no-one else will.

Laughing quietly, reaching for his plate, Robert began to put some of the Chinese on there for his consumption, shaking his head as he pointed at her with a spring roll. “I think you’ll find I’m only a little shit 90% of the time. 10% of the time I’m a delight.” It was silly, it was funny and it was them down to a t. He loved that they were so well matched and that she could give as good as she got when it came to him and his being a little shit sometimes. She could be just as bad and though they’d had big arguments in their time, they usually were just silly little bickers that had them both being dumb and bickering over the silliest of things. 

Picking up another spring roll to take a hefty bite from he blew out he was nodding along, admittedly missing those days when they could both enjoy a bath together. They’d have to steal a moment at some point soon, be nice and intimate when they had the opportunity to do so. “Me too. We’ll make sure we get one together soon,” he was sure of it. But tonight he’d take the baby shift after how much she’d put them both through today, especially Em, and let his wife have a little peace to wind down. “But if it helps I’m sure some of the pets will happily come and watch you. Can’t even walk in to the bathroom without an audience,” he added with a wry smile. He was used to it by now and had long given up trying to tell one of their pets to piss off when he wanted to be in there alone. 

Munching on a spring roll, she rolled her eyes at her husband, trying to stop herself from grinning. It was amazing what a little time alone - well, almost alone - with her husband would do after a stressful and busy day, because she could feel the tension slipping out of her body. Their daughter’s usual routine had been blown out of the water and she had no idea when they’d get to sleep that night but he made her laugh, he made her feel at ease, and that made things better already. ‘’That 10% of the time is usually when your mouth is preoccupied with something else.’’ Emilie quipped cheekily, wiggling her eyebrows at him with the mischievous sparkle in her eyes making it very clear what she meant. 

It was definitely hard to steal moments together with a six month old baby, but they tried. Nap times were usually their opportunity to be together and they had arranged for a babysitter - usually a friend - to look after Vera a few times. Now they were back in Vancouver for the next 9 months, they could potentially look for a more permanent child minder who could take care of their little girl whenever they wanted some alone time or a date night. Not a nanny, because she didn’t like that thought, but a babysitter for the odd night was more than okay, because they needed that. 

Chuckling at Robert’s words, she grinned at him, reaching for her wine. ‘’Give it another year and you’ll have another audience member, I’m sure. There’s no privacy in this house.’’ She agreed with a laugh, gesturing towards Vera. As soon as she was walking and talking, there would be no stopping her. 

A brief laugh and he cocked an eyebrow just for a second. “So I’m doomed to floor life,” he quipped, aware that he could be quite the irritant when he wanted to be. He was pretty fit really, especially for his age, thanks to his years of yoga. He wasn’t a cardio man unless sex counted, in which case he liked to think himself a regular and expert level. But yoga kept him fit, it kept him flexible and it also helped to give him something healthy to do.

Humming briefly in agreement with his wife he picked up the remote and turned on the television, admittedly turning the volume down a little bit so it gave them some time before Vera woke up to just enjoy some dinner together. He immediately held the remote to his wife though, letting her pick whatever they put on. If it was up to him he’d be putting ESPN on after such a long day but he wouldn’t do that to her. “Let’s get some grub down us and then if you want a nice bath or something to wind down I don’t mind taking on the job of waking her up so she doesn’t sleep through the night.” He’d take the headache if he had to so that his wife could have a little bit more rest that evening.

His words made her giggle, aware that he was very right there. She absolutely adored him, she was in love with him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t drive her absolutely insane sometimes and she wanted to throttle him. He wound her up, on purpose half of the time, but she gave as good as she got and she knew they were well matched in that department. Emilie didn’t let him get away with his shit most of the time, she could stand up for herself and keep him on his toes too, which worked very well in their marriage. ‘’That’s your own fault for being a little shit 95% of the time.’’ She retorted with a grin, smacking his arm lightly as he sat with her, the two of them never ones for mincing their words when they were together. That honesty was something they both appreciating. 

