The return to work is a brutal, unforgiving return to reality.

Gavin has decided to stay in Vancouver all week, which pisses me off because work is piling up. We’re all working longer days since his work day out west doesn’t end until well after dark in Ottawa. Whenever he wants to get his head sorted out straight and get his ass back here, that will make me happy. Until then, I do the best I can.

Ellie is working like mad on a communications strategy around donors and fundraising. I like what she comes up with, and I tell her as much. She’s done a lot under harsh constraints, because I don’t want her to give any hint of Gavin’s new direction to the party activists planning his next event.

By Friday, Gavin signs off on the plan, too, and even better, he decides to come back to the capital.

Finally.

The relief I feel is so palpable, I’m sure he can sense it across the country.

I send the entire office an email ordering them to go home to their families, friends, roommates, cats, or house plants.

I don’t care where they go, I just don’t want anyone to stay late.

I know I’m not going to be at work after six. It might be the last chance any of us have for a few weeks to have a bit of a personal life, and my family—my wife especially—deserves me to seize that opportunity.

My entire day is oriented around getting out the door at quarter to six.

I manage to leave at five to the hour.

It’ll have to be good enough.

When I get home, the twins are skateboarding in the dead-end at the bottom of our street. I wave to them and head inside, where I find my oldest and my wife in a silent standoff of sorts in the kitchen.

I give Adrienne a look to ask, what’s going on?

She just shrugs.

I take a deep breath. “What’s for dinner?”

Adrienne points to the fridge. “Steaks are ready to go on the grill. I’ve got the potatoes almost ready, too. And a salad.”

“Your favourite,” Daniel says sullenly from behind his cell phone.

I sit on the bar stool next to him and nab the device from his hands.

“Hey!”

“Hey, what?” I keep my voice light.

“I was using that.”

“I could tell. Whatever you were doing, it can wait a minute. Look at me.”

It takes him a while, but his eyes finally flick up to meet my gaze. “What?”

He thinks he’s going to get in trouble, when really, it’s me that needs a talking to. “I’m sorry I’ve been missing a lot of dinners.”

He shrugs. “Whatever.”

“No. Not whatever. It’s not ideal. But it’s also not permanent, and I’d appreciate you not making your mom’s life that much harder just because I’m being an ass—”

“Okay, who wants to set the table?” Adrienne calls out, her voice unnecessarily loud.

Daniel cracks a smile and winks at me. “Don’t say ass in front of Mom, she doesn’t like it,” he whispers.

“Right,” I whisper back. “I forgot.”

He swivels off his stool and yanks open the cutlery drawer.

Adrienne waits until he’s grabbed forks for everyone and headed to the dining room before smiling at me. “Bonding through bad language?”

“Whatever works.” I get up and reach past her, opening the cupboard. I stop to give her a quick kiss. “Thanks for having faith in me.”

“Always.” She sighs. “Why is it so easy for you with him?”

“It’s not. That was just a brief reprieve. And he pushes harder against you because he knows he can. Because he knows you’re our rock, and you’re not going anywhere.”

Her eyes soften as she leans into me. “You’re not going anywhere, either.”

“I need to do a better job of showing them that.” I kiss the top of her head. “Can I grill?”

“Please.”

“Give me five minutes to change out of my work stuff.”

She pats my ass. “Go put on those tight jeans from last weekend. Give me a thrill.”

“Mom!” From the doorway, Daniel covers his eyes as he howls about how gross it is that his parents touch each other.

An unforgiving return to reality, indeed.

I give Adrienne a light kiss on the lips. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

---

Interested in Gavin and Ellie’s story? A kinky Prime Minister, a vanilla intern, and a scandal that shouldn't feel so right or cost so much. Prime Minister is available now, and you can read the first five chapters now by turning the page! You can also find all the ebook links on our website:

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