After Ever After

21. Double Trouble

"You sound awful darling"

You made a small humph of agreement, switching the phone to your other ear, holding it in place with your shoulder as you chopped vegetables.

"Yeah, I can't shake it" you mumbled, congested and phlegmy. "Zara got over it ages ago"

Knowing you were talking about her, your four year old turned to look at you from her chair in front of the TV.

"Daddy?" she asked, head titled to one side.

"She wants to say hi" you said, nodding and putting down the knife as she ran over to take the phone away.

"Daddy!" Zara cried as she clutched the phone to her face, looking up at you with a smile so wide you thought it would break her face.

"Possum!" Tom cheered and Zara jumped up and down, giggling furiously. You smiled back, shaking your head as you turned back to finish dinner.

"Dorks" you muttered.

The good thing about Tom and Zara talking (admittedly, it was mostly Tom asking Zara various questions, to which she would either reply with an emphatic "Yes!", "No!", or more giggles) was that she was sufficiently distracted to not get under your feet whilst you held a sharp knife.

"Mama, is Daddy"

You closed the oven and looked down to find Zara holding the phone out to you. "Thanks Poss" you said, taking the phone and patting her head as she ran to sit back in front of the TV.

"Have you gone to the GP like I said?" Tom asked, conversation back to where it had started.

You sighed heavily, glad he wasn't there to see you roll your eyes. "No, because it's just a cold and taking antibiotics for a cold is dumb. Besides, I'll be better soon"

"You've been saying that for the last three weeks"

"It's all Mim's fault! She shouldn't have brought River if she knew she was sick!"

"Yeah, but you're the one who's sick. Can you just go, please, so I'm not worrying about you?"

"Fine. How's filming going anyway?"

"Good. I'm tired"

"You sound tired"

"Only another week and a half to go"

"Thank goodness. Your daughter is driving me crazy"

"Our daughter, darling"

"No, it's definitely something Nokia 2.0 picked up from the original Nokia" you sassed, making Tom chuckle.

"I miss her. I miss you" he sighed wistfully.

"Yeah, we miss you too. We might have to re-evaluate the not living in LA decision"

"Nope. We both hate LA. Besides, if you move over here then she'll miss our families and her friends"

"You're probably right"

"You're just feeling like this because you're sick and you miss me"

"Tickets"

"Cheeky" he rumbled. You were about to reply with something suitably sassy when you were interrupted by Tom saying "come in", followed by a brief and muffled conversation. "Gotta go"

"Be safe. Miss you" you sighed.

"Love you"

"Love you more"

**

"Zara, come here now!" you hissed as subtly as you could, hand outstretched to grab the back of her shirt.