Break, meanwhile, waits patiently inside, half his attention on the door and the other half on Caroline. She's been grumbly lately, fussing in the night often, and that's why Break has her now -- he's giving her mother and twin a chance to nap a little, and catch up on their rest. Like most everyone else who cares for Xerxes Break, Caroline is as indignant about his general existence as always, but it would irritate her even more if the familiar presence she's come to expect was not there. To that end, she's willing to cling to him, so long as he sings pretty and lets her chew on his hair. She rests with her head on his shoulder at the moment, the end of his ponytail in her mouth.

Then Gilbert walks in, Break stops the little swaying dance he was doing to soothe her, and Caroline comes alive, shrieking for her father. Whether she's happy about him or not is debatable, but she certainly wants him, sitting up in Break's arms with her own outstretched to Gil, leaning so far that Break is obliged to lean back to keep them both from overbalancing.

Break sighs in relief, eye closing, blocking out everything but the sounds of the child in his arms expressing her opinions. Good. Very good.