My Darling ❤️

Thank god

Mary had never felt such blissful relief in her life, how did her life fall apart in a minute but then rebuild itself magically overnight?
Nothing felt completely real yet, it couldn't. And ever so often the unwelcome thoughts of what could have been came flooding back.

Matthew felt weak as everyone else did.
The feeling at that moment was still an amalgamation of bliss and fear, it was a different prospect to register.

Sybil had, rightfully, just slept and slept.
A still unnamed baby girl lay in her father's arms. She squirmed and yawned.
It was the most precious thing Tom had ever seen.

{The sun streamed in gracefully as Mary woke up to Matthew's face face smiling at her.
"Were you watching me?" Mary giggled

"You're just so beautiful when you are asleep...." Matthew hummed

"Matthew Crawley you are ridiculous" she smiled at him and kissed him before he could reply.

"I'm not ridiculous, I just know how lucky I am" Matthew corrected but for once it was welcome.

"I am so in love with you, you know"
Mary sighed, still smiling uncontrollably.

"I do know, and it motivates me in everything I do..." Matthew said quietly and contentedly

He held her closer before kissing the top of her head and whispering loving compliments into her ear.
They never wanted to leave that moment.

"Living our lives together" Matthew reminisced

"I don't want to get up but I suppose we have to..." Mary sighed and buried herself into Matthew's chest

"They'll send up a search party if we don't..." Matthew said before they both burst into laughter.

They eventually made it downstairs, just in time for breakfast....

"I suppose Sybil might be feeling strong enough to talk to us, it has been two days and I want to see her" Robert suggested

"And I'm sure she wants to see you too papa, but make sure to let her do it in her own time aswell" Mary advised with a smile

Tom looked as if he was about to collapse from tiredness.
"Go and sleep, don't worry about the rest of them, I will handle it" Matthew instructed
Tom gave him a worn look of appreciation and wandered upstairs.

That night, in bed.
"Thank god for doctor Clarkson keeping her alive" Mary worshiped

"Thank god for everything, for downton, for our family, for us, but mostly, thank god for you." Matthew spoke eloquently

Mary curled into his arms and settled. They were so grateful for everything they had together, and hopeful for their future.
But for now, the moment was perfect, as was every night they spent together.
Living their lives together.

Then Matthew frowned and finally said what had been bugging him for weeks.
"Do you think I should see someone, you know they told us I couldn't have children when I was injured, I recovered, but are we sure they weren't right about that?" He slightly panicked

"They were wrong, you are overthinking this" Mary replied

"Come here, I need you" Matthew smiled slightly and pleaded
They kissed again and again. Thank god for having eachother.

The annual cricket game was swiftly approaching and Tom had refused to play, insisting that he had never played it before so he wouldn't be bringing anything good to the team.
He definitely hadn't played before, but that wouldn't stop Robert trying.

Matthew had a meeting with the agent, Jarvis, he wasn't looking forward to.
Something had to change if they wanted to keep downton, but he was also going to have to ease Robert into it.

{Apparently easier said than done. It went about as well as a car crash. Matthew just wanted to sink into the ground. Why did Robert have to be so stubborn? And now, well he had to tell Mary...ah. He prepared himself for his upcoming task in the future. If only Jarvis had listened to him.

Mary turned around from her dressing table curiously.
"How did it go?" She asked
Matthew grunted and flopped down backwards onto the bed.
"Jarvis resigned, and I'm going to have to make it all work!" He sighed
"What?" Mary gasped
"And Tom and Sybil are supposed to leave in two days....your father hates my guts, so I'm all alone. You don't count, I meant someone who is not allowed to divorce me." Matthew sighed but chuckled at the end
Mary just pursed her lips, trying not to smile.
"Come here, I need you" Matthew beckoned
"We're about to go down, you'll make me untidy" Mary reluctantly walked over to sit on his lap for a quick cuddle.
"Good" Matthew taunted
"So i should make as much conversation as possible to avoid awkwardness between you and papa" Mary confirmed without Matthew asking.
"I don't deserve you" Matthew replied
"Of course you do" she smiled as he played with her hair gently.

"Her name will be Grace Cora Violet Branson" Sybil's announced with a smile
"It's long, but there was too many people to honour" she continued
Mary whispered to Matthew
"And they knew granny would be furious if Grace didn't have Violet as a middle name" she sniggered making Matthew attempt to suppress a laugh.
Grace Cora Violet Branson.
It was perfect.