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“GILLIAN ALISON GREENWOOD?!” The door of the farmhouse banged open, and Gillian jumped, nearly dropped the mug that she was drying onto the floor, fumbling it through her fingers before she finally managed to hook the handle with her thumb. Her shocked eyes flew to the door, surprised to see Caroline storming into the kitchen, her eyes flashing angrily. “THERE you are!”
“H-h-hi, Caz,” Gillian replied nervously, pushing the mug onto the side and flipping the tea towel over her shoulder. “Uh… you look angry? What’s up?” Angry was an understatement. Caroline looked utterly enraged, more cross than she had ever seen her, and given the fact that their relationship had improved so much over the last few years she couldn’t begin to think what she might have done to inspire her wrath to this degree.
“What’s up? WHAT’S UP?” Caroline shouted, her well fitting camel coat flapping as she brought her hand up to rake through her blonde hair. She was looking startlingly un-put together, her usual immaculate waves sticking up all over her head like it wasn’t the first time she had done it that day. “I’ve just got back from the vets!”
“Have you?” Gillian asked cautiously, wondering what could have happened that would inspire this level of rage. She was sure that Caroline hadn’t mentioned going, and she was sure that if anything had been really wrong with her dog, Ruth, she would have called her. “What… uh… were you there for?”
“I took Ruth for her vaccinations and yearly check up today,” Caroline growled, stalking towards her slowly like a lion hunting its prey. “And I expressed some concern to the vet that she seemed to be putting on weight, although I didn’t know why because I wasn’t feeding her any differently.”
“Right…” Gillian gulped, not having noticed anything herself - she hadn’t seen much of the golden retriever lately. The last time Caroline had brought her round she had ended up slipping out of the farmhouse when she hadn’t been looking and going missing in the fields, eventually being found a couple of hours later chasing rabbits with her sheepdog, Hoff. The two of them had seemed to be fast friends, although the two women had scolded them both for giving them a fright. “And… what did they say?”
“Ruth is not fat,” Caroline snarled, reaching up to poke Gillian’s chest. “Ruth is PREGNANT!”
“Oh… oh shit,” Gillian replied, her mouth dropping open in surprise. Of all the things that she had expected Caroline to say this definitely wasn’t one of them, and she realised immediately what had happened. “You mean… Ruth? And Hoff?” She bit her lip, knowing that it must have been when they had escaped and roamed the farm together. It was a little endearing, really, to know that the two of them had had such a lovely day together, but she could see why Caroline was pissed off.
“Your dog got mine pregnant!” Caroline carried on, her cheeks flushing red as she jabbed her in the chest again. “At the first opportunity he had, he… he… violated her!”
“Violated?!” Gillian felt her hackles starting to rise, and knocked Caroline’s hand away as she tried to poke her once again. “That’s a bit bloody rich! If your dog hadn’t fucked off out of the house of her own accord then he wouldn’t have gone anywhere near her!”
“Well, why wasn’t your dog neutered?!” Caroline shouted, growling when Gillian pushed past her and started to pace the kitchen. “Honestly, Gillian, this is ridiculous!”
“Why wasn’t your dog spayed?” Gillian shot back, whipping around and glaring at her. “Working dogs aren’t typically done, Caroline, so I’d ask why you failed to get Ruth done? Are you too flamin’ busy to take care of it?” Even as the words left her mouth Gillian regretted them, knowing just how much the blonde loved her canine companion, and how much any accusation of her not caring for her hurt. It was one of the first times she had made this kind of accusation directly to her face, not having said anything of the sort for years, and she saw the flash of hurt on her expression.
“I am NOT too busy to take care of my dog, Gillian,” Caroline shot back, her voice low and dangerous. “You know how much I love her! I didn’t get her spayed because it would increase her risk of obesity - which is why I was so bloody perplexed when she started resembling a beach ball!”
Gillian let out a growl of frustration, pressing the heels of her hands against her eyes. They weren’t getting anywhere, and they could argue all day long about who did what and who was responsible, it wouldn’t change anything. “How pregnant is she?” she eventually asked after the two of them had stood in tense silence for a few moments. “How long until…?”
“The vet said that she’s about two weeks off delivering,” Caroline snapped, and then let out a low groan, sinking down onto one of the kitchen chairs and dropping her face in her hands. “I have a full time job, Gillian! How am I going to manage with a load of puppies to look after? I can barely look after Flora!”
“You look after Flora perfectly fine,” Gillian gave back, trying for a softer, more conciliatory tone. “You’re a brilliant mum, you know that.”
