"Yes…yes I'm on my way now…seriously, I'll be five minutes…" Julia wedged her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder as she tried to put her coat on, find her left boot and look through her bag for her keys all at the same time.

Tom stood leaning on the doorframe, his arms folded.

"I mean it Frank, I'll be five minutes. No, three. I'll make the cab driver put his foot down." She closed her phone.

"Guess we're done for the night then." Tom said, deadpan. This was the third writing session in a row that Julia has run out of due to "family". Leo had been unwell. Frank had been cross that Julia has been an hour later than she said she would. And now something else.

"Tom, I'm so sorry…look, I'll work on these at home after Leo's gone to bed…Frank just wants to make sure I'm around before he goes out to school tomorrow, Leo has a big test and he's nervous…"

Tom raised his hands. "Go. Your family needs you. I'll be fine." he stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Call me tomorrow."

"I will, thanks, bye…" Julia flew out the door. Tom sighed. He turned and looked at the papers on the table. They'd been halfway through a big number for their newest show and they'd been right in the middle of their creative flow when Julia's phone had interrupted them. He sat down and grabbed his half empty glass of wine. This show was taking a lot longer than it should.

"Julia, you promised things would be different this time". Frank lay next to his wife in their bed, staring at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry Frank…I've tried to cut down the amount of work I'm doing but there's just always so much to do…"

"Julia, you have a family now. We're married, we have a son, he's got a lot of school work happening and he needs his mother at home to support him." He turned onto his side to look at Julia "and I miss you too. You're out all evening, when you're at home all you do is work…sometimes I think you have a better relationship with Tom than you do with me…"

Julia sighed and turned off the light. "Don't be ridiculous, Frank. I promise I'll be home in time for dinner tomorrow."

"And so, if we add the seventh into that chord like this it'll make that transition into the major sound so much better…"

"Mmmhmm, yeah, that's great Tom, look I have to go…" Julia moved from her usual spot next to the piano and made to grab her purse.

"Great. You're doing this again?" Tom stood from the piano and moved in front of Julia before she could get out the door. "You've been distant all day, at one point I suggested I cast myself in the lead female role and you agreed. We're halfway through a song and you're leaving again, what is going on?"

"I just need to…"

"No, Julia, talk to me. What's happening? How are we going to get anything done if you're barely here?"

"For God's sake Tom, I cannot please everyone. I cannot be here with you and at home with Frank and Leo at the same time. I have a family that need me as well as you, you know, and I need to work out which takes priority. I cannot give you all my time any more, you do not have a monopoly on me, I have a family."

"I…I know Jules but…"

"But nothing, Tom, I've had nothing but grief from Frank and I need to be at home for a while. This is my family, my husband and child, they need me, I know you don't understand what that's like…" Julia stopped cold, realising what she'd just said. "Oh…oh Tom, I didn't mean it like that…"

"No, Julia, I think you've made yourself perfectly clear."

"Tom I…"

Tom stepped aside from where he'd been blocking Julia's exit. "I think you'd better go to your family" he said. He left the room. Julia heard the bedroom door slam.

Tom lay in bed and watched the morning light creep through the blinds. His cell phone flashed beside him.

CALLING: JULIA

He'd turned his phone onto silent after the fifth time Julia had tried to call him. The phone stopped flashing. He picked it up and looked at the screen.

11 MISSED CALLS: JULIA

How could she have said that. How could she think that. That he was somehow less of a person because he wasn't married with a kid? He'd got used to Julia being married and Leo being around - after all Leo was a teenager now - and he loved Frank and Leo. But it had never interfered with their work like this before.

But the comment stung the most. Was that really how she thought of him?

Tom's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Tom? Tom I've been calling you all night, open the door for goodness sake." Julia. "Tom I'm sorry…I need to talk to you please, just open the door." Tom ignored her.

The door opened. Tom had forgotten that Julia had her own key. Damn. He sighed, and got out of bed.

"Julia…" he walked out of the bedroom to be met with a paper cup being thrust at him.

"Tea. From your favourite place." He took the cup.

"Thanks."

"Tom…Tom I'm an idiot."

"Yup."

"I didn't think."

"Nope."

"I'm so sorry…"

"I know."

"Do you forgive me?"

Tom looked at Julia. "Yes, but I'm still mad at you."

"I know. You have every right to be. I'm an awful person." Julia sat at one of Tom's breakfast bar stools and covered her face with her hands. He sat next to her.

"You're not an awful person. But you are mean."

"Oh Tom…I didn't mean that…" she moved her hands away from her face. "Frank is upset that I'm not at home with Leo and him. He feels second best. Tom, I need to spend some time sorting this out. I need to be there with my family."

"Right. So what does that mean then?"

"It means I need to spend a little less time on this for a while. Just…just for a while though. Just until home gets sorted out. I promise." Julia turned in her chair, and swivelled Tom's until he was facing her. "Tom, this is just temporary."

"You don't love me any more." Tom said, pouting like he was joking but still half meaning it.

"Are you kidding me?" Julia raised an eyebrow. "Thomas Levitt, I may have a husband and child I love more than life, but the reason I can get out of bed every morning and continue breathing in and out all day is due to you. Just because I need to concentrate on the family I married and gave birth to does not mean I love the family that sits and pouts at me while I buy them nice cups of tea any less."

"Really?"

"Of course." She put one hand on his face. "Tom, you don't need me to tell you what you mean to me. I write musicals and long scenes of heartfelt declarations of love but I don't think I have the words to tell you how special you are to me."

He smiled, still staring at the cup in his hands.

"Are we good?" Julia asked.

"We're good."

"Good. Now kiss me" Tom did "and make sure you're ready to go out at 7 tonight."

He looked up. "But family…"

"Frank and Leo are watching the game tonight. I cleared it with them this morning, we're going out to dinner." She got up off the stool and hugged Tom. "I figured we needed to spend some quality friend time together."

"Shouldn't you be having quality family time?"

Julia smiled at him. She opened the front door of the apartment and looked back. "What do you think tonight is?" and with a smile, she closed the door.