A/N: I don't think there are many of you reading but I'm going to continue posting because I'm writing it anyway...might as well share it. Thank you to those of you who reviewed last chapter. I know it's a lot to get through but I hope it's worth it!

Beneath shared bedsheets, Tom found Sybil through the darkness. He wrapped a strong arm around her midsection and pulled her close, immediately begging that she soften into him as he placed several kisses to her pulsepoint. She did but she continued to cry, only stopping when she caught a better view of him and realized how strong he was and perhaps how strong he'd always been all because he felt he had to be.

"Should you be here?" Sybil asked, her voice even more raspy than usual due to its lack of volume.

Tom kissed her exposed shoulder blade. "You're sad and I want to fix it so yeah, I think I should be."

Sybil couldn't help but to smirk. "I think I just have to act like I don't care. She's not going to understand me. She may never agree with it and—"

"She took your money, Syb. You were good enough then."

"Her and Katie could have been homeless, Tom…"

"No, because they bought a couch and new curtains and this fecking bed."

"Yeah but we need this bed, right?"

It was Tom's turn to smirk. "Oh do we?" he emphasized. "Why don't you show me?"

"Tom!" Sometimes she was still the same innocent girl he fell in love with - the same girl he'd always think he ruined. "Isla's sleeping…"

"Do you plan on being loud?"

"Well I never plan on being loud," she dismissed with rosy cheeks. "But I think you being in here is enough. I don't need your mother to think we're shagging."

"How would she know?"

"I'm not a great liar. Besides, no matter how much she dislikes me, I still don't think it's fair. She has opened her home to us and I don't want to disrespect her like that."

Tom sighed out and rolled over onto his back. "Fiiiiine."

Sybil's grin grew. "Stay with me though?" Before he could move, Sybil did, turning over so she was pressed softly into his side with her hand pressed into the skin protecting his heart.

Tom nodded and the two shared a simple kiss. "Of course." Then: "No need to break the streak now, right?"

"I don't know how I ever did it," Sybil admitted. "I slept in with my grandmother a lot. Did I ever tell you that?"

"No," Tom chuckled. There was still so much he didn't know. "Aren't you adorable?" Another kiss was placed to the tip of Sybil's nose and her eyes fluttered shut at the sensation.

"Do you remember that night? Our first night?"

"Here or—"

"New York," Sybil smiled. "I could barely breathe with you next to me. I had waited a year for something I'd barely even tasted before and I remember the way you held me and how fast your heart was beating when I finally got into bed. You just kissed me forever and ever. It was a lovely night."

"Aye," Tom gave, unsure of how much he wished to reveal. Did she remember the way his fingertips shook against her skin and how it was his nervousness at disappointing her that kept him from acting on his resurrected urges? He wasn't nervous anymore, but he thought of Sybil's words and the way she warned him of further action tonight. She was right.

She was always right.

~!~

The following morning found Tom padding into the kitchen, immediately moving to the kettle to pour himself a cup of tea. He'd shower soon, but first he must caffeinate, and deal with the stares his mother and sister gave him upon leaving his old bedroom.

"I haven't slept apart from Sybil since I got out of Mountjoy and I certainly wasn't going to start last night," he sighed out effortlessly. "Besides—"

"Your hair is a disaster," Katie Grace commented.

Helen hid a laugh behind her hand. She returned to cutting tomatoes for what Tom could only conclude were breakfast sandwiches. She made no comment on Tom's whereabouts, and suddenly this made sense to Tom, considering shortly after he invited himself into bed with Sybil, the light in the kitchen went off, signaling his mother had retired to bed.

"Where's Sybil?" Katie asked, interrupting the silence.

Tom pushed a hand through his hair in an attempt to tame his amber locks. "Getting ready."

"She can't come have tea first?"

"She…" He sighed but added with it a laugh. "She tries really hard but sometimes she can't completely dismiss the fact that she comes from this other world," Tom admitted honestly. He turned to face his family now, both Katie Grace and Helen listening while continuing their early activities to show their lack of judgement. "She grew up in a house with a cook and a butler. You didn't go downstairs, let alone eat a meal with your family, if you weren't fully dressed."

"Is that how it is in New York?"

"No," Tom scoffed. "Hell no."

"What is it like?" Katie Grace's eyes widened in amusement, reminding everyone that perhaps she was still several years away from marriage. The life Tom shared with Sybil was one she wanted, just not yet.

Tom moved to help his mother. "It's grand. Really."

Behind them, Sybil appeared. She approached the counter and gently placed her hands down. "What's grand?"

Tom beamed at her. "New York."

"Oh," she nodded. "Yeah, it is. We'd love to have you visit. We're signing a lease on a flat soon—"

Helen's ears perked. "A flat?"

