She nodded when he spoke about Logos. "Yes, but we'd need to make it a 'to order' service, and they'd have to provide the logo." Gwen looked at him, her mind racing, "I mean, a website. An Etsy listing. We need to think about it, I think." And then, before they could speak any more, Toby appeared.<br/><br/>What happened over the next few moments hit Gwen in the heart in a way which she couldn't express. Elijah actually<i> listened</i>to Toby and he didn't make Toby feel like he was silly. He 'played along' and did so in such a way that Toby felt  listened to. Gwen watched, leaning against the door frame and she couldn't describe the emotions which flooded her. She stayed close to them. While Eli searched under the bed, Toby slipped his little hand into hers and Gwen squeezed slightly. But then, Eli came and knelt in front of her son and Gwen felt the breath leave her body. Toby's eyes widened, listening to Eli and he followed along with the story Eli told.<br/><br/>"Mr P.... " the young boy with tousled hair and sleep-filled eyes, wrapped his arms around Eli's neck. "Thanks, Mr P."<br/><br/>Toby was whispering in Elijah's ear, so he probably didn't hear the gasp of emotion from Gwen. And then, of all things, Eli tucked Toby in. Gwen watched, her green eyes locked on her son.  "Thanks again, Mr P," the young lad whispered and Eli responded. Gwen turned and stepped out of the room and as Eli moved to wink at her, she wasn't obviously there, her face not visible, she was just a form in the shadows. When he stepped out, Gwen was standing in the hallway and tears poured, unhindered, down her cheeks. She looked up at Eli as he exited the bedroom, closing the door so carefully behind him and she shook her head.<br/><br/>There was a thing which Gwen did - and she really didn't understand why. She did it now, her hands moving so that they flapped in front of her face, as though she would flap the tears back in. It did nothing, of course, but once the door was closed, she turned her gaze to Eli and her voice shook as tears poured down her face. "He... all... oh, I'm sorry." She sobbed, just once, and wiped angrily at her eyes. "He adored his father, and he tells me so much that I can't understand because I'm a girl," she whispered. "And all I want is... for him to be happy, but... " Gwen shook her head and gestured. "I can't be the man in his life."<br/><br/>She smiled at him, putting her hand on his arm. "Eli... I'm sorry for being emotional but thank you. He's been having these dreams and I can just never help him." She shook her head, her red hair falling in front of her face. "No matter how much I do, I can't be his father, you know?" She smiled then, a wavering and tear-stained version of the bright smile he had seen previously. "But hey, you get periods and boyfriends. I probably got it easy." She wanted, more than anything, to descend into sobbing, to be weak for once. Vulnerable and able to share the burden. But she couldn't be, because the boy in that room was her priority. Elijah, she knew, understood that. So, she sniffed and she straightened her back and she looked at him. "I can't hold it, Eli. I'm going to cry.  So, can we arrange to meet and talk about the business and will you please insist it's time to go, or I'm going to just embarrass myself. Just.. please? Give me a time and place, I'll be there."<br/><br/>But  please, let him do that, Gwen thought, and then go. If he went, she could close the door and be vulnerable and alone. She was half sure that he might just be able to hear her thinking, so loudly was the voice in her mind. If he wasn't going to wrap his arms around her, because he couldn't, because it was so simple and so complicated all at once,, then please let him just go.<i> Please.</i>