"So," Cal announced his arrival in his wife's office. Her door was open so he couldn't use that to make her aware. Gillian looked up and gave him a smile in greeting and watched him swagger into a seat opposite her desk. She waited for him to speak while he slouched down to make himself comfortable. "How are you doin'?"

"I'm fine," she answered nonchalantly.

"Good first day back?" He asked innocently.

"It was fine," she responded smoothly.

Cal watched her for a moment; his left eye narrowed slightly. "How badly do you wanna rush outta here to get Owen?"

"Pretty badly," Gillian admitted. But she had also promised herself she would not leave early because then she would only have to wait at the other end; hovering at the day care like a little lost orphan.

Cal gave a slight smile; an amused but sympathetic smile. "I'm impressed you didn't call the day care to see how he was doin'."

Gillian looked abashed.

"You didn't did you?" He raised his eyebrows in question. Granted, he didn't keep tabs on her every minute of the day... but he had been pretty sure she hadn't caved. She had kept herself busy enough.

Gillian shook her head. "No," she told him forcefully. "But I did pick up the phone to dial." She paused. "Once."

"Aw," Cal softened his expression into a half grin. "I'm proud of you."

"Don't mock."

"I'm not. I am proud of you. Owen's your wee man."

Lewis was Cal's and Owen was Gillian's. Owen was more inclined to cling to his mother than his father, whereas Lewis and Cal had had a special bond since he was very little.

"When are you leavin' to get him?" Cal checked his watch.

"In five minutes," Gillian responded.

"Then I arrived just in the nick of time."

"What for?" Gillian gave a little frown of confusion.

"For tellin' you, it was really nice havin' you back," he spoke sincerely and Gillian could tell because his voice got a little softer at the end of the sentence.

Gillian gave him a smile. "It was nice to be back."

She had been back during the last few years as well, sort of. When Owen was sleeping for large chunks of time, and the paranoia over germs had abated, she'd bring him in to work, stashing him away in her office like she had done with Lewis. When he got older and more alert and more active, it was too hard. He was less inclined to be content with sitting in a playpen by himself or being passed around between babysitters, which was too much of an inconvenience when everyone was busy anyway. So Gillian had retreated to home again, spending her days playing with Owen, encouraging him to keep up his milestones, to make up for those two months. She had started to teach him, well, they all did, some basic sign language so he would understand what everyone else was gesturing about.

Gillian loved the one-on-one with him so it wasn't like it was a great sacrifice giving up work; which she didn't entirely give up because she still came in twice a week to do payroll and other essential duties that were, and always had been, hers. But she had reached that point in time where being at home all day was feeling claustrophobic, and Owen had reached that point where he needed more stimulation than she could provide on her own; he needed people his own age to play with and against; new rules to learn and obey. He was toilet trained and growing up and it was simply time. It didn't mean Gillian didn't miss being with him. It didn't mean she didn't miss him following her around the house getting into everything she was; scuffing about in his Daddy's shoes when she was cleaning out their closet, or driving boats up her shins while she showered.

"Where did you go?" Cal nudged her verbally, his voice gentle.

"Thinking about Owen."

Cal's lip twitched slightly in his sign of amusement. "How much trouble do you think he got himself into today?"

Gillian smiled. That wasn't what she was thinking about. "I don't know," she laughed a little. Knowing Owen, he very well may have trashed the building. She wasn't going to miss that aspect of him. "I didn't get any calls from the day care so he can't have completely destroyed the place."

"Or, he did," Cal countered. "And now their phone doesn't work so they couldn't call you."

Gillian laughed a little more. "Your son is trouble."

"My son?" Cal feigned shock. "Your son. My son is the good one."

"Oh so you're finally acknowledging Lewis as yours?"

"Not him," Cal shot back quickly. "My otha son. Didn't know how to tell you... but now that you've brought it up."

Gillian laughed again. She pushed back from her desk, glad Cal had come in to check up on her, despite it being slightly patronising. She hadn't actually seen him for most of the day so while it was familiar walking the halls and staring at her office walls, it was also kind of lonely. She kept looking up expecting to be needed for something, or having to run intervention between a window and a cup, but really, she'd spent her day doing paperwork and catching up with people (for which Cal was grateful, because he hated to do it).

"That time then?" Cal also got to his feet.

Gillian gathered her purse together, checking her keys were there, and sliding her phone into the little side pocket. "Uh huh."

"See you at home late-a then?"

"Sure," she gave him a smile. She walked around the desk and gave him a quick kiss. From today, a whole new routine would play out.