"Mom, that's not fair." Laila tried to reason with her gently.
But Janet wasn't having it—not even a little. She plugged her ears and shouted, "Not listening, not listening!" as she ran straight out of the room.
Faced with a mother like that, all Laila could do was sigh. She raised her hands and lifted little Eli into the air, pouring out her frustrations to him. "What am I going to do? Your grandma's playing dirty now. Mommy loves making movies… If only you could grow up a little faster!"
Little Eli, suspended in midair, looked at her with those calm eyes that were the same color as hers. That faint, indifferent expression—as if he were silently judging her antics—only made Laila want to complain more.
"Eli, when are you going to respond to your mom like a normal baby? Blow a bubble, flash a toothless grin—something like that."
Maybe he understood her mood because sure enough, he smiled at her. But paired with his completely emotionless face, it didn't look like a smile at all. If anything, it felt more like he was mocking her.
"This little rascal… What kind of face is this?" Laila couldn't take it and pinched his chubby cheeks, gently kneading them until his soft face turned rosy and adorable.
"Laila!" Claire walked in holding a baby bottle, and the moment she saw the scene, she rushed over in alarm and snatched Eli away. "For heaven's sake, he's still just a baby!" She winced at his flushed cheeks as if her heart had been stabbed.
Laila awkwardly raised her hands in defense. "I was just playing with him."
"He's too small—he can't handle your strength!" Claire sat down with Eli in her arms and immediately launched into a lecture.
Ever since Eli came into their lives, Laila's status at home had plummeted. Just now, she'd only pinched his cheeks a little, but the way they acted, you'd think she was guilty of child abuse. Who could love that child more than she did?
Still… that scene she had imagined earlier—maybe it would work even better with a different filming technique? Claire's scolding went in one ear and out the other as Laila's mind began spinning with ideas from the script she had been studying.
Claire sighed deeply when she noticed Laila had zoned out again. She used to think Janet was the unreliable one, but at least Janet was a competent mother when it came to raising a child. Laila might seem responsible on the outside, but she treated her baby like a toy. Poor little Eli—he'd need even more love from her to make up for it.
When Roy got home, he was told Laila had taken little Eli out to the garden. After washing off the fatigue of the day, he made his way there and saw Laila on the lawn, reading a script, with Eli sunbathing beside her.
"Back to the script again?" Roy greeted her with a kiss on the forehead, then scooped up his son for a playful bounce. "This little guy is growing so fast. Every time I see him, he looks bigger."
Laila looked up and smiled. "You'd better not say that in front of the others, or they'll start blaming you for being gone all the time."
Roy chuckled without explaining and sat beside her. "Claire told me you and Janet got into an argument about the script?"
"Not really an argument—just a difference in perspective. She won't let me film in dangerous places, but you know what this next script is about. If I don't go to that kind of place, I can't shoot it the way I envision."
"She's just worried about you." Roy shared the same concern, truthfully. But he didn't want to be the one to stop her and leave her with regrets. Besides, Laila wasn't the kind of woman who could be talked out of her plans with a simple "no." If you didn't have a strong enough reason, you might as well not even try.
"How's the script coming along?" he asked, changing the subject.
"It's really interesting. I've thought of a lot of scenes that would work well," Laila said, her whole expression lighting up the moment she started talking about the film.
Watching her animated face, Roy couldn't help but smile too. "Sounds like you've already made up your mind."
Laila understood what he meant. "Yes. I will make this film. And I've got a feeling… it's going to be a breakthrough for me."
"A box office breakthrough?"
"Not exactly." Laila gave a sheepish smile. "Avatar's releasing at the end of the year, so it's going to shatter any records I might set. The script I've got doesn't have that kind of mass appeal anyway. I'd say… it'll be a breakthrough for me, emotionally and creatively."
Roy didn't completely understand the depth of her growth in filmmaking, but he didn't need to. He knew how important the script was to her. So he placed a bag in her hands.
"What's this?" Laila asked as she opened it—only to freeze in place.
Inside was a thick stack of photographs, some enlarged and annotated with commentary. As she looked through them, a strong sense of familiarity struck her—these were the same locations she had sent people to scout for the film. Now, each photo was marked with handwritten notes.
"Roy, you…" She recognized his handwriting immediately, and those comments were clearly from someone who had personally been to those places. "You went to all of these?"
While she flipped through the photos and notes, Roy was trying—unsuccessfully—to make Eli laugh. When he heard her question, he looked up and replied calmly, "Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I went with some friends who are experienced in outdoor survival."
Laila stared at him in shock, and her mind flashed back to the various small injuries and scratches she'd noticed on him lately—mosquito bites, bruises, nicks. She'd wondered at the time how he could be so careless… but now she knew. He had gone to all those dangerous places!
"Why would you do that? It's dangerous!" Her voice trembled as her nose stung with emotion. But even as she spoke, she already knew the answer.
Seeing her eyes begin to well up, Roy gave her a warm, gentle smile. "Don't worry. I went with friends who knew what they were doing—we took every precaution. But if I hadn't gone myself, how could I ever feel comfortable letting you go?"
Laila was deeply moved. She sniffled, wanting to scold him, to say something to make him understand how reckless he had been. But all the words got stuck in her throat, and no sound came out.