Story of my love (and life)
"Papa. Can you tell me about mama?"
"What do you mean, darling ? What you want to know? " Tom asked, rather surprised at the five years old little girl, and her questions.
He knew this day would come.
He just did not expect it to be so soon.
"Why do I have my name? How did you two met? How was it when I was born? " she trailed of, asking questions as fast as she could. Her father didn't talked much about his life at Downtown with her mother, so she may as well ask everything as soon as she has the chance.
Tom Branson picked his daughter to sit her with him in the small sofa of their small apartment and started to answer everything she asked. " well, it all started when I started working at your grandparents house, you know, the great Downtown Abbey, and your mother was, the most amazing woman I gave ever met." Tom started "and up to this day she still is. No one can compare to Sybil Branson. Although at the time she was always called Lady Sybil Crawley."
"Why? " she asked, curious, because she never heard anyone calling her mother that, in fact 'Lady' is a term she only heard when people talked about her cousin Marigold or any fancy parent, not her mother.
"Because your mother was a Lady, daughter of a Lord. But she didn't quite like being called that. It was all too formal and stiff. And you know it doesn't match her in any way." Tom says, his mind taking him back to his early days as a driver for the Crawley family. "my sybil is a free spirit, and so are you, my dear child."
"And when did you knew you loved her? "
"There was this day I was at the servants room and heard this gossip about Lady Sybil's new clothes, some maids where saying her family wouldn't be happy when they saw it that afternoon, so I went outside, near a window and hide there so when she showed her family her new frock, I would see it as well. "
"And what was it?" she asked jumping in excitement.
"Your mother was wearing trousers like a man. She was brave enough to do that and didn't care what anyone said, that's when I knew she was special and that's when I started falling for her. "
"And why do I have this name? Why am I called Saoirse? "
Tom answered this question with a smile" because it means freedom, and that is something your mother and I love :freedom to do what we want and to love each other, but most of all freedom for those who need it."
Saoirse knew quite well what her father meant, from a young age always being told that no one can say she is not able to do or be something because she is "just a girl". Tom hopes his daughter always remembers that.
Looking at his daughter, with curly dark hair and sweet eyes Tom cannot help but remember his lovely wife. "You two look so much alike."
"Well, maybe our next child looks more like you. " a voice speaks from the door and the journalist turns around to see his wife, pregnant of their second child.
"Maybe, but I can't say I'd be sad if it were as pretty and amazing as you. " Tom completes as she comes closer and takes a seat near him and Saoirse.
"Mama, papa was telling me about when you two fell in love. " Saoirse says" now I wanna know how I was born. "
Sybil and Tom sighed at that question, both still uncomfortable with what happened, especially Tom. The idea of almost losing the love of his life again being unbearable to him. Luckily for Tom, his wife decided to speak about it.
"Having you is the greatest present we can ever receive." She began, glancing at the little girl in her husband's lap. "But it wasn't easy."
"You know that when you were born we still lived at your grandparents house, don't you?" Tom asked and after his daughter nodded he continued. " The birth wasn't very easy, and the doctors didn't arrive in time." Tom purposely left out the part where Robert did not wanted any doctor present, saying 'it was not necessary, no Crawley needs doctors at birth', knowing that keeping it unkown to his child for now was better. Maybe one day she will know everything. "And we nearly lost both you and your mother, but in the end we won the best present one could ever get: you."
Saiorse jumped off her father's lap to hug her parents, who held her tighter.
"It's funny how a dreaful night, could turn into one of the greatest moment's of one's life." Tom Branson marked "I could lose everything, yet I won everything. you two made my life complete."
"And my sister will make it even better!" Saiorse spoke, placing her hand on her mother's belly.
"And how do you know it will be a girl?" Sybil asked.
"I just know." The little girl answered and ran off to her room, coming back with a drawing that showed Sybil and Tom holding two girls, one , the bigger, in Tom's arms and the other, a small baby in a pink blanket, being held by Sybil. All of them very happy, just as the family who inspired it.
I will finish it with a sonnet by a portuguese poet from the XVI century called Luis Vas de Camões, because to me it is so lovely and describe's Tom's love, especially when it says that "Enough that life and soul and hope /and as much as I have is all yours/ and the proof of this I alone know. " I truly hope you enjoyed this little fanfic and this lovely poem. *
Whoever, Lady, sees plainly on view
your beautiful eyes in their lustrous being
without being blinded in the act of seeing
is already not paying your face's due.
This seems to me an honest price,
but I, for the merit of deserving them,
gave both life and soul to serve them
apart from which I am without resource.
Enough that life and soul and hope
and as much as I have is all yours,
and the advantage of this I only take.
For such good fortune is beyond scope
giving you all that is in my power
as the more I pay you, the more I owe.
*if you want the original look for : "Quem vê, Senhora, claro e manifesto" + Camões. I personally love the original beacsue the rhymes are so perfect, and it's so pretty and I just love how Camões is able to play with the words to fit his poe and his story.