VICES AND VIRTUES | Thomas Shelby

SEVENTEEN

"Nice car, John," Tommy smiled as he and Florence approached the car, "How's she run?"

"Yeah, beautiful, really smooth," John replied with a grin.

"Your sister's in there giving birth and you're talking about the bloody car." Polly sighed as she appeared in the doorway, guiding Esme into the house.

"Not much us men can do now, Pol," Tommy answered with a smirk.

"Except go get drunk," Arthur grinned.

"Right, come on," Tommy gestured to his brothers.

"There's one man that should be here," Polly told them.

"You're right, Pol, Freddie should be here," Tommy nodded.

"Is that a heartbeat I hear inside that chest?" Polly asked with a tentative smile.

"The truce lasts till sunrise, on my oath," Tommy assured her, "Tell Freddie it's safe."

"Ada!" Polly called out as she disappeared back into the house.

"You joining us at the pub?" Tommy asked Florence.

"No," She shook her head, "I should be here, I'm more use here."

"Alright then," Tommy nodded as she followed Polly into the house, closing the door behind her.

She followed the sound of groaning and painful screams from the living room, entering the room to see Ada on the floor in her nightgown, her skin sweaty as Polly knelt in front of her.

"You hold my hand if you need to alright?" Florence smiled as she sat beside the girl, brushing her hair out of her face, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Flo, this is fucking agony," Ada winced.

"I know, just push when it feels right," Florence soothed as Ada clung onto her hand, "You're doing such a good job."

"Flo's right, you've just got to push a little while longer and that baby will be here," Polly assured her niece.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Florence asked the girl in an attempt to distract her from the pain.

"Me and Freddie couldn't agree on-" Ada winced as the pain from the contraction cut her sentence short.

"Keep going, that's right, push," Polly attempted to comfort the girl.

Esme nervously placed her hands on the girl's lower stomach, glancing at both Florence and Polly, "I think it might be the wrong way round, I tended three sisters."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Polly muttered as she rested her hand on Ada's stomach.

"What does that mean?" Florence asked, having been present at Finn's birth as well as the birth of all of John's children, but this was not something she had heard of before.

"It's easier for the baby to be born if it's head first," Esme explained, "We should move her forward, it'll be easier for them both."

"Alright," Florence nodded as she gave Ada her hand again.

"Come on, Ada," Polly added as the three women helped her to get onto all fours, "Right, come on, it's not long to go now darling."

"Could you find a blanket or something warm to wrap the baby in?" Esme whispered to Florence as she rubbed Ada's back.

"Of course," Florence nodded, standing and making her way out into the hallway where a basket of fresh washing sat. She rummaged through it and pulled out a tired but clean yellow blanket before returning to the living room.