"Mhm," Sybil confirmed. "Two bedrooms and everything. I mean, it's still small but if you came to visit, we could put Isla in our room and you could have her room for your stay. It's in a safe neighborhood and it's near the station for Tom to take the train to work."

"And you're in school," Helen recalled. "Is it near your school?"

"It is. Very near. I only have a few blocks to walk to get to classes each morning."

"How are those going?"

Tom looking to Sybil, smiling while she did the same, all a result of such casual conversation between her and the other important women in his life. "Good. Stressful," she revealed with a small laugh.

"She's doing great," Tom explained over his shoulder. "She's made Dean's List for both semesters."

A noise jolted them from the moment. Sybil and Tom instantly looked to their bedroom, their shoulders slumping while they shared glances meant to decide who was going to retrieve a crying Isla from her crib. Tom happily accepted the task, but before he disappeared he pressed a soft kiss to Sybil's lips. In reaction her eyes shut and when she opened them and he was gone, she found her face growing warm amongst the current company she kept.

"Sorry," she whispered as she settled into the open spot Tom left at the counter. "And sorry for—"

"We're going to pretend I don't know," Helen explained, referring to the previous night her son and his girlfriend shared. "I'm finding there is absolute truth in there being bliss in ignorance."

Returning to their previous conversation, Sybil forced a smile. "I'm going to try to be better about sending you photos and things. Tom was so worried writing to you that he didn't want to push it, but it's very important to me that Isla knows you…" Her voice trailed off. "And I'm sorry Tom didn't mention anything before we arrived. I...I didn't know. I don't think that was fair."

"What do your parents think of you and Tom?"

"They don't," Sybil gave simply.

"Oh," Katie Grace whispered out. "I'm sorry…"

Sybil realized the connection being made was an incorrect one, so she smiled, hoping that would cure the situation as it had many times before. "They're not dead," she corrected with a nervous, but assuring, laugh. "Though," she continued, placing a strand curl behind her ear, "they probably wish I was…"

"Because of Tom?"

"Katie! Dún do bheal!"

Sybil merely laughed. "It's fine...no, not because of Tom. We stopped speaking long before Tom came along. Though, that's not to say that wouldn't cause issues. I don't know if my life would be something they'd approve of."

"Well do you approve? I mean...are you happy?" Helen asked honestly.

Sybil smiled again, this time for herself. "Very."

"Alright then," Helen exhaled. "You're a mother now, so I don't really think their opinion matters much anymore...even if you'd like it to."

Sybil's mouth dropped open; she wished to counter Mrs. Branson's comment with an inquiry into the mother's relationship with her son, but that same son appeared, carrying with him proof of Sybil's title of mother.

"Hi darling," she sang out. She looked to both Tom and Isla but it was Isla she reached out for. She was not showing off - she did not have to. Isla immediately gravitated toward her mother, reaching for Sybil's face while Sybil smattered her chubby cheeks with kisses. There was laughter and above all else, both Katie and Helen couldn't deny the volume Tom's smile would carry if only things like that made noise.

~!~

Tom told Sybil that breakfast reminded him of his life before, not the life he left behind when he went to New York but the life he lost when his father was killed in Belfast. There was laughter and the casual passing of plates as soon as grace was said. It lacked judgement and any and all passive aggressive undertones were lost, especially with Isla present.

After the meal, Tom explained to his mother that he and Sybil had a few errands to run. They were more than willing to bring Isla but Tom also mentioned their plans knowing they wouldn't have to. Their run to O'Connors, Trinity, and then the cemetery would be much more easily accomplished without a child in tow and Helen and Katie were more than willing to watch after the babe in her parents' absence. They had a few tasks to complete as well and both were thrilled to be able to bring Isla along with them. Secretly, Helen also enjoyed the way Tom and Sybil would not have to deal with disdainful glares in town — an unpromised occurrence had they brought Isla with them.

Outside both Sybil and Tom wrapped their jackets more fully around themselves. It was beyond blustery with the morning's rain still lingering heavy in the air. Because of this Sybil was happy to lean into Tom, accepting the arm he wrapped around her while they walked. Such a thing was so foreign here once, but now it felt like commonplace. She had spent an entire year making a life for herself, without Tom, in New York. With Isla she felt as if she was born anew, and nothing before that mattered. With such a knowledge, Sybil was marked by her time with Tom. The family they had created and the love they shared were more than enough to fill the rest of her days.

"They're staring," she commented. The wind was no longer easy to ignore and she wondered what she looked like with her frizzed curls blowing here and there.

Tom merely smirked. "Yeah, it's because you're so pretty."

