APPRECIATION

Cheerful jazz music blared loudly from the shiny new gramophone in the room. Loud shouts and cheers laced in between the joyful notes in the air so loud Sophie could barely hear herself think. Sophie held her glass of champagne tightly, taking careful sips every few minutes as she glanced around the room. The pub had been dressed far fancier than it had ever been before, the bar was now gold and shiny and made out of a sturdier metal than the creaky wooden bar that had been there before.

Standing next to Curly with her back to the bar, his excited childlike laughter drew her concern away from her aunt. She loved Curly dearly, he was such a young soul he was untainted by all the nastiness around him.

All of a sudden a loud bang made her jump, quickly whipping her head round to see a large crate that Arthur had slammed the lid on. He grinned evilly at her, a bellowing laugh falling from his lips at her shock. Curly's delighted giggle filled Sophie's ears as her and Arthur exchanged knowing looks, her shocked eyes meeting his teasing ones. Arthur had always taken delight in joking with his youngest sister, both having the same childlike soul deep down. The two Shelby siblings turned to see Tommy standing at the entrance to the bar with a glass raised in a cheer to Arthur. A wicked grin spread across Arthur's face, as he stalked towards his younger brother. The two began to talk but the building was too loud for Sophie to hear their conversation. Switching her attention from her older brothers, she smiled at Lizzie to her left. She'd dressed up especially for the occasion, an elegant headband wrapped around her head just like the women wore in those trendy fashion magazines Sophie had seen.

"You look beautiful, Liz." Sophie complimented, looking up at the woman. Lizzie grinned honestly at her, her confidence shining.

"Thanks, Soph. I hear you have a man down in London?" Lizzie poked, playfully elbowing her side.

"Oh is that what you heard?" Sophie laughed, taking a big sip of her champagne.

"Well that's what Esme's been telling everyone in the betting shop." The taller girl smirked, taking a big swig of her drink.

"There's a shock." Sophie said sarcastically. She finished off her glass and saw Arthur come back over to where she stood at the bar. Noticing her empty glass, Arthur quickly topped her up with more champagne.

"There you go, sister." He said, sniffing harshly. Sophie gave him a concerned look, worried for the reason behind his uncontainable energy that night.

"Have you met her London man, Arthur?" Lizzie asked, giggling at Sophie's wide eyes. Nudging her in the ribs as hard as she could, Sophie's eyes turned ice cold and shot daggers at Lizzie.

"What the bloody hell are you on about, Lizzie?" Arthur growled suddenly. The sudden change in energy had Sophie worried. Why was he reacting so intensely? Sure she knew he'd be protective and against the idea, but Sophie did not expect him to be so furious at it. Inspecting his face closely, she could see a light sheen of sweat covering his face and an almost undetectable twitch in his brow. She suspected he was more than just drunk, and she had a sinking feeling Tommy was behind it.

"Nothing Arthur, she's just drunk." Sophie bit out, taking her drink and turning quickly on her heel and walking away from the bar.

Standing in the middle of the busy pub, Sophie took a deep breath and shook her head to try and remove the anxiety from her head. Her favourite small gold hoops in her ears hit the sides of her face, with her hair pulled back from her face slightly as she wore a shiny royal purple scarf in her hair, tied at the nape of her neck. The beautiful material covered the top of her head, keeping her curls back and draping down her back instead. Sophie wore a lavish navy dress, reaching to her ankles but cinching into her waist. The square neckline was much too low, leaving little to the imagination where it clung to her chest, and its thick straps which clung tightly to her shoulders perfectly showcased her pale defined collarbones. She'd decided against wearing any necklaces but had some of her mothers old rings on her fingers. Ada had been uninterested in their mothers jewellery after she'd passed - instead she called dibs on her mothers books and diaries - but Sophie had treasured them like they were the crown jewels of England. The pretty gold bands had patterns of waves carved into the thin metal, with one of them having a beautiful amber stone attached. Sophie was sure that the jewellery had probably been cheaply made and then sold at a gypsy fair but the knowledge that her very own mother had worn them made them more valuable than any expensive metal or diamond.

