HI Berfin. Just wanted to say thank you for reviewing. It's nice to read you :)

PJ

Gillian bit into the red apple. It was a little tangy against her tongue. Cal had bought these ones and he liked them sharp, with that bite, not overly sweet. Next time, she was going to get to the shopping first. The boys didn't seem to mind though either way. They were munching away quite happily while they had some afternoon television time. Gillian watched them for a moment but aside from the perfunctory 'hello' as she had picked them up from school, she was pretty much dismissed now. That's what happened with a nine-year-old and an influential five-year-old.

Gillian headed across the hall to the 'big' person lounge where the desk lived from their old home, that had, until now, no purpose but to store crap in its drawers while it hid in the corner collecting dust and occasionally, something Cal felt the need to put there. Give him a surface and he found something to fill it up with. Sometimes it was CD's or books he hadn't put away but once she found washing and god only knows what he was doing with it in there...

Now, it was hers again. She had moved her laptop in, paper and pens and because she was a girl, a photo of her family. Like she didn't have enough of those around the place. She had wiped away the dust and cleared out the drawers and now she had a place to work when she got home from work. Her new work. She was back to therapy or counselling or whatever anyone wanted to call it. The point was, she was seeing patients again and helping people and it felt good. Even if she only had one patient at the moment...

Gillian opened her patient file and flipped it open to the notes she had taken during that day's session. She had just one patient to ease her back into it. She'd spent the last few weeks reading up and getting ready. She had been nervous but a big hug from her boys helped and actually getting on with it did even more. Next week she'd get another new patient... and then she could build a client database. It was exciting!

Gillian finished her snack and worked for half an hour filling out her notes to give her a better picture of what was discussed during the first session. That way, when she came back to the notes next week for session number two, she would remember what had gone on. She was only working two days a week. That was the idea anyway. With one patient she was probably going to be down at the Lightman Group more than she had planned; Cal would be thrilled. At least until she got a client base going.

She was so day dreaming!

Gillian focussed again to finish up her notes. Then she should start dinner for her kids and husband. The boys had been pretty quiet in the other room. She could hear the muffled noise of the television.

"Aye, aye," Cal greeted her and she turned her head sharply, surprised. He gave her a grin as he sauntered across the room. "That's a good look for you luv."

"What's that?" She gave him a smile.

He approached and waved a finger by her face. "The glasses."

Gillian pulled them off, "oh."

"No leave them on," Cal told her. He leaned down to give her a quick kiss.

"Maybe later," Gillian smirked.

Cal grinned and leaned against the edge of her desk. "So how was it?"

Gillian stared up at him for a moment.

"Your first day?" He prompted.

"Oh right," she tossed the pen in her hand to the papers she was working on and leaned back in her chair, stretching her hands behind her head. "It was good."

"That's also a good look," Cal noted.

"Stop it you," she straightened up in her seat again, a little embarrassed. "You're insatiable."

"That's your fault," he gave her a leering grin. "I'm glad it was all right."

Gillian had to take a moment to remember what he meant by that, remember their serious conversation, and smiled. She reached for her pen again, preparing to finish her notes.

"Thought about callin' you but didn't want to disturb."

"That's sweet," she gave him a rewarding smile.

"Boys watchin' TV?"

"Yeah."

"Guess what happened to Loke-a today?"

"Can you give me five minutes to finish this? And then you can tell me all about it."

"Gettin' the brush off from my own wife," Cal muttered. Gillian opened her mouth to explain that she was interested but was nearly finished and then she would be all his but Cal stood up. "I'll make a start on dinna then. Before the natives get restless." He leaned down and gave her another kiss, a warm palm against the side of her neck, familiar and possessive but grounding and comforting.

"Hmm," Gillian hummed, pleased, when his lips lingered just a little bit longer than necessary. Cal's fingers brushed against her skin as he started to walk away and she felt a shiver ripple through her as she watched him go; a very nice view. Oh dammit now she was thinking about him. She could hear the rumble of his voice through the wall and figured he was yelling to tell the boys to turn the TV down, or was just letting them know that he was home now. Gillian finished up the last of her notes quickly, her handwriting neat on the yellow legal pad. She shredded the old sheet and tucked the new, fresh notes into the folder. Then she got up and headed for the kitchen.