“Am I?” Caroline dropped her hands to the table, looking up at her with bleary eyes. “What am I going to do, Gillian? I can’t do this! I don’t know what to do, how to… help… or anything like that, I… CHRIST!” She dropped her head to the table, her forehead thumping against the wood.
“Well, it’s not just your problem, is it?” Gillian hummed, sitting to her side and tentatively reaching out to her. She could see now what it was that had wound her up so much - it was obvious that Caroline felt out of control and incapable of managing this situation, and she resolved to make it known that she wouldn’t be on her own. “It takes two to tango, and all that - I’m responsible for Hoff, and that means that I’m jointly responsible for this, doesn’t it?”
“Well she didn’t get herself pregnant,” Caroline huffed, and Gillian rolled her eyes but reached out to take her hand anyway.
“I know that. What I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to worry about all this - when it’s time, you can bring Ruth here and she can have the puppies, and I can look after them whilst you’re at work,” Gillian suggested gently, raising her eyebrows as Caroline blinked back at her. “You could even come and stay for a bit if you want? Then we can both be here for her when she needs us.”
“Would you want that, though?” Caroline asked, and Gillian smiled, glad that it hadn’t been an immediate no. The truth was that she would take any time she possibly could with Caroline, loving being near her more than anyone else. She wasn’t just her stepsister, she was her best friend, and - if she was honest - her feelings ran a lot deeper than that, too. Not that she would ever say anything - she didn’t want to ruin the best thing in her life.
“It’d be nice, wouldn’t it?” she hummed, gently brushing her thumb over her knuckles. “I mean… It isn't an ideal situation, but I can set up a nice stall in the barn for her, make sure it’s nice and warm and cosy. And we can stay with her when it happens, can’t we?”
“The barn?” Caroline said nervously, biting her lip. “Is she going to be alright in the barn? Wouldn’t it be better if she was…” She gestured nervously at the kitchen, shooting her a worried glance, and Gillian couldn’t help sighing. The barn would be her preference, not least because then it would all be out of the way of the house, but she could see Caroline’s point. Ruth was an indoor dog, used to being pampered and well looked after - she knew that Caroline often let her sleep in her bed, even, and whilst it wasn;t something that she would do with her own dog she could understand it.
“I suppose we could portion off a little of the kitchen…” Gillian offered, turning to look out of the window. There was a clear patch of floor underneath the windowsill that would do, she supposed. “Although we would have to keep on top of keeping it clean, and we wouldn’t be able to let the children do anything with them without our supervision. Or gave Ruth bothered when she’s having them - if she is then anything could happen. When are they due, again?”
“About two weeks,” Caroline sighed, although she looked a little less careworn than she had when she arrived. “Ties in with half term, actually. I could ask Greg if he could have Flora, and there won’t be any school so Raff will be off - he won’t need you to look after Calamity, then?”
“Perfect timing,” Gillian agreed, leaning across to give her an impulsive hug. “Don’t worry, Caz. We’ll sort it… you and me, I reckon we can probably do anything we put our minds to, eh?”
“I don’t know about that…” Caroline replied with a weak giggle, but smiled at her nonetheless. “I’m sorry I was so angry. I didn’t mean to shout at you, that wasn’t fair…”
“It’s okay, I’m sorry I shouted back,” Gillian grinned, getting to her feet and reaching for her coat that was hanging over the back of one of the chairs. “Now, do excuse me - I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Where are you going?” Caroline frowned, tilting her head in confusion. It wasn’t time for the sheep, after all, and she knew that Caroline knew exactly when she went out and about by now.
“Going to give Hoff a lecture on responsibility,” she grinned, tugging the garment over her arms. “And that he can’t be putting it about just anywhere - actions have consequences, and all that…”
Caroline’s laugh followed her as she took her leave, and she couldn’t help grinning. This was an unforeseen situation, yes, but it could also be fun…
—
“Stop fidgeting, you’re worse than me!” Gillian murmured, reaching over to cover Caroline’s hands where they were twisting Ruth’s lead into painful looking knots that dug into her skin. “It will all be fine, you’ll see.”
“But what if it isn’t?” Caroline asked, shooting her a terrified look. Gillian smiled at her reassuringly, giving her hands a squeeze. She could understand her nerves, and felt them herself… A couple of days had passed since they first heard the news, and they were back at the vet once again for an ultrasound. It had been suggested by the vet, but Gillian had been reading up on it too and thought that it was an excellent idea so that they knew what they would be dealing with. She and Caroline had been in constant contact, organising and making plans for the impending delivery, and in a strange sort of way Gillian had never felt closer to her. After her initial anger Caroline had softened, and had even started to see the bright side of what had happened - especially when Gillian had shown her some pictures of golden retriever/collie crosses.
