Chapter 4
The following week
"Shall I make us a coffee? Or I suppose not – a peppermint tea? It's supposed to be good for morning sickness."
Sybil grimaced. "That name is a complete lie for a start – I feel sick all day long!"
"Well, it should get better once you get into your second trimester." Edith reached across the kitchen table to take her sister's hand.
"Sybil, I have to ask – who's the father? Where is he in all this? If he left you to deal with this alone, if he..."
"Edith, please. The father isn't on the scene, that's all you need to know. He didn't do anything wrong, it was me, all me. I was the one who left."
"I didn't even know you were seeing someone!"
"I wasn't, I'm not. It was – I don't really know what it was."
"For God's sake, what happened?"
Sybil decided to tell her the truth, the whole truth.
"... and the worst thing about it is that I'm in love with him, I want to be with him, more than anything, but I don't know where he is! Even before I knew about the baby – I've got no way to let him know I'm pregnant..."
Edith squeezed Sybil's hand again, her love for her sister clear on her face. "Come on, there must be some way we can find him!"
"Well, you tell me – I don't know his last name, or his address, or anything about him except... except that he's amazing, he's all I ever wanted. Oh Edith, I love him!"
Sybil felt hopeless tears start falling down her face. "What am I going to do without him? How can I take care of a baby on my own? My schedule's a complete nightmare! I'll have to quit my course, I'll have to..."
"Oh, sweetie, don't cry! We'll think of something! You know I will help you as much as I can."
"Thanks, but you've got two kids of your own to take care of. No, I will have to get used to the fact that it's just me and the baby."
Edith dragged her chair around to sit beside Sybil, putting her arm around her shoulders.
"Sybil, it's going to be hard to do this on your own, there's no escaping that. I have no idea how I'd cope with being a parent if it weren't for Anthony! But maybe there's a way to make this easier for you, somehow. Now... let me make you that tea..."
Three weeks later
"Hello?"
"Is that you, Sybil?"
"Yes, who's there?"
"Tom... It's Tom Bellasis."
For a split second, Sybil had almost fainted at the idea that the other Tom, her Tom, had found her. But no, it wasn't to be.
"Tom, hello, how are you?"
"I'm doing well. Look, can I pop up? There's something I want to talk to you about."
"Sure, why not?" She buzzed him in.
In a few minutes, she found herself wrapped in a hug, a hug she really needed. "Come on in, it's good to see you again."
He sat on the couch, his knee jogging up and down as she offered him a cup of tea.
"Got anything stronger?"
She splashed a finger of whisky into a glass and handed it to him, and he took a large gulp.
"Sybil, let me get right down to it. I heard about, well, I heard about your situation from Edith, and I have an idea."
"My – situation?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean... She didn't mean to tell me, but when I asked her how you were, it just came out."
Tom reached to take her hand. "You know, don't you, that I've been in love with you all my life? Since we were children together? When you left me last year, you broke my heart."
Sybil looked down, twisting a strand of her hair, knowing how much she had hurt this good, kind man.
"You might think this is crazy, but hear me out... I'm making good money these days since I made VP, I could take care of you and your baby."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh bloody Nora, I'm making a hash of this, aren't I? What I meant to say, ask... Sybil, will you marry me? I know I asked you before we split... well, my feelings haven't changed, and perhaps things have changed for you, now?" He raked a hand back through his dark hair.
"Are you serious? I mean, it's very sweet of you, Tom, but – I'm carrying another man's child! And I do love you, of course I do, but you know I'm not in love with you, don't you? That's why I had to end things between us."
"Yes, I know – but that might grow in time? And in the meantime, I could help you take care of the baby, we could raise him, or her, together, be a family."
He put a finger under her chin, tipping her face to his. "Think about it, won't you, please? I know it's not an ideal beginning for a marriage but people do it for worse reasons, every day. And you'd not have to do this alone, I'd be there to help you, whatever you need."
She looked at him. "Tom, I have to ask you – did Edith suggest this? I know she's been worrying about me."
"Well, I did mention it to her, and she thought it could be a good idea, but it was my idea, I promise. I love you, Sybil. Always have, always will. Nothing would make me happier than to be your husband."
Setting down his glass, he stood up. "I'll leave you in peace now, but – promise me you'll think about it?"
As Sybil watched Tom walk to his car, she felt the ever-present nausea rise up in her throat and ran to the bathroom, retching. When she was done, she sat down on the floor, resting her forehead against the cool glass of the shower screen, feeling more alone than ever.
I don't even know if my Tom wants to be with me – perhaps he's forgotten me already! Maybe Edith's right, maybe it's too hard to do this alone...
A/N -
Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/favourited this story so far. It's always so lovely to hear what you think!:)
More to come soon... and in the meantime, a reminder of my casting for Tom Bellasis in this story - Aneurin Barnard. (You can see the particularly gorgeous pic of him as I see him in this story on my Tumblr blog, if you want to!)
Now that you all know Sybil's situation (which several people guessed), I can reveal here that this fic came from a prompt, sent to me by mademoisellepoupee (and also by anon) a little while ago – "One night stand and falling pregnant" AU. Many thanks for the inspiration, and sorry it took me a while!