When The Boys Are Away

Part 44

Everyone was starting to get worried. Time was ticking away at a scarily fast pace, and there was still no sign of Dale, Jack or John. The fact that nobody had spoken for the past hour just proved how nervous they were. It was a waiting game, and nobody was enjoying it one bit. 

"Why don't you put the kettle on Ada." Tommy muttered from his chair in the corner as he lit up another cigarette. His eyes were shaded, staring blankly through the gap of the curtains, watching over the abandoned street below. There wasn't a car, nor a person in sight. London wasn't supposed to be a ghost town. 

"Why don't you get off your arse and do it yourself?" Ada retaliated with a hint of sarcasm laced between her words. Both Arthur and Tommy turned to her with stern expressions, causing the sister to sigh deeply, exaggerating her annoyance as she forced herself off the sofa. 

In Ada's defence, she had already made half a dozen cups of tea for each of them, many were left sat on the side untouched. It was as if the world couldn't continue turning until the final boys returned. 

"I'll help you." Harlow offered, following the Shelby into the kitchen as she mumbled profanities under her breath. Softly closing the door behind them, Harlow leant against the counter as Ada began arranging the cups on the side. After carefully placing the kettle on the hob to warm up the water, they turned to wait for the water to boil. 

"So this thing with Alfie," Ada started interestedly, "Is it a date?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow whilst leaning her elbow against the sink. 

Harlow rolled her eyes, she knew that Ada was too nosey for her own good. It was inevitable that she would be quizzed about every detail on her return. "I honestly don't know Ada, but it will help the business." Harlow explained, nodding slowly to reassure herself that what she was the truth. At this point, she wasn't sure what to believe. 

"To hell with the business," Ada erupted suddenly, "Who cares about that?" She smirked cheekily as Harlow choked out a laugh, "I don't know... maybe Tommy, Arthur, Polly. Literally every member of your family who needs the money to survive. Including you, may I add."

Ada shook her head lightly, waving off the facts with a light hearted shrug. Although Ada did care about the business, she cared about her best friend's happiness a lot more. She'd rather everyone be happy than rich; something that Tommy didn't seem to understand the concept of. His ambition was much too powerful to be distracted by something as irrelevant as how people were feeling, that's how he saw it. 

"Have you ever thought about your own happiness Harls? You can't revolve your life around this business, you deserve more than that." Ada persuaded fondly, placing a comforting hand on Harlow's arm just as the water started to bubble excessively. 

Contemplating what Ada had just said, Harlow stood cross armed in silence as her friend began preparing the tea. Harlow had always thought her future would be with the Shelbys forever. She believed she could run the business alongside Tommy, and maybe one day he would propose. They would marry, potentially have a few kids and watch them grow up like the picture perfect household. 

Harlow only now realised that Thomas Shelby was not made for a normal family life, and he never would be. The part of him that wanted all that had been drained away in France. As he spent those long, exhausting nights in the tunnels wondering if every one would be his last, the old version of Tommy drifted away. 

No human could survive those conditions unscathed, so he allowed his humanity to leave his body, and only a minimal amount was able to fight its way back in on his return to Birmingham. 

"I have never really thought about it." Harlow admitted gently, running her hands across her opposite biceps to warm herself up. Without the heat of the fire, the kitchen felt cold and menacing. She just wanted to go home.