She smiled softly. "Thanks. I needed that more than I thought. Okay. I give in. Lets go back before he catches up with us." She walked back slowly with him. She excused herself to go change in the bathroom. The dress clothes were getting uncomfortable. She chose instead her running sweats. Just plain gray sweatpants, a plain gray sweatshirt, and plain white slipper socks. She was feeling very tired. She wasn't sure how much longer she wanted to go through life without Rob. She wanted to give him all the time he needed but she did not understand what she had done wrong in order to make her distance from her. Maybe she wasn't worth being with. She brushed her hair to fix how disarrayed it had become. It made her feel more human.
As she exited the bathroom, her father returned. "Well, at least you're more comfortable now." He saw instantly that Rob was on her mind again. Getting to her again. "Khaat," he said softly, "You're not yourself tonight. You're suffering from a concussion. It can make anybody moody. I do magic, not miracles. You know that. You need time now. Come on. Back to bed." "Daddy, I should be sleeping in my office. Not taking up bedspace," she protested. "No. Not tonight." He flashed a packet of papers from his jacket pocket at her. She knew instantly what they were. He had admitted her without her consent. Probably while she had been unconscious and just hadn't told her. "And when were you planning on telling me about this?" she glared at him. "Oh, about now, more or less," he shrugged, unphased by her irritation, "Bed. Now." "Only if you don't tell Rob." "He knows where you work. If he were truly concerned about you and why you were here all night, he'd have stopped in. So why would I call him?" Robert said as a matter of fact, "No. I'm afraid you're stuck with me tonight, my dear. "
He tucked her into bed. He checked her again, and laid his hands on her head again. "It is persistent if nothing else," he sighed. "Get some rest. Keep an eye on her, Archangel. " He stroked the bird. He drew his perch out of her bag, made it fullsized and put it near the bed. The bird seemed far happier on his perch, and chattered a bit at Robert. "You're welcome," Robert laughed. "You both get some rest," he said to her and Cordel. "Ill be back." He left the room turning down the lights a bit.