Sybil nudged him with her hip. "Imagine if Isla were here…"

"I try not to. She doesn't deserve this kind of scrutiny." Sybil said nothing so Tom continued. "It's not you, it's me," he tried to explain. "I mean, you do look pretty," he commented genuinely, earning him a smile from Sybil. "They haven't seen me in awhile. Most of them probably don't want to see me…"

"They used to love you…"

"I thought so. Some of them still do. I think everyone's just tired."

"Like your mum?"

"Everyone. They all are," Tom repeated.

They were at the cemetery now. Sybil moved for the gate but Tom paused. Her eyes narrowed in concern as she took a step back into him. "Love?"

"You go," he pointed with a nod toward the entrance. His hands were still stiffly buried in the pockets of his bomber jacket.

"Tom…"

"I changed my mind. I don't want to do this today."

"Do you want to do this ever?" Sybil asked. Her retort was delivered in frustration, but not at him. The world had been unkind and she wanted him to forgive himself, not because it was easy, but because he genuinely deserved it.

"I dunno," he shrugged. "Probably. This might be my last chance. Who knows? I just don't want to do it now, yeah?"

Sybil pursed her lips. "Alright," she nodded softly. "Do you want to go get a cuppa or—"

"I'll just wait here," he stated. Already he was walking to a nearby bench. Sybil's shoulders slumped as she entered the cemetery. He only saw her pause to retrieve a scrap piece of paper from her purse. On it were directions from Nula regarding the whereabouts of Aidan's gravesite. He wasn't here — not really, Sybil reminded herself. She heard these words spoken in Tom's voice the closer she became to the tombstone.

At it she kneeled down, paying no attention to the way the dew on the grass stained her jeans. The paper was tucked away and she made the sign of the cross with trembling hands. She no longer knew if she were shaking due to the cold or the inexplicable chill that came with praying for someone who had passed too early — someone your existence somehow encouraged the murder of.

"Hi A...Aidan," she stumbled. They were not friends. Sybil wanted that and she dreamed that maybe one day that could have been possible had he not died so prematurely. For a moment she thought of Molly and what could have happened between her and Aidan if life and the reality of it did not intervene. "I...It's Sybil. Tom's here too...well, not here, he's at the gate...he misses you and I guess because of that I miss you too. He loves you a lot and I know you meant the world to him and I just wish you were here because I know you could help him make sense of a lot of this. I try but...he still struggles to open up to me, I guess. I just have this feeling that even if you didn't like me...don't like me," she corrected, "you'd still be on him about that. I wish you were. He needs more than just me. And Isla...oh, we've got a baby now," she commented, laughing off the statement with a nervous chuckle. "Her name is Isla. She looks just like Tom. She's beautiful and we tell her about you all the time. Someday she'll understand, I think. I want her to. I have to work on that because I don't know if Tom's capable...somedays I don't think he understands all of it. You know in losing his father, there was grieving but there was also the acceptance of that hopefully being the last painful thing he'd experience. He had hardened himself to the world and prepared to go to Belfast and then everything happened that night and I've never seen someone look so broken. I...I love him if that means anything to you. I loved him then and I love him now. He's my best friend and I know he thinks of me in the same way but I wish he had you too. So if you have a way to let him know that all of this is okay…" Sybil realized how silly she sounded. Again she laughed, donating her words to the wind.

She stood but her movement was stunted. As she was brought to her feet, her nose nearly collided with Tom's chin. He was standing behind her and must have been for quite some time because tears dotted his cheeks. The last time she had seen him cry was in this same city, outside of Mountjoy. She embraced him then and was left with no other option than to do that now. Tom cradled her tightly against his chest, kissing the crown of her head before allowing his head to fall and bury into the crook of her neck. How, in her small frame and quiet stature, Sybil provided strength for him, Tom would never know. But she was his best friend, and she did far more than he'd ever be able to explain. Aidan's way of showing this to Tom would have been to do nothing at all. Tom had exactly what he needed in life and he was just where he was meant to be. This was the natural progression of life, just an unfortunate and tragic side of it - the second in Tom's lifetime. But with every devastation comes a sort of calm. For Tom, Sybil was that calm.

"Hey, hey…" she sang. "It's okay, alright? I'm right here."

Tom nodded before losing himself again. Amidst his tears he pressed a wet kiss to Sybil's collarbone. He needed her close, somehow closer than she'd been. In feeling this, the grip she had around his midsection remained. Her fingernails dug into the leather of his jacket and the two were mostly still, causing them to grow ignorant to the rain drops that began to fall overhead.

