Cal settled next to his wife in their bed. She had her latest book in her hands and her glasses on her nose, preparing to read. She pulled it open and a bookmark fell out. "Hey!" Cal protested, recognising it. "That was markin' my place."

"I've barely even started this yet," Gillian turned her head to him, waving the book. "Were you sneaking?"

"No," Cal denied poorly. "You just read so slow! It'll take you foreva to get through it." So he could read it next.

Gillian narrowed her eyes at him. "I do not read slow. I'm busy. I hardly ever get to read."

"Yeah well I couldn't wait."

Her eyes went darker. "It's my book. You'll wait your damn turn."

Cal pulled the book out of her grasp easily, leaning down on his left elbow to flip open the pages to where she was. "Look, I'm barely two pages ahead of where you are. I was merely catchin' up."

Gillian sat up slightly and attempted to snatch the book back but Cal held on to it without effort. "Give it back."

"Share."

"I'm not going to read two pages and then give it back to you to read two pages."

Cal grinned slightly. "Not quite what I had in mind." He tugged the book suddenly towards him and it unsettled her balance because she refused to let go. He leaned back at the same time so when she fell against his chest he was in the process of lying back against the mattress. He propped the book up against his chest with his right hand; his left, he wrapped around her, so his hand was resting against her waist and she was snug against him. "This is much betta. Can you see?"

"Yes," Gillian grumbled.

"See? Carin' is sharin'," Cal told her, smoothing his hand up and down her waist, feeling the material of her pyjama top bunch. He worked his fingers awkwardly to find her smoother skin. Most of the time, they went to bed when their sons did. It was one of the only times they got to be alone, they didn't tend to watch television anyway, and their bed... well it was safe, their favourite place to be. It seemed their bedroom was a little bit sacred too because the boys were less likely to come downstairs to see what they were doing if they're weren't actually down there. So even though it was early, being snuggled up in bed was just fine by Cal.

Gillian sighed and rested her head down. "Don't rush me though."

"I won't," Cal agreed.

"You're going to wait for me to catch up?"

"Yes," he insisted. "Stop talkin', more readin'."

Gillian brought up her left hand and held the page back and Cal relaxed a little, the weight of his wife's presence was always so comforting. Just being with her was the best.

"Gill?"

"Hm?" She responded absently. Cal let the book drop forward. "Hey!"

"About you goin' back to work as a therapist."

Gillian shifted to prop herself up to see his face. She was curious but also holding back anticipation. "I know you're not lookin' for my permission. But if my blessin' is worth anythin' then I give that. You're brilliant at whateva you do and I can't fault you for wantin' to push yourself to do somethin' else." He paused. "That's all I wanted to say," he lifted the book once more but Gillian pushed it back down against his chest with her hand.

"I would love your blessing," she told him seriously. "Thank you."

Cal gave a nod.

"I've been... talking to a friend. He's moving into an office space not far from the Group and he wants someone a few days a week."

"So you've already organised it?" Cal accused even though he was trying so hard not to.

"No," Gillian told him slowly and pointedly. "Just talking."

Cal took a second, gathered himself back under control again. "We could still have lunch sometimes."

Gillian smiled. "Yeah we could. I'd like that. Reminds me of when we first met."

Cal smiled as well. That was exactly why he was giving his blessing. He had been thinking about her then too. How she was with Seth and the boys in the home she cared about so much. And how now she had her own boys to care about but it was different. She wasn't the same person. She wouldn't be so easily swayed, Cal knew that. She had been searching for something back then and what she had found was him and their family. Not Alec, but Cal. What he was worrying about was ridiculous. Nothing was going to happen. She was going to be down the road for goodness's sake. It wasn't really going to change anything.

"Do you remember?"

"Course I bloody rememba," Cal grouched at her, insulted.

Gillian gave a small smirk. "You seemed lost in thought there for a moment."

"I was thinkin' about you."

"You're not afraid I'm going to run off?"

"That's not fair," Cal whined. "You know what I mean."

"I don't," she shook her head at him so her hair fell loosely around her face. Cal brought up a hand to brush it back so he could see her. "But I do see you trying and I love that." She pushed up so she could give him a quick kiss. "Baby steps ok?"

"I don't know why I'm bein' so silly."

"I do," Gillian told him simply. "It's because you love me."

"Oh yeah that," Cal replied dryly but his heart did a flutter in a distinctive way.

Gillian's lips twitched with amusement. "We've had it good together these last twenty years. Fierce loyalty and growing closer and closer together."

"Are you psychoanalysin' me?"

"And now you feel all that stability is being shaken up. Change is hard Cal but sometimes change is for the better."

"Hmph," he grumped.

"Do you not get bored doing the same thing every day? Don't you want a new challenge? Owen will be in school in two weeks."

"Oh so you're feeling abandoned?" Cal cut in.

Gillian ignored him easily. "I just want to try something different. If it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. You and the boys are still my priority. You always will be." She paused and gave him a hard expression. "Always."

Cal nodded.

"You'll be retiring soon anyway," she shot as she started to turn back to read again.

"You take that back," Cal protested. "I'm forty-five!"

Not fifty-eight.