Even with their teasing and brutal honesty with one another, there was no-one else she’d want to do this with. No-one else she trusted, no-one who could support her like he did. They made an incredible team with their daughter, and a good team in general. It made her smile when he handed her the remote, clearly expecting that she’d complain about whatever nonsense he put on the television. It would likely be sport and she definitely didn’t have the patience to watch that right now, so she settled for some kind of family game show instead, aware that it was mostly for background noise than anything else. 

‘‘It’d be nice if we could take a bath together.’‘ She admitted, pulling a face because she knew they wouldn’t have time for that, not that evening. Vera would need to wake up soon, they’d have to try and wear her out again before putting her to bed later than usual, and they’d probably go to bed at the same time after such a tiring day. ‘‘But if you’re volunteering to be on baby duty for a few hours, I’m not going to complain.’‘

Robert made his way in to the kitchen with the bag of food so he could busy himself dishing it up and putting it in to receptacles that wouldn’t leave grease marks on the table. He’d learned his lesson on that one once before and even if he wasn’t always the most thoughtful when it came to things around the house, he tended to learn his lessons quite quickly after being told off for not doing something how he was meant to do it. 

Taking the things through to the living room, a few plates at a time so it took him two trips, it was on his second and the final one that he gestured down to the floor next to her. “Hope you’re ready to get me up off of there,” he joked, grabbing on to a cushion to chuck down for him to sit on. He did yoga, he was relatively fit really but even he couldn’t cope with sitting on a solid floor for too long. Not unless she intended on massaging his arse for him later, of course. 

“Do I dare put the telly on, or do you think our boss there would protest?” he asked, wondering if they should risk it or not. Sitting without it on wouldn’t bother him. He had all the company he needed right there with her after all.

Reaching for her glass of wine to sip at as Robert entered the room, bringing in the plates of food until their coffee table was covered with their Chinese favourites. She smirked at him when he complained about her sitting on the floor, aware that it wasn’t typically the most comfortable place to sit but it wouldn’t be forever, just until Vera woke up. She was very much out of synch that day, her routine changed because she’d usually be having her bath round about this time, before having some play time then they’d put her to bed, but she’d fought them so much that day that Emilie wasn’t prepared to wake her up, not when she’d likely be more grumpy than when Robert didn’t have his early morning coffee. 

‘‘If you’re nice to me I will. If you piss me off, I’ll definitely leave you down here.’‘ She retorted teasingly, wiggling her eyebrows at her husband. He did yoga, he was pretty fit all things considering, and she rolled her eyes whenever he used his age as an excuse for something. He might have been just under 20 years older than her, but she never felt that difference, not really. They had similar souls, similar humour, and it didn’t really matter that he was older than her. It did mean that she wouldn’t be able to have a football team’s worth of children, but Vera and potentially one more would be enough for her, she was sure. Especially after the nightmare they’d had that day. 

Placing her wine down, she began to fill her plate with food, a grin passing across her lips. ‘’We can put it on. As much as I don’t want to wake her up, we probably should soon, or she’ll be wanting to party at 3 o’clock in the morning if she sleeps much longer right now.’’ 

To Robert the life he had now was such a stark contrast to the one he’d had as a lad. His Dad had done his best by him and even without the money or even the stability of a constant home for many years he had grown up knowing his Dad loved him and supported him entirely. That was a lesson and a way of parenting that he made sure to learn from and emulate himself. It just so happened that he could also provide financially for his kids too, and being able to do so was something he was always appreciative of. 

A smile at her words which were essentially a compliment to herself, Robert tilted his own head to allow for his lips meeting hers in a tender kiss. Sometimes he really did enjoy being a little more romantic and making sure to spoil her but he didn’t like to go over the top with it. Moments like this, maybe he didn’t do all that often but he liked to think that meant that it was all the more special when he did. 

It was only when there was a knock to the front door to signal the arrival of their food that Robert drew back from his wife, giving her a tender squeeze in his hold before he was drawing back. “I’ll get that,” he spoke as he began to make his way towards the front door. She could get their drinks sorted now and he’d get the food all sorted. She could just have a settle down when the drinks were poured and they could settle in with Vera for their dinner.

