on hers, still tasting of tangy apple and a slight hint of the spiced rum that she had chased it with, her lips soft yet insistent against hers. Gillian’s hand buried itself in her hair, ruffling her perfectly styled bob, as she moaned into her mouth. Electric shocks were running up and down the headteacher's body, focused on nothing but the feeling of her against her, stars exploding behind her eyes and blood rushing in her ears as they continued, her tongue pushing into her mouth. It was spectacular, and given how long it had been since she had had any kind of kiss it was more than a little overwhelming.
Gillian was just starting to nip her lower lip when the sharp pleasure-pain of her teeth sinking into her skin served as a wake up call. Springing backwards, Caroline's hand had flown up to her already slightly swollen lips, eyes wide with panic as she had realised what they'd done. This was Gillian, her stepsister, her best friend in the world… they couldn't be doing this. There were so, so many reasons that they shouldn't, but even as they stood staring at each other in alarm, all Caroline could think about were all the reasons that they should. And that… Well, that was scary enough to make her turn tail and push her way back off the dancefloor, coming to a halt at their table with her chest heaving and hot tears pricking against the back of her eyes.
Gillian didn't follow immediately, and Caroline took that as damning evidence that she was regretting it, already, just as much as she was. Too much alcohol at the end of a difficult few weeks, this was all it was… wasn’t it? Caroline hardly knew what to do with herself… She had wrestled with her feelings for her stepsister for a long time now, their growing closeness over the years bringing with it something a little bit more - for her, at least. She admired Gillian - all that she had been through, all the shit and the pain and the struggle, and she was still able to paste a smile on her face and laugh, and she still had time for her. That had been a rarity in Caroline’s life - there were very few people that actually liked her for her, often seeing her as unreachable or aloof, but she needed kindness and companionship just as much as the next person. Gillian somehow managed to give that to her in spades, completely unselfishly.
It helped, of course, that she was gorgeous… Her lithe, toned body occupied many of Caroline’s more x-rated fantasies, and she could quite understand why the farmer had had so many men lusting after her in the past. She could now count herself amongst that number, although those feelings were firmly in the same box as the unsisterly love that occupied her heart and mind. Nothing could ever happen, she had resigned herself to that long ago. This… this was surely just a momentary slip?
Snatching her drink from the table, slopping some of it over the side in her eagerness to get the alcohol into her bloodstream, she downed it in one, slamming the glass down on the table just as Gillian finally pushed her way out of the crowd of people that were still packing the dancefloor. She didn’t meet her eyes, her cheeks flushed as she reached for her own drink. Caroline glanced at her surreptitiously, taking note of just how embarrassed the other woman looked - at least, that’s what she thought it was. There was no way that Gillian would have really wanted to kiss her - she was so obviously rampantly heterosexual, and had never shown any inclination that she liked women in that way before… Which meant that the likely explanation for what had happened was inebriation, or Gillian feeling sorry for her. Neither of those options were preferable.
It hadn’t been much after then that they had both made their excuses and decided to go home, the taxi ride the complete opposite of their journey down - it was silent and awkward, neither of them quite knowing how to be around each other. They had sat as far away from each other as possible, both of them staring out of their respective windows. Caroline had seen nothing, her eyes blurred with tears. She couldn’t bear the thought of having spoiled things with the woman who, truly, was her best friend in the world. Life had been infinitely more manageable with Gillian in it… without her, she would be truly alone. When they had got home, Gillian had flopped down on the sofa and dragged a blanket over herself immediately, and was feigning sleep before Caroline had even finished sorting Ruth out for the night. And then, the following morning, she had gone before she had woken up.
Caroline sighed again as she took another gulp of her wine. It was a friday night, the night that she and Gillian usually got together at one of their houses - or the pub, if they were feeling adventurous. The weeks leading up to these evenings were usually interspersed with text messages and the odd phone call to talk about arrangements - such vital things as how many bottles of wine and what food to buy - as well as just keeping up with the minutiae of their lives. This week, however… there had been nothing. Gillian had text to thank her for letting her stay over, and Caroline had acknowledged it with the only thing that she could think of - a thumbs up emoji, as much as it cringed her to send it - but since then… radio silence.
“Mum?” William’s voice echoed from the hallway, and she turned around, leaning back against the counter as she pasted a smile on her face. Her oldest son had come to stay for the week, a rarity since he had moved out after university, and she found that she was incredibly relieved to see him. Not least because he was probably the best of all of them put together, but also because he had a way about him that always made his mother feel calmer and more with it - and less like she was going crazy. It was something that she was sorely in need of right now.