“McKenzie-Dawson, Ruth?” came a shout from the front desk, and both of them stood up, shooting each other a nervous glance. Gillian found herself rubbing her hands down the front of her jeans, her palms sweating as she followed Caroline towards the consulting room.
“Afternoon, ladies,” the vet greeted them, a young bespectacled man who bore a striking resemblance to Harry Potter - although she wasn’t sure that Harry Potter had ever had to wear latex gloves. “How are we all doing today? How is the mother to be?”
“She’s fine, just fine,” Caroline nodded, shooting an anxious look at Gillian. The farmer moved to her side, wanting to reassure her with her presence, and offered her a little smile.
“And who’s this?” the vet continued, gesturing at Gillian as he started to rummage around in a drawer.
“I’m the Dad,” Gillian blurted out, and then blushed as she realised what she had said. “I mean… not the Dad. My sheep dog… border collie… he’s the dad. I’ve got a farm and the two of them buggered off… took the opportunity to get their end away…” She was babbling and she knew it, a flush rising on her cheeks as Caroline looked at her incredulously. “I mean… I’m Gillian. Greenwood. Gillian Greenwood.”
“Well, alright, Gillian, Gillian Greenwood,” the vet laughed, and crouched down to ruffle Ruth’s ears. “Let’s see what your collie has been up to…” He very carefully manoeuvred the golden retriever until she was lying on her side, looking dolefully up at Caroline who knelt in front of her, gently stroking her head. Not knowing what to do with herself, Gillian knelt down too, reflecting wryly that this must be how most father’s felt when their partner was expecting a baby. It was terrifying, exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time.
“Has she been coping alright with the pregnancy?” the vet hummed, flicking on the ultrasound and getting the wand ready as he gently palpated her stomach. “Any loss of appetite, vomiting, bleeding?”
“No, she’s been perfectly fine,” Caroline said anxiously, watching his every move. “Should she be showing some kind of signs? She’s been her usual self, really, maybe a bit sleepier…”
“That’s normal,” the vet nodded, and Gillian reached to press her hand on Caroline’s knee, feeling like she needed the physical reassurance. It was mad - Ruth wasn’t even her dog, but the fact that she was in this state was her fault, too, and she felt incredibly responsible for her wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of the woman sat right next to her. She knew that this was not something that Caroline had wanted to deal with, and she couldn’t help feeling guilty, even though there hadn’t been any way that she could have prevented it. Neither of them had known that Ruth would get out, or that Hoff would take such an instant fancying to her. The vet pressed the wand against her stomach, moving it around to get into position.
It wasn’t long until the quiet noise of several heartbeats filled the room and Gillian shot Caroline a little smile as the puppies began to appear on the screen.
“Here we are…” the vet murmured, moving the wand around to get a better view, taking measurements and zooming in where needed. “Can you see here?” He pointed at the screen, which showed a dark circle with a little moving body in it that seemed to be doing somersaults. “This is one of them…” He moved it again, showing them another. “And another one… so that’s two… three… four… five…”
“Five…” Caroline said weakly, slipping her hand into Gillian’s and squeezing tightly. Both of them stared at the screen, a little overwhelmed by what they were seeing. Gillian loved babies, she always had, whatever species, and she couldn’t help feeling excited that she would soon get to meet little bundles of fluff that would surely come about as a result of Hoff and Ruth’s interaction. She felt emotional too, and when she caught Caroline’s eyes she could see that they were brimming with tears as well.
“And one last one, six,” the vet beamed, and took a couple of pictures for good measure. “I can’t guarantee that there are only six, but that’s my best guess at the moment. Did you want a couple of photos?”
“Yes please,” Caroline said quickly, and as he stood up she leant down pressing a kiss to Ruth’s forehead and whispering words of praise. Gillian couldn’t help gazing at her fondly… This was a new side of Caroline that she had never seen before. When she had first known her she would never have said that Caroline would be the kind of person who would have been like this with a dog, or even owned one in the first place, but at every turn she had proved her wrong.
