In The Name of Love and Trust
You and Tom have been dating for a few months, but one night you come home late and he's sitting on a sofa in the living room with a glass of wine in his hand and the TV’s playing in the background.
“Where were you?" He said in a snarky tone.
“I was at work; tonight had been busy, so we had to stay over time,” I told him, smiling warmly even though she was a little startled at his tone.
He gives you a skeptical look, then takes a sip of his wine. “How late did you have to work? It’s nearly midnight,” he says in a short, blunt tone.
“Oh, really? I didn’t notice. I’m just so tired of work.” I walked to him and kissed him on the lips. “What’s the occasion? Have you been drinking alone all night? ”
He scowls as you kiss him, breaking the kiss and standing up. “The occasion is that I’m tired of you coming home late,” he says sternly. “Every time you’re late, you come up with an excuse, and you know what? I’m getting tired of it.” He glares down at you from a towering height.
I looked at him in shock. “Oh, I’m sorry, my love, if you feel like I’m neglecting you.” I put both of my hands on either of his cheeks as I guided his face to look at me. “My work during this season is always hectic. Thank you for always waiting for me.” I smiled at him, softly pecking his cheek.
His scowl fades away, and he takes your hands into his, looking down at you warmly. “I understand; I have just been a little worried,” he says, his tone softening a bit. "But I feel like you are not always fully honest with me about work. It makes me wonder," Tom says with a hint of suspicion.
“What do you mean?” I asked, frowning at him.
“I mean, I wonder if maybe you are not really late because of work. "Tom asks as his frown deepens. “You’ve come home late several times lately, and it’s been after dark. Every time you’re late, you say it’s because of work, but it’s starting to seem a little suspicious.”
“Tell me, what suspicion do you have?" I asked him softly as he took his hand on mine and caressed it.
He pauses for a moment, thinking about how he should put it. “Okay, I know this might sound crazy, but, lately, I’ve had a feeling that maybe you’re seeing someone else behind my back,” Tom says with a sigh, waiting for your reaction.
"Oh,” I said, looking away from him.
Tom’s expression softens as he notices your reaction. “Look, I told you this might sound crazy, but I’ve noticed you coming home later and later over the past couple of months, and I just have a feeling that..." Tom doesn’t finish his sentence, leaving you to figure out the rest alone.
“I’m so sorry if I did something that made you lose trust in me,” I sadly said as I looked at him.
Tom sighs as he sees that he has made a mistake, causing you to be upset. “Look, I know this might all be stupid; I’m just feeling a little insecure since you keep coming home late,” Tom says with a frown. “I love you, and I don’t want this to be an issue between us. Can we try to just forget about it? ”
“No, we need to talk about this; this is not stupid. I don’t want you to feel insecure, even just a little bit about us, my love. I value your emotion; this is not something we should ignore.” I squeeze his hands reassuringly.
As he feels your reassuring squeeze of his hand, all of his doubts and insecurities about you disappear in an instant. He smiles warmly at you. “Thank you for understanding,” Tom says warmly as he moves towards you to wrap you in a warm hug. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you; I really don’t know what came over me.”
“I forgive you,” I gently told him. “But I’m also asking for your forgiveness, my love. I’ve been keeping something from you,” I said, lowering my head.
He’s slightly taken aback by your sudden confession, his eyes widening with curiosity. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but I want to know it all, and I want to know the truth,” Tom says, waiting for you to continue.
“It is true that it’s hectic in my work this time of the year, like today and most days these past months, but..." I told him, fidgeting with his hands in mine.
Tom pauses momentarily as he waits for you to continue, noticing that you seem uncomfortable and worried. "But..." Tom begins to wonder why you seem so hesitant to finish explaining what you were about to say.
“But some of the days that we got off early, I..." I bit my lips, closing my eyes, and took a deep breath.
Tom waits patiently for your words, but as he sees you struggling to get them out, he gently tilts your face up to meet your eyes. “Please just tell me; I promise I won’t be angry at you, no matter what it is,” he says reassuringly.
I can see the sincerity in his eyes, my lovely Tom. “I went to St. Mungo’s Hospital to meet with my healer,” I told him dejectedly.
Tom is relieved as he hears your confession, sighing softly as he lets out a long breath. "Oh, thank God! "Tom says as he lets out another relieved sigh and smiles warmly at you. “I was so worried that you were hiding something terrible from me, but all this time it’s just been..." Tom pauses momentarily.
“…your healer”. He finishes, his voice trailing off as his face turns suddenly dark. “Wait, did you say your healer? "Tom asks sharply
He is suddenly hit with a realization as he looks at you with a cold and ruthless stare. “You’ve been meeting with your healer behind my back ALL THIS TIME,” he says forcefully.
“You misunderstood me,” I told him desperately.
Tom glares at you and narrows his eyes, now fully convinced that you have been seeing another man behind his back. “No, it’s quite clear how I’ve understood it. Every time you’ve been ‘late from work’ you’ve really been meeting your healer,” he says in a mocking tone. “I’ll bet his name is something like John or Peter.” He scowls.
“I HAVE BEEN GOING TO MY HEALER BECAUSE I AM DYING! "I shouted, frustrated that he misjudged the situation.
Tom is taken aback by your outburst, his body tensing as he stares at you with wide eyes. “What do you mean you are dying?” The color drains from his face as he realizes that these recent weeks haven’t involved you seeing another man behind his back but that you are actually keeping a much darker secret from him.