Her eyes focused on Finn and John sitting at one of the tables in the room, Sophie made her way towards them and plopped herself down into one of the seats there. Finn began to raise a short glass to his lips but before he could take a drink, Sophie had leant forward and snatched it out of his hand. Taking a sniff at the golden liquid in the glass, she quickly identifed it was whiskey as her nostrils burnt at the sharp smell. Narrowing her eyes at Finn, she quickly raised it to her lips and threw the liquid back into her mouth and let it burn down her throat as she emptied the glass.

"Sophie!" Finn exclaimed.

"Not old enough, Finny." Sophie scolded, pushing the glass onto the table. Finn pouted childishly as he sulked, slumping back into his seat.

"Yeah Finny boy, gotta wait to be one of the big boys, kid." John teased, pulling him into a headlock and roughing up his hair. His laughter drowned out Finn's protest as he tried to push him off uselessly. Sophie felt her lips turn up at the corners, enjoying watching her brothers fight playfully.

"Get off, John! I'm not a kid!" Finn protested. John began to yank him closer, causing Finn to knock into the table and shake everyone's drinks.

"John, knock it off for fucks sake, gonna spill my drink." Esme chided.

Pulling her attention from the commotion at the other end of the table, Sophie felt small hands grip the tops of her shoulders and the scent of a feminine perfume filled her nose. Recognising the hint of roses in the perfume, Sophie knew Aunt Pol had arrived in the pub. Looking back at her aunt, Polly gave her a warm smile.

"You look so beautiful, Phi'. Just like your grandmother - a true Romani Queen." Polly gleamed, her eyes hazy from alcohol.

"Thank you Pol, have you got a drink already?" Sophie spoke gently.

"Yes I- oh I must've left it at the bar." Polly chuckled when she had glanced around for her drink and noticed her hands were empty. Sophie's forehead creased in worry, Polly was definitely drunk already and she'd only just arrived. Sophie turned her head back to the table, catching John's worried look at their aunt.

"Polly, do you want to sit down?" Sophie suggested, hoping to distract her from getting another drink.

"Oh no, I better go get my drink back. I must've left it at the bar." She smiled, blissfully unaware of her family's concerns. Although Sophie had a suspicion she was perfectly aware of their worries and chose not to care, she swallowed her thoughts and watched her aunt saunter back to the bar.

"Just let her be Soph, Tommy will sort it." John tried to soothe the young girl.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." She mumbled under her breath before taking a big gulp of her drink.

"Is your London man not coming then?" Esme exclaimed nosily, leaning her elbow on the table to peer at her sister-in-law.

"Fucking hell, have I got 'London man' tattooed on my fucking forehead?" Sophie grumbled, shooting Esme a pointed glare.

"Better not be a fucking wop." John spit, finishing his whiskey and reaching for the bottle in the middle of the table to refill his glass.

"He's jewish, John." Sophie rolled her eyes. A fire began to burn in her stomach, the alcohol fuelling her daringness.

"A kike?" John questioned incredulously.

"Watch your fucking mouth." She scorned, pointing a dangerous finger at him before drinking another mouthful of the bubbly alcohol. "I'm surprised Tommy hasn't told you who he is, suppose he's probably not too happy about it."

"Tommy knows him?" he asked, confusion puddling in his brain as he realised his older brother had kept this information from him. Why would he not tell John? If it concerned Sophie, he had a right to know.

"It's Alfie Solomons, John." Sophie told him simply. Her courage started to simmer as she saw the shock in her brother's eyes. He seemed almost frozen at this revelation. His wife on the other hand, was full of non-stop questions.

"The Mad Baker? What the fuck are you doing with him Sophie? My cousins in London say he's unpredictable Sophie, can't trust someone like that. London's not a place for a wild gypsy girl like you." Esme rambled on. Sophie had tuned her out as she drank in John's reaction. She'd expected him to blow his lid, have a complete temper tantrum and tell her she can't see him, she certainly did not expect him to be stunned into silence. The two stared at each other, John looking lost and bewildered as Sophie tried to decipher his thoughts.

