December 12th, 1918
"Evie, wake up love!"
A sudden and rather loud voice nearly startled her out of her half asleep state. She grumbled, burying her head deeper into the blanket she curled up with in hopes that it would make the noise stop. Despite the tangled, messy looking state of the large blanket on top of her and the pillows under her, the comforter sat neatly folded on the other side of the bed. Evie never slept under the covers, not once since she was a toddler. Blankets were the only thing she could rest comfortably under simply because she could tuck the end under her feet. This was all because of a childhood fear she had of monsters coming to snatch her by her feet if they were left out in the open. Of course, she didn't believe that anymore, but the habit still stuck.
"Evie!"
She grumbled again, this time pulling the blanket over her head. Now sharp, noisy footsteps could be heard climbing their way closer to her ears. Evie mustered something of a whine. "Please make it stop." She mumbled into the pillow.
"Evangeline don't make me drag you out by your feet." Came Polly's voice from the doorway. Evie's eyes snapped open, and she was soon tossing the blanket away from her face.
"Bloody hell did my mother's spirit possess you?" She muttered, sluggishly and uneasily pushing herself up into a sitting position. "How do you know my full name?"
Polly smirked, taking in the younger girl's disoriented form as she came into the room. "It was in the letter your father snuck in with your things when you first came here. Thought I'd need to use it eventually."
Evie huffed. "Of course he would think that." She grumbled, desperately wanting to snug back into her pillows.
"If you know me at all you'll know I don't care how old you are. I'll still use it." Polly added. Another set of footsteps soon made themselves known on the stairs, trudging loudly until Ada appeared in the doorframe. She giggled at the disheveled state of her friend. "Good morning."
"Shut up." Evie mumbled.
Ada hummed, not at all affected by her harshness. "I see that fever is gone now." She observed.
"Quite." Polly nodded, moving to the wardrobe to the left of her. "Now c'mon get up," She ordered, searching through Evie's clothes. "You missed the boys coming home a few days ago and now that you're better, they'll want to meet you."
Ada laughed. "Oh sure, introduce her to them right after she wakes up— that'll be a nice first impression."
Evie glared in the brunette's direction, but furrowed her brow at Polly's remark. "Why didn't you tell me they had before now?" She yawned.
"Love, you were out of it and slept for nearly three days straight. I could've told you a hundred times and you wouldn't remember one bit."
Evie breathed out a laugh. "It's probably better that I was asleep." She muttered, gently kicking the blanket off of her body. "I'm a terrible patient."
Polly never responded, but soon moved away from the wardrobe laying out a casual, olive green dress along with a cream-colored sweater. Evie mouthed a 'thank you' before taking the garments.
"I'll be downstairs making breakfast." Polly announced, directing her gaze towards Ada. "Let's hope at least one of your brothers are awake at this hour." She told her, soon disappearing from the room with Ada trailing behind.
As she was alone once more, Evie felt compelled to collapse back onto the mess of pillows, but she knew that would only result in Polly owning up to her harmless threat and actually drag her out by her feet. So, she forced herself to stay awake. She eventually stood from the bed, disappeared behind the dressing screen, and switched her nightgown for the loose dress and sweater. Although once she managed to fix her tousled hair, Evie knew if she was going to do anything at all today, she would need food first, and her stomach wasn't ashamed to make itself known with a loud grumble.
Soon she found herself toddling down the stairs barefoot while attempting to pin down the extra pieces of hair she always had pulled back no matter the hairstyle. The rest of her brown hair was left alone, loose and wavy, just barely brushing her shoulder blades. Once she came into the kitchen she was greeted with a very warm cup of tea, and it wasn't long before Polly presented the three of them with a large breakfast. Although it wasn't large enough to keep them from devouring every bit. Ada disappeared almost immediately after she cleaned her plate, claiming she was too impatient for her brother's to decide to make an appearance. It was already nearing half past nine and she was confident they would be awake already.
Just as Polly began to take their cups from the table the side door slammed open, nearly making her drop the two pieces of china in her hands. Evie slightly jumped in her seat, jerking her head towards the hallway. "Pol, you up yet?" A man bellowed as footsteps pounded closer to them. Once the owner of the deep voice came into view, Evie felt a smile twitch at the corners of her mouth. His confident stride faded almost immediately after he saw her from the hall. "Shit ah..." He stuttered. "Sorry love, did I get the wrong house?"
