Five years later
" He's been! He's been!"
Tommy cracked open an eye at the sound of thundering footsteps bouncing down the hallway. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table and groaned when he saw it was only five in the morning. "You can't be grumpy on Christmas morning, Tommy," Saoirse smirked knowingly as she opened her own eyes to look at him. Tommy was prevented from replying when two very excited children burst in through the door with stockings in their hands and jumped on the bed giddily.
" Mummy! Daddy! He's been!" Dylan squealed. "Father Christmas has been! Can I open my presents?
" Can I open my pwesents, Mumma?" Sophie asked.
Two years younger than her brother and aged only three, she had the most adorable little lisp when she spoke and idolised the ground Dylan walked on. This of course meant copying everything he said and did.
"You can both open your stockings and then wait for me and Mum to come downstairs to open the rest," Tommy answered. "Why don't you go into your bedroom and open the stockings while we get dressed?"
The children were out of the room in a flash and Tommy grinned, snaking an arm around Saoirse's waist.
"Next year there'll be three of them to contend with," he rubbed the slight swell of Saoirse's stomach. "God help us, eh?"
"Well it was your bright idea," she grinned at him, placing her hand over his. "I was happy with two."
"Yeah but I can't help that you make such beautiful babies," Tommy smirked, leaning up to kiss her as his hand wandered and slid beneath her nightgown. "Now, I think we've got precisely eight minutes until they're back in here, midering us to get downstairs and open the presents."
"Hmm and what are you thinking we should do with those eight minutes, Mr Shelby?"
His only answer was to roll on top of her and slide himself inside her with a groan.
"I was thinking this might be an acceptable use of our time," he smiled, biting at her bottom lip.
"Agreed."
They both knew there was no time for slowness at that moment; no soft caresses and gentle teasing. They were on a time limit and every second counted, and Tommy made sure to use every single available second to bring Saoirse to the edge again and again. With a grunt he spilled himself inside of her and collapsed on top of her, careful not to let his weight rest on her too heavily and kissed her slowly.
And like clockwork the children appeared, eagerly chatting about what Father Christmas had left in their stockings and what else might be waiting for them. Saoirse sat up and made a great show of interest in answering their giddy chatter.
Lying back in bed for a moment, Tommy watched his little family and smiled to himself. Whoever would have thought a woman could have come into his life looking for a job and caused him such grief and also brought him the most immense joy he had ever known.
His life was better with her in it and every day with her was a new chance to be a better person: a better father and a better husband. Every day was a new beginning for the rest of their lives.