The boys come home from war part 2
Tiptoeing through the silent upstairs hallway, Finn right behind her, Edith pauses in the doorway to Tommy's room. Pushing the door open slowly, Edith peers in, her heart beat slowing a touch at the sight of her big brother still tucked up in bed, a sight she hadn't seen in close to 4 years.
"Should we wake him?" Finn whispers, leaning his head close to Edith's and peering into the room.
"I don't think so." Edith breathes out with a shake of her head.
"Why? Breakfast is ready. He'll miss it." Finn counters, turning to face his sister with a frown, huffing at her adamant shake of her head.
"Pol'll keep it for him." She reasons, turning her eyes back to Tommy. "She said they'll be tired."
"Oh." Finn hums, nodding slowly, trying to think of a reason to wake his sleeping brother, keen to entice him into a game of ball out in the lane. "But we could wake him? Right? He's slept for a long time."
"I guess." Edith sighs, shrugging; truthfully, she too wanted Tommy to wake sooner rather than later, she had 4 years of life to catch him up on! As the pair linger in the doorway for a moment more, Tommy decides it is time for his rouse to end, dropping his head to one side and opening his eyes slowly, having to bite back a scoff at the shocked gasps this elicits from his youngest siblings, and the comical way they dive away from the door.
"Shit!" He hears Finn yelp as he shoves Edith out of the doorway and into the safety of the hallway.
"Uh oh. We woke him." Edith moans, dropping back against the wall.
"Pol's gonna kill us." Finn groans in reply, falling against the wall beside his sister.
"I can still hear you." Tommy calls from the comfort of his bed, rolling his eyes at his siblings' synchronised groans. "Pol won't kill you."
"She might!" Finn hisses, sticking his head around the door and then quickly ducking it back, widening his eyes at Edith who nods solemnly. "He doesn't know!"
"I was already awake, Finn. You didn't wake me."
"Umm, so, now that you're awake…" Edith stutters from her hiding place, ringing her hands in front of her body. "There's um…it's just that-"
"What's got you so nervous, eh?" Tommy asks, appearing suddenly at the children's side, making the pair jump, Edith letting out a tiny shriek, and Finn muttering a curse as he clutches a hand to his chest. "Jesus you two are jumpy. What's wrong, eh? It's just me."
"Yeah but…you're…it's…"
"It's what Edith?" Tommy prompts, dropping down to his sister's level, reaching out to take her hands in his.
"Do I smell breakfast?" A jolt runs through Edith's body as Arthur's bedroom door swings open, his booming voice making the youngest Shelbys jump, still not quite used to the noise of their oldest brothers again.
"Pol's made breakfast." Edith supplies quietly with a shy smile, placing her hand in Tommy's outstretched one, smiling to herself when he squeezes it tightly in his, rising to his feet to lead her downstairs.
"Alright, time to go!" Polly announces, holding a coat out towards the two youngest Shelby's, watching carefully as Edith gulps down her last mouthful of bread, peering up at her Aunt with wide eyes. "What? What is it?" She queries when the young girl doesn't move from her chair, instead fixing her eyes on the older woman.
"I don't think I want to go." Edith states quietly, blinking up at her aunt who raises her eyebrows in amusement.
"You don't think you want to go?" Polly repeats, stifling a chuckle. "And why don't you think you want to go?"
"Finn'll laugh at me." Edith whispers, barely tearing her eyes away from her aunt as her brother lets out an indignant yelp .
"I would not!"
"Would too." Edith pouts, spinning to face Finn with a glare before turning back to her aunt widening her eyes pitifully. "He would, Pol."
"Right. Finn, out. Wait on the step, we'll just be a moment." Polly commands, helping a grumbling Finn into his coat.
"But Pol!"
"Hush. Out you go."
"But Pol, Edith-"
"Will be right behind you. Now out you go." Polly states more firmly, giving Finn a gentle nudge in the direction of the door, not missing the way he grumbled under his breath to Tommy as he passes him at the other end of the kitchen table. "Now, what's wrong with you?" Polly asks, turning to Edith who's eyes were now fixed on Tommy who was lingering a moment longer in the his chair.
"I don't think I want to go to school." Edith repeats, risking a glance at Polly, her eyes darting quickly back to Tommy who frowns at her words.
"Yes. You've said that." Polly huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why not?" Edith ducks her head quickly, mumbling under her breath so quietly that both Tommy and Polly lean forwards in order to hear her better. "What was that? Speak up, love."
"I don't want Tommy and Arthur and Johnny to go again." Edith forces out in a quick ramble, keeping her head ducked low. "If I leave, they might go again. I don't want them to go." Some tiny part of Edith thought that if she just stayed by her brothers' sides today, if she kept them within her eyesight, that they'd be safe, and they'd be home, and they wouldn't leave her to go off to the war again. At least that was what she hoped. She hoped they were back for good this time (John had told her as much last night, but she couldn't quite bring herself to believe that; after all, the three of them had promised her they'd be back by the end of the year, and yet they hadn't).
