by Jolene Faye
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Sybil steeled her breath and straightened her back as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his chest. "I'm glad you came," the softness of his voice trickled down her cheek and played in the shallow pool of the curve of her neck. "You said it was important Robert," she sighed as she pushed him away, backing out of his arms. It had been three months now since Cole had disappeared into the shadows of dusk. She tortured herself every day since trying to think of why he'd left her the way he had. He'd taken her innocence and he'd taken her heart but since he'd disappeared Robert had been persistently trying to get her back. Before Cole and the day he'd made love to her so vigorously then disappeared, Sybil would have been delighted at the news of Robert's divorce. Now though, after three long months of missing and longing for the man that was as much a part of her heart as her young daughter, Sybil could find no comfort in Robert's pursuit of her. Robert groaned softly and lowered his head as she stepped around the finely upholstered chair in front of his desk and sat down. Raking his fingers through his hair as he straightened his jacket and took a seat on the desk in front of her, Robert cleared his throat. "I received word someone had been looking into Rose's adoption, Sybil," the earlier softness of his voice giving way to the starch legal tone. Her heart stopped. "What do you mean Robert? It's been almost two years! Who would have.. why would anyone...Robert," the fear flashed in her eyes as the swimming questions churned leaving only one that needed to be answered. "Robert, no one can take Rose from me can they," the tremble of her lips and the moist pools of tears punctuated the reality of the fear she'd long since let go of. The long silence tightened the grip of fear in her chest as she sat twisting her fingers together. Letting out a low sigh as he rubbed his fingers over the stressed wrinkles of his forehead, Robert raised his eyes watching the tremble of the tears pull at the corners of her eyes. "If someone has a legal claim to her, if they can produce witnesses to the fact of parenthood," he paused as the tears broke and fell down her cheeks. Standing he stepped toward her and crouched beside her. "They can fight you for custody of their own child. You would have to battle it out in the courts," he finished as he smoothed his thumb over her cheek trying to push away the tears. The news and the weight of sadness overwhelmed her. Leaning forward into his arms, Sybil pressed her face into his shoulder as the flood of tears and the bone rattling sobs overtook her. "Robert, I can't afford a long court battle. They can't take my daughter away from me," she stuttered between heart wrenching sobs as he whispered into her ear trying to sooth her. "Marry me Sybil," he whispered into the warm mess of her hair. Sybil sat up straight, pushing her hands against his shoulders as her eyes flew open. As her lips trembled and he watched her mental fight for words, Robert knelt on one knee and pulled her hand into his before looking into her eyes. "Marry me and we'll fight for Rose. I'm a lawyer and I can afford whatever battle they put before us. Just say you will marry me Sybil and no one will ever take Rose away from you."