On impulse, Evie looked to the older woman who was hidden by the wall in front of her, but she was only met with a smirk. "It's alright Arthur, you didn't charge into a strangers home." Polly assured, setting the tea cups down before another noise could startle them out of her hands.
The man who she now knew as Arthur caught another glance her way before peaking around the corner to see his aunt. Evie automatically knew who he was once Polly spoke his name. Arthur Shelby, the eldest of the three brothers she heard many stories of over the last months. The boyish smile that now graced his face, despite not being directed her way, made her feel comfortable, soon causing her to smile herself. "Where's your brother?" Polly asked, placing one hand on the counter the other on her hip.
Arthur scratched the back of his head. "Ah well, we kinda parted ways at the Garrison last night. He was still there when I left but I don't know where he went." He admitted, coming into the kitchen further.
A frustrated sigh escaped his aunts lips. "Well let's hope your sister can find him. I wanted both of you to meet Evie at the same time but I guess that won't be happenin'."
At the mention of her name, Arthur looked over to Evie in realization. "So your the Evie our aunt's been been chattin' about since yesterday mornin', huh?" He smiled at her warmly as he took a seat from across the table. Evie returned the smile with a smirk. "I suppose I am?" She asked more than stated, looking over to Polly. "You've been talking about me?"
"She mentioned ya in a few of the letters we got over in France so we'd know what to expect, but she never told us what you were like or anythin'." Arthur answered for her, pausing to chuckle. "I never heard the woman talk so nicely about a kid that wasn't hers."
Polly scoffed at him in annoyance but couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face, making Evie smile again as well. There was something infectious about Arthur's grin that she couldn't place, but she didn't complain. It was a nice contrast to most of what she had seen and felt. Dark and gloomy streets, lonely, grieving people. Evie hadn't expected for him to appear so cheery considering what they had just come back from. Then again she hadn't considered the earlier mention of the Garrison and the alcohol they drank the night before, along with Polly's talk of the boys' tendency to joke to avoid things they'd rather not speak of.
Evie shifted in her seat, suddenly realizing that Polly would've had to include other less positive topics in her talks. "So I guess you already know everything you need to know about me?" She asked him, feeling her smile drop back into a straight line.
Arthur pressed his lips in a thin line, nodding his head. "Yeah," He muttered, now feeling awkward among his company. "I don't see no reason why you can't continue to stay 'ere." He offered, attempting to lighten the subject. "I didn't know your dad that well but I remember 'im being real respectful and kind to us. He was one of the few that was. I think it's the least we can do to keep an eye on ya."
A hint of that same grin twitched back onto his face as he uttered the last sentence. Polly smiled, leaning her cheek on her fingers. "Good." She looked to her nephew in approval. "I would've made you anyway- but knowing that, now I can breathe a little easier."
"But I think we should wait to officially say it's okay when Tommy gets back, Pol." Arthur added, keeping his gaze on the table in-between them all. "When we got your letters he wasn't with us."
"Yes, I know. That's why I sent two of the same letter."
"Yeah, but we don't know if he agrees with this or not. It should be a family vote since we're gonna be seein' Evie around a good bit. She might be 'ere for some things that were for our eyes and ears only before." He explained, although Polly didn't utter a word, rather sit in thought.
"I think that's fair." Evie spoke up. "I did come knocking at your door rather abruptly, Polly... and even though I've been here with you and Ada for almost a year now, they haven't been here for any of that time. They should get a say."
Polly hummed, eventually nodding in agreement. "What about John? He never mentioned anything about it yesterday."
Arthur chuckled. "Oh, he's fine with it. He's been fine ever since you started talking about 'er when we got off the train."
Evie's eyes narrowed. "Should I be worried about that?" She looked to Arthur questionably but he was quick to shake her head. "Don't worry, I warned him before he could even think about that."
Polly could all but keep herself from rolling her eyes. "So we'll discuss this when Tommy gets back, then?"
"Yeah," Arthur nodded. "It should only be a day or two from now."
