Glancing up from the typewriter in front of her, Edith offers a small smile as Tommy knocks once, purely to prevent an argument, Edith was a stickler for rules at the best of times, and especially now that she had her own office with her name on the door, and she wasn't about to let her brothers burst in unannounced whenever they pleased.
"These documents need your signature." She states simply, holding up a wad of paperwork in one hand, the other still flying across the keys of the typewriter. "And Uncle Charlie phoned and wants to know how much you bought that new horse for. Told him I hadn't had the receipts yet." Giving her brother a pointed look, Edith drops her eyes to flick through the papers in her hand, thrusting them towards Tommy. "Doesn't sound like Curly was too impressed with the quality."
"I'll get you the receipt by the end of the day." Tommy replies with a shrug, taking the stack of paperwork and replacing it with the file in his hand. "Can you go and see Curly later? See if you can work out what's wrong, and calm him a bit?"
"Sure." Edith hums, letting out a soft giggle as a tiny hand grips the buckle of her shoe. "Edward Gold, mama has told you, these shoes are not for playing! They're dirty!" Reaching beneath the desk, she shoos her son out from around her feet, Tommy looking up in shock and then glancing swiftly down at the babbling baby crawling towards him.
"Didn't know you had the baby here." He comments, throwing the pile of documents down onto the table, reaching down to scoop his nephew into his arms. "Getting into trouble at the Shelby Company offices, just like his ma was at his age."
"I was a lot older than Eddie when you set this place up." Edith corrects with an eye roll, picking up the newly signed papers and rising to file them into the cabinet behind her. "Bon's got a fight tonight, so Maine is working him hard today." She offers in a way of explanation as to why her son had been crawling about her feet.
"Tonight?" Tommy repeats, settling into the chair opposite Edith, brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought it was tomorrow."
"Got moved up." Edith grumbles with another eye roll. "Now Maine is panicking that Bon won't be ready. Bloody idiot."
"Clearly doesn't know your Bonnie very well then, does he?" Tommy retorts with a smirk at Edith's bitter tone, eyes softening at the evident worry lines on his sister's face. "He working Bonnie too hard?"
"No one works Bonnie Gold harder than Bonnie Gold himself." Edith replies with a smile, leaning back in her chair. "But he's insisting Bonnie's at the gym at stupid hours. I feel like I've hardly seen him this past week."
"What does Bonnie think?"
"He's fed up, Tom." Edith answers truthfully, closing her eyes briefly as the words slip out. "He'll kill me if he knew I told you that. He doesn't want to make a fuss."
"But?" Tommy prompts, raising his eyebrows.
"But he's not happy."
"Because he's fighting in a gym and not in the open air...or because of Maine..."
"Maine." Edith replies gently, lifting her eyes to meet her brother's. "Bonnie doesn't feel like he's being taken seriously. Not like when you and Arthur were involved. None of the other boys are in anywhere near as early as Bon is. And he's having hardly any fights, and when he does, Maine hardly lets him out of his sight. He's constantly critical, and Bonnie says he can take it, that he needs it to get better but I think you should just go and see him train, Tom. I've watched Arthur and Finn fight my whole life, and Bonnie is doing just fine. Even better than fine."
"Feel good to get that off your chest?" Tommy asks gently, giving Edith a soft smile as she rubs her hands over her face with a nod. "You should have told me this was going on, Edith. I could have helped sooner."
"Bon thought it was just a phase Maine was going through, after taking time off when Ed was born, you know? But I think it's just getting worse. I can see how dejected and drained his is when he gets home." Edith admits, leaning forwards to rest her elbows on the table, her head in her hands. "That's why we thought we'd take some time away."
"I'll talk to Maine." Tommy tells her, his chest loosening a touch at the slight release of tension in Edith's shoulders at his words.
"But don't make it too obvious, yeah? Bon would be mortified. Maybe go and see him train? Maybe I'm making things up..."
"I doubt you are, Edith." Tommy replies with a shake of his head. "I'll go there when I leave the office."
"Thank you." Edith breathes out, throwing her brother a grateful smile.
"So are you going to the fight tonight? It's a big one, right? Charity event?"