"I miss him, Syb. I miss him so fuckin' much…"

"Shhh," Sybil tried, palming at Tom's cheeks. "I know, love. And I know he misses you too. But…" Her voice trailed off. What was she even planning to say? "I can't explain any of that, Tom. I don't know why it happened. I don't know why any of this stuff ever happens but I know Aidan would want you to be happy. I know he'd want you to stop beating yourself up. He loved you a lot too, right? I think all you can do is make him proud. Show him you're capable of living the life you've been given."

Tom nodded but continued to hug Sybil. He had no words, or at least none that could do anything other than agree. He knew all of this but was partially stunned to discover this was the first time the pair had discussed it at length.

"It's alright, Tom," Sybil continued, now running her fingers up and down his neck in an effort to calm him down. "I love you, darling. I love you and Isla loves you and you're a good man. Aidan would think so too."

"Life's shit sometimes…"

"Yeah, but sometimes it's really great too. I told Aidan how we talk to Isla about him—"

"I know," Tom smirked through his tears. "I heard you."

"Well it's important that you don't lose this part of you. This was the man I fell in love with."

"I was hardly a good man to you…"

"Well I disagree. I fell very fast and very hard for the man you were that first weekend. You were good then and you're even better now but you are who you are because of all that's happened to you. Don't be ashamed of it. Let me help you work through it. Maybe it's okay if these things define you. Maybe that doesn't have to be some sort of awful thing."

"I don't know why, or how, but being back here and even feeling a bit unwelcome...I miss it. It's going to be hard to leave."

Sybil's head perked up at the sound of such a truth. "Yeah?"

"Well, yeah, but we will, of course. I love our life in New York...I guess I just forgot about my life here."

Sybil's features softened into a smile. "They're the same life, Tom. You're the same person."

~!~

Arriving home, Sybil and Tom were lost in a heated discussion, one that lacked talk of politics or any other world views, but instead of tea brands — the Barry's they purchased in New York and the Bewley's they'd both always enjoyed here. There wasn't a winner, and their disagreement ended in laughter, that of which also trickled off when the two approached the steps to Tom's flat. As his eyes caught on Katie Grace, Tom stiffened beneath the grip Sybil had on his forearm.

"Tom…" Sybil tried immediately, already knowing what it was he was about to do. It seemed her soft urging did nothing to dissuade him. He took a strong step toward the home and remained standing in a similar manner while Katie Grace and Dylan detached.

"Ach! Mar Dhea!" he called out. His hands were still in his pockets, causing his shoulders to be pulled back while his glance remaining up the steps at them. The stance showed Sybil that maybe Tom was more nervous than he was confident. "Is that necessary?"

Katie's cheeks were red, but she was not ashamed. It was actually Dylan who retreated into himself. When his hands fell from around Katie's waist, her level of rage was only ignited further. "Why are you so rude?"

"I'm rude? What you're doing is rude."

Katie placed a hand to her hip. "You're kidding, right?"

Tom laughed and began to ascend the steps. He didn't even make eye contact with Dylan and that said more to both Sybil and Katie than his words would. "Not at all. Get inside, would you?"

She scoffed, the sound encouraging Sybil to advance toward the pair. Up until then she'd accepted her role as a spectator, but here things were different. In an unexplained turn of events, she was on the teenage girl's side. "Tom!" she hushed out.

Tom ignored her. Katie gave a different sort of dismissal, delivering her disobedience directly to her brother. "I'm fine right here."

Tom paused. "Katie, get inside." There was no emotion behind his words. This was merely an order and he expected Katie to comply. When she didn't follow, Tom tried a different tactic. "Dylan, you're free to go. Katie has to come—"

"Tom!" Sybil was on the steps now. She had somehow moved past the group to open the door. "Inside! Now!"

Katie smirked. Sybil's words only highlighted the roots of her anger. "You're not my father."

"No, because Dad's not here. Don't be insensitive."

"Tom! Enough!" Sybil tried once more. She didn't want to embarrass him any more than he'd already embarrassed himself. She knew his irritation was heightened by the visit they'd just had at the cemetery. This was his way of compensating for how vulnerable he felt then - this was him doing his best to regain control. His temper was just as strong as it had been that first day she had met him. It was likely he also felt guilty for leaving his mother and sister and was trying to prove his interest was to protect the women in his life, just as his father would have.

In not wanting to do the exact thing he was condemning Katie for, Tom followed Sybil inside. The door shut behind them, highlighting how Sybil was clearly turned off by his behavior. Just as she was ready to turn back to him, Katie came inside, already running up the stairs toward her brother. "Don't ever do that again!"

"Well stop being a flah, would ye?"

Katie's mouth dropped open. She was ready to attack and was only further incensed when Tom turned away from her, walking behind Sybil into his mother's flat. She'd forgotten the brunette was there, but was hyper-aware of how still the home was, due to the lack of her mother and Isla's presence.

