• Stealing Cinderella •

[Theo Anthony Sterling]

Theo probably should’ve had this conversation with Meg sooner. She had to have been full of questions and confusions about how Theo got to where he was now with a daughter and a lot of grief riding on his shoulders. It wasn’t as though there was anyone else who lived that life and Theo hadn’t met anyone at the university who was widowed or experiencing fatherhood alone. He had no one to talk to really when it came to Issy and the situation they were both in. Lilia listened when he needed to talk and she offered advice and helped him out when she could, but she didn’t understand how Theo felt or what he was going through. She just got to be a spectator, momentarily joining in the action to try and pick him up when he was inexplicably down.

The memory encircled his mind once again and Theo found himself overwrought with sadness again. He had sat by her bedside from the moment Jenny had gone into labour and not left it until after she had passed away. He could still feel her hand in his and hear the soft accent that she shared with him in the big city. Theo knew that no matter what life threw at him now or how happy he became in future years, a part of him would never get over the loss of Jenny. They had been young love at its finest and he believed that there was nothing that could’ve torn them apart until the doctor took him to one side and explained that the odds were not in Jenny’s favour. The haemorrhaging was continuing despite the several attempts to stop the bleeding; the successful procedures were only temporary it seemed and it wasn’t long before Jenny was crashing again. Theo was asleep, her hand in his, when the monitors had started screeching for attention, disturbing another restless night of sleep. He watched as they tried to save her life again, but it was too late and when Theo should have been celebrating the birth of his little girl, he was planning a funeral. “Issy will never know her. Pictures just aren’t enough.”

[/color] He whispered sadly. He felt awful for not being able to watch his daughter and her mother bond, spend time together and go shopping for dresses. Theo would be there for as much as he could and he knew Lilia would do the same, but it just didn’t feel right; no little girl should grow up without her mother.

He glanced across at Meg with dark, sad eyes and sighed, rubbing his hands on his jeans before pushing himself to his feet. He needed to walk, even just around the bed to the side that had once been his wife’s. He looked down at the sheets and smiled sadly before sitting back down and laying along the length of the bed, his head on the pillow before he patted the space next to him where he usually slept. He wanted Meg near him and he didn’t want to be perched on the edge of the bed. “Jenny only got ta hold Issy the once before she died.”[/color] His voice was cracking, his eyes growing watery. He didn’t know how to tell this story properly or make sense, but he had to tell it. “She haemorrhaged out, over and over. They tried ta save her, but in the end there was too much blood and she was too weak for another transfusion. Issy was barely four days old when she…”[/color] He couldn’t say anymore, the tears rolling down his cheeks. He loved Meg, he really did, but this was still a horrific story to tell and his heart still broke from the memory of watching his wife die. It had only been a year and a half ago and Theo had a long way to go before he could speak so openly about it.
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• • •

TAGGED! Meg <3
WORDS! 693
OUTFIT! Darling Date!
LYRICS! Beauty And The Beast - - - Disney
NOTES! <3

[Margaret Rose Warren]

Meg didn't mind that he hadn't told her all of this outright. She'd known before they'd officially started dating that he came with a lot of baggage, and she'd readily replied with an "I don't care about it." Even after all they'd been through emotionally, she still stood by that statement, knowing that, when Theo found the courage, he'd tell her whatever she needed to know. Pushing him wouldn't be good for any parties involved, and she just wanted to help him heal from the loss that was so obviously eating away at his heart. Tonight, it seemed like that would happen instead of them giving into the animal instincts still lingering in human blood.