“Six…” Gillian murmured, and met Caroline’s eyes once again. “Well, we’re going to have our hands full, old girl…”
“That we are,” Caroline hummed, and impulsively leant across to give her a hug. Pressed into her pillowy chest, Gillian found herself relaxing, the tension that she had felt before the appointment ebbing away in her embrace. This was definitely going to be an adventure…
—
“I feel like I’m waiting for a pot to boil,” Caroline sighed, dropping her head into her hands and tapping her feet as they sat on Gillian’s sofa a few nights later. Ruth could now deliver at any time, and Caroline had all but moved into the farmhouse a few days previously. Flora had gone off to Greg’s - much to her disappointment - and the rest of the family had been instructed to ring before coming over, much to their chagrin. It meant that they had been left in peace, both of them anxiously keeping an eye on Ruth as she pottered around as normal.
It had been surprisingly lovely to have Caroline living with her, both of them quickly falling into a routine that suited them both. She got up early and went to tend the sheep, and on her return made tea and toast and took it up to the blonde, perching on the spare side of the bed as they enjoyed breakfast together. Caroline then took the morning shift of keeping an eye on Ruth whilst Gillian did all her chores as quickly as she could, and then returned around lunch time so that Caroline could do whatever she needed in terms of work. A shared dinner later, the two of them settled down to watch TV or read depending on where the mood took them, and Gillian loved every moment.
“I know, I feel the same,” Gillian offered, gently tugging her hands away and smiling at her. “It’ll be okay, though… She’s bang on the money, now, I’m sure it won’t be much longer.”
Caroline nodded, and after a little more murmured conversation both of them settled down to watch a film to pass the time. After a little while she yawned, and without saying anything Caroline shifted a little, urging her down so that her head rested on her lap. She had accidentally fallen asleep on her a few days previously, and whilst being mortified when she had woken up, Caroline had been incredibly gracious. Now she was even inviting it, and as they watched the film - some stupid rom com that Gillian had little interest in - she even started to trace small circles on her arm. It felt wonderful, and Gillian was just starting to relax enough to drop off when the blonde started.
“Gillian, look,” she said quickly, giving her arm a little shake, and the farmer sat up. Caroline pointed at Ruth who had been happily asleep by the fire, but was now up and restless, pacing on the rug as she let out little whines. “Is it time?”
“Ruth, girl,” Gillian murmured, dropping to her knees on the rug and moving to stroke the dog gently. “What are you doing, eh? Are you ready to have those babies?” She passed her hand over her stomach, noticing the way that it felt different to when she had done the same earlier. She glanced at Caroline and nodded, biting her lip. “I think it might be go time…”
“Oh, FUCK!” Caroline yelped, standing up and looking terrified. “What do we do? Is she okay? How long…” She peered towards Ruth’s rear end, looking at little horrified, and Gillian just laughed at her.
“Calm down, you twat,” she giggled, standing up and gently grasping Ruth’s collar. “We’ll just get her into the little pen that we set up in the kitchen, and then we can sit with her in there. It’s nice and warm, she’ll be fine. And no, no puppies are hanging out of her, yet,” she carried on, amused but understanding.
“Sorry… sorry,” Caroline mumbled, raking her hands through her hair and offering her a pleading expression. “I just feel like… like…”
“An anxious parent?” Gillian questioned, and Caroline nodded, looking a little embarrassed. “Don't worry, so do I… but she will be okay. We've got this… trust me, I'm a farmer.” She flashed her a cheeky smile, and Caroline rolled her eyes at her.
“Of sheep,” Caroline snorted, but followed her anyway as she carefully led Ruth into the kitchen. The little enclosure that they had prepared was just as the vet had specified, and Gillian had spent time over the previous few times acclimatising the golden retriever to spending time in there. It seemed to be worth it - Ruth walked in with no fuss, and Gillian praised her before ruffling her fur.
“I think we might be in for a bit of a wait,” Gillian commented, watching the dog flop over on her side on top of the old towels that they had lined the pen with. “Shall we have some tea? Wake us up a bit?”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Caroline agreed, and to Gillian’s surprise rather than drawing up a chair to sit on she climbed into the pen herself, sitting down by Ruth’s head and running her fingers through her fur. Gillian couldn’t help grinning at her affectionately - the blonde had surprised her with how soft she was at every turn during this experience, and she loved seeing this side of her. She knew it was a privilege, too - not everyone got to see her like this. Gillian was one of a very select chosen few.
After making the tea, she grabbed a packet of biscuits too and went to climb into the pen herself, squeezing herself into a small space between the side and Caroline. She could have sat at the other side, of course, but she found that she craved being near her. Ruth was still panting, looking between them with a vague stir of unease, and Gillian passed Caroline her tea before learning over to give her a gentle pat.