"Ada! I didn't know you were coming!" Polly's shout broke Sophie's staring match with John. She could see Ada timidly making her way into the pub with Karl on her hip. Jumping out her chair, Sophie darted towards her sister and desperately moving away from her brother. Polly embraced Ada, cooing at Karl and kissing Ada's cheeks. Esme followed the young girl and joined in the admiration of her nephew. Plucking Karl from Ada's arms, John's wife held the baby close to her and tickled his sides gently, drawing out an adorable giggle from the boy.

"Oh Ada, why don't you think about coming home?" Polly croaked, emotion thick in her voice. The two Shelby sisters shared a knowing look, smiling at each other.

"Hello Ada." Tommy's deep voice cut through the moment as he strode towards the women. Upon noticing his arrival, Polly took one look at him and fled the area, heading back to the bar. Thomas watched her leave, the spark in his eyes fading slightly at her coldness. Trying to remain unfazed, he handed Ada a drink as she greeted him. Taking a step forward, he stood next to the two girls and turned to admire the pub.

"What do you think, eh?" He spoke as the three began to step further into the room.

"It's very um…" Ada began but fell short of words. Glancing around the room, Sophie's thoughts from earlier in the night returned. It was different, to say the least. There was no resemblance to the pub that had stood there before.

"Gold?" Tommy jested. The two girls let out a chuckle as Ada agreed.

John had reached them now, greeting Ada and pulling her in for a hug before quickly moving on the catch Arthur's attention to their eldest sister's arrival.

"So what do you want me to say to her?" Ada asked, turning to face Thomas.

"Just talk to her, no one can get through to her. Tell her I had no choice." Tommy advised.

Casting a glance towards her aunt to witness her dancing gleefully in the middle of the room, Sophie raised her eyebrows. "It might be a little late for that. She's piss drunk." Sophie scoffed. Ada and Thomas turned to follow Sophie's eyeline, looking at their aunt then turning to look back at each other. The two held a short silent conversation, both understanding exactly what needed to be done.

"I appreciate this." Tommy spoke quietly. Ada nodded, making her way towards their aunt. Tommy and Sophie remained standing silently in the middle of the busy room, watching Ada walk away.

Sighing softly, Sophie looked back at Tommy. Remembering her previous conversation with John, Sophie peered at him curiously. "Why didn't you tell the others about Alfie? I'd have thought it would be the first thing you'd do."

"None of their business, is it?" Tommy said rhetorically. He glanced briefly at the young girl, before returning his attention to the conversation between Ada and Polly at the end of the room.

"Since when has that ever stopped you." Sophie uttered.

"Look Soph, I'm sorry alright about the way I acted before, alright? Figured you'd been through enough, what with the whole…" He motioned to his face, referencing the attacks they'd been through. At this, Sophie looked down at her shoes bashfully. She felt a warmth spread through her cheeks at the happiness seeping into her bones at Tommy's kind act. Summoning her bravery once more, Sophie leapt forward and pulled her brother into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Tom." She said sincerely. She felt his arms wrap tightly around her small frame, cherishing her affection. It was times like this that Sophie really loved her family, and it had her hoping that perhaps the old Tommy was still in there somewhere despite all that had happened.

Pulling back gingerly, her eyes caught sight of Polly stalking towards a rather young looking man, before pulling him forward to dance with her.

"Oh fuck."

—-

Her heels clacking echoed across the dark empty street as she headed home from the Garrison. Polly had gone home with the man from the pub so Sophie was left to make her way home alone. It was only a short walk and Sophie still had the small pistol she now always carried strapped to her thigh so she felt confident in assuring Tommy she'd be fine to walk home on her own. The dark sky was devoid of stars, the thick smog filled clouds blocked them out from Small Heath. That was one of the many reasons Sophie loved to sleep out with the horses in the fields, the sky was much clearer there and she could make out the different constellations hung above her.

As she neared her home, she began to slow her steps as she noticed a slumped figure sat on her doorstep. Preparing to turn and run in the opposite direction back to the Garrison, Sophie tried to make out the details of who she assumed to be a man in front of her home. Upon hearing the gravel under her feet, the figure's head snapped up to look at Sophie. He looked young, his peaked cap placed neatly on top of his head. He quickly stood up from where he sat and pulled nervously at his coat.

