Anna [J.Shelby]

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Anna entered the connecting room to the Betting Shop, pulling the doors closed as she walked over to the pot of tea, pouring herself some.

Polly sat, seemingly absent as she stared at nothing in particular.

"What's wrong, Pol?"

"Nothing's wrong"

"Don't give me that, I know something's wrong."

"My daughters dead, my son, well he's alive but has probably been fed some lie about how much of a horrible mother I am. An' Tommy, he won't fuckin' let me go see him, my own son"

"Anna, where's the book?" John asked her, peeking around the door.

Anna waved him off, "John, Im busy"

"Anna, I need the book" Anna clicked her tongue in annoyance, placing her hand over Polly's as a gesture to tell her she'll be back and followed John back out.

"You do have your times, don't you?" Anna grumbled, reaching over her desk and into the draw where the book was, handing it to John.

"Right, now, don't disturb us again"

"What's going on with Pol?" John asked her, Anna waving him off.

"I'll never know if you interupt me, will I?"

"Sorry, Pol"

"You should probably get back anyway"

"No, look, Im sure Tommy has a reason for not telling you where he is, he wouldn't keep you away from your own child Polly"

"Do you know what it's like for your children to be taken away from you, only to find out one's dead and the others fucking unreachable?"

Anna glanced down at the table, "No, Pol, I don't know what that's like. But I know what it's like to lose a child, and to have to deal with the consequences, no matter whether my child was unborn and yours was years old."

"It feels like the longer I wait the older he becomes and the less he'll want to know me, think I'm not mother material. Or the lies he's been fed daily have convinced him that it's the truth."

"Polly, you are worthy of being a mother, look at those boys, and the business you've created. They would be nowhere, without you"

Polly broke out of her stare, almost shaking as she took a drag of her cigarette.

"You have kids to tend to before the opening, go." Polly told her, Anna letting out a barely audible sigh, leaving Polly alone to her own thoughts.

Hours later, the re-opening of the Garrison commenced, it was definitely not as Anna had remembered it. Nothing like the pub she served in two years ago and had barely set foot in since.

When Tommy called it the 'Grand Re-Opening', he really did mean 'Grand'.

"Jesus, Tommy really did go all out on this" John and Anna looked around, Anna's hand in John's.

"I could get used to this" John commented, Anna snorting in response.

They sat themselves at a table, the Garrison filled quickly and became as lively as it ever had, Arthur seemed happier then he had in a while as he served drinks, this was after he finally showed up.

John lit a lighter, Anna leaning over and lighting her cigar, taking a drag as she looked around, her natural curls bouncing as she did.

"What's wrong with Arthur?" Anna asked John over the music, John leaning in to hear her.

John shrugged, "he look's alright to me"

"No, I mean he seems alot happier then he has in days, weeks even." She shouted over the music, Finn glancing at her, Anna raising her brow at him.

"Finn, what did you give Arthur?" Anna asked him, Finn pretended he didn't hear her over the music.

"Finn" John nudged him, pointing at Anna.

"Alright, alright, I gave him Tokyo" He admitted, John snapping his head to his brother.

"Fuckin' hell, he's probably off his 'ead" John dragged out his words in a mixture of realisation and amusement.

"Didn't I tell you not to use that after the last time I caught you" Anna told him, picking her glass up and swirling it around, taking a sip.

Finn shrugged, "I don't remember you saying that"

Anna snorted, kicking Finn under the table.

"You Shelby boys are all the same" She shook her head in amusement, John laughing at her expense.

"Yeah, and you're stuck with the worse one of them all" Finn responded with cheek in his tone.

Anna nearly choked on her whiskey in laughter, John slapping his brother around the head.

Finn reached for the whiskey just as Tommy reached them.

"Finn! Give me that" Tommy told him, taking the whiskey glass off him.

"Keep him off the whiskey, John" Anna and John laughed, John rubbing Finn's head in his embarrassment.

"You don't want to grow up too fast, Finn. You'll end up like your brothers" Anna pointed out, Finn snorting.

"What's that supposed to mean? ", John rubbed her leg with an amused smile.

Anna smirked at him, his hand travelling up her leg before Ada entered through the door with Karl in her arms, Anna standing up quickly, much to John's dissappointment, and met Ada at the door, who stared in astonishment.

"Ada!" Anna grinned, Ada greeting her as Polly talked about Ada coming home.

"I'll take him" Anna smiled, taking Karl from Ada's arms.

"Polly really is drunk off her face, isn't she?" Anna whispered to John, who chuckled and nodded, before going over to see his sister.

"Hello Ada" Johns voice boomed.

"Hello trouble" She replied with a smile.

"Hey Arthur, look who it is" John called, Anna laughing to herself.

"Seems like he is too" She laughed to herself, Finn taking Karl out of her arms.

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My exams are officially over, wooooo!