These soft moments were rarer between them, but she always knew that Robert loved her. Whether he showed that love through making sure he’d made her a cup of coffee in the morning or making sure that Vera’s changing bag was packed while she rushed around or tried to feed her before they went out the house, it was definitely more about the little things between the two of them. No big gestures, no fuss, just two people who loved and supported each other and showed that through their actions. She supposed that it came from how their relationship had started; words had been pretty meaningless when they’d both been married to other people and it’d only been big, brave actions that had helped get them to where they needed to be. 

It made things mean more when they weren’t as frequent, and she mourned the loss of his warmth when his arms left her. Emilie almost cursed the delivery man at the door for interrupting their moment, a little sigh leaving her. If it wasn’t their 6 month old interrupting them, it was the take out delivery and she was definitely thinking they needed to take a vacation as soon as possible - even if they had only just started work again after the Summer off, technically. In reality, Robert had been working for the majority of their break and it hadn’t been completely relaxing. 

Grabbing the two glasses of wine and tucking the rest of the bottle underneath her arm, she entered the living room, waiting for him to join her with the food. Vera was still sleeping in her car seat on the couch so she settled on the floor by the coffee table, clearly quite happy to sit down there. 

Laughing quietly, Robert hummed briefly. “It’s not nearly as good,” he replied, though he definitely wasn’t a stranger to taking care of himself if he felt the need. He was a sexual man and though it would never be the main focus in his life - family first, always, and then everything else came after - he definitely enjoyed that art of life. For him he had a partner he was compatible with who he enjoyed being with, so that was just perfect as far as he was concerned. 

With his arms around her Robert smiled, a soft moment between them which had him pressing his lips gently to her cheek. This was his romance. This was his way of expressing to her what she meant to him and how much their relationship and family meant to him. Being with her was something that made him genuinely happy and their family did too.

“It might be. But honestly, I don’t regret a single choice I made. Maybe I’d be richer, but it’s not like we struggle, eh?” as much as he would enjoy a role like being The Doctor he doubted it would be an opportunity that came up again, and that was alright. What he had right now was the role that had also given him his marriage and a lifelong love and bond with Emilie. “I’ve got you. Got Vera. Along with my eldest kids, I’ve done alright for myself I’d say.”

It made her lips curve into a soft smile when he kissed her cheek, leaning back into his embrace. It’d been a long day, and it felt good to just sink into his arms and let him support her. Parenting was difficult; even when you felt like you’d gotten a handle on it all, something happened or changed that threw all of that out of the window and she was left doubting her abilities to some degree. Emilie knew she was a good Mother, she adored their daughter and did everything she could for her, but she had definitely been left wondering whether she was making the right decision about going back to work right now, when Vera was only six months old. She was too young to go to nursery, as far as her parents were concerned, and her Mom was beginning to wonder whether she should have stayed at home. 

Her husband wasn’t stereotypically romantic; he only brought flowers when he’d done something really wrong and his romantic speeches tended to be dirty talk, and she’d gotten used to that. Being overly cheesy wasn’t her thing either, so she liked him just as he was. ‘’We’re not exactly on the breadline.’’ She agreed with a chuckle, glancing around their hi-tech kitchen and trying to hold back her amusement. It wasn’t lost on Emilie that they were privileged, because money wasn’t something they would have to worry about it even if neither of them worked again. 

‘‘You have done pretty well, Mr Carlyle.’‘ She agreed teasingly, tilting her head to press her lips against his, wanting that moment of sweetness. 

“Ohhh, is someone planning on a little action tonight? Is it my lucky day?” he asked, taking that from her comment with a mischievous grin. Truthfully he doubted that was happening tonight and had no complaints if not. So long as his wife got rested and their girl hopefully slept well then he’d be happy enough tonight. That being said, he also would have no complaints at all if he got a little action tonight.