"No." Edith replies with a shake of her head. "I've got no one to watch Eddie. Finn and Millie were gonna have him tomorrow night, he's taking her out tonight, popping the question. I couldn't ask him to change that. He's nervous enough as it is, poor sod."
"He's doing it tonight?" Tommy repeats, humming as Edith nods in reply. "I'll take him."
"Who, Finn?" Edith giggles, smirking as Tommy shakes his head at her poor attempt at a joke. "I couldn't ask you to do that, Tom."
"I don't mind." Tommy insists, shifting the baby in his arms. "He likes me. See?"
"He likes that you're holding him. He's a sucker for a good cuddle that boy." Edith teases, reaching out to smooth her hand over her son's head.
"Just like his mama."
"Mhmm." She hums, rolling her eyes as she leans back in her chair again.
"Seriously, Edith. Go to the fight. I'll take Edward home with me. Charlie will like having someone to play with for once." Tommy insists, Edith furrowing her brow in thought.
"Are you sure?"
"Definitely."
"And you won't come crying to me when he wakes you early?" She checks, giving Tommy a withering look which he responds to with an eye roll.
"You forget that I do have a child of my own." He states, looking up as Edith scoffs.
"Yes. Who has a nanny to rise with him in the mornings." She jokes, reaching under the table to pick up the toy she had just kicked. "You're sure?"
"Yes, Edith." Tommy sighs, taking the toy from his sister and handing it to the baby who coos happily. "That's your approved holiday request." He comments as they fall into silence, pointing towards the file on Edith's desk. "Where did you say you were off to again?"
"I didn't." Edith replies with a grin, pleased Tommy hadn't caught her out of her lie, knowing her brother probably wouldn't be too pleased with who she was planning on visiting. "We haven't decided yet."
"Huh." He hums, watching his sister carefully. "Wouldn't be a relative of ours would it?"
"Like I said, we haven't decided yet." Edith smirks, rolling her eyes as Tommy shakes his head in annoyance, rising from his seat.
"Right. Well, I've got to see Finn before I go. I'll check in on Bonnie and Maine, and I'll come back to pick up Edward on the way home." Holding his nephew out to Edith, he smiles softly at the ease in which she takes the baby into her arms, resting him comfortably against her chest and adjusting the seat so that she could still reach the keys of the typewriter. "I'll see you tonight."
"See you tonight." Edith repeats as he turns to leave, settling back into her work.
Letting out a low, drawn out whistle as he steps into the doorway of their bedroom, Bonnie leans against the doorframe, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"I forgot you had that dress." He comments, noting the way Edith still blushes under his gaze, lifting her eyes to meet his in the mirror. "You look beautiful, my love."
"Thank you." She replies softly, turning her head to look back over her shoulder at her husband. "It's the first time I've been able to wear it since Eddie was born. I'm surprised I could do it up."
"I think this is the first time you've worn it since Eddie was made." Bonnie comments playfully, moving into the room to place his hands gently on Edith waist, letting them roam across the royal blue fabric. "If I'm remembering correctly, you wore this dress to Ada's birthday at the Garrison...and Edward was conceived that very night..."
"Mhmm." Edith hums, turning her head away as another blush rises from her chest at the memories flooding her head.
"I guess we'll have to see if it's a special baby making dress." Bonnie teases, tilting Edith's head up to his to press their lips together. "First night alone after the baby's been born, after all..."
"That is true..." Edith draws out, tilting her head up again to draw Bonnie into a deeper kiss. "But remember..." She whispers teasingly, pushing up onto her tiptoes to whisper in Bonnie's ear, her lips brushing against the shell of his ear. "No win, no prize." Dropping down onto her heels, Edith smiles sweetly up at Bonnie, shrugging her shoulders lightly as she turns away, pushing out of his arms. "You'd better win, Mr Gold." She calls playfully from the doorway, pausing to throw him a wink before sauntering down the stairs.
"Oh, I bloody will be, Mrs Gold." He shouts back, letting out a laugh at Edith's loud giggle in response, swiftly following her down the stairs.
Jumping down from the ring, sweaty and slightly bloodied and bruised, Bonnie wraps Edith in his arms, swinging her around once before dropping his lips to her ear as she had done to him hours earlier.
"So what do we think, Mrs Gold?" He asks playfully, nipping at the soft skin beneath her ear. "Are we making baby number two tonight?"
