BRUTAL LOVE || JOHN SHELBY

Chapter 10

11th November 1918

Ada ran into John's room to see a sleeping Libitina. She started to shake the girl so she would wake from her slumber.

"What is it Ada? Are the kids okay?" Libitina asked her best friend worriedly.

"Yes they are fine but you need to wake up and get dressed, the boys are coming home today! Tommy sent us a letter a couple days ago but it only arrived this morning!" Ada explained.

"Oh my god, okay okay, can you get the kids ready for me while I get myself washed and ready?!" Libitina asked.

"Yes of course the train will be arriving at around 12, you have two hours, chop chop." Ada shouted as she went to wake the kids.

Libitina couldn't believe the day was finally here, but the worst thing is she didn't even know if John would be getting off of that train today. The truth is Libitina hasn't received a letter for months now and she doesn't even know why. She thought they were okay before he left for war but now, she didn't know.

When Libitina was done getting ready she headed downstairs to join the rest of the family walking around the dining room kissing all the kids on the forehead one time each. She picked up Harry from the high chair he was in and gave him a bottle of heated up milk which he happily started drinking. The other kids have already started eating their bread and jam that Polly prepared for them that morning.

"Are you going to eat my darling girl?" Polly asked Libitina lightly.

"I'll eat when we get back Aunt Poll I'm not that hungry but could you possibly get me a cup of tea?" Libitina asked politely.

"Yes dear no worries." Polly said while pouring her a cup of tea.

When everyone was finished eating and drinking they hurried out the door as they only had fifteen minutes to walk to the train station. They got there about five minutes before the train arrived. The station was packed with mothers, wives and daughters and sons awaiting for the men of their house to arrive.

When the train arrived everyone started to cheer and the men stuck their heads out the window and started to wave at all the women in the train station, the train stopped and all the men piled out of the busy train. The men all ran to their families and hugged them. The first person Libitina saw was Arthur. He ran to her and picked her up from the floor and spun her around.

"Hello you, you've changed so much oh my god." Arthur said still hugging the young woman.

"Hello big brother how are you? Fucking hell you've changed so much! I've missed you so much" Libitina spoke with a shaky voice.

"I'm good darling glad to be home with the family." He said untangling himself from the girl.

"Go on say hi to the rest of the women, they've gone crazy without all of you!" And with that Arthur walked away to the rest of the family.

The next man she saw was Tommy, she already saw the change in him, in his eyes, but she didn't let that stop her wrapping her arms around the man she saw as a brother.

"Hello you." she whispered in his ear.

"Hello not so little Lib." He said to the girl in his arms.