"Tom! Talk to me!"

The door was shut, allowing Tom to gain volume as he shrugged out of his coat. "I have nothing to say to you, Katie. This wasn't meant to be an argument, I just don't need you lobbing the gob on our doorstep!"

"Our doorstep? You don't live here anymore! You left!"

"It's still my house!"

"It's not your house! You gave it up! You couldn't even be bothered to stop in before you left for New York. You talk about what Dad would have wanted...he wouldn't have wanted that. You don't show an ounce of respect toward Mum! You didn't even tell her you had a child! What kind of bollocks is that?"

"Katie, language…"

"Piss off, Tom! I've bitten my tongue for too long. I tried to be sweet and I tried to be okay with this but I'm not. I was fuming when you left and now I'm fuming with you back. I honestly wish you'd stayed there. You've done nothing but upset Mum and now you come in here acting as if you know what's best for me? You couldn't be arsed to write me? You didn't care before you were here and I'd guess you won't care when you return."

"You don't know what you're saying, Katie. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, but you can do better than Dylan—"

"You don't even know him!" she gave. "And we were having a conversation."

"Didn't seem like there was a lot of talking going on…"

"Oh, feck you, Tom! You're such a goddamn hypocrite, you know that? You can know Sybil a weekend, knock her up, and that's okay but I can't kiss my boyfriend?"

"That was hardly just kissing…"

"He's my boyfriend, Tom! Sybil's your girlfriend, no? And you two have a kid...a feckin' kid! You're a right arse and I'm sick of the double standards. Go marry Sybil before you even begin to tell me what's right for me."

"We will! Eventually!"

"God forbid I have a child before I'm married…"

"Yah, god forbid!" Tom returned.

The argument halted, disappearing toward silence as both caught their breaths. Katie was seconds from walking away, but she gave Tom the truth despite not wanting him to have it. Really, it was selfish - she just needed to say it aloud, even to the man she was arguing with, the same man she once adored and now found herself disgusted by.

"Well it's a good thing you weren't here a couple of months ago…" Maybe she wished to hurt him too; he'd always done a fair job helping to carry her pain.

Tom was ready to walk away too but her murmurs stopped him. "Whatya say?" From in the kitchen, Sybil stood up from where she leaned back against the counter.

"Nothing…" Katie dismissed.

"I asked a question, Katie."

"And I don't need to give you an answer!"

"What happened a couple of months ago, Katie?" Tom's questions were calm, and eerily so.

"Nothing! You weren't here! Forget I said anything!"

"Like fuck I will! Did that bowsie—"

"I was there too, Tom! Yeah, we had sex and yes, I got pregnant. And Dylan was going to send me to London to have it taken care of—"

"Excuse me? Taken care of? What the fuck does that mean, Katie?"

"It means that if I ever showed up here with a baby on my hip the way that Sybil did, I'd be disowned! I wouldn't be able to go to church and Mum certainly wouldn't let me live here. No one would hire me and it wouldn't matter if I actually wanted to go to UCD because I couldn't afford it...even if I could, I wouldn't have time for it! But you and Sybil live your perfect life in your perfect flat with your perfect family...how dare you come into my home and tell me what is and is not good for me. You don't know and you never will! You gave all of that up! Your opinion no longer matters to me and I don't give a rat's arse if you think poorly of me. I've only done what you've done—"

Sybil stood behind the pair, hidden by the kitchen cabinets which acted as a wall between them. She wanted to cry, mostly for Katie Grace, but all her eyes could manage was moisture they didn't dare to spill. Around her neck was the cross necklace Tom had purchased her for their first Christmas together. She held the gold in her fingers, even going as far as to trace her lips with its pointed edges.

"Sybil didn't get an…" He struggled to say the word.

"No! Because she had options, Tom! I didn't have options! Poor girls from Dublin don't get to make decisions like that. And Dylan was so ashamed he was ready to send me away to deal with it."

"He's a shite…"

"He's not! If you were here, you would have done the same thing!"

"Asked Sybil to get rid of our child? Like hell I would! And ashamed if the furthest thing from what I felt..."

"What was he supposed to do, Tom? A child would have ruined us! Isla is beautiful and wonderful and so, so innocent but she made your life better! I didn't have that freedom! We never get the same freedom! And if Dad were here, he'd be so disappointed in me so for once I'm glad he wasn't. He'd forgive you but he wouldn't forgive me."

"Where's the baby?"

"Does it matter?"

Tom didn't know what he was feeling and because of that, he had no words to give his baby sister. Maybe that was the problem, she wasn't young anymore, and it was clear his absence had allowed her to grow up much more quickly than either of them would have hoped. But the truth was, he wasn't disappointed in her, he was disappointed in himself. Her father, an endlessly gentle man, would have forgiven her eventually, but it was likely he would not be able to forgive Tom if he were to cast Katie Grace off now.

