When Jon was filming, no matter where he was, Vicki was invariably along for the ride. They'd survived the Fifty Shades Darker filming schedule with Emily in tow, and Swan Song, this independent picture he was working on with Mataya De Luca, was no different. This evening, he'd been whisked out for an impromptu press gathering with Mataya and the writer/director, leaving Vicki to settle their daughter. Emily, however, had chosen to declare her annoyance with the absence of her father at the top of her lungs for about an hour, stubbornly refusing to actually go to sleep even now, with Vicki swaying to music and stroking her back. "Come on, sweetie pie, just go to sleep," the redhead crooned to her baby girl. "I'm sure Daddy will be back very soon, and he'll give you a big kiss and a cuddle just as soon as he can. Please?" The only answer she got was another sniffle, and the threat of more bawling as Emily tugged on her hair.
While Jon loved his job - and it was work, no matter what anyone else might think - he was relieved when the day was over, and he could return home and relax with his family. Filming a movie was, in a lot of ways, even more tiring than the theater, but he believed in the film and was loving every minute of it. Besides, it wasn't often he was given the opportunity to star opposite his favorite leading lady and best friend, Mataya. Even so, by the time the day was over, he was happy to be dropped off at the house he and Vicki were calling home for the next few weeks until filming was completed.
"Hey, you hear that?" Vicki didn't think she had ever felt so relieved as she did in the moment that Jon's keys jangled in the door. Emily lifted her head, looking sleepy but stubbornly forcing her eyes to stay open. "I think Daddy's home. Isn't that good?" Please let it be a good thing, she found herself hoping. Vicki loved her daughter, but Emily was getting on her last nerve tonight.
Jon let himself into the house and locked up behind himself, shucking his shoes at the door and meandering through the house to locate his wife and daughter. As tired as he was, he was never too tired for them. He always missed them while he was away, even if it was only for a few hours, and he was hoping he'd arrived home in time at least to tuck both his girls into bed for the night. "Vicki?" he called quietly, so as not to wake Emily if she was sleeping, as he padded through the house in his stocking feet.
"Up here," she called back to Jon, moving to the landing to look down the stairs. There was a garbled gurgle in greeting from Emily too, who was finally yawning as she dropped her head heavily onto Vicki's shoulder. "Oh, so now you decide you're sleepy?" Rolling her eyes, Vicki chuckled as she looked down at Jon. "She's been very put out that you weren't here."
"Sorry, baby," Jon apologized, as he shuffled up the stairs. "The press meeting went longer than expected," he explained. He'd fill her in on the details later, but for now that explanation would have to do, until they got a certain little person to bed. They'd been through this before, and he knew she understood the routine, but that didn't make him feel any less guilty about not being there. "Here, give her to me," he offered, holding out his arms to rescue his wife from baby duty.
She chuckled softly, handing over the finally sleepy Emily to her father as he reached for her. "It's fine, stud muffin," she smiled, stroking her hand down the baby's back as Emily sighed happily and cuddled into Jon's chest, big blue eyes drooping closed. Vicki rose onto her toes to kiss his cheek affectionately. "You get bed duty, that's all."
"I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized again, his quiet baritone soft and soothing, as he rubbed a hand against baby Emily's back, a smile at the kiss from his wife. He glanced down at the sleepy baby nuzzled against his chest, as he started toward the bedroom that was serving as a makeshift nursery while they were in Vancouver. "You were just waiting up for Daddy to get home, weren't you, pumpkin?"
The answer he got from his six-month-old daughter was another deep sigh, lips smacking as she relaxed her grip on his tie. Vicki could have been jealous of that, if it wasn't for the fact that Emily played this card almost every time one of her parents wasn't home for bedtime. It was indiscriminate - she just expected both of them to be there.
He thought it was sweet the way she missed him, even if it was only because she was used to both her parents being there to tuck her in at night. "Say goodnight, Mommy," he told Vicki as he arrived at the door to the nursery, waiting for Vicki to bid their daughter goodnight before he tucked her into bed for the night.
Chuckling, Vicki leaned over to kiss Emily's cheek affectionately, obedient to the order to say goodnight. "Goodnight, baby girl," she murmured. "Sweet dreams." Stepping back, she tossed Jon a warm smile. "I'll put the kettle on," she told him with a nod, happy enough to leave him to finish the routine while she rummaged around in their rented kitchen for something that wasn't going to make her feel slightly sick when she drank it.
It didn't take long for him to finish the nightly routine, settling little Emily into her crib and making sure to tuck her favorite stuffed doggy in with her. He caressed her back gently and sang her a quiet lullabye, before leaning in to brush his lips against her cheek and whisper a soft, "Sleep tight." He waited a minute to make sure she was asleep before creeping from the room, leaving the door ajar so that he and Vicki could hear her if she stirred. Once that was finished, he padded back downstairs, loosening his tie and yanking it from around his neck.
Emily wasn't the only one who enjoyed the lullabye. Vicki had turned the monitor on as she took it downstairs with her, as charmed by the sound of Jon singing as their daughter was while she filled the kettle and hunted out the tea. She was tired herself, but now she knew why she was tired, it wasn't such a big deal. She was just hoping Jon wasn't going to be too unhappy with her news; they hadn't exactly discussed it.
