OO7'
Cersei Shelby and birthday's were a complicated combination, Cersei's last five birthdays were meek and focused on her dying mother.
Dying was a rich word for what Rhea Calloway truly was 'going through', though Cersei would not come to realise her mothers ways for a short while.
Cersei knew her family was planning something, though she wasn't sure what, she knew her father had been preoccupied with Billy Kimber and Grace Burgess, both of whom made her blood boil. He was her father, he wasn't their anything. The thought of them even interacting had her clenching her fists.
Finn didn't say anything about the surprise and Katie, John's eldest was sworn to secrecy being bribed with a slice of birthday cake if she kept her mouth shut Cersei imagined, Katie had even more of a sweet tooth than she did. She had asked Katie, who said she'd been sworn to secrecy, Cersei liked knowing what was going to happen, that way she had a clear outlook on the day.
She liked her life planned out neatly. She had to know what was coming next to keep her sane. Cersei knew it was irrational but she feared if she didn't know what was coming next she'd end up like her mother, her yellowing skin, being unable to walk in a straight line, her numb hands and fingers, her constant slowed breathing, her confusion over where she was that usually happened late in the evenings, how sick she was all of the time.
Cersei never truly knew what was wrong with her mother, no one had bothered to tell her. Her mother had been let go from working for Hattie's dad though he paid the family a sum of money every few months, Cersei had always assumed it was to help with the doctors that Auntie Sophie said came when she was in school.
Cersei had never once seen a Doctor in her home not even when her mother died. Only Hattie's dad's friend coming to take the body for cremation, at the time Cersei was clueless as to what it was, when her Auntie Soph put a box of nick nacks on the table to sort Rhea's ashes into Cersei got an explanation.
Cersei Shelby was brought out of her thoughts by a knock on the back door, she rushed down the stairs to open it but opened the door to see no one was there. She sighed and went to close the door before looking down, seeing a fairly large box. She noticed the gate was open and sighed, leaning over the box and jumping onto the ground of the garden and rushing to the gate barefoot before locking it and picking up the box, placing it on the kitchen counter as she closed the back door with her foot.
She should've called her father down to tell him about the random box but it was her birthday so she supposed it was a gift, luckily for her it was, she opened the letter connected to the box that read :
" Dearest Sweet Cersei
This was near and dear to your mother and I hope you'll enjoy it just as much, though we've yet to meet Im keeping an eye on you dear
Love Mrs C"
Cersei frowned down at the paper and stuffed it into her pocket before opening the box and lifting out a locket that was on top of some more paper. She picked it up and opened the clasp, seeing a photo of her mother at the same age as her, with her father on the other side. Cersei stared at the locket for what felt like an eternity before slamming it down onto the counter as her eyes watered she threw the box onto the floor before she fully bursted into tears. Her cheeks felt scalding hot as she rested her arms onto an empty spot on the counter.
Polly was at the bottom of the stairs as Cersei sobbed into her hands. "What's the matter?" Polly asked. "It's Reggie's sick idea of a joke. Sending me a locket with my mum in it, I don't even know how he got it." Cersei croaked. "Come here." Polly urged pulling her arms out for Cersei to join as she walked towards her. "I want him gone, I want her gone too. I can't stand the two of them." Cersei cried "Her?" Polly inquired.
"Grace. I want her out of all our lives for good. She's going to hurt him, I can't lose him an'all." Cersei fumed, her upset turning to anger at the thought of Grace Burgess "Shh, you're not going to lose him, your dad'll outlive us all." Polly assured her. Once Polly had calmed Cersei down the two of them prepared Breakfast for the house. Her anger was still prevalent as she chopped the sausages apart from the long line they'd come in when Arthur and Finn had bought them one evening while Polly was washing Cersei's hair, it turned out, given the proper hair products Cersei's hair was naturally curled.
Once Breakfast was done and Finn had been called down Tommy walked down the stairs to see his daughter and Polly at the table with Finn, each one of them eating their breakfast while his and Arthur's were rested on the plates between the other three. "Morning Dad." Cersei greeted with a warm smile. "Happy Birthday." He replied "It's your birthday?" Finn asked. "Finn we've been planning a party all week." Polly chuckled in amusement "Have ya? I hadn't a clue." Finn replied bluntly.
"Cers, provided you only have a few, you've got your dads permission to drink tonight." Cersei nodded for a moment before seeing Tommy's barley expressive yet slightly stunned face and as a result quickly 'cheering' herself up "Thank you." Cersei replied with a smile.
