Fourth.
Thomas walked into frame too early.
Fifth.
Mila rubbed one eye.
Sixth.
She entered and said nothing.
Sanne lowered the phone.
“What now?”
Mila’s eyes were wet.
“I don’t want to.”
Thomas immediately said, “Okay.”
Sanne turned.
“No.”
Thomas stared at her.
“She is crying.”
“She isn’t crying.”
Mila wiped her face.
Sanne looked at her.
“Are you crying?”
Mila shook her head automatically.
Thomas noticed.
“Why did you shake your head?”
Mila looked at him.
“You are crying.”
“No.”
“It’s okay if you are.”
Sanne exhaled.
“Thomas, please.”
He turned.
“What?”
“We need one usable take.”
“No, we don’t.”
“Yes, we do.”
“She’s done.”
Sanne stepped closer.
“We have a contract.”
“With the brand. Not with her.”
“She is the campaign.”
Mila looked between them.
Thomas lowered his voice.
“Listen to what you just said.”
Sanne’s face hardened.
“Oh, don’t.”
“She is eight.”
“I know how old my daughter is.”
“Then stop talking about her like she’s a product.”
Sanne laughed once.
“That’s rich.”
“What?”
“You quit your job.”
Thomas went quiet.
“You quit because you said the channel was finally making enough.”
“I know.”
“So don’t suddenly pretend this is all me.”
“I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
Mila sat down on the edge of the bed.
The camera was still recording.
Neither parent noticed.
Thomas said, “I’m saying she doesn’t want to film.”
“She says that every time she’s tired.”
“She has been saying it more.”
“Because you’ve started letting her negotiate everything.”
“She’s a child.”
“Exactly.”
Thomas stared at her.
Sanne continued.
“Children don’t decide everything.”
“No. But surely they decide whether they want a camera in their face.”
“Oh, please.”
“What?”
“You uploaded the hospital video.”
Thomas stopped.
Mila looked up.
Sanne folded her arms.
“When she broke her wrist. Your idea.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“It happened. We documented it.”
“You put crying in the thumbnail.”
Thomas looked toward Mila.
“Can we not do this in front of her?”
Sanne laughed again.
“She was in the video.”
That ended the argument for several seconds.
Mila spoke quietly.
“I didn’t like that one.”
Both parents turned.
“What?” Thomas asked.
“The hospital one.”
Sanne’s face changed.
“You never said that.”
“Yes, I did.”
“When?”
“When you showed me.”
“You said the thumbnail looked weird.”
“I said I didn’t like it.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“It is.”
Thomas looked at Sanne.
She shook her head.
“No. Don’t look at me like that.”
Mila continued.
“Kids at school showed it.”
Thomas frowned.
“What kids?”
“Sem and Julie.”
“What did they say?”
Mila picked at a loose thread on the duvet.
“They did my crying face.”
Nobody spoke.
Thomas sat beside her.
“They copied you?”
She nodded.
“At lunch.”
Sanne said, “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Mila looked at her.
“I did.”
Sanne opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Thomas stared at the floor.
At 7:26, the bedroom video was cancelled.
But the argument was not.
Downstairs, Sanne opened the sponsorship email.
“We owe them one video.”
Thomas poured coffee.
“Then tell them she’s sick.”
“That is still lying.”
He looked at her.
She knew exactly what he meant.
“Don’t.”
“You said it.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“Why?”
“Because this is business.”
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“That’s the problem.”
Sanne pushed the laptop closed.
“And what do you suggest?”
“I don’t know.”
“Exactly.”
“We stop for a week.”
“A week?”
“Yes.”
“We have three campaigns.”
“Cancel them.”
“With what money?”
“We have savings.”
“For how long?”
Thomas did not answer.
