After trying another round shifting lights, moving props, asking Karl and the kids to play instead of pose, they’d ended up right back where they’d started: a folder full of photos that just didn’t feel right. The rain hadn’t helped, tapping harder against the windows until the light in the room turned that dull, greyish tone that made everything look washed out.
Ruby stood with her arms crossed, one hand rubbing her temple as she watched the photographer scroll through the images again, her mouth pressed into a flat line.
Karl shoulders slumped forward, his sleeves rumpled and his hair a mess. His blue eyes looked glassy, rimmed pink like he’d been fighting back tears for the last half hour. He kept stealing small glances at Ruby, as if trying to figure out if she was mad at him.
The children, who’d started the morning giggling and spinning like leaves in the wind, were now little lumps on the floor. One little girl leaned her sleepy head against Karl’s side, thumb in her mouth. Another boy was tracing circles in the dust with his boot, eyes half-shut from boredom and exhaustion.
The photographer sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I’m sorry, Miss Ruby... the angles are better, the movement is nice, but the light is bad and everyone’s energy is gone. We’re forcing it now."
Ruby exhaled sharply, her jaw tight. She was trying not to be annoyed, but frustration buzzed in her head like a swarm of tiny needles. She hated seeing Karl so deflated, hated seeing the kids’ little smiles wilted away, hated the thought that her big idea was slipping through her fingers one exhausted moment at a time.
She looked at Karl, ...his lips trembling like he was one bad word away from crying and then at the small circle of drooping kids. Her heart softened, her shoulders dropping a little.
"Maybe... we do it tomorrow. Maybe," Ruby said finally, her voice low but firm.
"Yes, tomorrow will be better," the photographer said, packing up her gear slowly. "We’ll find better light. And... maybe a different place. Let’s rest."
Ruby crouched down and ruffled the smallest boy’s hair, making him giggle sleepily. "Alright, everyone — snacks for the road, then go home and get warm. You did your best today."
She forced herself to smile at their tired faces.
After Ruby finished talking to the photographer, she made sure the children were bundled up properly in their little coats and rain hats. She spoke gently with each one, patting their heads, telling them how brave and patient they’d been. Then she called one of her trusted staff to take them home safely — someone who would hold their hands as they crossed the wet streets and make sure each child reached their parents’ doorstep dry and warm.
Once the children left, the big room felt too quiet — just the soft tap of the rain on the glass and the faint hum of the lights overhead. Karl stood near the racks of fabric, his back turned slightly, shoulders hunched and trembling like a small, hurt bird.
Ruby walked over, her boots echoing faintly on the floor. She didn’t say anything at first — she just slipped her arms around him from behind, pulling him against her chest. His whole body shuddered, and he let out a tiny, broken sound that made her heart squeeze tight.
"It’s okay... it’s okay... don’t cry," she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder. She could feel how his breath hitched as he tried to hold it in, but the tears slipped out anyway — fat, warm drops that slid down his cheeks and dampened her sleeves.
"I wanted to do good, wife..." Karl sniffled, his voice all wobbly as he clutched her arms around him like he’d fall if he let go. "I tried so hard — I wanted you to smile and say I did good, but I messed it up — I’m so sorry..."
"Hey, no." Ruby pressed a gentle kiss to his temple, rocking him just a little, the way you’d calm a frightened child. "You didn’t mess up anything, Karl. You were wonderful — the kids loved you. You made them laugh when they were tired. You did your best, and that’s enough. More than enough."
He let out a shaky laugh between quiet sobs, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand but making them redder in the process. "But you didn’t get photo for your poster..."
Ruby just shushed him, her fingers stroking through his messy hair, untangling the little knots the kids had made when they pulled at him in play. "We’ll get it, silly ghost. One bad day won’t stop us. Tomorrow will be better."
Karl sniffed again, leaning back into her arms with his eyes squeezed shut, his tears finally slowing down. He didn’t say anything more just stayed there for a moment.
After they finally packed up at the company and locked the workshop for the night, the rain still drizzled gently around them but somehow, the steady tap-tap on Ruby’s car roof felt calmer now.
When they got home, Ruby didn’t even wait to change her robe. She dropped her bag by the door and headed straight to the small, warm kitchen. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work — chopping fresh vegetables, boiling rice, mixing a light stew that would be easy for Milo to eat in the hospital. She even added a tiny flask of warm tea, knowing how much Milo liked sweet tea before bed.
Karl lingered at the kitchen doorway, his eyes still a little red from crying earlier. He watched her with his head tilted, hugging his own sleeves to his chest like a sulky child who wasn’t sure if he was still in trouble.
"You want to taste?" Ruby asked, her voice gentle but with that warm strength that made Karl relax a little. She scooped a tiny spoonful and blew on it before offering it to him. He slurped it dramatically and then nodded, mumbling, "It’s yummy... Milo will like it."
—To be continued...🪄