"Can I go get John?" Finn asked. Tommy and Polly shared a glance before nodding. "Arthur your foods going cold." Polly shouted up the stairs. Cersei ate her breakfast and walked up the stairs to get changed, ever since Ada had left her room had felt empty, Tommy had put the two beds together one day and Cersei had come home to two beds stuck together.
Cersei missed Ada, quite a bit actually. She often found herself laying awake, waiting for Ada to walk in and complain about her hogging their beds. Or mutter about Freddie.
Ada actually understood how unfair it was that the boys had more freedom than them, Cersei had yearned for a father her entire life and now she felt more restricted than when she did with her mother dying and her Auntie never letting her go anywhere.
The most outing she did was sleeping at Hattie's while her father was conducting business, she slept over Hattie's a lot now that she thought about it.
"Cersei" Polly shouted up the stairs to Cersei's dismay Polly had decided it was time that the girls hair had a wash, which meant Cersei sitting in a bath for an hour while Polly fussed over her, it wasn't that she didn't like Polly.
She adored her, she didn't her hair being fussed with, she never had, during the period of her childhood where she had refused to speak her mother would spend hours playing with her hair, her shaking yellowing fingers running through Cersei's hair.
Often times Cersei would think she was seven again, the ghost of her mother's fingers traipsing through her hair while she herself refused to say a word.
Polly's voice was an anchor, keeping her sure she wasn't in London again. That she wasn't desperate for her mother to get better, praying about it every evening.
Cersei had come to find out that she didn't believe in god, if he cared so much for all his children then why did her mother die? Why did Sophia's son die as a little boy? Why did he not let her father and mother be happy together. God wasn't real, not to Cersei anyway.
Luckily for Cersei, Polly had to be called away which meant she could bury her head underneath the water and soak for a moment.
Within half an hour Cersei was dressed in a lavender dress and white socks with slightly heeled Mary—Jane shoes she'd gotten as a gift. Her hair brushing against her as she moved.
John's children had made her presents, the little ones all made her a drawing while Katie made her a bracelet Cersei had decided to put on her ankle underneath her socks for safe guarding.
John himself had very clearly sent Polly to get a gift from him, Arthur too. She had gotten books from them which she was extremely happy with.
Tommy had bought her a few dresses and told her he had a surprise for later which made Cersei anxious if she's was being entirely honest. She hated surprises, so she just had to hope this one was a good one.
Within an hour of her getting her gifts and putting them away Cersei was being hurried to the Garrison, Cersei assumed it was for a party and she was correct, what she was upset to see was Grace Burgess' stupid fucking face behind the bar.
Cersei decided then and there she would spend most of her evening with Katie and her father, Cersei's Uncle John. Which is exactly what she did, Cersei spent most of the evening dancing with Katie, trying to ignore Grace's presence as she and Katie twirled around the pub.
Eventually Katie had to go home which caused Tommy to focus more on his daughter, more so that she had barley touched the alcohol she had gotten as a birthday gift, instead of letting it go to waste Tommy drunk it himself before making his way to Cersei who was talking with Finn.
Cersei must have noticed his shoes since she shot her head up to see him. Cersei wasn't quite sure how they had gotten there but within a few minutes they were at the Stables where a chocolate brown pony was awaiting her, It turned out that was her surprise and Cersei was ecstatic about it. The dull expression on her face when she looked at her father had faded and in its place was a wide smile.
"She's wonderful" Cersei exclaimed. "You can name her anything you like, and soon you'll be able to ride her. Charlie said you were ready for a horse." Tommy told his daughter who nodded before a name popped into her head, Tommy could see her eyes brighten as the realisation came to her.
"Can I name her Chocolate?" Cersei asked ".. If you want." Tommy replied finding the name a little odd. Tommy nodded and walked to find Charlie or Curly which left Cersei petting her horse who already loved her.
After Tommy had to practically drag her back home Cersei ended up going to bed and reading a book she'd gotten called Anne Of Green Gables. She managed to get through three chapters before Polly had come in to make sure she was sleeping which she of course was not, which resulted in Polly putting the book back in the cupboard and closing it before sitting at the edge of Cersei's bed before she finally fell asleep.
EM TALKS
fucking hell this was a monster of a chapter to write
i am NEVER writing a fully original chapter for peaky ever again im sorry