The sun crawls across the sky and sinks lower, as they talk, and eventually Naomi gets sleepy, and so does Bernard, the both of them settled against 'Dora with droopy eyes and a contented expression.

And eventually it'll be time to go, and Naomi will wake and be a little fussy, and Wash'll take her, acting more like a dad than even Bernard thought he would, and Bernard will try to smile even in the face of another night on his own.

But it's all right. Really.

He'll be home soon. They've got all the time in the world.