"Edith." Polly sighs, her arms falling to her sides at the same time as Tommy reaches forwards, gently pulling Edith from her chair and positioning her in front of him.
"I'm not going anywhere." Tommy reassures her gently, grasping her arms softly. "Neither are John or Arthur. We're home for good now."
"I still don't think I want to go." Edith sighs, shaking her head adamantly. "I think I'll stay here with you. I'll help in the shop? That's still learning!"
"I don't think so." Polly steps in, shaking her head. "It's time for school, you're going to be late. Your brother is waiting, the boys will still be here when you get home. Now come on. Chop chop." Letting out a sad whimper, Edith lifts her eyes to meet Tommy's, blinking rapidly, huffing at Polly's pointed cough, rolling her eyes up at her aunt. "That, Thomas, is your sister's way of crying on demand. Gets our Ada and Finn eating out of the palm of her hand." She points out, shaking her head again as Tommy holds back an amused scoff. "No tears. No more fuss. School time. Now."
"Here, how about this?" Tommy offers, rising from the chair and holding Edith's coat out towards her, carefully helping her into the jacket. "I'll walk you and Finn to school, and then I'll be right there at the gate waiting for you at the end of the day." Edith tilts her head to the side, contemplating this solution for a moment before slowly sliding her hand into Tommy's outstretched one once more. "Deal?"
"Deal." She sighs, shuffling out of the room behind her brother, grumbling under her breath as Polly ruffles her hair as she passes, silently thanking Tommy with a smile.
"You'll be here? After school?" Edith checks as the trio reach the school gates, Finn hanging back to hear his brother's response.
"Right here." Tommy confirms, scuffing the toe of his boot into the gravel, creating an indent. "On this very spot, at 3 o clock exactly."
"And you promise?" Edith confirms, narrowing her eyes at Tommy who nods, holding his pinky fingers out towards his youngest siblings.
"I promise." Satisfied with their deal, both children curl their fingers around Tommy's, before turning and running across the school yard, both pausing momentarily at the steps to wave a final goodbye before disappearing into the school building.
"Tommy'll be there, right?" Edith whispers to Finn as they enter the school building, slowing their pace to a walk as they push through the crowded hallway.
"Yeah, Edith. He promised." Finn states with a huff, rolling his eyes at his sister's question.
"Yeah, but last time-"
"Last time doesn't count." Finn cuts in, narrowing his eyes at Edith who scowls under his glare.
"But-"
"Shut up Edith and get moving. I'm not getting a telling off 'cause you made me late." Sighing as Finn steps away, jogging down the hallway to meet up with a friend, she shouts out a half hearted goodbye, scanning the crowd for a familiar face to walk to class with.
Bounding down the steps at the end of the day, Edith freezes as her feet hit the gravel, her eyes landing on the spot Tommy had promised he would be stood. Instead, stood on the complete opposite side of the playground, was Pol, in her usual spot. Chest constricting in panic, Edith curls her fingers into a fist, her nails digging into the palms of her hands as she slowly makes her way over to Pol.
"Where's Tommy?" She asks immediately, coming to a stop in front of Polly who sighs, having known the question would be coming.
"He got busy at work." Polly explains, curling an arm around Finn as he barrels towards them, pulling him into her side and extending her free hand towards Edith.
"Oh." Edith breathes out dejectedly, placing her hand in Polly's "He said he'd be here." She mutters, more to herself than her aunt who hums in response anyway. "He promised."
"I know, love." Polly hums, rubbing her thumb over Edith's hand as they leave the school gates, making their way back towards Watery Lane.
"He broke another promise." Edith whispers, keeping her head ducked low in an attempt to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.
"I know, love." Polly repeats, wishing, more than anything, that she was the one in the shop now, her nephew in her place, just as he had promised.
"That's not fair." Kicking at the stones on the pavement as she walks, Edith scrunches her nose up, furrowing her brow in anger.
"It's not."
"It's not kind either." She continues, her voice taking on an edge that Polly hadn't heard before, an edge that she knew meant the well known Shelby temper was coming through.
"Well-" She begins, wincing as Edith delivers a particularly hard kick to a garden gate as they pass, squeezing Finn's hand in warning as he bites out a laugh at his sister's actions.
"We've been talking about being kind in class-"
"Have you now?" Polly cuts in this time, pulling gently on Edith's hand to warn her against kicking her foot out against the next open gate they passed.
"Uh huh." Edith grunts, her footsteps turning into angry stomps as they near number 6, her hold on Polly's hand tightening as her temper rises within. "Tommy broke his promise. A pinky promise. And that," Stomp. "Is not," Stomp. "Very kind!" Pushing harshly against the front door, Edith storms into the house, knocking a chair over in the kitchen as she passes through leaving Ada and John (who had been sat with a cup of tea, waiting for Finn and Edith) in a stunned silence, the pair of them raising their eyebrows in surprise as the youngest Shelby continues her loud walk through the house, not stopping until she reached her bedroom door, slamming it closed behind her.