Snorting a moment, Robert gave his wife a little squeeze. “Nothing little about those cheques,” he countered, pleased for her and for their family really that she had been in such prolific shows that still to this day provided well for her. Whilst he would never want any of his children to rely on the wealth that the Carlyle and de Ravin names provided, or the steps up in to the world that they may also provide, he did like knowing that their children would never have to struggle like he had when he was a lad. Nor would they have to reject education prospects because they couldn’t afford it. The work they did today helped provide for them tomorrow, and that had always been important to him.

A low laugh and Robert was again squeezing her. “Ah but if I’d taken those jobs, I wouldn’t have ended up taking Once down the line, would I? Who knows where my life would have gone…” Which meant that he had made the right choices as far as he was concerned. He didn’t like Harry Potter very much and didn’t feel the ‘heart’ in those stories, nor did he feel like the role would have been very satisfying for him to play. Doctor Who he would have loved to try but his scheduling just hadn’t worked for it, and he felt confident that ship had sailed now. Regardless, he’d made the right choices in the end because they’d all led him right to her.

Snorting at her husband, she rolled her eyes at him, aware that he would jump at any opportunity to be intimate with her and she was the same, usually. That evening, she mostly just wanted to fall into bed and sleep but that being said, she wouldn’t complain if the mood took them that way at some point. Emilie doubted it would do, given their daughter’s irritability that day and how disrupted her routine had been, but she wouldn’t say no in that case. ‘’Not unless you count your right hand as getting action.’’ She retorted teasingly, glancing over her shoulder at him, a sparkle in her eyes despite her tiredness. 

His words made her chuckle, aware that they were comfortable and very privileged because of that. Vera would never have to worry about money and neither would his other children, or any others they had together, and she was proud of that. With her Father being a Doctor in Australia, they had always been comfortable without too many issues - which she knew was different to his own upbringing - but to be able to pass that onto her child was an amazing thing, and she had begun to make a lot of her financial decisions with her little girl in mind. An account had already been sent up to pay for her schooling one day, even if they were a long way off. 

Leaning back into Robert’s arms, she let her eyes slip closed, a little smile on her face. His words were actually quite heart warming, and he did indeed have a point about it all. Every choice, every role, it’d always led them to each other. ‘’Wow, is this you being sentimental?”’ She questioned playfully, giving his arms a squeeze. ‘’I like it.’’ 

“I can do a lot when sloshed,” he quipped, though they both knew he’d never let himself be in any sort of state when he was also going to be looking after their little girl. He’d never do a thing that risked her safety, and he wouldn’t take the piss when it came to it being his duty that night either. Still, he grinned over towards her before he was bending down to fill the dogs bowls with food, then moving on to the cat food.

Still, when his wife continued on and he was smiling, he straightened up and walked over towards her, stepping in to go behind her so he could snake an arm around her waist. Tucking his chin against her shoulder with a deep inhale, he let the breath out then and hummed briefly. “Excuse you, you’re the one with the fortune. I’m the one that needs to retire and be a trophy husband. Admittedly, you’d make a great kept woman, but I think I could scrub up nicely enough to be a kept man.”

‘‘I don’t know... I don’t remember much action last time you were pissed.’‘ She retorted back teasingly, giving a pointed look down at his crotch in jest. In truth, neither of them were really up to anything when they were drunk, they usually ended up passed out in bed, so she was just teasing him in the moment. Emilie knew he’d never endanger their daughter by getting drunk when she was his responsibility, he’d never have anything more than a few beers when it was just him taking care of their girl. She trusted him, implicitly, and knew he was an incredible Dad. Not just to their 6 month old, but to his older kids. If Vera ended up as wonderful a girl as Ava, then she knew they’d done their job right as parents. 

A soft exhale left her when she felt his arms sliding around her from behind, his chin against her shoulder. Em placed the bottle of wine down, both glasses full, and leant back into his warm embrace. His arms felt safe and secure around her, and she wrapped her arms over his, settling against him. ‘’Me? All I get is a couple of residual cheques.’’ She retorted teasingly, aware that she made good money still, from Lost and Roswell, two shows that had been popular in their day and age. Lost particularly, was a good little earner and she could have survived off of that for the rest of their lives. 

