A/N: Ready for some sad Barba? Trust me, it's nothing bad.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"He's doing it again."

Liv hung her head and set her glasses on the coffee table, abandoning the book she was trying to read because she had to, yet again, stop her husband from the endless staring match he was having with their daughter.

"Raf. You're creeping your child out. Stop."

He didn't respond. He just sat there, elbows on his knees and looking like a kicked puppy while he watched Dani neatly fold and pack her suit case in the middle of the living room floor. Her room was already packed up, boxes of her knick-knacks and brand new room décor sat in the foyer of their apartment.

The boxes had been accumulating all week, but this little staring thing her husband was doing started long before that. Just right around the time Dani was accepted into NYU, where Noah was attending.

First, it was just a for a few seconds at a time across the dinner table as their girl excitedly talked about orientation or which courses she wanted to take first. Nothing big and nothing to worry about.

It started to progress in the months after her graduation. Every time she opened her mouth about anything regarding her impending departure to school, he immediately closed himself off and stared at her like she was ripping his heart in two.

The sad part, she was and she didn't even mean to.

Liv was sympathetic to it in the beginning, because she was sad for her daughter leaving as well. Fortunately, their experience with Noah leaving provided her with the tools she needed to face their daughter's time to leave. She was over her sadness quickly and made room for excitement, feeling happy that her daughter was so excited to start the next four years of higher education with her brother graduating in just a year.

Except, Rafael hadn't taken Noah leaving well and he wasn't going to take his baby girl leaving well either. She wouldn't ever admit it, but at first, it upset her that he was so bummed about the kids moving out and into their dorms at a college, quite literally, down the street. Maybe, she thought, he didn't want to be alone with her in their three-bedroom apartment. Maybe they were going to suffer "empty nest syndrome" and have a horrible time connecting with each other after their kids have gone.

Those thoughts were dispelled quickly, though. They both cherished their alone time together and after Noah had been moved out of the house and Dani became involved in theatre, there was plenty of it and they made sure to have a good time.

So, that wasn't an issue.

What was an issue was the fact that Rafael loved his kids so much and didn't want to see them leave. Of course, both of their children picked to go to NYU, leaving them in the city and within short driving distance. It also helped that they had close relationships with both of their kids. Noah visited often and sometimes stayed on the weekends, enjoying time with them or simply using his old room as a quiet place to study.

Thankfully, Dani expressed the fact that she was going to do that also, because she would miss them too much and she always made good on her promises.

Rafael had his moments of happiness, glad that his kids were continuing their education and doing things they loved and wanted to do with their lives. Those moments were few and far between.

"Daddy, you already have enough wrinkles in your forehead. Stop," Dani joked, shoving a pair of jeans down into the bag before picking up a hoodie and doing much of the same. Rafael just sighed and continued to stare, looking like he was on the verge of tears.

In the beginning, she was sympathetic towards him. Now, it was just annoying.

"Babe. She leaves in three days. Not to mention, she's moving into student housing like thirty minutes away."

"I know," his response was weak and he stood, leaving to the kitchen where she heard the clinking of a glass and she knew what he was doing. She shouted for him to bring her a glass of wine, to which he complied. He walked back to the couch and handed her her cup before sitting back down and resuming his staring.

Dani groaned and threw the shirt down on the ground.

"Daddy, seriously, you're acting like we're never going to see each other again. It's not like I'm leaving the city. You can visit me whenever you want to and I know you will because you still drop in on Noah and he's a senior."

"I can't help it…you're my little girl," he said softly, sipping at his drink and hanging his head, his fingers tracing the pattern on his tumbler. Liv had to smile, his words warming her heart still even after all these years. Sometimes, she thought back to the years before they started dating, thinking he didn't have a fatherly bone in his body. He was all about work and winning and that's it.

It still made her heart flutter watching him interacting with their kids and she wondered why she ever thought that about him. He was the best father a kid could have asked for; the best father for her children she ever could have dreamed of.

Dani sighed and stood up from the ground and curled up next to Rafael on the couch, hugging him tightly and patting him on the back. Rafael wrapped his arms around her, sighing heavily. Liv knew hugs were the true way to her husbands heart, especially when it came from his kids.

"Daddy, I know this is hard. But I'm going to be in the city and I'm going to be here all the time! I'm pre-law and more than likely, you'll be teaching me better than the actual professors will."

Rafael laughed and kissed Dani's forehead as she pulled back. She sat back and gave him a sad smile, knowing she was the reason why he was so down all the time lately.

"I just want you to be happy and safe. Safe especially. Your mother and I don't trust college campuses as far as we can throw them. Also, boys."

Dani fought the urge to roll her eyes and glanced at Liv, who was very obviously taking Rafael's side in that whole conversation.

"Boys-"

"-Only think about one thing."

He grumbled as his daughter finished his sentence, having heard it many times during high school when she first started dating. Dani just shook her head and went back to her spot on the floor, intent on finishing up her packing.

Rafael sighed and looked over at his wife, who waved him over to her. He shifted further down the couch and leaned into her, propping his feet up on the coffee table and resting an arm on her curled-up legs. He reached for the remote and turned on the television. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, enjoying Liv's fingers leafing through his greying hair and starting to feel like things would be ok for the first time in months.