Miss Gray

nine

"No problem, I'm sure Ada will watch Charles." She stood up from her seat on the hard floor, brushing past both Mary and Michael as she made her way downstairs. Her mother, who she hadn't spoken to in a while, was waiting for her outside Tommy's office with her arms crossed.

"Hello mother."

"I can see him in your eyes."

"What are you talking about?"

"Tommy. You're becoming too much like him."

"I'm not mum." Anna was growing frustrated already. It was clear to her that Polly was simply jealous of the influence Tommy was having in her life while she was having little impact these days.

"I'm warning you. It's one thing to ride horses and drink whisky but it's a slippery slope into the bad stuff." Polly warned, turning to open the door before Anna had the chance to respond.

They walked in to see Tommy furiously scribbling at his desk. Sitting down, Anna and Polly looked at each other, both wondering who should speak first. Luckily, Tommy beat them both to it.

"How are the books Pol?"

"Unaffected." Polly said confidently. "There has also been a three fold increase to the charity. The council have been in touch to suggest calling the new school the Grace Shelby Institute." Anna winced at the sound of Grace's name. Neither her of Tommy said her name once, even while they were speaking about her.

"Tell the council that the name Grace Shelby Institute is acceptable to us." Tommy slammed his pen down, folding the piece of paper he had been writing on before handing it to Polly. "That's all from you Pol, here's a list of the other things I want doing. Anna I'd like to speak to you in private." Anna sat there awkwardly as Polly slowly got up and left, rather taken aback by Tommy's bluntness.

"What's going on with you then Anna?" Tommy turned his attention to her once the door was closed.

"What?" Anna was confused by his words. "I don't know what you mean."

"You've been distancing yourself from Michael since Grace died. Now I know why that is but I'm wondering if you've admitted it to yourself yet."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're scared that what happened to me and Grace will happen to you and Michael." Finally, the thing Anna had been feeling for so long was said out loud, the thing she had yet to admit to herself.

"It's not that. I've always been scared of something happening to one of us, that's why I don't let him in. Grace's death only amplified it." Tommy sighed at her words.

"You can't deny yourself happiness because of the fear you won't have it forever. When you're with him, I see you happy and I also see you pushing him away." Since when was Tommy one for motivational speaking? "I pushed Grace away and because of that, I only got to spend two incredible years of my life with her. Had I not, it would've been a lot more even if she did still get shot by that bastard. Stop delaying your happiness. Send John and Arthur in." Tommy returned to his scribbling, not allowing for a reply as Anna sat there in stunned silence.

Exiting the room, Anna was immediately met by Polly waiting impatiently with questions.

"What did he want?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"You're my daughter, of course it concerns me." Polly followed Anna as she rushed down the hall in search of anyone that would free her from her mother.

"He was just checking I was okay, that's all."

"An-"

"Right, lets go." Arthur interrupted Polly, standing up from his place by the fire.