He left silently, causing Katie to practically fall into a nearby chair. She was crying, Sybil knew that much, and though she couldn't possibly comprehend what it was the blonde was feeling, she knew how upset she felt. She could only imagine the pain that came with revealing such a secret.

"Katie?" Sybil tried. She extended a fistful of tissues the young girl's way. When she took them, Sybil accepted this as permission to sit down. Even so, she did not speak.

Finally, Katie did. "You don't have to comfort me."

"I do though," Sybil confirmed softly. "He's wrong, Katie…"

"He's not wrong. I was stupid and—"

"And we weren't? I mean, we weren't...not in my opinion, but if you and Dylan were, surely we were. I'm sorry if—"

"You don't have to apologize…"

"But I do," Sybil assured. "Tom's not being fair and woman to woman, he doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Things aren't as progressive here as they are in New York," Katie reminded, doing so with a small laugh.

Sybil smiled too, reminding Katie Grace of how much she was once drawn to the English girl. "And that's not fair either. But I do have money...er, my grandmother does. She took care of me until Tom could and it's easier for a man to provide for a family than for me to do it on my own. It breaks my heart, but I understand why Dylan would want to send you away. I don't think you had much of a choice…"

"I didn't do it!"

Sybil paused. "You didn't?"

"No..." She looked down to her lap where the tissues were now crumpled, damp and stained with the thin layer of mascara she wore. "Thankfully."

"Who has—"

"I miscarried. Early on. Maybe it was the stress that took care of it…"

"Oh, Katie," Sybil practically sang in sympathy. "I am so, so sorry you had to deal with that."

"It's a sign. I want to have children someday and I'd like to have them with Dylan. It's likely if I had gone to get an abortion that wouldn't happen."

"Because he'd think less of you?"

"For awhile I thought he already did. He says he doesn't but we haven't had...nevermind."

"I have a child," Sybil reminded with a giggle. "I'm sure it's not fun for you to hear but I have sex. I like having sex. They may not talk about it, but most women do."

"Well we haven't. And it's hard for me to. Again, this isn't New York…"

Sybil forced a small smile. "No, I guess it's not."

"Can you please not tell my mum? I mean, Tom probably will but—"

"No, he won't," Sybil assured. "He just needs a moment to cool down and realize how dense he's being."

"I think he just listens to you…"

"Because I call him on his rubbish. He loves me. He doesn't have a choice."

"You're lucky…"

Sybil looked to Katie Grace, examining the girl's green eyes. "You're lucky too, Katie. I'm sorry for what's happened to you but please don't let it dictate your future. It's done now and you can't change it, you can only choose how to handle things from here on out. I just hope Dylan can learn a thing or two from Tom's outburst. You may not think you have options but you do. And these are your decisions to make. He can only be supportive and I hope he is."

"He is...he's really lovely. I'm sorry Tom doesn't think so."

"He's just worried. It doesn't give him a right to be a wanker, but it's the truth. Tom's a wonderful man, but he's not perfect."

"You don't say…"

Both women shared knowing smiles. "Just be careful. If it's worth anything, it wasn't easy for us either and we did have my grandmother's financial help and the benefit of living in a city far too large for reputations to be made and kept up with. It's easy to escape in New York if you really want to. I'd love for you and Dylan to come visit sometime. I think it'll be good for you to get out of Dublin...see how the rest of the world works."

Katie paused. "Why are you so kind?"

"Because you deserve it. But also because I never had anyone be kind to me. No one ever told me it was okay. So I'm telling you now...it's okay."

~!~

Sybil didn't hear the water run, but during her talk with Katie Grace, Tom had taken a shower. He sat on the edge of the bed now, clearly derailed by thoughts he couldn't shake. He was without a shirt and she saw only the muscles of his back while he hunched over, thinking.

He didn't need to look to the door to know it was Sybil who had entered. She was so light on her feet sometimes, and since becoming a mother she had mastered the art of silently shutting a door. "I don't want to argue…"

"You seemed to want to argue," Sybil stated plainly. "But I don't want to argue either. Though I do disagree with what you just did and I'd like to discuss this."

"Sybil…" He stood, immaturely hoping that maybe his lack of clothing would have her exterior softening.

She did not waiver. The two stood at odds now, chests heaving steadily while they waited for the other to make the first move. "You're wrong, Tom. I love you and you're my best friend and I adore the man you are, but you're wrong."

"How am I wrong?"