“Don’t worry, girl, it’ll all be over soon,” she hummed, offering the dog a gentle smile. Whilst she hadn’t had experience with delivering puppies she supposed that it probably wasn’t much different to delivering sheep - in fact it was probably easier. “We’ll look after you, we won’t be going anywhere.”
“How can you be so calm?” Caroline asked wonderingly, looking a little awed at her as she leant back against the wall. “Honestly, I’m terrified… I never thought that I’d be like this over a dog, but… Look at me now. Soft as anything.”
Gillian chuckled, nudging against her affectionately. “That you are, Caz. You’re a natural with dogs, though - knew it the first time I saw you when Benji came to say hello.” Benji had been her old sheepdog - he had been rather old by the time Caroline came into her life, and she had retired him a few years ago after Hoff was fully trained. Not trained enough not to go sticking himself about, of course, but he was a master with the sheep… “I don’t think I ever asked you, what made you get her? Ruth, I mean? I honestly never saw you with a dog, what with all the… hair… and everything.” Gillian flapped her hand weakly, knowing just how particular Caroline was about her cleaning standards at home.
“Yes, well…” Caroline hummed, adjusting her position a little as Ruth laid her head against her thigh. “Flora kept going on, of course… And when Mum and Alan left I felt quite vulnerable in that house all on my own. I haven’t got the benefit of the track like you - I can’t see when anyone is coming, and she’s good like that - always barks. And plus… well, she’s company, isn’t she? Things can get a bit… lonely, sometimes.” She flushed slightly, and Gillian offered her a sympathetic smile.
“I know that feeling,” she said softly, leaning against her a little in an attempt at comfort. “Now Raff and Ellie and the kids have gone… I’m the same. Rattling around this old place.” She looked up at the kitchen, the familiar environment quiet and still in the low light that they had put on over the pen. She shot her companion a little look, tapping her finger against her mug as she debated how to phrase what she had to say next. “It’s been nice, having you here,” she offered, her cheeks colouring a little. “We’ve got on well, haven’t we?”
“Surprisingly, yes,” Caroline nodded, smiling shyly at her in return. “We’ve made a good team… It’s been lovely. I’ll be rather sad to go home.”
“Don’t, then,” Gillian said quickly, only realising what she had said when Caroline looked at her in surprise. “I mean… I… shit.” She shook her head at herself, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. “Sorry. Ignore me,”
“I don’t want to,” Caroline said softly, reaching to gently tug one of her arms. “I mean… now probably isn’t the best time to talk about it, what with…” She gestured at Ruth who was starting to whine again, and the pair of them looked at her in concern. “But it would be nice to have a conversation, wouldn’t it? I mean… we’re both of us on our own, and this seems to work…”
Gillian nodded, feeling the start of a happy glow inside her. “Yeah.. yeah, it does.” She grinned at her, earning herself another of those beautiful soft smiles in response, and Gillian’s heart went into freefall. The last few weeks, although they had started with Caroline’s anger, had only led to them growing closer and she had loved every single moment of it. How wise it would be to move in with her when she felt herself falling for her more and more every day was a question that she pushed away, not wanting to spoil the lovely moment.
“We’ll talk about it, properly,” Caroline said decisively, squeezing her arm once again before returning to stroke Ruth’s head. “We’ll work something out.”
“We will,” Gillian agreed, wrapping her hands around her mug once again. “We definitely will.”
As the night wore on the two of them chatted in low voices about this and that, both of them comforting Ruth as much as they were able. It wasn’t until shortly after midnight that the first puppy was born, a black and white bundle that Ruth immediately started licking clean. Gillian turned to Caroline, both of them with tears in their eyes as the blonde slipped her hand into hers once again.
After that the puppies were born at fairly regular intervals during the course of the night, one wriggling bundle after another in various shades of black, white and gold. Ruth seemed to know exactly what to do, both of them watching in wonder as she quickly had all six of them suckling.
“You’re such a good girl,” Caroline whispered, tears evident in her voice as she stroked her nose. “Such a clever, clever girl, giving birth to all those puppies…”
“Isn’t she just,” Gillian mumbled, dashing tears of her own away with her sleeve. “She’s done a brilliant job… All six of them look perfect, as well.”
“They do, I…” Caroline trailed off, frowning as they both recognised the familiar signs of the dog straining. “I thought that the vet said that she was only having six! Is she having another one?”
