𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐍, ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦

Leticia gave a small grin, "It's just an intuitive thought. I can always give you the ring swing just to be sure?"

Ada smiled placing a hand over her stomach. Looking down to where her hand laid she shook her head softly before raising her eyes back to Lettie's, "No, that's all right. Freddie and I want it to be a surprise."

Leticia smiled wide, "You're going to be a great mother, Ade's."

Ada reciprocated the same smile praying in her head over and over that she hoped she was. She wouldn't have her child grow up in the gang life. Not knowing whether or not someone was going to screw you over. No, she wanted a life of peace and quiet with her husband and child. And she'd be damned if that wasn't what she got.

***********

The next day, the notorious Shelby leader made his way down the street towards the famous pub in Small Heath. The night before, the same nightmares that plagued his mind resurfaced. The same beginning and ending, always repeating itself. The same tunnels, the same dirt stuck to his clothes and skin, the same sounds of the shovels trying to break through the wall he had built in his head.

Every night he awakes at the same time. The use of the opium not strong enough to keep the images away. The tiredness shown strongly through his eyes but he hid it well, he had learned over the years.

Pushing through the double doors, he strolled his way in immediately heading to the back room sparing no one a glance. Twisting the doorknob, he made his way in but paused once he caught sight of who was occupying one of the chairs.

Heaving a sigh, he closed the door behind him, "I see you've invited yourself in."

The Morelli woman shrugged her shoulders, "On the contrary, I knocked but received no answer. Figured you'd come eventually. You Shelby's and your liquor, simply can't stay away."

Walking over to the table, he slid his jacket off of his arms laying it on a nearby chair before taking a seat opposite of the young woman. Leticia poured the Shelby man a glass before sliding it over to him on the table.

The hazel eyed beauty observed the quiet man from her position. A still silence enveloped the room as Thomas grabbed his glass. Crossing one leg over the other, the brunette leaned back in her chair, "Yesterday was an interesting day for me," Thomas remained silent not even putting energy into looking at the woman, but the Morelli woman carried on anyways, "Yesterday, I took a lovely stroll to the Garrison for a drink, maybe have a friendly chat with the barmaid...but on my way, I heard a cry," running a finger over the rim of her glass out of habit, she kept her eyes on a silent Tommy, "It was a baby's cry. The baby was clearly in distress. and the mother was trying her very best to soothe her child."

Leticia stared off to the wall playing out the scene in her head again like a scene from the pictures.

"I watched as the mother ran a hand over her baby's head ever so gently and she said," the Shelby man had finally tilted his head to look at the Morelli woman waiting to see where she was going with her story, "She said, 'Shh Adelaide, you're all right.' And after a moment, the little one finally had calmed...and all it took was the mother's voice to make the baby's troubles vanish," Leticia furrowed her brows remembering what had happened next so vividly, "And suddenly, I felt a tingle on the back of my neck...it reminded me of a bolt of lightning, and then it got me thinking. You always see the lightning before you hear the thunder. I knew then something was bound to happen right after."