"Katie can snog Dylan on the steps because we've brought a baby into your mother's home and did so without warning...and without marriage."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that she's right. You're a hypocrite if you're not allowing her to live her life with Dylan. If this is the boy she loves then so be it. He's done nothing to show anyone he is anything but good to her."

"Well they don't need to be mugging on the steps."

"Why? We did. I kissed you in this very home, just hours after we had met."

Tom smirked. "I kissed you, actually. And we were inside. And you had stalked me for months before that. In your mind we were practically dating."

Sybil wanted to smile, but she banished the amused emotions she was harboring. "I will not apologize for the way I felt and I don't think that love holds more merit because of how long it took to occur, and then how long it lasts thereafter. I told your mother that and I'll tell anyone else who dares to question us and Isla and the life we have made together. But if you're going to treat her like a child, you need to do the same with me. If she's being careless, so am I. And I was...we were. I don't regret it and I wouldn't trade that night for the world but I fell for you and I fell for you fast. I wanted to give myself to you and I didn't think twice about it. I still don't. It's one of the easiest things in the world. So if Katie is some lush, then so am I. The only difference is she's a woman—"

"Are you not a woman?"

"Not an Irish one. Not a poor Irish one," she added for emphasis.

Tom was somewhat impressed by her ability to remain stoic. "Well I'm sorry if I offended you. That wasn't my intention. I just think—"

"Well it doesn't matter what you think because she is grown and your mother approves so there's really no reason for her and Dylan not to be together. And she's right! You're not here so what does it matter to you? She's in love! She's working and she wants to go to school and she's dating a boy who's doing the very same thing. It could be much worse!"

"He could be a convict…"

Sybil slumped into herself, the action motivating her to take a step toward Tom and grab for his hands. "I didn't say that. But if you're not allowed to feel bad for those things, then you certainly don't have the right to do the same for her. She's ashamed too, and just like you, she shouldn't be. What do I always tell you, Tom? Life happens and often we have no control over it either way."

Tom dropped Sybil's hands and instead enveloped her with his arms. She was so small against his wider frame that he was forced to remind himself that she was the strong one here. "Are you mad at me then?"

"No. But I want you to apologize. And I want you to know why you're apologizing and I want you to mean it. She...she lost the baby, Tom. She thinks it was for the best and maybe it was but that doesn't make that any easier. This is her body just as it was my body. Dylan only did what you would have done if we had to stay here," she said, continuing quickly so Tom couldn't contest. "They care about one another and they're doing their best to make all of this work. That's just what we're doing. Only she's right, we do have the upper hand. I was that girl once but I had you. The poor girl feels as if she's got the entire world against her. She just needs her brother to be on her side."

~!~

Dinner was slightly awkward, that of which did not go unnoticed by Mrs. Branson. With Sybil's encouragement, Tom had tried to apologize to Katie Grace beforehand but was met with unfavorable results. She ignored his attempts, leading to far too much silence after grace was said. Sybil cooked the meal, and Helen was surprised to find it was not only edible, but quite good. She was liking Sybil, and would probably enjoy her company more if she only gave herself permission to do so. Because she was aware of this, she happily took the girl's offer to help her with Isla's bath. With both women gone, Tom was once again given a chance to confront Katie and he did it without reservation.

"I'm sorry," he gave, pulling Katie attention away from the dishes she was washing. The mere fact that she was performing such a domestic task while Tom stood idly by, was a silent nod toward their earlier argument.

Tom was not deterred when she ignored his apology. "I mean it, Katie. And yes, it did take Sybil to show me, but I was wrong and I had no right to say what I said. It was insensitive and I am a hypocrite and I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"You did."

Tom nodded. "Well it was wrong of me and—"

"Sybil's really great, you know."

Tom looked up. Though he was previously ashamed of his behavior, he couldn't help but to beam with pride at Katie's comment. "Aye...she is."

"You're an insufferable arse sometimes and you're lucky to have her."

"Can't argue you there."

"And Dylan's great too...far better than Tyler was."

"Anyone is better than Tyler was," Tom retorted, referring to Katie's ex-boyfriend, the same boy who'd criticized Tom's behavior, showing his overall lack of sympathy for his time spent at Mountjoy.

"Dylan really wants to impress you and I don't know why, because—"

"For the same reason Sybil wishes to impress you and Mum, I'm assuming," Tom gave honestly.

"I'm glad you have her. I'm not angry at her for changing you. Really, she didn't. She's just reminded you of who you can be...and demanded that you be that person."

"She has," Tom said with a small laugh. "She's the best thing that has ever happened to me. Her and Isla."

"When...I want to marry Dylan. Someday. If that's what he wants. When we're ready," she added, doing so just as she'd shared every thought prior: in fragments. "I'd like you to be here. And I'd like you to approve and to be happy for me."