“Evening, love,” she said softly, unable to help a little wave of pride that washed over her as William grinned at her. He really had grown into a wonderful young man - god knows how, having her for a mother and someone as feckless as John for a father. “You alright?”
“Fine… are you?” His face creased into a little frown, and Caroline fought to lose some of the tension that had built in her shoulders, although she was sure that there would be no hiding the dark circles under her eyes that had come as a result of too little sleep. The growing distance from the farmer had been constantly on her mind, and she had spent hours composing different messages in her mind, even getting as far as unlocking her phone on a couple of occasions, but she had never quite managed to find the words.
“Yes, fine,” she gave back unconvincingly, before turning and pouring him a glass of wine. It would be nice not to drink alone - she had done so all week, after Flora had been in bed, feeling so desperately alone that she hadn’t quite known what to do with herself. It was different, somehow, when Gillian was just at the end of the phone, and when she usually felt like that she would ring her, and they would chat about everything and nothing… And it was almost as good as having her there with her. “Dinner won’t be long, it’s just in the oven.”
“Not seeing Gillian tonight?” Her son reached over and took the glass from her hand, searching her face. It was obvious that even without her saying anything, he had been as perceptive as always and sensed that there was something not quite right. Still, she hadn’t missed a night with Gillian in months, so it was hardly surprising. “Don’t stop in on my account, I was looking forward to having a night with Flora,” he grinned, and Caroline almost cried. He had been so accepting of his new little half-sister when she had arrived in the most terrible of circumstances, and went out of his way to try and help and be a good big brother to her. Lawrence had found it harder, but she loved him all the same.
“No, no, it’s fine,” she said quickly, attempting another smile. “She’s busy.” The lie was audible even to her own ears, and William gave her another long, searching look.
“Is she, Mum? You’ve not fallen out?” he questioned, reaching out to squeeze her arm.
“Nothing of the sort!” she replied, and then was relieved when the buzzer for the oven went off, giving her an excuse to busy herself around the kitchen. Despite her assurances, William watched her for a long time, and she knew that he had guessed more than he was letting on. She couldn’t talk about it… As understanding as he was, she couldn’t quite bring herself to share that she had embarrassed herself so fully by kissing the farmer. It really was a complete mess.
xOxOxOx
“This is a lovely surprise, William,” Caroline commented happily as they sped through the countryside, a passenger for once in her son’s little car.
“Yeah, well… you deserve it, Mum. You work too hard.” William shot her a grin before turning his attention back to the road, concentrating hard as they navigated the twists and turns of the moors. She smiled at him affectionately - it had been a long time since anyone had done anything like this for her, and she appreciated it more than he could know.
After a long week which had seen her dealing with the trials and tribulations of Ofsted, along with everything that she usually had to cope with, she had been more than ready for a break once the weekend eventually rolled around. The days had dragged by, even with everything that she had to do, after yet more silence from Gillian. This had been the longest that they hadn’t spoken since they had met, somehow always finding some reason to get in touch with each other, and the longer things went on the harder she knew that she would find it to break the silence. When William had informed her on Thursday that he was taking her away for the weekend, just them two, Flora already having been dispatched to stay with Greg, she had been thrilled. She hadn’t had a proper break for months, and the promise of a relaxing weekend with nothing to do apart from enjoying the company of her son was wonderful.
“I’m very curious where we’re going,” she commented curiously, trying to read some of the road signs. They were going north, she knew that much, and had driven for nearly an hour… other than that, she was none the wiser.
“You’ll just have to stay curious until we get there, I told you, it’s a surprise,” he retorted playfully, and she held back the questions that she had. She trusted him, she was sure that he had made a good choice. One with reception, at least - she always liked to be able to keep within signal range in case anything happened, especially given that Flora was away and her mother and Alan were off gallivanting somewhere again, and… Well, and the fact that Gillian might get in touch. She didn’t hold out much hope, but she wanted to know if she tried, at least.
A short while later they had slowed right down and turned onto a narrow track lined with trees, the branches crowding over them and blocking out some of the dying light of the day. William had picked her up straight from work, but despite finishing as early as she dared the nights were drawing in earlier now that they were approaching the winter months. It was depressing in a way - yet another year almost over, and another year that she would see out alone. She loved her children, of course she did, but nothing could quite compare to the warmth of having someone to snuggle up with in bed. Ruth was a fairly good substitute, of course, but it still wasn’t the same. How she longed to have someone, although quite how she would ever achieve that was a mystery to her.
