The uneasy silence continued when all three entered the house.
Gillian went and perched on the edge of a chair whilst Emily stomped her way through to the kitchen.
Cal made a quick appraisal and decided to tackle the easier of the two problems por following his daughter through to the kitchen.
“Still sulking are we, daughter of mine?”
Emily was standing at the cozinha sink getting a glass of water, she had her back to her father and made no effort to reply or turn to acknowledge Cal in any way.
“Cum on Em, whatsup? I was always under the impression that you secretly wanted this to happen”
Cal had dropped all the tightness and anger in his voice now and had moved over to his daughter, softly slipping his arms round her shoulders.
Emily immediately turned in and let herself be enveloped por the warm comfort of her dads arms – then the tears started.
Cal tightened his grip and let his daughter sob for a few moments before leaning backwards and planting several light kisses on her forehead.
“I was so scared dad – so scared ..what I saw when you were out there, and when that big bomb went off, and..and we lost the connection…oh dad…”
Cal made soothing noises whilst stroking his daughter’s hair and rubbing her back. “I know, I know, that’s natural sweetheart, it’s ok – it’s all over now and I’m fine” He kept repeating the soothing words until the worst of the tears had abated.
“I’m sorry dad, you know, bout how I was ‘bout earlier, you know “
“Don’t worry Em, It’s all good, I understand now”
Slowly releasing his daughter he lifted her face with the gentle pressure of one finger until he was staring into her huge brown eyes, then he just smiled.
“Look luv, I know the last few days have been bloody hell – for all of us,- and I know that you and I need to sit down and have a good long chat, and we will – I promise darling, but for now we are all totally knackered and I think ALL of us need a bloody good nights sleep before any mais talking is done – yeah?”
“Yeah” He finally saw a genuine smile start to make it’s way across his daughters face.
Cupping her pale cheeks in his hands he dropped another kiss on her nose and winked at her.
“Night dad”
“Night luv - I really do luv you Em, you know that don’t you?”
“Course I do – and I amor you too”
As Emily slipped back through the living room she stopped briefly to kiss Gillian on the cheek “Sorry Gill” and then she disappeared up the stairs.
Gillian was sitting, shoulders slumped in tiredness, and a certain amount of self pity when Emily passed her por stopping only to kiss her and apologise.
Self pity was not a state that Gillian was used to indulging in, but the past few days – and the events of this evening were starting to overwhelm her now and she knew that it still wasn’t over.
She lifted her head only slightly when a glass of conhaque appeared in her hands.
She took the glass willingly but felt completely unable to look up into the face, and the eyes, of the man who had provided it.
“It’s been a real car crash this last week hasn’t it” It was mais of a statement than a pergunta so Gillian felt no need to answer. She realized that Cal was now sitting within centimetres of her.
Cal placed his hand round the back of Gillian’s neck and slowly pulled her head against the comfort of his neck and shoulder, she offered no resistance.
For a while they remained still, the only occasional movement was to sip from their glasses.
“Look luv” Cal eventually zoned back in again, “Here's the deal, I am going to tell you the same thing I have just told my daughter, except with you it’s an option ok, not a command”
“I’m listening Cal”
“It’s been a shit week, we all know that. We’re all tired, mentally and physically. I really believe that we all need a nights sleep before we start tackling the issues – sorry luv that sounded a – clinical didn’t it”
Gillian was fighting hard to control the build up of tears, but the dam wasn’t going to hold much longer.
“It’s ok Cal, I understand – and you’re right of course”
Still a bit shaky but with a determined stance Gillian got up and started to put her casaco back on “I’ll grab a cab on see you at the office, sleep well, oh and give Emily my amor in the morning will you”
“ Oi – sit down Foster, are you crazy or do you really believe I’m that much of a bastard?”
“I don’t understand, what..what do you mean Cal…I…”
“Do you really think I am trying to chuck you out? After everything that’s happened this evening? Do you?”
That was it. The dam broke and the tears started rolling down her cheeks.
Cal immediately jumped and wrapped her in his arms, shit just how many woman was he going to reduce to tears tonight – what a jerk!
“I’m sorry luv, that sounded all wrong didn’t it. This is why I don’t think we should get in this tonight – but that doesn’t mean I want you to go”
Gillian said nothing, not verbally, but her eyes held all the perguntas as she stared at Cal.
“Stay with me tonight luv, I mean I shan’t stop you leaving – if you really want to- but I’m asking you, as humbly as it is possible for me to be, to stay with me tonight”
It was just that small touch of humour, the hint of his quirky smile that did it for her, and she felt the tears dry and the weight of the past week start to lift from her tired body.
“How could I possibly to no to Dr Lightman being humble”
With his arms locked round her waist he started pulling her towards the stairs, stabbing at the lightswitch with his shoulder.
About halfway up he moved his head towards her neck and just touched his lips to it, then he whispered “ I didn’t say I WAS being humble – I just said it was as close as I was ever going to get” He was rewarded with a musical laugh.
Both of them entered his bedroom him still sniggering and her still giggling, both of them being to realize that maybe that weren’t as PHYSICALLY tired as they thought they had been…..