‘‘You’re our little money maker. After all, you could have had roles in Harry Potter and Doctor Who if you weren’t so stubborn, and then I’d definitely be a kept woman.’‘ 

Waggling his eyebrows with a laugh, Robert knew that his version of romance wasn’t always conventional. Sure, sometimes he’d buy her flowers or candy - then usually be asked what he’d done before she accepted them - and sometimes he’d make dinner, go the whole nine yards on it. But most of the time it was in his small gestures. The throw backs to conversations, the little nicknames. The teasing and joking with her. It was all romantic to him, because it was all an expression of his affection, comfort and love with her and for her. Emilie was the one person he could truly be himself with, the one person that saw all of his flaws and loved him because of them, not in spite of them. Just like how he loved her. No judgement, no negativity. Just love.

“I’m a charmer,” he quipped after their - much enjoyed - kiss. 

Helping Em get their girl and the things they needed to take home to the car, he drove them home, let her order their food and busied himself sorting out the food for the cats and dogs as she let the pups out. If he got them sorted then they could just settle in and look after themselves and their girls when the dogs were let back in. Looking over at her as she spoke he nodded, grinning briefly. “Glass for you, bottle for me?” he joked, essentially saying yes, he would happily take a glass of wine right now.

Ordering their food on her phone was easy, and it confirmed that it would be there about half an hour after they got back. Her stomach was beginning to grumble, growing hungry because she hadn’t been able to move with Eliza asleep on her chest, not even when she’d been desiring a snack of some kind earlier. Breastfeeding meant that she was hungry almost constantly, and usually ended up stealing Robert’s fries or parts of his lunch, so she was pretty sure he almost always over-ordered these days. It’d been a long day for both of them, so she imagined they’d both be ready to eat, drink a little wine and sleep before they had to get up in the morning and do it all again. 

Reaching for the bottle of wine in the fridge, she had to laugh at Robert’s comment, raising her eyebrows at him. ‘’A bottle? But it’s your turn to do the night feed.’’ She pointed out teasingly, unscrewing the cork before searching for two glasses, aware that tonight wasn’t really the best night to get drunk, for either of them. Vera slept through the night sometimes, and if she woke up it tended to only be once now she was 6 months old, but Emilie was a little concerned about the change in her routine would affect them through the night as well. 

‘‘Maybe I should just give up work and be your trophy wife, hmm?’‘ She suggested as she poured them both a sizeable glass, eyeing him with a grin. ‘‘I’d make a great kept woman.’‘ 

It didn’t take Robert too long to get changed even if his Mr. Gold outfit was made up of more layers than he would usually wear. Hanging it all up and putting the clothing bag over it so it was ready to hang on the trailer door when they got out so wardrobe could just collect it when they were ready to, Robert  then approached his wife and reached to gently slide his hand over her lower back, leaning in as he did so. A gentle peck to her cheek and he was humming, happy to go along with Chinese for them to have for dinner that evening.

“Let’s get you both home,” he murmured, another peck to her cheek following before he - with a throw back to their conversation that morning - stole a quick squeeze of her rear, and a wink thrown her way. Stepping back to get the clothing bag, he reached then to pick up Vera’s bag to sling over his shoulder. She could carry their girl in her car seat, they’d get her home in decent time and then he’d take on waking up Vera and trying to keep her settled until it was time for bed later on. 

As much as she usually would have loved watching him undress, Emilie was feeling worn out and she instead focused on getting Vera ready to go home. She’d had a diaper change before she’d fallen asleep on her Mama about half an hour ago, and would have another feed before they put her down in her proper crib at home. At nearly 6 months old, she did tend to sleep through the night for the most part, occasionally waking up mid way through if she was upset, had a dirty diaper or just felt like she was hungry. Figuring out what her issue was could be difficult in the middle of the night, but it was worlds away from what it’d been like surviving on 4 hours sleep on a good day, and she was pleased they’d moved past that newborn stage. 

