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Hethrew his hands up in the air. ‘Andyou’re just telling me now?’
‘Well, to be fair,Ihaven’t really seen that much of you.’
‘Youcould have called…?’
‘Iwanted to talk to you face-to-face.’
Herubbed his temples with his fingers. ‘WhataboutGrace?Areyour parents coming down?’
‘No.Ithought you could do it.Youknow, being her father and everything.’Shegave him a hard look.
Shakinghis head, he said, ‘I’vegot two days of back-to-back interviews at the studio onFridayandSaturday.Ican’t bring her with me.’
‘I’msure you’ll figure something out.’
‘HowamIsupposed to “figure something out”?’Heused his fingers as air quotes, which really pissed her off.
Hervoice rising, she said, ‘Idon’t know.Callyour brother.Maybehe can help.’
‘Youwant to leave our one-year-old with my brother, who has no experience with children?’
‘He’san internationally celebrated barrister.I’msure he could figure out how to watchGrace.’
‘Unlikely.He’sprobably not even in the country.’
Stellacould feel her temper escalating.Hewasn’t even trying to meet her halfway on this. ‘I’vegot a great idea.Whydon’t you cancel your appointments and spend some time with your daughter?Getsome stuff done around the house?Putup the stair gates.Takeher to the zoo.Experiencethe wonder of aPeppaPigmarathon.’
‘Thisis really inconvenient.’Heleaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes.
‘Well,I’msorry if my life is inconvenient to you, butI’mdoing it.’
Eyessnapping open, he said, ‘That’snot whatImeant.’
‘Whatdid you mean, then?’
Hewas quiet for a moment, his forehead tensed in thought. ‘Whatis this about?Areyou worried about money?’
Shethrew up her hands. ‘No,Connor, it’s not about the bloody money.It’sabout me.Iwant to go back to work, too.I’msick and tired of you assuming thatI’mgoing to do all the childcare until she goes to nursery.It’sstill months away.Andshe has two parents.I’mmiserable by myself all day.Don’tget me wrong;IloveGrace, butI’mlonely.Andit’s not the most exciting age.Ijust need a little help.’Tearsedged her voice, and her eyes pleaded with him to understand.
Thatsilenced him.Shecould tell that he was trying to formulate a response, so she ground her teeth to prevent herself from filling the conversational void.Whatif he told her that his job was more important than hers because his name was above the door?Wouldhe do that?Sheknew when she married him that he had a big ego, but she’d come to think ofConnorKnightPhotographyastheirbusiness.Whatif he didn’t?
Gracesqueaked on the monitor, andStellaheld her breath untilGracesettled again.Connorexhaled, as though he’d held his breath, too.Themoment would have been funny if so much wasn’t riding on it.
Loweringhis voice,Connorsaid, ‘I’msorry.Ididn’t realise.’
‘Yeah,Iknow.’Hottears pressed behind her eyelids.
‘Goahead and do the shoot.’
Sheturned her head away from him as a tear slid down her cheek. ‘Thanksfor your permission.’
‘Stella,I’mtrying to work with you here.Ijust saidI’llwatch her.’Hedropped his head into his hands. ‘I’lltry to be around more.It’sjust…since we got back,I’ve…Idon’t know.FeltlikeIneed to play catch up.Makesure people haven’t forgotten me.Earnloads of money soIcan take my foot off the brake whileIwork on my fashion portfolio.AlsoIdon’t have anything recent to enter into this season’s awards cycle, andIneed to shoot some new material.Ikeep trying to organise spec shoots, get a creative team together, butIdon’t have the time to do that and run the business becauseIdon’t haveKrishor you right now.’
Reachingout, she placed her hand on his arm. ‘Youdohave me.Ican help.Iknow how you feel about nannies...’Asthe son of a diplomat, he’d been raised exclusively by nursemaids after his mother died.Herepeated often that he didn’t want that forGrace. ‘…but maybe we should get one just for the next few months untilGracegoes to nursery.Iwant to do some shoots, too.I’vegot so many ideas—’
Hepushed his chair back and beckoned to her with his finger. ‘Comehere.’
Shetook a last sip of wine, got up, and straddled his lap.