They made their way slowly down the winding road for what felt like several miles, William hunched over the steering wheel as he stared ahead. She didn’t blame him - the road was in a poor state of repair, and she couldn’t help but wonder exactly where they were going if this was the lead up. Crisp red and orange leaves gusted across the road, wind whipping them up in a frenzy as they progressed, and Caroline hoped against hope that the pyjamas that she had packed would be enough to stave off the cold - she felt the cold more now, and the forecast for the weekend wasn’t particularly good.
Eventually, after driving for a few minutes, they pulled into a small clearing which was home to a little log cabin, smoke already billowing merrily from the small stone chimney on the roof. It looked cosy and inviting, nestled in the forest as it was, and a wide smile spread across the headteacher’s face as she considered the prospect of staying there for a weekend.
“William! This is lovely!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she turned to him. Strangely, her son looked a little nervous, although she supposed that it was probably because he was just anxious about making sure that she liked it. He was that kind of young man, and she adored him for it.
“Yes, it’s quite cute, isn’t it?” he agreed, smiling a little tightly before getting out of the car. “I’ll get the bags, Mum, you go and try the door. They said it should be open.”
Nodding in agreement, still grinning, Caroline got out and heaved her gigantic handbag onto her shoulder, wondering for the millionth time just what she was carrying around that made it feel like she was carrying an armful of bricks. Pushing a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear, she slowly started to pick her way across the dirt clearing towards the house. It really was adorable - there was a raised porchway that ran around the whole property, home to a couple of adirondack chairs and what looked to be a firepit, a couple of wind chimes tinkling merrily in the breeze. It looked well kept and - thankfully - well insulated. She couldn’t wait to see the inside, and to spend the weekend with her lovely, thoughtful son who had put so much effort into organising it for her.
She had just reached the first step up to the porch when there was the sound of a car door slamming and an engine starting, and she whipped around in surprise just in time to see the taillights of William’s car disappearing into the distance, noticeably faster than when they had arrived. A small pile of luggage had been deposited to one side of where the car had been parked, and Caroline’s mouth dropped open in shock as she realised what had happened.
“OI!” she yelled at the departing car, striding as quickly as she could through the flurry of leaves and waving her hands. “WILLIAM!” She staggered to a stop by her bags, tugging her phone out of her bag quickly and navigating to his number. Stabbing it aggressively with her finger, she slammed the device to her ear, feeling a sense of panic at the thought of being stranded here alone - why on earth would he have done this?! Surely it must be a joke, perhaps he was going to fetch something, or he’d forgotten something, or-
“Got you too, did they?” came a voice from behind her, and Caroline wheeled around, eyes widening in alarm as she took in the figure of Gillian, leaning casually in the doorway of the cabin.
William’s phone clicked straight through to voicemail, and as she pulled it away from her ear to inspect the screen angrily it was to see that she had no service. This was precisely what she hadn’t wanted! She felt a flush rise in her cheeks as she looked up at Gillian, immediately spotting the tension in her shoulders and the way that she was fidgeting nervously with the cuff of her flannel shirt. She looked dreadful - she had dark shadows underneath her eyes, and somehow she looked thinner than when she had last seen her, too. She had obviously been affected by the silence between them, although she supposed that it was probably because she was horrified at what Caroline had done. She didn’t blame her - it wasn’t every day that one was kissed by one’s stepsister. A tiny voice in her head said that it hadn’t just been her - Gillian had kissed her back - but that had likely just been the alcohol making her reckless.
“Looks like it,” she eventually shot back tersely, shaking her head as she tried and failed to get through once more. “What the bloody hell was he playing at?! And why are you here?” She couldn’t keep the accusation out of her tone, narrowing her eyes at the brunette as she snatched her bags off her ground and made her way towards the cabin.
Gillian flushed more deeply, face setting into an annoyed frown. “I didn’t want to be here any more than you. Caz! It was a complete surprise when they f-f-f-bloody dumped me here, I thought we were going to look at some sheep!” she retorted indignantly, throwing her hands up in the air.
“Well, doesn’t look like you’re getting lucky there, does it,” Caroline shot back, struggling with the bags. Honestly, she didn’t know what on earth was in them - she had only packed one small suitcase, but there were several carrier bags and a small duffel bag as well, heavy and cumbersome as she tried to struggle up the steps.
