Chapter Text
With another squeeze of Patrick’s hand, Shelagh took a deep breath and blinked back fresh tears. The drying trails on her cheeks were bittersweet as she smiled. “We have, haven’t we?” she said in answer to his words on their family and how they had everything a family could want. It was easy to forget that in moments of squabble, of eating a day old salad and swiss roll from the market stall, or on those nights when she could barely find the energy to clean her teeth before bed. It was at times like that that she would remember somewhat longingly the long, quiet days at Nonnatus that she had been so eager to leave behind. Her new life was better, and where she belonged, but a long stretch of silence and a moment to think, to contemplate, would never go amiss.
And the house was quiet now. The children were all tucked up, even Timothy. Before long they’d all be out the door and back to school and the house would be quiet once again. The summer days seemed long whilst in the midst of them, but sitting in the stillness of the early morning the chaos of the past week seemed far away. With a sigh, she thought to get up, to ready breakfast, but as she released Patrick’s hand the back of hers brushed against Teddy’s mouth organ, left haphazardly placed at the table. With a quiet sniffle, she raised the small instrument. It brought back memories of poor bunny Genevieve’s funeral: Teddy’s overly-animated puffs, the girls in matching black, and Tim quite solemn even as he kept one eye on the clock, counting the minutes until freedom.
All at once, emotion bubbled to the surface once more, and Shelagh coughed, trying desperately to control a laugh. Patrick’s raised brow had her almost choking until she finally let loose. “Oh, Patrick,” she said, when she could finally catch her breath. “The rabbit dying was a bit on the nose, wasn’t it?”
A smile crossed Patrick’s face before he started to laugh, too. The release of tension was immediate, even as Shelagh’s pleas to “laugh quieter so as not to wake the children” only made both their laughter rise in pitch.
As they began to calm, Patrick said, “Thank goodness for advancement in medical testing.”
“Talking of which--” Shelagh gingerly rose from her chair. “I’d better start the bacon if you’re to get to the Surgery on time!”
“Wait,” Patrick said, reaching for her waist as she started to walk past him. “Come here,” he continued, pulling her onto his lap. He leaned his forehead against her temple.
Relaxing into him, Shelagh’s heart pounded as he wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes and smiled as she felt his soft kisses against her skin. Breathing together, they shared a silent moment, before Patrick’s low voice asked, “Do you want to know the results?”
Releasing a breath, Shelagh took his hand and laced her fingers with his. “We’ll read them together.”