Disclaimer: I do not own anything Peaky Blinder related, that belongs to the series creator Steven Knight.
Face Claim for Rosemary Parker: Celina Sinden.
Chapter Twelve: Wishful Thinking.
The news that Colleen had given birth to a baby boy arrived early that morning, just as she had been living for work and Ellen had been looking for somewhere to escape all the noise that had kept her awake all night. Rosemary had kept her distance, it had been months since she had spoken to Colleen and the last thing that she wanted to do was stress out her sister while she was having a baby.
Walking down the street towards the shop, Rosemary shivered wrapping her coat tighter around herself as she hurried down the sidewalk; the street feeling emptier than usual, it had done since the summer and she was still unused to it. The Christmas rush had certainly gone now that it was January and New Year had been a rather quiet one while the men were away fighting in a war that was meant to be done by now.
It felt like there was little to celebrate and Rosemary was relieved to be back at work, she longed for a distraction that kept her away from her empty house. Rosemary tried not to think about how quiet her life was right now, she longed for her husband to come home to her, to be here with her while they prepared for the birth of their first child together.
Her pregnancy was moving along nicely and she was thankful for the fact that she had Martha and Polly to help her through this; they had been so supportive over the last couple of weeks. Each day she felt her baby move made her smile and she wished that Thomas were here to experience it all with her; she was sure that he would be a wonderful father to their child.
Reaching the shop, Rosemary quickly hurried inside pleased to find herself stepping into the warm and to see her friends; she offered a smile to a lady who stepped out of the shop. Things were still a little slow at the shop and Rosemary was more than thankful for any distraction or work that Mary could offer instead of sitting at home and waiting around. The house was so empty now that Thomas was gone and Rosemary found it hard to be there when she knew that there was a chance that this would be where she raised her child alone while she waited for Thomas to return home to her.
"Morning," Rosemary greeted Mary, she removed her coat and moved to hang it by the door as she eyed the dress that her friend was working on; it was a beautiful wedding gown that they had had for a while now. The wedding had been postponed until the groom returned from fighting in the war, if he even returned at all; now the dress remained at the shop until the bride knew what was going to happen. The two of them had opted not to elope like most of Small Heath had done, they wanted their day to be a celebration of love and the bride was certain that there would not be any clashes with other weddings.
"How was your appointment?" Mary asked setting down her needles and moving to greet Rosemary, she had been surprised when her friend had announced that she was with child but it was very welcome news. With everything going on, there was little to be happy about in Small Heath and Mary knew that many would receive bad news before this war was over and she prayed that things would end better for Rosemary.
"It went well… the midwife is sure that I shall deliver in early May," Rosemary replied trying not to think about what would happen should Thomas remain away when she went into labour. It had been a discussion that both Polly and Victoria had attempted to broach with her, they both wanted Rosemary to be prepared for what was to come.
The fact that her husband had been gone for such a time made Rosemary wonder daily when this war would end and allow him to come home to her; she was frightened for what might happen if she did not survive the birth. Her child could be left without both their parents, something that plagued her nightmares even if she knew that Polly and her mother would step up to care for their child if anything happened to them.
"I heard that you have a nephew… Robert after your father according to Mrs Perkins," Lily said smiling, she knew that any birth was a joyous occasion and she had seen people heading to Rosemary's parents' house to see the new baby. It was the first occasion that many in the street had been able to celebrate since the war had begun.
Rosemary nodded her head, she had heard that Colleen had named her baby after their father and a small part of Rosemary couldn't shake the feeling that it was meant to be some sort of slight against her. Her and her father had yet to make amends was not something to forget and Rosemary did fear that she might never get to see her father again, to hear him come to accept the fact that she had married Thomas and they were starting a family together. The fact that Peter remained in Birmingham instead of signing up to fight, still was not sitting right with quite a few people on Small Heath; they were disgusted that the coward remained here with them instead of doing his duty for King and country.
"Are you planning on going to see him?" Lily pushed hoping that her friend would say yes, she was sure that the birth of a child would soften even the hardest hearts. Rosemary looked away from her friend and tried to find something else to focus on, she had considered it but she doubted very much that her sister would welcome her to do so.
Sensing that Rosemary was comfortable with Lily's question, Katherine was quick to change the subject; she did not understand why Lily had to keep pushing things like this. It wasn't like Rosemary had done anything wrong, she had married the man that she loved and her sister had always been a bit of the stick in the mud.
"Have you had any more letters from Thomas?" Katherine asked moving across the room as she stepped away from the shirts that she was mending; she was sure that Rosemary's husband would be thrilled with news of her pregnancy. Letters from Thomas were something that Rosemary cherished and Katherine wished that she had someone special to write to like that; she was a little jealous that Rosemary had found someone to spend her life with. It made her all the more determined to defend her friend against the negativity that Lily seemed to push her way for her decision.
"Not since just after Christmas," Rosemary told her, she had received just one letter from him expressing his happiness that she was with child and his hopes that he would be home soon to see them. His letters were few but she wrote to him whenever she had the chance, she wanted him to know everything that was happening while she was here and he was wherever he was in Europe.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Thomas paused for a moment to catch his breath as he leant on his shovel; the lanterns did little to light the tunnel that he worked in alongside Danny Owen and Freddie. It was hard work and they seemed to spend their entire days in the dirt, doing nothing more than tunnelling forward and working on the tunnels that they had been instructed to dig.
The only light that he seemed to have in this monotonous routine that he was stuck in where the letters that he received from home; he received letters often enough from his family but it was Rosemary that sent the most. It warmed his heart that she wrote so much, keeping him informed on everything that was happening with her pregnancy; he was just glad that she had Polly and her mother there to help her. Thomas only wished that he could write home more so that she did not have worry about him so much; it could not be good for the baby and he could not wait to hold his child in his arms for the first time.
"What are you thinking about?" Danny asked seeing that his friend had stopped, he paused on his own digging for a moment to look back at him while Freddie continued on with the work. They were covered in dirt and things were silent around them as they worked, it had been the same for days and nothing seemed to break the silence that they often found themselves in. They always spoke quietly fearing what would happen if they were discovered or overheard by enemy tunnellers; it was something that could happen at any moment.
"Home," Thomas murmured with a frown, there was no telling when they would see their homes again; he just wanted to be home in time for the birth of his first child. Closing his blue eyes for a moment, Thomas prayed that he would be home in time for his child's birth in May; however, he got the feeling that was not going to happen. They were meant to be home by Christmas, he should have been home with Rosemary preparing for the birth of their child yet here he was trapped tunnelling in France.
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