Gillian went and perched on the edge of a chair whilst Emily stomped her way through to the kitchen.
Cal made a quick appraisal and decided to tackle the easier of the two problems por following his daughter through to the kitchen.
“Still sulking are we, daughter of mine?”
Emily was standing at the cozinha sink getting a glass of water, she had her back to her father and made no effort to reply or turn to acknowledge Cal in any way.
“Cum on Em, whatsup? I was always under the impression that you secretly wanted this to happen”
Cal had dropped all the tightness and anger in his voice now and had moved over to his daughter, softly slipping his arms round her shoulders.
Emily immediately turned in and let herself be enveloped por the warm comfort of her dads arms – then the tears started.
Cal tightened his grip and let his daughter sob for a few moments before leaning backwards and planting several light kisses on her forehead.
“I was so scared dad – so scared ..what I saw when you were out there, and when that big bomb went off, and..and we lost the connection…oh dad…”
Cal made soothing noises whilst stroking his daughter’s hair and rubbing her back. “I know, I know, that’s natural sweetheart, it’s ok – it’s all over now and I’m fine” He kept repeating the soothing words until the worst of the tears had abated.
“I’m sorry dad, you know, bout how I was ‘bout earlier, you know “
“Don’t worry Em, It’s all good, I understand now”
Slowly releasing his daughter he lifted her face with the gentle pressure of one finger until he was staring into her huge brown eyes, then he just smiled.
“Look luv, I know the last few days have been bloody hell – for all of us,- and I know that you and I need to sit down and have a good long chat, and we will – I promise darling, but for now we are all totally knackered and I think ALL of us need a bloody good nights sleep before any mais talking is done – yeah?”
“Yeah” He finally saw a genuine smile start to make it’s way across his daughters face.
Cupping her pale cheeks in his hands he dropped another kiss on her nose and winked at her.
“Night dad”
“Night luv - I really do luv you Em, you know that don’t you?”
“Course I do – and I amor you too”
As Emily slipped back through the living room she stopped briefly to kiss Gillian on the cheek “Sorry Gill” and then she disappeared up the stairs.
Gillian was sitting, shoulders slumped in tiredness, and a certain amount of self pity when Emily passed her por stopping only to kiss her and apologise.
Self pity was not a state that Gillian was used to indulging in, but the past few days – and the events of this evening were starting to overwhelm her now and she knew that it still wasn’t over.
She lifted her head only slightly when a glass of conhaque appeared in her hands.
She took the glass willingly but felt completely unable to look up into the face, and the eyes, of the man who had provided it.
“It’s been a real car crash this last week hasn’t it” It was mais of a statement than a pergunta so Gillian felt no need to answer. She realized that Cal was now sitting within centimetres of her.
Cal placed his hand round the back of Gillian’s neck and slowly pulled her head against the comfort of his neck and shoulder, she offered no resistance.
For a while they remained still, the only occasional movement was to sip from their glasses.
“Look luv” Cal eventually zoned back in again, “Here's the deal, I am going to tell you the same thing I have just told my daughter, except with you it’s an option ok, not a command”
“I’m listening Cal”
“It’s been a shit week, we all know that. We’re all tired, mentally and physically. I really believe that we all need a nights sleep before we start tackling the issues – sorry luv that sounded a – clinical didn’t it”
Gillian was fighting hard to control the build up of tears, but the dam wasn’t going to hold much longer.
“It’s ok Cal, I understand – and you’re right of course”
Still a bit shaky but with a determined stance Gillian got up and started to put her casaco back on “I’ll grab a cab on see you at the office, sleep well, oh and give Emily my amor in the morning will you”
“ Oi – sit down Foster, are you crazy or do you really believe I’m that much of a bastard?”
“I don’t understand, what..what do you mean Cal…I…”
“Do you really think I am trying to chuck you out? After everything that’s happened this evening? Do you?”
That was it. The dam broke and the tears started rolling down her cheeks.
Cal immediately jumped and wrapped her in his arms, shit just how many woman was he going to reduce to tears tonight – what a jerk!
“I’m sorry luv, that sounded all wrong didn’t it. This is why I don’t think we should get in this tonight – but that doesn’t mean I want you to go”
Gillian said nothing, not verbally, but her eyes held all the perguntas as she stared at Cal.
“Stay with me tonight luv, I mean I shan’t stop you leaving – if you really want to- but I’m asking you, as humbly as it is possible for me to be, to stay with me tonight”
It was just that small touch of humour, the hint of his quirky smile that did it for her, and she felt the tears dry and the weight of the past week start to lift from her tired body.
“How could I possibly to no to Dr Lightman being humble”
With his arms locked round her waist he started pulling her towards the stairs, stabbing at the lightswitch with his shoulder.
About halfway up he moved his head towards her neck and just touched his lips to it, then he whispered “ I didn’t say I WAS being humble – I just said it was as close as I was ever going to get” He was rewarded with a musical laugh.
Both of them entered his bedroom him still sniggering and her still giggling, both of them being to realize that maybe that weren’t as PHYSICALLY tired as they thought they had been…..