In between worlds, there is a bar.
In the bar, at the moment, there is a woman sitting at a table. She's scribbling in a notebook. Extant phrases include "abortion=surrogacy?" and "add sterile mosquitos to malarial areas"
"Yeah. We'll see, I still have meaningful research to do."
Rose spends the rest of the day reading, taking care of Alexander, and answering any questions Christina might have.
At night, she takes her accustomed spot on the couch.
...Christina files that away for later, but decides not to ask right away.
Rose immediately falls asleep! Almost as if she is chronically sleep deprived.
That makes sense.
She gazes admiringly at Alexander. Babies are so good.
Yep, that is a very baby thing to do. Christina picks up the baby and bounces him gently, making faces.
...Christina walks over to the bedroom.
"Do you talk to your wife like that?" she asks, in a cool, disapproving tone.
She flips the light switch on with one hand, propping the baby against her hip with the other.
"The reason I'm here at this hour is so as to not wake Rose, I offered to mind the baby tonight so she could get some sleep. Do you usually scream at her like that?"
"She didn't lie to me, I offered because I noticed she wasn't getting enough sleep. Now answer. The question."
"I can tell when you're lying," she informs him flatly, and turns and leaves.
"You damn well knew what you were doing when you shouted profanities at your wife because the baby is a baby. Babies scream."
"Go back to sleep. I'll deal with you in the morning."
"Good morning," Christina says, still rocking the baby, when Rose wakes up.
"...I've been trying all night to think of a delicate way to say this and I can't. Why did you marry that man? He seems...unpleasant."