Once he was ready, she smiled at the kiss to her cheek, that smile turning into a breathy laugh when she felt his hand squeezing her rear. ‘’You really know how to romance me.’’ She teased, reaching her spare hand to capture his jaw gently and tug him in a for a gentle kiss. Their day hadn’t been easy, but Emilie had felt very much supported by the man she loved that day, aware that he’d been by her side through it all and had been trying to make things easier on all of them. After not working for about 7 months now, it would be an adjustment for her too, but especially their young baby. 

Carrying Vera’s car seat to the car, she got her in safely and let her husband drive them to their home, carrying her right inside again and rested the seat on the living room sofa because she was still sleeping and Em didn’t want to wake her up just yet. After letting the dogs out and saying hello to them, she reached in the fridge for a bottle of wine, holding it up to show Robert. ‘’Want a glass?’’

A hum and he couldn’t argue that at all. Vera hadn’t adapted as well as he would have hoped but he wasn’t surprised as such by that. It was a lot for a little one to take in and he could only hope that as time went on she got more and more used to things. “I think both my girls have been a little,” he replied gently, wanting Emilie to know that he was aware that it had been hard today and that he’d been watching, that he’d seen her exhaustion, fully understanding it. He was tired himself and knew that he wasn’t going to be looking for a late one that night. Wearing the wig that he’d had taken off before coming to the trailer hadn’t helped either with bloody pins prodding him in his skull all day. Thankfully the scenes needing him to wear that bloody thing were going to be mostly done that week, save for any future episodes where he needed to go in to imp mode.

Grinning over at his wife as he began to remove his jacket, stepping in towards the hanger to put it on along with the rest of his costume for wardrobe to collect later, he shook his head. “Put the movie on if you want me to shake it,” he quipped, referring to The Full Monty. Even now he groaned a little when he heard the music from it because he knew it usually came with a reference to his little bum. Though it had felt like a disaster when making the movie he had to admit that after editing it became something he was quite proud of. It had helped put his name out there and on the map, and he couldn’t be upset about that. 

“When we get her in the car, why don’t you order some food for us to have delivered home? I think tonight we all need it to be as low key as possible.” He didn’t want to cook tonight, he doubted Emilie did and he knew that taking Vera anywhere other than right off home would be a foolish mistake to make. He trusted Em to pick something nice for them to eat and knew she’d pick him something decent along the way.

It had probably been too much to expect that a 6 month old to adapt to a new routine straight away, and logically she knew that. It would take a few more days for their girl to adapt and get used to their new life working on set, just as it would be an adjustment for her parents to get back to normal too. They’d had almost six months off at this point, with her off work and able to take care of Vera while he was busy but now they both had more responsibilities and finding a work/parent balance was something she hadn’t had to do before, because this was her first time parenting and working at the same time. It was a learning curve for her. 

‘‘I’ll do that later.’‘ Em teased lightly, standing up with Vera in her arms and swaying gently when she grumbled at the sudden movement. She was sound asleep, thankfully, her little fist curling around a handful of her Mama’s hair in a move that would have been sweet, if not slightly painful. She watched her husband for a moment, grinning at him before she carried Vera towards her car seat, slowly beginning to settle her in it so they could get her into the car safely when Robert was ready.

Tucking her soft pink blanket around her, Em tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling at his suggestion. ‘’I’ll order us some Chinese for when we get home. We can pig out in front of the sofa and get an early night.’’ 

Smiling a moment, Robert stepped in closer and leaned down to gently kiss the top of Emilie’s head. “Maybe,” he murmured, gesturing down towards the girl. “We’ll get her home, get her woken up for something to eat and then sort her out for the night. She won’t be happy but,” he shrugged, figuring that they needed to make sure that they got her in to at least a decent enough routine where these days at work with them didn’t mean sleepless nights. Vera would likely make it well known that she wasn’t happy if they did wake her up to make sure she was tired when night came along but they’d handle it.

