𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 · 𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐱

"You okay?" Evelyn questions, frowning slightly at his pain expression. "Alf, stand up."

"I'm fine, aye love. Just me sciatica playing up in the winter solstice, innit?"

Clenching her jaw, Evelyn raises to her own feet before holding her arms out to help Alfie back up – a scolding expression on her face.

"I'm not having you hurt yourself more," Evelyn presses a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth, picking up his walking-stick before handing it to him. "Ma, this is my husband, Alfie."

Alfie wraps his free arm back around Evelyn's waist as she begins to talk to her mother, explaining how they met, when she knew she fell in love – even the moment she thought she had lost him forever, before ending by placing her hands on her baby bump.

"And pretty soon I'm going to be a mother too," Evelyn affectionately spoke, before turning towards Alfie who was staring at her with nothing but utter love. "I wish you were here, I know you would've cried the moment you found out that I was pregnant."

Alfie let his girl have this moment; let her talk to her mother about how she was going to be the best mother she could – that she was going to do her proud as he took the daisies out of her hands and tucked them into the loose braid she had done in the rush to get out of her families old flat that morning.

He waited until she had finished before asking if he could have a moment alone with Mary. He watched as she nodded, quickly pressing a kiss to his lips before walking a few meters away from him.

"Right, I don't really know how to talk to the dead," he began, before running a shaky hand down his face. "But I want yer' to know that I will take care of her. I don't know how long I have left, but I've signed almost all of my assets, yeah, all over to her. I need to know that they'll be taken care of once I'm gone."

Alfie lets out a wobbly exhale, scratching at the angered skin on his left hand around his tattoo of a crown. He had noticed it this morning when he went for a bath, in-fact, majority of his left arm was now covered in irritated and flaky skin.

"Don't even know if I'm goin' to be here for her to give birth. Cancer's fuckin' painful, innit? Don't want her to see me decay right in-front of her eyes, but I want to be there every second – see her radiate with that glow that comes with pregnancy. It's selfish, yeah, but I love her and the bub too much."

It's silent and Alfie lifts his head to see his girl picking up a pile of blossoms before carelessly tossing them in the air – letting them fall around her. She looked absolutely ethereal and he never wanted the picture-perfect sight to leave his mind; he wanted it to last forever.

"Guess I owe it all to you. Brought her into this world and yer' weren't around long enough to see her grow into the woman she is, but you'd be fuckin' proud. She's strong, protects her siblings with her goddamn life even if it almost makes me have a heart attack every fuckin' time – she'd probably slap me silly for swearing in-front of yer,' sorry."

He lets out a gently laugh, shaking his head before clicking his tongue – giving Evelyn a loving smile as she spins in a circle before she lets out a series of giggles, her hands resting under her belly.

"I'm in no position to ask for favours and maybe this is my punishment for everythin' I've done. I'm a monster, yer' know? I'm one of the dangerous ones and she deserves more, so much more than I can ever give. But, if yer' have any pull wherever we go in the end – please let me live to meet my kid, right. That's all I'm asking. To meet my little girl or boy."

Alfie has to hold back the tears that well on the bottom of his lash-line, they sting and beg to be shed but he only blinks as he tilts his head back to look at the grey clouds – willing them away. He wouldn't usually think of admitting it out-loud, but when Alfie laid awake at night – his eyes taking in the sleeping figure of Evelyn as her hand rested protectively on her stomach, he couldn't help but fear that he wouldn't ever get to be a father.

He was worried that the cancer would take him too soon – it was already spreading far quicker than he wanted; often making him hide it from a worried Evelyn under layers of coats. He didn't want his child to grow up without having spent even a few minutes with him, he didn't want them to grow up only hearing tales of their father – the great Alfie Solomons. The Wandering Jew.

But most of all, he didn't want Evelyn to have to do it alone. He didn't her to be a widowed mother – having to raise his kin without him. 

He knew that her family would help her in every way they could, that his men; especially Ollie, would make sure she was looked after if she were to stay in London. It was part of the reason that he had signed the distillery over to Ollie once he was gone and given half of all makings to his wife so she wouldn't have to work a day if he were not there. 

He was going to look after them, even if it was the last thing he ever did. 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Alfie let out a deep breath before giving a final nod to the plaque – he knew it was a long shot. That faith had failed him many times – especially in the war, but he had to try.

"If not for me, yeah, do it for her. Do it for Evelyn. Let me have a few years, I don't care about finding a cure. Just let me live long enough to see my kid at least walk or hear them call me dad. Do it for them."

With that final sentiment, Alfie tore his gaze from the ground – making his way back to his wife who instinctively reached for his outstretched right hand. Her skin was freezing and Alfie quickly placed her hands in his pockets to warm them up.

"We should get goin'," he instructed, watching as she bit her bottom lip. "Can't have you gettin' sick, Pol said yer' immune system is already down and yer' more likely to become unwell."

"Since when did you chat to aunt Pol?" Evelyn grinned, blowing a kiss towards her mothers stone as they walked past. 

"Since she called the flat last night to make sure we got in alright, eh. She's a scary woman, your aunt – threatened to toss me into her fire pit if you so much as get the sniffles."

Alfie watches as Evelyn's face crinkles in delight to his words, moving his arm to wrap it around her shoulder – pulling him tighter to his side to press a kiss to the crown of her head.

Just a few years, he internally begged. Just a few more years of this.