"Excuse me? I'm looking for someone called Elizabeth Grey?" The young man spoke. His voice was polite and void of the thick Birmingham accent that most people around this area held. Taking a few steps towards him, Sophie tried to get a better view of his face under the streetlights. "I was told she lived here at number 17? I came earlier but there was nobody here, so I decided I'd wait."

As she stepped closer to him, she saw his bright blue eyes peering into hers. His skin was soft, devoid of any lines or stresses.

Michael.

A voice in the back of her head shouted. Sophie's eyes widened in realisation, this was Polly's son. Damn Polly and her stupid boy toy she'd followed home drunkenly.

"You're Polly's son? Michael?" She stammered, any alcohol that had been clouding her mind dissipated completely. He nodded uncertainly, taking his cap off and twisting it anxiously in his hands. Coming to her senses, she darted forward to open the door. "She's um- she's not here tonight, but come inside- you must be freezing."

"Thank you. Will she be back soon?" He asked quietly. Sophie unlocked the door and gestured for him to enter. Michael walked into the house and turned back to wait for Sophie to lock the door behind them.

"Yes, yeah - she should be back in the morning." She said, hoping that when Polly came back she wouldn't be too worse for wear. It would not be a good first impression to see her son for the first time in years with a raging hangover on a walk of shame. She lead them into the main room and immediately moved to fill the kettle. "Do you want some tea?"

Sophie felt so nervous, she'd never been in a situation like this and she wanted Michael to have the best first impression of this family.

"Yes please." Michael spoke meekly. He sat down on the worn sofa in the middle of the room.

"Does your mother- your adopted mother I mean- know you're here?" Sophie inquired, restlessly wiping her hands on her skirt as she waited for the kettle to finish boiling on the stove.

"No. When that man came to the house and mentioned Elizabeth, I couldn't not come, you know?" He said. Nodding her head in understanding, Sophie could imagine that if she was in his position she would probably have done the same thing. "Who was the man that came to my house?"

"You mean Tommy? Blue eyes, crazy cheekbones? Looks kinda like me?" Sophie asked, her brow furrowed. Michael nodded at her, confirming her prediction. "That's my brother, Thomas. He's your- well, we're your cousins. Pol- Elizabeth is my aunt."

"Well it's nice to meet you…"

"Sophie. My name is Sophie." She smiled warmly at the younger boy. He smiled back at her, a comfortable silence taking over. "Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise when the kettle let out a high pitched whistle. Jumping to take the kettle off the stove, she poured the hot water into the two teacups she'd set aside with tea bags inside. Placing the kettle back down, Sophie stirred the tea and removed the bags before giving Michael his teacup.

"I don't really remember you from before, I was too young. But my older brothers might, you'll have to meet them in the morning." Sophie spoke, before blowing on her hot tea.

"How many brothers do you have?" Michael enquired.

"Four. There's Arthur who's the oldest, Tommy who you've already met, and then John. There's Ada as well, she's my only sister. Then me, of course, and Finn, the youngest." Sophie explained, sipping her tea. Michael nodded along, processing the information.

Please don't ask about Anna. Please don't ask about Anna. Sophie begged internally. How on earth does someone break the bombshell to someone that, yes he does have another sibling and that she is dead? Luckily, the question never came and the two finished their tea in silence. Putting her cup on the side, she grabbed a thick blanket from a basket in the corner of the room.

"You're more than welcome to sleep on the couch. It's surprisingly comfy, I promise. It's better than the step outside at least." Sophie joked, handing him the blanket.

"Thank you. I'll see you in the morning?" He said shyly.

Sophie nodded at him, bidding him goodnight and leaving to rush up the stairs and into bed. This was most certainly not how she imagined this night ending. After stripping off her outfit from the night, she jumped in bed and pulled the soft covers up to her chin. An unconscious grin was fixed to her face, she couldn't wait for Polly to finally be reunited with her long lost son.