Chapter 52

apologies for the long delay in updating. things have been hectic here. ive recently had a baby so my available time has somewhat diminished. thank you for sticking with me though! also thanks for drawing my attention to the formatting issues with the most recent update. i will try to get the next one out as soon as i can

Tommy followed quickly behind her as she rushed up the winding staircase of her parents townhouse. She had barely spoken since they left Central Park and he was growing increasingly worried about her.

"Sara?"

He spoke again as they made their way into the bedroom. Her parents were out for the day but were expected home imminently and the last thing he wanted was to make a scene. He highly doubted that Sara would be keen to divulge the fact she had run into her birth mother that afternoon. He could feel the tension radiating from her. The unexpected meeting had thrown her for six and he could sense how uncomfortable she felt being back in the woman's presence. Her normally vivacious attitude had quickly disappeared after she had introduced them. It was almost as if she had become the same terrified little girl she had been growing up. Like she was transported back to that time in her life, as if no time had passed at all. The woman had quickly noticed the protruding bump from underneath her coat and all of Tommy's protective instincts kicked in when she had made attempts to place her hand upon his wife's stomach.

"So I see I am to be a grandmother."

Tommy had swiftly stepped in front of Sara, knocking the woman's hand out of the way.

"Quite the handsome one you have here Anna."

She had looked over Tommy from head to toe as he stood between them, towering over her. He had taken Sara's hand and pulled her gently along the path towards one of the many exits of the park, desperate to get her out of the situation.

lI'll be around here if you want to talk Anna."

Allowing Tommy to escort her away, Sara had tried desperately to ignore the woman shouting after them and now, within the safety of her home, she collapsed onto a nearby chair and dropped her head into her hands. He was quickly by her side, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She allowed herself to be gathered up in his embrace, resting her head on his strong shoulder.

"Sara." He whispered. "Talk to me. Tell me what all that was about.

She pulled her body back from him and rested back into the chair. "There isn't much more to say. That woman was my mother. You remember all what I told you about my childhood."

Thomas nodded solemnly. Truthfully, the thought of it all was never far from his mind since she had trusted him in the early days of their relationship with that very private and sensitive confession. He remembered the night she confided in him vividly. He had spent possibly the most romantic night of his life with her that evening. Albeit, the drafty and broken Watery Lane house hadn't been the most romantic setting, but being there with her, wrapped up in blankets in front of the crackling fire had been a different experience for him, one he thought back to on a regular basis. He had known that evening that he was truly in love with her, despite the difficult conversation they'd had. And now, as he held her hands as she shook with tears, he thought over the last few years of their life together. He knew he hadn't been a model husband. She had been to hell and back during her short time in this world and he knew he hadn't helped matters. How she was still here with him he wasn't sure. His many indiscretions hadn't gone unnoticed by his wife and she had made it perfectly clear that she wouldn't tolerate much more. Truthfully, he didn't want to put her through any more heartache. She was his wife and she deserved his respect. She was the mother of his children. What kind of father was he if he continued to disrespect her by sleeping with other women? As he gripped onto her hands, his eyes drifted up to her face, finally catching her eyes. Thomas forced a small smile and reached up, placing a gentle kiss upon her lips.

"You don't ever have to see that woman again, Sara." He promised. "She is nothing to you. Why did she call you Anna?"

"It was the name she gave me. When I was adopted, my parents gave me the option of changing my name. I was fifteen at the time and they thought I would want to remove all traces of my time with her, that included my name. I agreed to it and we decided on Sara."

"I prefer Sara." He smiled.

Sara laughed softly, pulling her hands from his grasp as she attempted to wipe away the tears from her cheeks. As they sat in silence, the quiet was quickly disturbed by the sound of the front door closing indicating her parents had arrived home.

"Can you go down and keep them busy until I freshen up?" She asked. "I don't want them to see me like this. It will prompt too many questions. They don't need to know anything about this."