“Here, let me,” Gillian offered gruffly, reaching to take some of them out of her hands. Caroline almost wanted to snatch them away from her - why, she couldn’t have said. The farmer hadn’t done anything wrong, so why she was getting so snippy and defensive was anyone’s guess. Although she knew, really… she felt vulnerable, and wrong footed.
“Thank you,” she said after a moment, trying to soften her tone. Gillian took the worst of the load, turning and making her way through the open doorway. Caroline followed her cautiously, heart hammering in her chest as she tried to calm herself down. This wasn’t the end of the world - hadn’t she just been wishing that she would hear from the farmer? And here she was, in the flesh… But there was something rather off putting about the thought that they had both been left here against their will rather than choosing to make their way back to each other of their own accord. “Who dropped you off, then?”
“Raff. And Ellie! Honestly, lying wotsits, both of them,” Gillian growled, shaking her head as she deposited her load on the kitchen table. Caroline propped up her suitcase against one of the legs and laid down the duffel bag, turning to survey the space. William - and, by the sounds of it, Raff - had done well. The cabin was made up of a cosy kitchen combined with a lounge, furnished with huge, squashy looking sofas with fluffy blankets draped over them, a furry rug on the floor in front of the fire. There was no TV, although there was a little bookcase to the side with a handful of paperbacks crammed on the shelves. There were two doors leading off the main room, and Caroline could spot the end of a bath in one, and guessed that the other one must be the bedroom.
“It’s nice, at least,” Caroline said grudgingly, running her eyes critically over everything. It looked clean and comfortable, if nothing else, and she found that she would have been happy to stay there in less difficult circumstances. A sudden thought occurred to her, her eyes widened, and she marched across the room to the second door. “Oh… no…” she breathed, freezing in the doorway. It was as she had suspected. There was only one bed… piled high with blankets and sumptuous looking pillows, warm and inviting, but still… only one.
“I’ll sleep on the sofa,” Gillian muttered, coming to stand near the fireplace and looking down at the floorboards, rubbing the toe of one of her converse against them. “You can take the bed.”
“No, Gillian… that’s not fair,” Caroline shot back straight away, rounding on her. “You take it. The sofa is fine for me, honestly.”
Gillian scoffed loudly, shaking her head. “With your back? You complain enough when you fall asleep on the ones on the farm, you’ll end up crippled on these!” She gestured at them almost crossly, and Caroline bit her lip in response. It felt wrong to relegate the other woman to the sofa, but she could hardly suggest that they share a bed - if her friend already felt awkward about what had happened between them then that would hardly make things any better.
“Let’s just… decide later,” she said weakly, not having the energy to argue. She pushed a hand through her hair, still not quite believing the situation that they had found themselves in. “What on earth were they thinking, doing this?” she asked, almost to herself.
“They probably thought that we haven’t spoken for a while, and we need to sort it out,” Gillian mumbled, moving to lean against one of the sofa arms. “Reckon Raff got fed up of me bitin’ his head off whenever he came close. Even lost it with Calam the other day.”
Caroline couldn’t help looking at her compassionately, knowing just how much it took to rile Gillian to anger when it came to her errant granddaughter. She had always maintained that the pair of them were far too similar for their own good, and they were usually as thick as thieves. “Yes… things have been a bit quiet, haven’t they?” It was the understatement of the century and she knew it - Gillian clearly thought so too, and rolled her eyes.
“You can say that again.” Gillian swallowed nervously, and Caroline found that she hardly recognised this version of her friend now. Gillian had gotten so much more comfortable and almost peaceful over the years that she had known her, and this anxious woman who hopped from foot to foot, unsure of herself, was rarely seen anymore. Again, it told the headteacher just how upset the farmer had been by what had happened.
“I’m sorry, Gillian…” Caroline apologised quietly, taking just one step towards her, both metaphorically and physically. “I shouldn’t have- I mean, I… You see…” she stammered, trying hard to think of the right words. She hadn’t been prepared for this, and it showed.
