Laura's Secret

Chapter 31 - same night

3rd person POV

"Tom, I'm pregnant." Laura says quickly, her nerves getting the better of her. "What?" Tommy says shocked. "We're going to have a baby." She says shakily. He immediately pulls her in for a kiss before kissing all over her face, making her giggle. "We're having a baby!" he says as he hugs her. "So, you're not upset?" she asks in a state of happiness and shock. "Why would I be upset? You're giving me a child. My child. I love you so much." Tommy replies, kissing her once more.

Laura lets out a breath of relief as Tommy pulls away from her and holds his hand on her stomach. "A baby." He whispers. "Our baby." She whispers back, smiling widely. Tommy can't even begin to explain the amount of joy he is feeling so he just kisses her deeply. Neither of them can stop smiling as they both get lost in their love for each other. Tommy quickly pulls away and scoops Laura up into his arms.

He carries through to the bedroom and carefully places her down onto the bed. "You, Mrs Shelby, need to rest, ok? I'll be right here if you need anything. And I mean anything. Understand?" Tommy says as he lays next to her, causing Laura to laugh. "Thank you, Mr Shelby. I appreciate it." She says as they both get comfy wrapped in each other's limbs. "I love you Thomas Shelby." Laura sighs happily as she drifts into a deep sleep. "I love you more, Laura Shelby." Tommy replies.

~Skip to the next day~

Laura's POV

Fuck I'm so nervous right now. I'm currently sat in Alfie's office, waiting for him to finish whatever 'bread' he is making. My leg won't stop shaking and my mind can't even focus. I hope this goes well. I take a deep breath as I hear his footsteps coming closer. Just breath Laura. Everything's going to be fine.

"Afternoon Laus. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he says as he sits down. At least he's already in a good mood. "I just have some news I think you'll be happy about." I reply nervously with the best smile I can muster. "Oh yeah? What's that then?" he says, leaning forwards in his chair. Here we go. "You're going to be an uncle." I say softly, smiling when his face lights up. "What? You're having a baby?" he gasps, a wide smile crossing his face. "I'm having a baby, big brother." I beam as he stands to hug me.

"I'm so happy for you, Laus. How did Tommy take it?" he asks as we pull away from each other. I smile as the memory fills my mind. "He's so happy. Both of us are." I reply. "My baby sister is having a baby. I never thought I'd see the day." He smirks at me. "Oi!" I yell and smack his arm, causing him to laugh. "Sorry, Laus. I'm happy for you." He says, pulling me into another hug. Thank fuck for that. "How far along are you?" Alfie questions, breaking the happy silence that fell over us. "Around 3 months I think, probably a bit less." I reply. "That's great, sis." He starts, "Look, this is wonderful news and I'd love to celebrate with you, but I have a lot to do here. Are we still on for tomorrow?" he says, almost pushing me towards the door. "Uhm, yeah sure. I'll see you tomorrow." I stutter out before being shoved through the door. That was strange.

3rd person POV

As Laura is walking home she lets her mind wonder for a while. She thinks about anything and everything. As she turns the corner to get to her flat, she is pulled from her thoughts. She sees a face she thought she would never see again, mainly because she thought he had died in France.

You see, Laura had previously been engaged to a man named Robert Jones. She was heartbroken when he lad left to fight in the war, and even more upset when she received the telegram that he was killed in action in 1916. She had spent years trying to recover from that, she struggled deeply. This was part of the reason for her move to Birmingham. Everywhere she went reminded her of their love which was cut short. Or at least that's what she thought.

Her breathing picks up and she starts to walk quicker. It's only a few doors down and hopefully she can get home before he notices her. She manages to keep him in her peripheral vision and is constantly looking over her shoulder. That's when he disappeared. Was she seeing things? Did he see her and leave? Laura's mind casts back to the date of Robert's supposed death. 18th October, 1916. Today. This was no coincidence. When she climbs the steps, she frantically knocks on the door, cursing herself for not picking up her keys. Tommy swings the door open with concern before he is pushed inside.

He watches as Laura slams the door shut and locks every bolt across. "Laura, what's going on?" Tommy says with concern. "I just saw someone I never thought I would see again. Well, I think I did. I'm not sure." Laura rambles as she tries to catch her breath. "What do you mean? Who did you see?" Tommy asks as he guides Laura through to the kitchen. He carefully sits her down before getting a glass of water for her. "He's supposed to be dead. Why the hell could I see him?" Laura asks softly as she looks up at Tommy with tears in her eyes. "Laura, who did you see?" Tommy repeats himself, sitting next to her. "Robert. I saw Robert." She whispers in reply, sipping on her water.

Tommy knew all about Robert. On the night of their wedding, Tommy and Laura didn't exactly spend it how it is traditionally spent. Instead of making love all night, they decided to talk about their lives. Laura had cautiously revealed to Tommy about her previous engagement, explaining the less intimate parts of their romance. After a long night of emotions, Tommy decided to forgive Laura for hiding this from him, as he knew how she had tried her best to move on.

"What do you mean you saw Robert?" Tommy asks in shock, but Laura is too stunned to reply. He watches as tears begin to fall from her eyes. He wraps his arms around her shaking body and pulls her close. "Shh, it's ok love." He whispers. "Come on, come and have a rest, ey?" he says whilst standing, pulling her with him.

He slowly guides her to the bedroom and sits her on the bed. Laura is in too much shock to even know what is happening right now, so Tommy slips her coat and shoes off before laying down with her. Maybe some sleep will help her to feel better.