Gillian stood up, moving cautiously around to look. “It looks like it…” she hummed, crouching down and watching. “He did say it wasn’t an exact science, didn’t he? The vet?” Caroline nodded as they watched in anticipation. The puppy was born quickly in a rush, but this time something seemed different… It wasn’t moving, and its golden fur was streaked with something brownish that looked like blood. Ruth turned to nose at it, licking it like all the others, but it still didn’t move…
“Gillian?” Caroline said urgently, looking at her with wide eyes. “Gillian, why isn’t it moving?”
“Just… give it a moment,” Gillian said tightly, holding up her hand. “This happens with the lambs sometimes - they’re a bit shocked from being born, and it takes them a moment…” They waited in tense silence for the puppy to show some sign of life, but nothing was forthcoming. After several more rough licks even Ruth pulled back, whining a little, and Gillian knew she had to act. “Give me a towel, Caz,” she said quickly, holding out her hand, and Caroline pushed one on her quickly. She gently lifted the puppy, rubbing its back roughly as she frowned.
“Gillian…” Caroline whimpered, but Gillian didn’t reply, too busy with her task.
“Come on… come on…” she muttered, a familiar mantra that she usually found herself uttering during lambing when a baby was born in a similar state. Sometimes this worked and sometimes it didn’t, but she would be damned if she didn’t at least try. “Come on, little one, take a breath… don’t keep your Mum waiting, now…”
After a few moments the puppy shuddered, its little chest starting to move as it arched in her hand, letting out a plaintive whine. Ruth whined in response, and Gillian wasted no time in tucking the wriggling bundle next to its litter mates.
“There… there you go, girl, it’s alright,” Gillian reassured, collapsing back next to Caroline with a sigh. “Christ, that was close.” She looked at Caroline, wondering why she was so quiet, only to find that she was looking at her in a way that she had never seen before. “Caz? I-”
Her words were cut off when Caroline lunged across the space that separated them, crashing her lips against hers as she cradled her face in her hands. After a moment of stunned disbelief Gillian kissed her back, not daring to touch her in case she had anything on her hands left over from the puppy, but leaning into it as much as she could.
“That was amazing,” Caroline whispered when they parted, her eyes shining as she smiled at her, but then seemed to realise what she’d done. “Oh.. shit… sorry, Gillian, I shouldn’t have-”
This time it was Gillian who crossed the gap between them, fisting her jumper in her hand and tugging her towards her until they were kissing again. It was slow, tentative, but quickly gained in strength as both of them realised that it was something that the other wanted. Caroline’s lips were soft and warm against her own, and she couldn’t help humming contentedly. This was all she had wanted for so long, and it was wonderful.
“You should have,” Gillian whispered when they parted, offering her a shy little smile as she met her eyes. “If… if you wanted to, that is.”
“Oh, I wanted to,” Caroline murmured back, gently stroking her hand through her hair. “I’ve wanted to for such a long time, actually… Sorry if I crossed a line, though…”
“You didn’t,” Gillian said quickly, wanting to reassure her. “I wanted you to… And I’ve wanted to, as well. You have no idea how much… I mean, Christ, Caz…” She shook her head in wonder, hardly hearing the little whines that the puppies were making as they searched for sustenance. “You… you have no idea how I…” The words wouldn’t quite leave her mouth, feeling suddenly vulnerable.
Caroline smiled at her softly, clearly deciding to be brave. “Seeing you just then with that puppy… I just couldn’t help myself,” she said quietly, searching her expression. “I just… I just love you, Gillian. Really. And I’m sorry if that’s too much, or… whatever… or…” She turned a little awkward, but Gillian found herself grinning.
“I love you too,” she breathed, feeling like her heart was going to burst with happiness. “It’s not too much, it’s everything, I… I can’t believe it…”
“Me neither,” Caroline gave back, leaning forwards to press a gentle kiss to her lips before turning back to look at Ruth. “And all because Ruth buggered off to go shag your dog in a field…”
“Not to mention lucky number seven, right there,” Gillian hummed, looking down at the little bundle with a grin. It was golden in colour but had a streak of white across its middle and one across its nose. “I think we’ll have to keep that one…”
“I think we will,” Caroline agreed. “And I think that you’ll have to keep me, too. If you want me.” The look that she gave her was utterly heartbreaking, and Gillian shuffled over a little so that she could nuzzle against her cheek.
“Try and stop me,” she whispered, starting to pepper little kisses across her face. “I’ll never be letting you go again.”
<3