“No, I’m sorry,” Gillian said in a rush, whipping her eyes up to meet hers, finally. To the blonde’s surprise, her beautiful blue-green eyes were full of guilty sadness, all the more confusion because she couldn't quite figure out where that feeling would have come from. “It was me, I-”
“Oh, hardly!” Caroline snorted, swiping her hand through the air as if to dismiss her point. “We’d had too much to drink, anyway, and-”
“Yeah. Yeah, that was it. Just an accident.” Despite her friend’s words, she still looked utterly miserable, and Caroline wished that she had the strength right then just to reach out and hug her. She didn’t quite trust herself… Although the situation that they were in was tense and uncomfortable, being in her presence couldn’t fail to remind her just how wonderful it had felt to kiss her, how soft her lips had been against hers, how her tongue had felt pushing into her mouth. She remembered every second of it, and had thought about it in the time since it had happened with frightening regularity, as much as she hated herself for doing so. Gillian was not for her, for so many reasons, not least the fact that they were stepsisters. She had already given her mother the shock of a lifetime by having the audacity to marry a woman, but she felt that pursuing the farmer would probably just about finish her off - and Alan, too, and she would never forgive herself for tearing apart the family like that.
“Well… shall we see what’s in these bags, then?” Caroline suggested after a short silence, both of them seeming to have absolutely no idea what to say. Straightening her shoulders decisively, she strode over to the bags, starting to unpack them. Gillian moved silently to her side, helping her, and it wasn’t long until all of the contents were spread across the table. It was a veritable treasure trove - a dozen bottles of wine, fancy bread, cheese, and meat, some pasta and a sauce, various crisps, cakes and nuts, some fruit and chocolate, and even some pizzas. There was plenty to last them for the whole weekend, which was rather reassuring - it had been an awfully long way from the main road, and Caroline had no idea how they would have managed to find groceries otherwise.
“There were already some things in the fridge when I arrived,” Gillian ventured, going to pull it open. She was right - there were yet more supplies, including a large bottle of milk that was a welcome sight given how reliant they were on a good cup of tea to keep them going. It was truly a staple of their friendship, too, and they had shared more mugs of the comforting beverage that she cared to count.
“Shall I make some dinner, then?” she sighed when they had finally packed everything away as best they could, Giillan ripping open one of the bags of crisps as they had done so and tipping them into a bowl. It was a most un-Gillian type thing to do, and Caroline wondered if she was trying to make amends.
“I can help,” Gillian offered, finally giving her a small smile. There was a hopeful look in her eye, and Caroline couldn’t help herself melting a little at the sight of it. It was abundantly clear that the farmer had felt her absence just as much as she had, and that was reassuring.
“Fine…” she hummed, going to pull the pizzas back out of the fridge. “And…” She bit her lip as she deposited them on the counter, grasping the side of the counter with both of her hands as nervousness bubbled in her stomach.
“And?” Gillian questioned, furrowing her brow and coming to stand next to her.
“We will be okay, won’t we, Gillian?” she suddenly burst out, cringing at her words. It wasn’t like her to blurt out her feelings, but she found that she couldn’t hold them in anymore - she needed some kind of reassurance that all was not lost, and there wasn’t really any other way to clue her in other than asked. “I… I couldn’t bear it, if we-”
“We’ll be fine, Caz, honestly,” Gillian interrupted quickly, taking another step towards her. “I couldn’t bear it either, if we… I just couldn’t lose you, Caz. You must know that?”
“I do…” Caroline whispered, giving her a lopsided smile. She felt a lump rise in the back of her throat, hot tears pricking the back of her eyes. She imagined that it was relief, but there was a very small part of her that was quietly devastated, too. The subtext of the words was what she had suspected - that they had been stupid, that she had crossed a line, and it couldn’t happen again. “I do know that. I missed you, Gillian.”
Gillian smiled at her brokenly, and before she could protest - or think better of it - the brunette flung herself at her, burying her face into her shoulders. Despite her trepidation, Caroline carefully wrapped her arms around her back, pressing her face against her hair. She smelled so familiar and comforting - of soap, hay, and something else that she almost imagined to be the summer breeze, although she knew that was fanciful. Whatever it was, it made her feel better.
“I missed you, too,” the farmer murmured, seemingly unwilling to let go straight away. “It was horrible, not speaking.” Caroline just nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak. The feeling of her body against hers, pressed tightly against her chest, was so lovely… If she was in the mood for self preservation then she would have pushed her away, not needing to fall any deeper for her, but she found that she couldn’t. She allowed herself a brief period of wish fulfilment as they held each other, the embrace going on for far longer than was really needed, but both of them seemed to need it.
“Pizza, then?” she eventually choked out, and Gillian pulled back, nodding, her eyes suspiciously bright. She gave her a wobbly smile, and Caroline hoped that now they would be okay. They could have a lovely weekend as friends… right?