A sob racked through my chest, and my hands flew to my mouth as if trying to stop the noises from getting out.
Tom's face softens slightly as he sees you break down, his anger fading away as he feels an overwhelming guilt and sadness wash over him. Despite everything he has just heard from you, he still very much loves you, and now more than anything, he just wants to hold you in his arms to protect you from everything.
Without another word, he pulls you into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around you and holding you close to his chest, wanting to shield you from the pain and suffering you have been going through alone behind his back this entire time.
"I just didn’t want you to worry about me; I don’t want you to see me so weak; I don’t want you to leave me if I become so unbearable.” I choked the words out. “I was being selfish. I just wanted to come home to you every night, acting as if everything was alright.”
Tom holds you tightly as he listens to your words, his heart breaking for you as he thinks about everything you have been through alone. “You’re not weak,” he whispers softly as his voice shakes with emotion. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known. Don’t ever think for a second that I would ever think any less of you or that it could ever change the way I feel about you," he adds, holding you even closer to him.
“I’m so sorry for hiding this from you, my love; I know it wasn’t fair of me.”
“It’s ok, I understand; it must have been so difficult going through all of this alone.” He wipes away your tears with the sleeve of his shirt with a gentle and caring touch. “You never have to hide anything from me again, no matter how hard it may be for you. We’re in this relationship together, and I want to be there for you through sickness and health.”
I smiled up to him lovingly and hugged him tight. “I love you so much, my love, my Tom Riddle.”
He smiles warmly back at you and hugs you tightly in return, wrapping his arms around you and never wanting to let you go. “I love you too,” he whispers as he looks at you and kisses your forehead, then your cheeks, and then your lips.
For the next few years, Tom will always be there to accompany Morticia for her checkups. They have lived happily and in love together, and they even got married. But a phone call to Tom crashed it all.
Tom picks up the phone to hear the voice on the other end of the line deliver the devastating news that his wife’s condition has worsened significantly and that she has been rushed to the hospital and placed in the intensive care unit. Tom’s heart drops as he processes this shocking news and realizes that his worst fear has become a reality.
“I’ll come immediately.” Tom replies sharply, now filled with fear, grief, and anxiety about Morticia’s situation.
As he got inside the hospital room, he saw his pale wife on a hospital bed with tubes connected to a life support system. Tom can’t help but let out a sharp cry of anguish as he sees the love of his life on the bed, pale and weak, hooked up to the life support system. He rushes to the side of the bed and takes Morticia’s hands in his
"Honey, please don’t be like this. Stay with me," he whispers as he watches the machines monitor Morticia’s condition.
I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was my husband. It is always a good sight to wake up to.
He smiles at you as he sees that you are awake, your pale and weak features making him feel heartbroken, and his eyes fill with tears as he notices the state of your condition.
“I’m here, my love,” he whispers to you in a trembling voice.
I smiled weakly at him as I tried to squeeze his hand. “You’re here,” I mutter.
He wraps his hands around yours, tightly squeezing them. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” He kisses your forehead and cheeks as he holds you close to him, not wanting to let you go for even a second. “I will always be here for you.”
“I’m sorry, my love, for not being strong enough to stay with you.”
He pauses momentarily, thinking about how he should reply to your words that filled him with unbearable pain. He gently lifts your hands from his and kisses them. “You have nothing to be sorry about. You are strong, and you have fought so hard. I am so proud of you,” he says softly, now crying silently.
“I love you so much, Tom Riddle. Live your life for me.” I smiled at him lovingly, exhaustion clear in my face.
He looks down at you, and his heart breaks even more as he sees the toll that all of this has taken on you. “No, I can’t do that; I wouldn’t be able to live without you,” he says softly, not wanting to even think about the possibility of a life without you in it.
“You have to, for the both of us.” I firmly said to him, “Don’t worry, my love, I will always be right here.” I weakly pointed to the left of his chest, right above his heart.
He looks at you with a mix of love and pain as he slowly nods his head, accepting your words. He knows that he will carry you with him in his heart forever, no matter what happens. “Ok, my love, I promise I will.” He wipes away the tears from his eyes and kisses you softly. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I smiled softly. “I’m tired, my love,” I said as I slowly closed my eyes.
A wave of sadness sweeps over him as he sees you slowly shutting your eyes, now realizing that this could be the last time he sees you like this. “Rest, my love; I will be here for you when you wake up,” he whispers softly as he strokes your face with his fingers.
But I never woke up again, and the sounds of beeping from the machines stopped.
As he watches the monitor, his eyes slowly widen as he sees the beeping suddenly stop, his heart sinking even deeper into his stomach as he realizes what this means. He can’t help but let out a sharp cry of grief, as the love of his life has now left him forever.
He holds your hand tightly in his, and even though he knows you can’t hear him, he can’t help but say his final words to you: “I love you so much, my love. I will love you always.”
As he heard the doctor state the time, Tom couldn’t help but let out another heartbroken cry as he realized that it was now over. The doctor was now going to ask what he wanted to do, but he didn’t care. All he wanted was to hold Morticia’s lifeless body in his arms one last time before they took her away. He couldn’t see through his tear-filled eyes, but one thing was clear: the love of his life was now gone.
~THE END~