Children weren't exactly in her plans for the future, though she knew her father wanted a grandchild as much as she wanted a stable job. However, listening to Theo talk about his mother-less daughter was bringing out her maternal side. She'd dreamed about having her own baby girl and living through all the moments she wished she'd been able to have with her own mom, but it'd always seemed far-fetched. Sitting on the bed with Theo was making it come closer and closer; and she wanted so badly to run from it. He may have been used to being a parent, but she wasn't, and she didn't want to be for a long time. Or, at least until her life was settled into some form of a routine. "No, they never are," she answered, sadly. Meg bit her lip nervously before adding, "But, she's got you to tell her stories and to bring the pictures to life. That makes them the next best thing." Some days, she still sat with her father and listened to him tell stories about when her mother had been alive. It truly was the next best thing and, even if it would've been a million times better to have her mom alive, Meg would take it. She only hoped that, once Issy was old enough, she'd see things in the same light.

Meg climbed over the bed to get closer to him again, hesitantly lying her head on the other pillow as she listened. She gently brushed the tears off his cheeks, resting her head in her palm as she lay propped up by her elbow. She'd always been a good listener, but right now, it took everything she had not to make him stop. He needed to tell her; she needed to know. At the same time, she didn't want to hear anymore because it was hitting too close to her own well-guarded secret. Meg didn't stop him though, and only cuddled a bit closer to him. Tonight was his turn to share and, while she would have to work hard to keep her own memories from interfering, she didn't want to take this time away from him. Stroking his cheek with soft fingers, she said, "I bet she would've been proud of you and her. Issy's a beautiful little baby and you... you're not moping in a hole, so that's an accomplishment." Meg smiled teasingly at him, reaching up to give him a sweet kiss. This was a hard topic and, while she wanted him to keep going, she also didn't want him to get too depressed. It was her job to keep him happy, and that was what she planned on continuing to do.

TAG: Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Theo's Place!
WORDS: 612!
MUSIC: "Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks
OUTFIT: SIMPLY CLASSIC!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

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[Theo Anthony Sterling]

It was still just as painful now as it was back then. Jenny had been his first love and was the mother of his beautiful baby girl and right now all Theo could see whenever his eyes blinked shut was the hospital, the blood and all the times he had screamed for a doctor whenever the machines monitoring his wife began to screech and beep whilst Jenny would bleed out all over again. It was the stuff of Theo’s nightmares, the reason behind his insomnia and the broken look that lingered in his dark brown eyes.

Issy was a surprise to Theo and if things had gone the way they had planned originally, he probably would already be on a stage and still be in the role of childless husband. None of that happened though and Theo had stopped trying to plan out the fine points of his life now, simply taking each day as they came. Five year plans were futile and redundant when fate intervened to toss a spanner in the works, like stealing the life away from a promising young woman with a newborn child and a doting husband. “But it disnae give her a ma.”

[/color] He said sadly, shaking his head. He could be the best dad in the world, but that wouldn’t make up for the lack of a mother in Issy’s life. Theo might have more children, marry someone else and get some kind of happy ending, but what if he didn’t? Or it wasn’t until much later in his life? It wasn’t fair on the innocent baby girl and he wished he could make it all better now, rather than wondering about it all.

Shaking his head, Theo roughly rubbed at his eyes, willing the tears to stop now. He wasn’t going to talk about it anymore unless Meg had a question of sorts. He couldn’t bring himself to do it anymore and she did know the truth now. “Sorry, this isn’t exactly the night I had planned for you.”[/color] He said, sniffing and angrily wiping away the rest of his tears. He hadn’t wanted this date night to go this way and he hadn’t wanted Meg to find out about Jenny through his tell-tale tattoo either that he had done in memory of her. He had enough problems to overcome as it was and tonight was not the night to take them all on. He just wanted to enjoy Meg’s company. Leaning over, he kissed her gently, willing all thoughts of the tragedy from his mind. The primal urges may have ebbed for now, but he still wanted to be close to his girlfriend. That had to be a good sign after the way he had previously acted whenever Jenny popped into his mind during their conversations; instead of running, he was pushing himself forward to the young blonde and pulling her close in his arms.
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• • •

TAGGED! Meg <3
WORDS! 520
OUTFIT! Darling Date!
LYRICS! Beauty And The Beast - - - Disney
NOTES! <3