"We'll see!" She laughs, winding her arms around his neck nonetheless, holding him close.
"I'm going to shower and then we can get out of here." Bonnie replies, pulling his head back to kiss Edith's cheek, giving her a loving smile.
"Don't bother." She states cheekily, curling her hand around his and pulling him through the crowds of people.
"Edith! It's bloody freezing out here!" Bonnie complains, obliging anyway, allowing his wife to pull him quickly through the dark streets of Small Heath until they reach their house, the pair of them stumbling through the front door in a tangle of limbs and passionate kisses.
Groaning in frustration as the phone rings for the second time (the first having been blatantly ignored), Edith curls her leg around Bonnie's, pulling his head back up to hers and joining their lips in a sloppy kiss.
"We should probably get that." He mumbles rationally, letting out a chuckle as Edith moans against his lips, shaking her head. "It must be important for whoever it is to call twice."
"Bonnie Gold." Edith snaps, pulling her head away from his to glare at him. "Will you please stop fucking talking, and kiss me? Please." Mumbling a playful apology under his breath, Bonnie winds his arm around Edith's waist, pulling her close once more as the incessant ringing finally ends, both of them sighing in relief until it begins again seconds later. "Oh for fuck sake!" Edith exclaims, pushing out of Bonnie's arms and sliding out of bed, storming her way to the door. "Whoever it is is going to get a fucking talking to for interrupting my first lie I'm in god knows how long!"
"Edith? Babe? You're still naked." Bonnie calls after his wife, laughter lacing his voice. "Your brother lives next door and we didn't close the curtains last night."
"I don't fucking care." Edith shouts back as she reaches the bottom of the stairs, forcefully lifting the phone from the table, holding it to her ear. "Yes?" She snaps, moving to lean against the wall.
"Good morning to you too." Tommy replies playfully on the other end of the phone. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything...this is my third time trying to get through to you."
"Yes. You are actually." Edith bites back, sighing as Tommy chuckles into the phone. "What can I do for you, Thomas?"
"I have your son, remember?"
"Of course I remember, you idiot." She replies with an eye roll. "Is he ok?"
"He's fine. Was a little upset when you weren't there when he woke up this morning, but he's ok now. He's playing with Charles."
"He was?" Edith whispers, her voice softening dramatically at her brother's words. "How upset was he?"
"Pretty upset." Tommy admits, lifting his nephew into his arms. "Clearly uncle Tommy's face isn't what Edward wants to see when he wakes up in the morning."
"Who would?" Edith teases with a laugh. "But he's ok now?"
"He is." Tommy reassures her. "He's right here with me, want to speak to him?"
"Yes. Please." Edith replies eagerly, despite the fact she knew her son couldn't respond to her.
"Here, it's your ma." She hears Tommy tell her son, her eyes filling with tears when his enthusiastic babbles meet her ear.
"Hi baby, it's mama." She coos, pressing the phone closer to her ear. "I miss you!"
"I think he's saying he misses you too, but wants to go and play with Charlie." Tommy replies with a laugh, carefully placing the baby back onto the floor. "I was only calling to see what time you wanted him back? I'm not planning on coming into Small Heath today, but I'll drop him off whenever."
"We can come out and get him." Edith tells him, pushing off the wall to look up at the clock. "Just give us a few hours?"
"Why don't you just leave it 'til dinner time? Join me for dinner, stay the night." Tommy suggests, Edith humming in reply.
"Are you sure you're ok to keep Ed all day?"
"Of course. Frances was taking Charlie to the park after lunch anyway, she offered to take Edward too."
"If it's really not too much trouble...it would be quite nice to have the day to me and Bon. And to have dinner with you. I feel like I haven't seen you properly in ages either." Edith replies honestly, smiling as Tommy makes an affirmative noise at the back of his throat.
"Sorted then." He states. "I'll see you this evening." Repeating the statement back to her brother, Edith smiles as she puts the phone down, running back up the stairs two at a time to Bonnie who was still laid in bed waiting for her.
"Tommy?" He asks as she dives under the covers beside him, shivering as she curls her body around his.
"Yeah. And Eddie." She replies, letting out a long yawn as she tilts her head up to Bonnie's. "I'll tell you about it later, but now, I think we should pick up where we left off."