Anna [J.Shelby]

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

The months had passed quickly, John and Anna, though some of her trust in him was missing, they felt stronger for it, he stayed true to his word, which Anna was eternally grateful for as more help with the kids meaned less stress on her.

She was almost full term, much to her delight. This pregnancy had proved a lot harder.

She was shook awake, Johns warm hand on her bump as she rolled over and opened her eyes lazily.

"Tom's called a family meeting"

"You can tell Thomas to piss off" Anna replied, causing John to chuckle lowly.

"Oi you two, hurry up" The two heard a yell from downstairs, making Anna groan and John grabbed her arm to help her up.

"Sometimes i'm bloody thankful I don't have a siblings"

In the betting den, John and Anna was the last to arrive.

"Glad you two could finally join us" Tommy gave a tight lip smile.

"Shut up Thomas, we have 5 kids and I'm fucking pregnant. You'll realise the struggle when you have yours" Anna bit back, much to the amusement of the family.

"Come on then, brother" Arthur urged Tommy, who glanced at Grace with a smile.

"We're getting married" There was cheers all around the family, John and Arthur, of course, was the loudest of them all. Even Charlie and Curly were in on the meeting.

"Never thought I'd see the bloody day" Charlie chimed.

"Just Arthur now, ey" Ada grinned at her brother.

"There, er, there is a woman, actually" Arthur cleared his throat.

"A day of bloody miracles" Polly snorted.

"Congratulations," Anna smiled at Grace who approached her, her small bump size was no rival to Anna's.

"Thank you" Grace replied gratefully, they exchanged a hug to the best of their abilities.

"Welcome to the family, Grace" Ada smiled, walking over to them and pulling Grace into a hug.

A feeling overcame Anna and her face creased, Grace noticing the change as Anna clutched onto Ada's arm.

Ada turned to her sister-in-law with furrowed brows.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she helped her back into a chair.

"Contractions" Polly spoke while lighting a cigarette, the men too busy conversing to realise the women who had shuffled together.

"I'm sorry to intrude in your celebration, Grace" Anna spoke painfully through what she knew was definately, a contraction.

"Seems to me the men will be celebrating for a lot more tonight"

"John, come and help Anna home, then you and your brothers can leave us. Soon enough you'll have another kid to manage" Arthur cheered again, Anna gripping Ada's hand through pain as she helped her up, John holding onto his wife, Ada and Polly following them.

"If you get me pregnant again I'll fucking cut you" Anna cursed, a small smile playing at John's lips in amusement but he didn't dare reply.

When Polly was ushering him out of the room, he pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips as her eyebrows furrowed in pain, and whispered an 'I love you'.

"Now, Grace, if you want to see just how gruesome childbirth is then you're free to stay, if not, then perhaps you can keep the nanny company downstairs"

"I'll help, in whatever way I can"

"Good, go and get whiskey because she'll need a fuckin' load of it"

"Now, has your waters broke?" Polly asked as Ada brought in sheets and towels.

"Last night I think , but I'd felt no pain and nothing had happened since so I didn't tell John" She gritted out.

"Why does this hurt more than the last time?" Anna cried out as she gripped the sheets.

"I suspect it's because you already know it's going to hurt like hell, so it hurts ten times worse" Polly replied.

"Always the charmer, Aunt Poll" Ada retorted as she sat beside Anna.

"I brought up 3 bottles, I suspect you'll be drinking some too, Polly."

"I think we all will" Ada commented.

Anna reached for Ada's hand again as another overcame her.

"Is this the right time to express how much I hate John?" She wheezed.

"No, save that for later." Polly replied, pouring herself a whiskey.

3 and a half hours later, a very tired and frustrated Anna finally gave birth.

"It's another little girl" Polly smiled, Anna leaned back to catch her breath.

"John's not going to like that" Anna breathed out with a smile after a few minutes of trying to overcome the tiring and overwhelming nature of labour.

Ada and Grace rushed to Arthurs to break the news, where the men were drinking themselves deaf.

Anna and Polly could hear the faintest of cheers from an open window, and chuckled to themselves as Polly helped prop Anna up, the new baby already on her breast and Polly unphased.

"If we carry on this way, we'll be over-run with girls" John spoke up after entering the door.

"You'd hate that wouldn't you, Mr Shelby" Anna teased him, glancing down at the new little girl.

"What are we calling this one, then?"

"I had a friend, when I worked as a nurse in the war, my first true friend. On the nights we couldn't sleep we'd stay up talking for hours. She had a fiancé who came back short of a limb, but he came back to her. When we said our goodbyes I never saw her again. Her name was Harriet"

"That's what we'll call her then" John kissed her forhead.

Anna glanced up at John who stared down at her with a smile.

"Don't you think Harriet sounds a little too proper for Birmingham?" This comment, of course, made John laugh.

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I quite like this chapter, but I can't figure out why?

Do excuse me, I need to write the wedding chapter(s) which will take a decade, actually, I think s3 will take a decade to write so...