Once her anger had passed (after a long talk with Polly and a big dinner - Polly secretly decided most of Edith's anger had probably come from being hungry, the little girl didn't deal well with being kept waiting, especially where food was involved), Edith found herself peering around a slightly ajar door, watching her big brother from a distance; this seemed to be a new past time for the young girl who was eager to spend time with her brother whom she had missed so greatly, but also didn't know how to talk to him the way she did with Finn. She got all jittery and nervous, which was new to Edith, and she didn't like it. Didn't like how off balance it made her feel.
Tommy's voice bellowing from the other end of the shop shocks Edith, making her jump with fright, eyes wide. "You gonna stand there all day? Or are you coming in?"
"'M not allowed." She mumbles in response, scuffing her boot against the ridge in the floor where the betting shop floor met the kitchen flooring of number 6.
"Who says?" Tommy questions, prompting Edith to look up at him with wide eyes once more.
"Pol."
"Well I say you can." He replies with a gentle smile, one that Edith had already noted was something only she was given. "If you want to."
"Yes please." She nods enthusiastically, stepping into the shop and shuffling towards Tommy. "What are you doing?"
"Looking at all our comings and going's, with the money, see?"
"Mhmm." Edith hums, peering over the arm of Tommy's chair to look at the book in front of him. "I helped aunt Pol count the coins."
"You did?" Tommy questions, dropping his eyes to watch Edith as she nods again.
"Uh huh. Every night. 'Cause our Ada's rubbish with numbers and Finn can't count to save his life." Covering his scoff with a short cough, Tommy hides his bring behind his hand, raising his eyebrows at his sister. "Well, Pol said Ada's counting is shit, but I'm not allowed to say that word...whoops!"
"No, you're not." Tommy chides teasingly, reaching out to tweak Edith's nose. "It was good of you to help."
"Pol gave me pocket money for it." Edith shrugs, dropping her head into her hands on the desk. "I'm saving up for a pony."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"And how much is a pony, eh?"
"Dunno." Edith shrugs, scrunching her nose up as she thinks. "Uncle Charlie said he'd keep an eye out for a nice pony for me, and then he'd let me know how much I need, so I just started saving. So I'm ready." Tommy hums, nodding slowly, knowing that his uncle had probably made this agreement with Edith purely to stop her persistent begging and pleading for said pony. "But he said he'll only keep looking for a pony if I help Pol around the house, if I stop getting into fights with Finn, and if I stop following Ada around when she's with her friends." Edith sighs, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling dramatically. "So many rules! But I'm sticking to 'em! I really want a pony! A chestnut coloured one with a white star on it's nose."
"That's very specific." Tommy teases, raising his eyebrows at the comically fast pace his sister had been talking in, almost as if she was nervous she'd forget what to say if she stopped.
"Uh huh." Edith hums, nodding her head seriously, eyeing the numbers on the page in front of them.
"So the cat had your tongue at dinner, eh?"
"No." Edith admits with a slight shake of her head. "I was angry with you."
"You were angry with me?" Tommy repeats, raising his eyebrows again.
"Yes." Edith states, peering up at him with eyes that mirrored his exactly. "You broke your promise. Again."
"I'm sorry that I-"
"But it's ok. I talked to Pol. She told me why." She continues, cutting Tommy off yet continuing to hold his gaze.
"Oh?" Tommy breathes out, momentarily stunned and slightly speechless.
"But maybe you shouldn't make promises anymore." Edith suggests, raising one eyebrow in a perfect arch. "That way you can't keep breaking them. You're not very good at keeping your promises."
"I'm sorry, Edith-"
"Doesn't matter."
"But it does." Tommy presses, seeing the anger flare in his sister's eyes at his reply.
"No. It doesn't. It doesn't matter." Edith growls forcefully, brow furrowed. "I don't care."
"I think you do." He continues, reaching out to lift Edith up onto his lap, internally thankful that she didn't put up a fight, instead subtly leaning into his chest. "I'm sorry I broke my promise, Edith. I had every intention of being at the school gate at 3 o' clock like I said I would. Then we had a problem in a meeting that I couldn't get out of, trust me, I tried. And before I knew it, it was dinner time and you were sat at the table in front of me." Gently curling his fingers under Edith's chin, Tommy tilts her head up so that their eyes meet once more. "Now I know you said not to make any more promises, 'cause I'm so bad at keeping them, and that's fair enough, but I am going to make one more. One more that I'm going to keep forever, ok?" Waiting for Edith's reluctant nod in reply, Tommy smiles gently down at his baby sister. "I might not be there at the gates every day to pick you up from school Edith, but I can promise you this: everyday, I'll be here. Number 6 Watery Lane. And if I'm not, I'll just be a phone call away. But I'll always be here for you. And Finn, Ada, John, Arthur, all of you. Alright?" Peering up at Tommy as she considers his new promise, Edith fiddles with the buttons on his waistcoat, finally, when finding no apparent flaw in his words, she nods slowly.
"Alright."