When Ada had returned, she came back alone and perturbed. One, because she wasted her time looking for Arthur when he was already there, but also because she couldn't find John anywhere. Her eldest brother suggested that he might still be at the Garrison, passed out or snoring no doubt, but Ada felt too lazy to try looking again. Later on in the day, however, Evie found herself going to the very place with Ada trailing off behind her. Arthur's mention of John never left their sisters mind and now she was dragging Evie along to hunt him down.
As she entered she took notice of the lack of people inside. The Garrison was normally idle at this time anyhow, apart from the few drunken men attempting to sober up before they returned to their homes. It wasn't something she often saw in Stirling, but after coming here so many times with Polly, Evie grew used to the sight.
Once she confirmed to herself that the snug was empty, Evie walked past towards the bar. "Hello Harry." She smiled at the older man. He smiled in return. "Miss Evie, how's this mornin' treatin' ya?"
"Quite alright, I guess. I finally got rid of that fever." She answered, folding her hands on the bar-top. "I met Arthur earlier."
Harry looked up from the pair of glasses he was cleaning, letting a small chuckle escape his mouth. "An' how was your first impression of the eldest Shelby man, eh? He give you any trouble?"
"No." She laughed. "Ada and I are looking for John, though. Have you seen him anywhere?"
Another chuckle escaped his mouth, although this time he sounded more humored. "Seen 'im? He never left the Garrison after practically drinking his body weight last night." Harry paused, kneeling behind the bar to put the glasses away. "He passed out in the back office but I just let 'im stay there til he wakes up."
"He's still asleep?" Evie laughed, receiving another nod once Harry stood back up. A sigh escaped her lips as she made their way to the back of the Garrison. Evie trailed around the back, only stopping in her tracks to giggle once she found who she was looking for. Exactly as Harry has claimed, John was passed out in the office, laid strawn out in a chair with his mouth hung open. Although when she began to laugh, he also began to stir. John eventually came into consciousness, enough to catch himself before he could fall to the ground, but not enough to recognize the people in front of him.
"You alright over there?" Evie asked, catching his attention.
John rubbed his eyes, leaning back against the chair he'd been asleep in all night. "Who's askin'?"
"Evie," He looked up as she paused, finally taking in the sight of his company. John felt his jaw slightly drop. "Oh the ah," He began to mutter. "You're the one—"
"The one staying with your aunt?" She interrupted. "Yeah."
Her words left him silent, to rub his hands along his face because he didn't know what else to do. Noticing this, Evie let a smile come across her face. "Don't worry I'm not gonna go running to 'er about this." She assured, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your sister's been looking for you."
An amused huff escaped his mouth. "Yeah, she always has been." He began, pausing to yield to a yawn he felt coming. "She's been at our fuckin' heels since she could walk." He chuckled. John moved to stand, leaning forward before he could get to his feet. As he did this, however, something fell from his pocket. It rolled away from him, stopping at her feet, and once it stopped she could see it was a small vile. Evie knelt down, noticing white powder inside as she picked up the blue piece of glass. If the expression she saw on his face once she looked back wasn't enough giveaway, the substance inside was. She didn't have to ask him to know what it was.
John fumbled over his words, quickly giving up on trying to saying anything. He expected Evie to give something of a scolding with what his Aunt told him about her. He knew the people who taught her religion and the things they chastised, one being drugs. Although to his surprise, Evie stepped toward him with her hand extended out. "I'm
not one to judge." She stated, giving him a small
smile, before taking a step back.
Before he could think of a reply another set of footsteps could be heard approaching the back, and Ada soon appeared at the door. The expression on her face was probably the most annoyed Evie had ever seen. "Are you kidding me?," Ada sighed. "I've been lookin' for you all over the bloody town."
"An' you didn't think to ask Harry if he'd seen me?" John joked, folding his hands over the vile so she wouldn't see it. Ada rolled her eyes. "Piss off. Polly's lookin' for you anyway."
She left without another word, but looked over to Evie as if saying to follow her. Evie looked back to John, catching him slip the small blue capsule into his coat once his sister was gone. "I imagine I'll be seeing you later?" She questioned lightly. All he did was nod, letting a halfhearted smile come across his face. Evie pointed her head down to his pocket. "That'll be our secret."
Her words made him smirk, prompting her to smirk as well before leaving the room. John rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head slightly. He was taking a liking to her already.