"Snowflake"

A few days later...

"Careful, Suzy! Don't slip!" Tom called out to the little girl as she skipped down the lane, her arms waving and twirling as she danced amongst the falling snowflakes. It was Dublin's first snow of the season, a sign that they were no doubt in for one hell of a winter with it snowing so early in November.

"Mmmm!" Suzy grinned, turning and looking over her shoulder at Tom, before resuming what she had been doing: sticking her tongue out and trying to catch snowflakes on it.

Tom laughed. "Are they as good as you make them sound?" he asked her.

The little girl looked up at him and took his hand in her mittened one. "Stick out your tongue and see!" she giggled.

Tom smiled at the child and obliged her, leaning his head back and sticking his tongue and catching snowflakes on it. Soon they both were making silly noises, which naturally led to wild giggles.

Sybil was coming up the lane from the opposite direction, doing her best not to skid on the slippery pavement, but upon hearing the laughter, looked up and gazed at the sweet sight of her daughter…and Tom…laughing as they tried to catch falling snowflakes with their mouths.

Despite the cold, Sybil felt a wonderful warmth wash over her as she looked upon the pair. It was clear to anyone how much the two of them adored each other. Really…where would they be without him?

A blush crept over Sybil's face as she recalled her first encounter with the Irishman. They had just moved into the flat and she was trying her hardest to help move her daughter's bed from one side of the room to the other (to unblock an air vent which neither she or the movers had noticed upon first entering) and was cursing because of how difficult it was…when there was a knock, and Suzy went to go and answer, and Sybil had just pushed the sweaty strands of hair out of her eyes when she looked up and saw his handsome face peering in, and his concerned blue eyes looking at her, before asking, "do you need some help?"

The rest, as they say, is history. Tom knew Dublin like the back of his hand, he had even once worked as a cab driver, so he knew all the good roads to take, the quickest ways to get to certain places, the best shops, pubs, and restaurants within walking distance, and so forth. Not only had he proven to be a good font of knowledge to their new home, but he was also very kind and considerate and willing to help if help were needed. Sybil's shifts at the hospital were sometimes unpredictable in how long she would be there, and so when she realized how late she was going to be one day, she took a deep breath and rang Tom on the mobile number he had given her should she need anything, and asked if he would please pick Suzy up from school and walk her home? The two quickly became inseparable, and soon Suzy wanted no one but Tom to babysit her.

It was strange; Sybil was often wary around men, and knew she had some trust issues, but…that never happened with Tom, not even when they first met. And she trusted him with Suzy's well-being, she knew he would never do anything to hurt her daughter, why she would even go so far as to say he seemed to love her like—

Sybil shook her head. No, no, she couldn't think like that.

"Mummy!"

Sybil looked up and smiled as Suzy came rushing towards her, slipping and sliding a bit on her way, but all the while giggling.

"You're back early!"

"Yes!" Sybil laughed, leaning down to hug her daughter. "Yes, my shift ended early, so I'm back." She looked up at Tom who was smiling at them and once more, felt her cheeks flush. "Thank you for bringing her home."

He smiled and gave a friendly nod of the head. "Anytime," he murmured, and she knew he meant it.

"Mummy, can Tom join us for dinner?"

Sybil bit her lip and glanced up at him. He was now blushing and started to cough and clear his throat, as if prepared to offer some sort of "excuse" to relieve Sybil, but Sybil answered before he could, "you know? Yes, why not?" she grinned at him, and swallowed as she felt an odd fluttering in her stomach. Well…not that odd, it was one that she had felt many times when around him. "Though I must confess," Sybil sheepishly mumbled. "I was thinking of just ordering pizza."

Tom's smile spread even more and he chuckled. "Well, that sounds perfect to me, actually."

"YAY, PIZZA! Even better than snowflakes!" Suzy cheered, before taking her mother's hand in one mitten, and Tom's hand in another, and began to lead the three of them towards their building.

To anyone passing, they would think they were just another family…