Sybil was lying beside Tom in bed, though neither of them really wanted to go to sleep. Just that day, Sybil had told Tom that she was pregnant and they had never felt more in love.
"I still can't quite believe it," Tom said, holding Sybil in his arms and nuzzling her hair with his chin.
"I know," Sybil mumbled, her arms draped across Tom's torso and her legs woven around his. "It feels a bit surreal."
The pregnancy wasn't planned. They had only been married for a few months and they were just beginning to think about possibly trying to start a family, but no concrete decisions for or against had been made. As it turned out, a few too many cocktails and one glorious night of unprotected sex had made the decision for them.
"We're going to need to tell everyone," Tom said.
"Part of me wants it to stay between just the two of us for a while longer," Sybil said.
"We can keep it between us for as long as we want," Tom whispered. Sybil heard the smile on his lips, without having to look at him.
"No we can't," Sybil said. "Your parents are going to find out tomorrow."
"They don't have to," Tom said. "We can keep it quiet and then tell them when we feel it's the right time."
Tomorrow Sybil and Tom were hosting Tom's parents and siblings for dinner. They were staying in England for a week or so, visiting family friends and were planning on dropping in on Sybil and Tom for a few days before they flew back to Dublin.
Sybil shifted against Tom, lifting herself up on her elbow so that she could look him in the face, his featured gently lit by Sybil's bedside light.
"Tom, honey, when was the last time we had dinner with your parents and I didn't have a glass of wine or two?"
When Tom had no answer, Sybil raised an eyebrow at him in an I-told-you-so kind of way.
"Your mother, at the very least, is going to notice. And once she knows she's getting another grandchild, she won't be able to keep it a secret from anyone. As of tomorrow evening, the entirety of your side of the family is going to know that I'm pregnant."
"Is that okay?" Tom asked.
"Do I have a choice?" Sybil said with a laugh. "They're going to find out eventually anyway. We can tell them now or we can tell them in a few weeks, but the result is the same either way."
"I hate it when you're so rational," Tom said. "You should think less with your head and more with your heart."
"Thinking with my heart is what got me pregnant in the first place," Sybil laughed. "But I wouldn't change it for the world."