I'm very glad to be back with chapter four of this fic. I'm so sorry it took so long, but I'm glad it's here now. Only Chapter Five and an Epilogue left to go!
Chapter Four
Christmas 1928
Lucy's pregnancy had been going well so far. She was four months along and just starting to show as Christmastime rolled around. Tom made sure she was well looked after because he always worried about her after what happened with Sybil. Lucy understood that and didn't mind getting fussed over by her husband, and she appreciated when he brought her tea in bed if she was having a rough time with morning sickness.
As she cuddled with her husband on the sofa on Christmas morning, she brought a hand to the tiny bump that was beginning to form and leaned a head on his shoulder as they waited for Sybbie to come downstairs and open her presents. They would go to Downton for Christmas dinner that night, but for now it was time to just have a cozy moment as a family of three. "Do you realize we'll be a family of four next Christmas?" Lucy murmured as she snuggled up to her husband.
"Hmm," Tom chuckled. "I hadn't really thought about that yet, but it's true. We'll have a seven month old then. That's honestly crazy to think about, but I couldn't be happier about it," he said sincerely, kissing his wife's temple in gratitude for the little one she was bearing.
"Me either," Lucy said. "I can't wait to meet him."
"Him?"
"It's just a feeling I have," Lucy answered with a small blush.
"Well, whether you're right or wrong, he or she is going to be so loved," Tom proclaimed, putting his hand on his wife's still small bump. "Thank you for carrying our little one."
Lucy placed her hand on top of her husband's, interlocking their fingers to protect their baby below. "I just hope we can give them all the love they deserve," she said, letting a little anxiety show through for the first time.
"Of course we can," Tom said, leaning in to press a light kiss to his wife's cheek. "You are going to be an amazing mother," he whispered confidently.
"And you are an amazing daddy," she said sincerely, leaning up to capture his lips in a long kiss which he gratefully reciprocated with a passion that showed her not only did he love her right now, he was committed to loving her forever.
March 1929
Spring had begun, and it was showing signs early. Despite it being only March, the weather was warm enough for a picnic, so Lucy had proposed they go on one with Sybbie to celebrate that she could finally play outside again. By the time they made it to their special picnic spot, Lucy was out of breath. The pregnancy was certainly starting to get to her in terms of breathlessness, heartburn, and general aches and pains, but she was still so in love with the little baby inside of her.
Tom laid out the blanket and a cushion for his wife so she could sit and get settled while he laid out the food. Sybbie helped him get out the food, paying special attention to the plate of sweets the cook had packed for them. "Hey, those are for after lunch, young lady," Tom reminded her in a teasing tone.
"I know," Sybbie said, "I just wanted to make sure Mrs. Davis packed the iced buns Lucy likes."
"Nice try," Tom teased with a smirk, knowing his daughter's true intentions.
Sybbie grinned impishly and set the plate down before continuing to help her father unload the goodies and pouring a glass of lemonade to hand to her stepmom. "Here you are, Lucy."
"Oh, thank you darling," Lucy said sweetly, taking the glass from her and having a sip. "Wow, I think this little one likes lemonade!"
"Is it kicking?" Sybbie asked.
"Yes," Lucy said, placing Sybbie's hand on her bump so she could feel.
"Whoa, they're strong," Sybbie exclaimed, "Does it hurt?"
"It can be uncomfortable at times," Lucy admitted, "but it feels magical too."
"Like daddy says, there's magic all around us," Sybbie said rather profoundly, making Lucy smile. She adored this little girl who was so genuine and lovely.
"There certainly is," Lucy agreed.
April 1929
Lucy and her husband had been enjoying some relaxing time together as she got farther along in her pregnancy. Her bump was too big for her to really be able to comfortably travel anywhere farther than Downton, so they had been staying at home a lot lately, preparing for the baby's arrival. Lucy was in nesting mode, and Tom was helping her as much as possible, constantly fussing over her being on her feet too much.
After a day of hard work putting the finishing touches on the nursery, the pair were both glad of a chance to put their feet up. They were relaxing on the sofa cuddling together and sipping their tea quietly. Lucy was caressing her bump, feeling the soft kicks from her little one who was finally beginning to settle down for the day.
"I've been thinking we could call him Samuel," she said out of the blue, curious what her husband would think of her suggestion.
"Samuel," he said, testing the name out. "I like it."
She smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his lips as he caressed his wife's bump. "But what makes you so sure there's a boy in there?" he teased.
"I just know, alright," she said with mock indignance. The longer she'd been pregnant, the more her initial subconscious feeling she was having a boy had grown into a confident belief she was yet to shake off.
Tom chuckled at his wife's stubbornness. "And you're sure? I should begin preparing the cricket gear now, should I?"
Lucy chuckled and rolled her eyes slightly at her husband's teasing. "He's been in there for eight months now. I'm sure."
"Well, let's see if he's sure, hmm?" he said, getting on his knees in front of his wife and lifting her blouse up slightly so he could press a kiss to her bare stomach where their baby lay. "Is there a Samuel in there?" he asked, pressing his ear to her stomach as if waiting to hear a response. Sure enough, he felt a strong kick within his wife's belly.
"Is that enough confirmation for you?" Lucy teased.
"Not quite," he answered, turning his attention back to his wife's stomach. "Let's try this: if you're Samuel, kick twice, and if you're not, kick once." He placed his hand on her bump, expecting to feel nothing, and received quite the surprise when he felt two kicks in rapid succession.
"See, I told you," Lucy said with a smirk.
"You certainly did," Tom chuckled, placing his hands up in mock defeat. "I can't wait to meet you, little man," he whispered against Lucy's stomach before kissing it once more and then covering her bump and standing up.
"I love hearing you admit I'm right," Lucy joked, rising and wrapping her arms around Tom's neck.
"And you get to hear it more often than I'd like to admit, don't you?" he teased back with a wink.
"I certainly do," she said before leaning in and pressing her lips to his. He kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss, blocking all distractions from their love from the room except the child created from it who lay between them.