Jon left both his tie and his jacket on the back of the couch as he made his way through the small house, following the sound of Vicki to the kitchen. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt as he stepped into the kitchen, arms going around her waist from behind to plant a kiss on her cheek. "She's asleep," he announced quietly. At least, he hoped so. As much as he loved his daughter, it had been a long day, and he was looking forward to relaxing a little with his wife before they turned in and it started all over again come morning.
While Jon loved his job - and it was work, no matter what anyone else might think - he was relieved when the day was over, and he could return home and relax with his family. Filming a movie was, in a lot of ways, even more tiring than the theater, but he believed in the film and was loving every minute of it. Besides, it wasn't often he was given the opportunity to star opposite his favorite leading lady and best friend, Mataya. Even so, by the time the day was over, he was happy to be dropped off at the house he and Vicki were calling home for the next few weeks until filming was completed.
"Hey, you hear that?" Vicki didn't think she had ever felt so relieved as she did in the moment that Jon's keys jangled in the door. Emily lifted her head, looking sleepy but stubbornly forcing her eyes to stay open. "I think Daddy's home. Isn't that good?" Please let it be a good thing, she found herself hoping. Vicki loved her daughter, but Emily was getting on her last nerve tonight.
Jon let himself into the house and locked up behind himself, shucking his shoes at the door and meandering through the house to locate his wife and daughter. As tired as he was, he was never too tired for them. He always missed them while he was away, even if it was only for a few hours, and he was hoping he'd arrived home in time at least to tuck both his girls into bed for the night. "Vicki?" he called quietly, so as not to wake Emily if she was sleeping, as he padded through the house in his stocking feet.
"Up here," she called back to Jon, moving to the landing to look down the stairs. There was a garbled gurgle in greeting from Emily too, who was finally yawning as she dropped her head heavily onto Vicki's shoulder. "Oh, so now you decide you're sleepy?" Rolling her eyes, Vicki chuckled as she looked down at Jon. "She's been very put out that you weren't here."
"Sorry, baby," Jon apologized, as he shuffled up the stairs. "The press meeting went longer than expected," he explained. He'd fill her in on the details later, but for now that explanation would have to do, until they got a certain little person to bed. They'd been through this before, and he knew she understood the routine, but that didn't make him feel any less guilty about not being there. "Here, give her to me," he offered, holding out his arms to rescue his wife from baby duty.
She chuckled softly, handing over the finally sleepy Emily to her father as he reached for her. "It's fine, stud muffin," she smiled, stroking her hand down the baby's back as Emily sighed happily and cuddled into Jon's chest, big blue eyes drooping closed. Vicki rose onto her toes to kiss his cheek affectionately. "You get bed duty, that's all."
"I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized again, his quiet baritone soft and soothing, as he rubbed a hand against baby Emily's back, a smile at the kiss from his wife. He glanced down at the sleepy baby nuzzled against his chest, as he started toward the bedroom that was serving as a makeshift nursery while they were in Vancouver. "You were just waiting up for Daddy to get home, weren't you, pumpkin?"
The answer he got from his six-month-old daughter was another deep sigh, lips smacking as she relaxed her grip on his tie. Vicki could have been jealous of that, if it wasn't for the fact that Emily played this card almost every time one of her parents wasn't home for bedtime. It was indiscriminate - she just expected both of them to be there.
He thought it was sweet the way she missed him, even if it was only because she was used to both her parents being there to tuck her in at night. "Say goodnight, Mommy," he told Vicki as he arrived at the door to the nursery, waiting for Vicki to bid their daughter goodnight before he tucked her into bed for the night.
Chuckling, Vicki leaned over to kiss Emily's cheek affectionately, obedient to the order to say goodnight. "Goodnight, baby girl," she murmured. "Sweet dreams." Stepping back, she tossed Jon a warm smile. "I'll put the kettle on," she told him with a nod, happy enough to leave him to finish the routine while she rummaged around in their rented kitchen for something that wasn't going to make her feel slightly sick when she drank it.
It didn't take long for him to finish the nightly routine, settling little Emily into her crib and making sure to tuck her favorite stuffed doggy in with her. He caressed her back gently and sang her a quiet lullabye, before leaning in to brush his lips against her cheek and whisper a soft, "Sleep tight." He waited a minute to make sure she was asleep before creeping from the room, leaving the door ajar so that he and Vicki could hear her if she stirred. Once that was finished, he padded back downstairs, loosening his tie and yanking it from around his neck.
Emily wasn't the only one who enjoyed the lullabye. Vicki had turned the monitor on as she took it downstairs with her, as charmed by the sound of Jon singing as their daughter was while she filled the kettle and hunted out the tea. She was tired herself, but now she knew why she was tired, it wasn't such a big deal. She was just hoping Jon wasn't going to be too unhappy with her news; they hadn't exactly discussed it.
Jon left both his tie and his jacket on the back of the couch as he made his way through the small house, following the sound of Vicki to the kitchen. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt as he stepped into the kitchen, arms going around her waist from behind to plant a kiss on her cheek. "She's asleep," he announced quietly. At least, he hoped so. As much as he loved his daughter, it had been a long day, and he was looking forward to relaxing a little with his wife before they turned in and it started all over again come morning.