"Katie, I'm always happy for you. And I'm proud of all you've done and I'm sorry I wasn't here to witness all of it. And I don't feel this way because of Dad, though I know he'd agree...I want you to feel what I feel so if Dylan makes you as happy as Sybil makes me, then so be it. And I will absolutely do my best to be here."

"I'm sure you'll have like eight kids by then, but it would mean a lot to me."

"Eight? A few more, maybe, but not eight."

"Sybil told me she likes having sex. It was a real ice breaker. I just figure you two aren't done."

Tom brought a palm up to his eyes and began to shake his head. "She doesn't always have a filter."

"Well I like it," Katie assured with a genuine smile. "I like her and I'm happy that you're happy."

Tom smiled too. "The same goes for you. It's about time, right?"

~!~

The rest of their week in Dublin had Sybil and Tom forgetting about those first awkward nights. They introduced Mr. O'Connor to Isla and Sybil was even able to find Molly's address in Belfast. She lived there with Brian now, and the two were expecting a child in the Spring. Tom and his mother had a very honest discussion about Katie Grace. As Sybil had guessed, both predicted she'd have a life similar to Molly's - the same life she was sure her parents would have wanted for her. It may be another year or two before Katie and Dylan were engaged, but Tom and Sybil promised to return for the impending wedding. Tom estimated that Aidan's father would be out of prison by then, and he made a joke to Katie Grace about possibly planning her wedding to coincide with his release.

Tom was better after that day in the cemetery but he'd always default to humor or silence when the truth was unbearable. Sybil did make him better and their life was constantly working to heal him, but in accepting his past and forgiving himself, Tom was also forced to admit to everything he'd ever been through. The vulnerability Sybil demanded from him forced Tom to confront her own.

On the plane ride home, with Isla sleeping against her mother's chest, Tom turned to Sybil with a sly smile spread across his cheeks. "What about you?"

Sybil, who had her gaze stuck on the soft blanket covering their daughter, looked to Tom as if she were surprised to hear his voice. "What about me?" she giggled, unsure of what it was he was getting out.

"When do you get to confront your past?"

"Confront it? Hopefully never," Sybil admitted quite honestly. "But accept it? I accepted it long before you came along."

Tom's gaze narrowed. "You think?"

"I don't think, I know," Sybil dismissed casually.

Tom nodded, and spent the time he could have been doubting her to instead place a kiss to the back of her hand. She smiled and the two shared a kiss, all before joining Isla is muted slumber. When they awoke they were in New York, greeted by an early morning on the island that had already given them so many second chances. Like Dublin, it was cloudy in Manhattan and Sybil and Tom were happy to have the day off so they could possibly retire to bed. When they arrived to Martha's flat, Isla did not seem to protest. She'd been asleep for much of their journey and was only awoken when the lift let out a beep, signaling the couple that they were on their desired floor. As requested, the bellhop left their bags by the door. Tom gave the young boy a tip and he smiled but then retreated toward the elevator without any further word. The two were alone in their own silence, the same place they'd been nearly two years ago when Tom had first arrived. Things were different now and aside from the comfort they felt here, Tom couldn't help but to cherish the way he was allowed to love Sybil so freely. He cupped her cheeks and gave her a soft kiss before they pushed inside, moving with the noise of bags and the laughter that occurred as they shuffled through the door.

They were met, not by Martha, but by an undeniable silence. The world they had just left was not one in the same with the world they were soon thrust into. On the couch before them, Martha stood and walked toward the pair, revealing behind her several more faces, all of them just as surprised and possibly even more sharply dressed. What was once a spirited discussion now looked more like an intervention with Sybil and Tom present. They dropped their bags but did not dare to take another step in.

"Sybil…" Martha tried. Tom looked to her, unsure of whether or not an apology was meant to follow.

Sybil was not as easily distracted. She remained, steady eyes blinking while she struggled to catch her breath.

"Hi, darling," a woman said. The words brought her to her feet and only then was Tom able to see the clear similarities in their features. Her hair was shorter but nearly the same color and the women shared complexion, eye color, and even timbre.

"Hi, Mama," she choked out. Immediately she swallowed, wishing to rid her throat of its tight, dry feeling. She couldn't, and was unable to manage any other words as she continued to take everyone in. She couldn't imagine what Tom was thinking or feeling and she was unable to gauge such a thing amidst her fear. Even so, they were all staring at him with such confusion that Sybil nearly forgot about the child on her hip.

"Mama," Isla whispered before grabbing for her mother's necklace and putting it in her mouth. "Mama," she tried again, this time with the golden cross rubbing at her gums.

"Yeah…" Sybil breathed out in response. "Mama."

Thanks for reading!

x. Elle