After another restless night with Emilia, Brax stumbled into the kitchen to get himself a drink whilst Ricky breastfed their baby daughter. He glanced at the time and saw it was only 3.30am, so downed the glass of water before heading back to bed, watching them.
"You know you could go back to sleep?" Ricky says, glancing over at him.
"Yeah, but it's the only time she's peaceful, unless she's sleeping." Brax says, picking the small teddy up that they bought before she was born.
"I think it's going to get better." Ricky says. "We just have to trust the midwives tips in keeping the routine up."
"Yeah, the routine of her waking up more at night than during the day." Brax yawns. "I'm sure she slept for hours yesterday, then as soon as we fall asleep, she's up."
"Must get that annoying side from you." Ricky jokes, watching him slowly fall back to sleep before looking back into Emilia's eyes. "Looks like your daddy can't stay awake with us." She quietly says, unable to hide a smile in as she watches Emilia.
"Hey, how was Emilia last night?" Bianca asks as she joins them at the table.
"Up a lot, again. I think I managed to get a whole hours sleep in total." Ricky says. "I've pumped enough milk to last Brax till tonight so I could get some sleep as he was starting to moan that I'm not getting enough rest."
"It'll do them some good to have some bonding time. I tried doing that will Heath and Rocco, but Rocco wouldn't take the bottle, so we stuck to me breastfeeding." Bianca says.
"I guess we're lucky that she is then." Ricky smiles.
"So why aren't you in there getting some sleep now?" Bianca asks.
"Kyle didn't come home last night, so Brax has gone out looking for him. I was having some breakfast whilst Emilia's asleep." Ricky replies, holding up the baby monitor.
"I'm really worried about him, he's refusing to let any of us in." Bianca sighs. "And now Heath's avoiding him because of what Kyle said about putting him in prison."
"Yeah, I heard about that. Heath shouldn't avoid him, I think that might make things worse."
"I told him that, so did Casey and Denny. I think he's just freaking out because he doesn't want to go to jail, and he can't think of what Kyle has on him. I told him it could just be an empty threat, but once Heath has something in his head, he goes over it repeatedly." Bianca says, glancing over at the door as Brax walks in, Kyle trailing behind him with red puffy eyes. "Morning." She smiles.
"Rick, why aren't you sleeping?" Brax asks as Kyle walks into the kitchen to get himself a drink.
"I'm going now." Ricky smiles, standing up with the baby monitor, handing it to him as she passes. "Now don't go giving into to Emilia, those big eyes are not there to mess her routine up that we need to get her into." She quietly says, chuckling to herself as she walks into the flat.
"Never thought I'd see the day you'd be taking orders off Ricky." Bianca comments, smiling at her brother in law.
"I'm not taking any orders." Brax says, lightly frowning as he thinks about it.
"Anyway, I best head off before I'm late. See you later." She says, picking her bag up as she leaves.
"Do you want breakfast?" Brax asks Kyle, who merely shakes his head. "You need to eat something."
"I'm not hungry." Kyle mutters, taking another sip of his drink.
"I don't believe you, not after you said the same yesterday at lunch and dinner. Don't make me force you to eat something." Brax sighs.
"Fine!" Kyle huffs, sitting down at the table as Brax walks over to the counter, placing the baby monitor on the side.
"Eggs on toast okay, or do you feel like more?" He asks.
"Just toast." Kyle replies.
"Do you want me to come to the station with you this afternoon?" Brax asks as he puts two pieces of bread in the toaster.
"I'm not going."
"Kyle, we've spoken about this. It might not be bad news."
"I know it will be. They're giving up just like everyone else." Kyle says, sinking back into his chair.
"No one is giving up."
"Yeah they are. It's been over two weeks, and not a single person has seen her. Or they're just refusing to say. Someone out there has Lillie and she's either dead, or being brought up as someone else's. I don't know which one would be better, either way, she's not here." Kyle mutters, causing Brax to sigh to himself.
"Listen, about this 'nosebleed' you had-"
"Let me guess, you don't believe me either. I had a nosebleed, big deal." Kyle angrily scoffs.
"I never said I didn't believe you. But it doesn't make sense, Casey said there wasn't enough blood for it to be nosebleed." Brax says, not believing it, but he couldn't let Kyle know that.
"I caught it early, I didn't know I had to let it get everywhere to be believed." Kyle moans. "Casey needs to back out of my business just like everyone else does."
"We're just trying to help you, Kyle. We can't do that if you don't talk to us!"
"I'm talking to you, that's enough!" Kyle retorts as Brax butters the toast before putting it on a plate, handing it to him.
"Eat that. And I'm glad you're talking to me but I think seeing someone who knows how to help you will be good as well." Brax says, Kyle shooting his gaze to him as he takes a bite of the toast.
"I'm not seeing a shrink." Kyle glares.
"You won't even consider it?"
"Uh…" Kyle says, pretending to think. "No. Don't even bother asking again, cause it's not going to happen."
"Okay." Brax sighs, glancing at the monitor as Emilia gurgles in her sleep.
"Stop worrying about me and focus on your kid, you don't know what's going to happen in the future." Kyle says, walking off to his room.
"Kyle!" Brax calls after him, not getting anything back.
"Did you manage to talk to Kyle?" Heath asks.
"Yep." Brax says, looking down at Emilia as she suckles on the bottle of breastmilk.
"How'd it go?"
"As well as expected. He refused to eat, then ate a few mouthfuls of toast, refused to see a therapist and told me to stop worrying about him and focus on Emilia, cause I 'don't know what's going to happen in the future'."
"You were gone for ages and that's all that happened?" Heath frowns.
"No, that happened in the space of about 5 minutes when we got home." Brax says. "It took me ages to find him, and when I did, he was asleep in his car along Old Creek Road. He's got a meeting at the police station soon, which I'm going to have to make sure he gets to, then I might try talking to him again. I had to follow him back here in the Ute to make sure he wouldn't drive off again."
"If he doesn't see someone, what're we going to do?"
"Nothing, now back off." Kyle hisses from the doorframe to the hallway. "My life has nothing to do with you, so stop getting involved." He glares.
"Kyle, leave it." Brax says, noticing he had his car keys in his hand. "Where're you going?"
"To the station." Kyle mutters.
"I'll come with you." Brax says.
"Rather not." Kyle mutters, very briefly glancing at Emilia before walking out.
"Has he seen Emilia before now?" Heath asks.
"No, that was the first time, if you could even count it as one." Brax sighs. "Rick's still asleep, so I doubt I could have gone anyway."
"Too late now." Heath says, hanging his head before gesturing to the door. "I better go and make sure the gym books are up to date.
"Casey did that yesterday." Brax frowns, then realises. "Don't listen to Kyle, he's in a mood with everyone."
"He didn't threaten to put you in jail though, did he, or anyone else for that matter." Heath moans before walking out.