He hadn’t gone in to his trailer today, just staying in Emilie’s so they could settle Vera and would probably keep doing that for the next week or so just to be sure that their girl got used to things. Then as they gradually put more of her things in to his trailer too they could go between them both and make her feel comfortable in them both. So he took steps back towards the back of the trailer where there was an area where he could change in privacy. “No peaking,” he teased lightly, trying to give his wife a little something to be amused by before he got ready.

Her lips curved into a smile when she felt Robert leaning down, his lips brushing against the top of her head. She was exhausted, feeling worn out and honestly a little fragile after the day they’d had, but he made her feel warm and happy, and he’d definitely been her saviour that day. Her husband had kept her calm even when she felt on the edge, ready to throw in the towel and call it a day when Vera had been so grumpy that she’d spat almost all of her pureed lunch out and made a huge mess, but he’d kept her sane and been her support throughout the day. He might have been worried that he was too old for this parenting thing, but as far as she was concerned, he was incredible.

‘‘Poor baby girl has been all out of sorts today.’‘ She jutted out her bottom lip at the thought, not feeling angry with Vera because she was a baby, and she didn’t know any better. She had been taken out of her familiar surroundings and her routine, and it’d been difficult for her, but Emilie was just hoping that she got used to it soon enough and adapted, otherwise work would become difficult over the next few days. It was something she felt guilty about, because she blamed herself and continued to wonder whether she was doing the right thing, but she had enjoyed work and she didn’t want to give it up. 

A little grin tugged at her lips as he wandered to the back of her trailer to get changed, slowly pushing herself to stand up with little Vera in her arms. She grizzled a bit, but remained snoozing against her Mama’s chest for now. ‘’What, no strip tease?’’

It had proven to be more of a challenging day than Robert had hoped it would be, which had meant that a lot of the frustrations he needed to play when it came to the scenes they had today, the desperation too, had been a lot easier for him to convey like he needed to. It did also mean that breaks were non existent as whenever they weren’t needed in front of the cameras they were both tending to their girl. Robert had certainly got plenty of steps done that day with how he’d had to walk around with their girl to get her to settle, and he only hoped this was a blip to work through and not a sign of how unsettled she would always be when at work with them.

He had a few scenes to film with just Giles who to his credit was utterly charming, a great guy to work with and made the scenes easy enough to get done without too many reshoots for anything other than additional camera angles and improved lighting. A few scenes on his own and he was finally making his way to Em’s trailer to be with her and their daughter. They could head home as soon as they were both out of costume, Robert assuming she would already be back in her own clothing by now so it would be just him that needed to get himself sorted so they could get going. 

Aware that Vera may well be sleeping he was quiet in entering Em’s trailing, smiling a little at the sight that met him. Seeing their girl mercifully actually asleep and his wife clearly on her way to he same, he approached and quietly cleared his throat so he didn’t wake Em up properly with a shock. “…I’ll get changed and we can head home. Think I need to get my girls fed and in bed by the looks of it.” 

It hadn’t been easy, it’d been more disruptive than she’d expected and she felt more than exhausted as she rested on the couch with Vera on her chest, her little head rested on Emilie’s shoulder while she snored lightly, just like her Papa. Her own head tilted back against the edge of the sofa, eyes shut as she enjoyed the peace and quiet for the first time that day and began to drift off herself. It’d been a long day for everyone, even the adults, so she wasn’t surprised that their 6 month old had struggled with the change of routine. They’d tried to keep her nap times the same as usual, but it’d still been very different for her and she felt very guilty about that. 

Emilie roused when she heard his quiet coughing to get her attention, eyes fluttering open to see him stood there. She appreciated him being quiet, because Vera hadn’t napped properly that day, always waking up sooner than she would have done usually and it had been incredibly disruptive for the little family. It’d been good to start work with her husband again, she had missed that aspect of things but the reality of being working parents with a small child was definitely harder than she’d ever expected. In his previous marriage, his wife had been at home but they were both working together, and that added an extra complication. 

‘‘I don’t know about that. With the way Vera has been today, she’ll probably be ready to party when it’s supposed to be her bedtime.’‘