Chapter Text
Just when her life seemed to finally be falling into place, the universe felt the need to throw this monkey wrench into her path. The tiny, innocuous stick stared up at her, the bright pink strip in the center like a glaring beacon that signaled rough times ahead for her. Positive. She was pregnant, and the father was a no-good deadbeat she was better off without.
“Why me,” Sigrid whined, head collapsing in her arms. She was sitting on the floor of her bathroom, the toilet acting as her crutch as she wallowed in her despair. All she wanted was to stay in the little room for the rest of her life, because somehow stepping outside would make this far more real than it already is. In here she was safe and could ignore her little problem for just a little bit longer. Her phone rang, crushing that dream at once.
She picked up the cellphone and looked at the screen. Fili was calling. Her misery deepened. Wonderful, kind Fili. A man she had just met but was already falling deeply in love with. He had come into her life as such a perfect time, shortly after her deadbeat ex left her life for good. He was charming, polite, but also cheeky and fun, making her laugh when all she wanted to do was mope. Now he would leave her, because let’s be honest, who would want to stick around with a woman who was pregnant with some other man’s child?
The phone kept ringing and she knew she had to answer it. After all, they had a date later today. She hit the little green button and accepted the call.
“Hey, Fili!”
Her voice sounded far too chipper for her current mood. Luckily Fili didn’t notice anything strange.
“Hey, gorgeous. Just calling to confirm our date this afternoon,” he replied, sounding so adorably eager.
A part of her wanted to cancel, to make excuses again and again until he took the hint and walked away without her having to face him. But he didn’t deserve it. Not Fili.
“Yup! I have my outfit picked out and ready,” she said instead, trying to keep her voice steady and happy.
“Great! I hope you like Italian. I know the owner of this great little café on Shire and Blue Mountain street. His garlic bread is to die for!”
“I love Italian. We’ll meet there at 6?”
“Sounds like a plan. Until then, gorgeous.”
“Bye, Fili.”
The call ended and Sigrid was once again alone in the bathroom. She glanced at the little stick one more time. Why couldn’t it have been negative?
With a sigh she tossed it into the trash and got off the floor. She had a date to get ready for.
XxxXxxX
Six o’clock rolled around too quickly, in her own opinion, and she was waiting at the address Fili texted to her in her favorite green dress and flats. It was the dress that always gave her confidence when she wore it, and right now she needed some desperately.
However, the sight of Fili walked up the road with a broad grin on his face had her losing the little courage her dress gave her. She was about to duck into the alley and hide but he saw her before she had the chance.
“Wow! You look amazing,” the man complimented, looking at her up and down in a way that was both polite and appreciative but not at all creepy. Few men could pull such a look off.
“Thank you,” she shyly replied, staring down at her feet.
“Come on. I called ahead and Bombur saved us his best table.”
He opened the restaurant door for her and carefully shepherded her inside. There was no backing out now. A large and jovial man with a fantastically red beard greeted them, slapping Fili on the back with a booming laugh and shaking her hand politely, before leading them to their table. It was small and out of the way from the rest of the restaurant, giving them some privacy.
“Garlic bread is fresh out of the oven, so I’ll go fetch you all a basket. Let me know when you’re ready to order,” he said with a merry smile before walking off and leaving the two alone. Sigrid stared at her lap, fingers twisting around each other. Fili, noticing her unusual shyness, took the lead.
“It’s good to see you again.”
That had her peeking up and smiling softly.
“Yeah. It’s good to see you, too.”
Fili smiled at her, perfectly at ease and not at all put off by her mood.
“How has your week been?”
Sigrid bit her lip. Should she answer honestly and get this whole thing over with? Or should she wait until he had something to drink, like wine or something stronger? She decided to go with the former. Her da always taught her to face things head on and get them over with quickly. Rip off the Band-Aid, so to speak.
“Honestly, not so great.”
Her tone was heavy and somber and Fili’s mood shifted at once. His smile dropped slightly and his brows furrowed in concern.
“Are you alright?”
Tears flooded her eyes at the simple sentence. Of course that would be Fili’s first response. Not some vaguely sympathetic noise before brushing past her answer entirely, but rather a genuinely concerned question. That was just the kind of man he was.
Taking a deep breath, she began to explain.
“You remember me telling you about my ex? And what a piece of work he is?”
The blond nodded, so she continued.
“I had only left him not even a month before I met you. Though we hadn’t been together long it was draining part of my life, one I was happy to finally be over with.”
At some point her hands had migrated onto the table, though they still twisted around each other. Fili reached out and laid a strong, comforting hand across them. She took strength from the action, letting his touch ground and relax her.
“Fili,” she said, voice soft and scared. “I’m pregnant.”
Silence fell between them, Sigrid staring at their entwined hands. She couldn’t bare looking up at him. It lasted for what felt like eternity before Sigrid broke it, needing to say something.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but it wouldn’t be fair to keep this from you. If you want to leave now and just remain friends, I understand. If you want to leave and never see me again, I understand that as well. I don’t expect anything from you.”
His hand left hers and she felt her heart break in her chest. But instead of retreating across the table it instead migrated up, grabbing her chin gently and tilting her face so that she was looking at him. Fili was watching her with such a tender look that for a moment she forgot to breath.
“Is there an option where I can stay by your side? Because I would like to take that one.”
It was a response she hated dared to hope for.
“Really,” she asked in disbelief. Fili smiled gently at her, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.
“Really. I like you, Sigrid Bowman, and if it’s not too forward, I think I’m falling in love with you. I would like to keep going if it’s alright by you.”
The tears that were in her eyes started to fall, though they were now of relief and happiness.
“I would like that very much,” she replied, hiccuping slightly.
Fili chuckled softly and handed her a cloth napkin to dry her eyes with. It was at this time that Bombur arrived, a fresh basket of garlic bread in his hands.
He raised his eyebrows at Sigrid’s tears, but politely ignored it.
“Can I start you two off with some wine?”
Fili shook his head.
“Not tonight. How about some tea though? Decaf.”
Sigrid smiled at his answer. She reached up to take the hand at her cheek and bringing it down to the table, letting her fingers entwine with his. They didn’t let go for the whole night.