Tommy nodded and got to his feet, giving her another kiss before disappearing from sight.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She tossed and turned for hours before finally throwing the covers from her body and getting to her feet. A few days had passed since the events in the park and she struggled to get the encounter out of her head. Glancing across the bed, she sighed at the sight of the empty space beside her. Thomas had finally made contact with Michael the previous afternoon and had been taking care of some business ever since. Sara found that since she had been alone, her thoughts had been constantly occupied by her mother, not even the distraction of her young son had been enough. Getting to her feet, Sara made her way to the next room where her son was sleeping. Looking in on him sleeping peacefully, she reached into the crib and gently stroked the soft hair on his head, taking care not to disturb him. Satisfied he was settled for the night, she made her way back to the bedroom and opened her closet door, pulling out suitable clothes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Any word from the miners yet Michael?"

Tommy lit another cigarette and leaned back in the leather chair as Michael put the phone down.

"It's been called off."

Nodding, Tommy took another drag from his cigarette as he carefully studied his younger cousins face. His initial rage at the situation with Michael had started to subside, however he hadn't forgotten it. Sending him to America had been the only option but he had to admit, he was starting to grow concerned at the impact of him being alone and detached from the rest of the family. Whilst Tommy had been in the states, a general strike had been called across the UK. He hadn't been overly surprised. The recent conversations he'd had with Jessie Eden had intimated that this was always a possibility. The demand for increased wages was rife across Tommy's factories and the sacrifices he'd had to make to bring his workers back had been significant, however, the control he now had indicated it had been worth it. Now, word had reached them that the Government had begun regaining control of the situation and the dispute had ended.

"Won't be so easy to get them back." Michael reached across the desk and lifted his cigarettes.

"We don't need to take them back." Tommy glanced over the desk keeping his demeanour impartial.

"We need to take them back if production is to recommence at the same levels." Michael argued. "We've lost enough money over the last couple of weeks as it is."

Saying nothing, Tommy got to his feet and wandered over to the nearby window. Looking out over the towering buildings around him, he reached over and picked up the decanter from the table in front of him and poured a generous amount into a nearby glass. He thought back to his wife at home. He had been spending so much time at the office over the last couple of days that he felt as though he had been neglecting her. They only had a few weeks left before their baby would be making an appearance and Tommy knew he had to make more of an effort than he had done when she'd been pregnant with Jack. He'd almost missed his birth and he refused to allow that to happen again. Knocking the rest of the whisky down his throat, Tommy turned back to the table and lifted his coat and slipped his arms into the sleeves.

"Keep me informed of how things progress with the Italians. I may need you to go to Chicago."

Michael glanced up at him questioningly but wisely chose to keep his mouth shut, choosing to nod instead. He got to his feet and made his way across the room to pour a drink as Tommy disappeared from the room and into the night.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Walking the streets towards Central Park, Sara pulled her coat closer to her body. There was a slight chill in the night air but she managed to ignore it as she kept her pace at a steady speed. She thought back to her son who was still tucked up in bed, the housekeeper having kindly agreed to keep an eye on him. The confusion on her face had been obvious at Sara's insistence she had to go out at three o clock in the morning, however she kept quiet and simply reassured her that Jack was in safe hands. Now, as Sara crossed the road and made her way into Central Park, she had questioned whether she was making the right choice. Her hand reached into her coat pocked and fingered the cold metal of the small hand gun she had lifted before leaving. Despite the tough upbringing she had suffered, she wasn't naïve enough to not expect to come across any trouble whilst she was out. New York certainly wasn't the safest of cities and the park was rife with unfortunates and criminals, especially in the middle of the night. Pushing the thought from her mind, she charged on through the park until she finally reached a familiar landmark. Sitting down on the same bench she had with Tommy only a few days earlier, she waited. Her eyes farted around as she studied the faces of the very few people who were wandering around. She suddenly felt very self conscious, knowing she stood out like a sore thumb in her fancy clothes. She knew she was leaving herself in a vulnerable position but she tried to forget about it, knowing she had to do this.

"Well, well. Surprised to see you here."

Sara got to her feet and turned around, her eyes drifting over the familiar face in front of her. Despite the number of years that had passed since she had escaped the hell hole she had grown up in, the woman hadn't changed much. She'd aged significantly mainly due to the drink and drugs. Lines were permanently engrained around her eyes and forehead but she was still the same person. She forced herself to keep her anger at bay. She wanted answers. Some form of closure if she could, and she knew this was the only way to get it. She took a deep breath and nodded at the woman who now only stood a few feet from her.

"Hello Mary."