"Silent night, holy night," Ada and Beatrice belt, dancing around the Christmas tree, a glass of gin in each of their hands.
"Will you two be quiet?" John groans, and they just laugh, now serenading him, "all is calm, and all is bright,"
"You're hurting my ears," John complains as the two young women continue to sing loudly.
"Kez, shut them up, you're the only one who knows how," Arthur says.
"But I'm enjoying it," Kez teases.
"No, you're not," John replies, "you're enjoying watching us get tortured."
"That's what I meant," Kezia shrugs, as Ada and Bea try to get her to stand up and dance with them, "sleep in heavenly peace."
"You still enjoying it?" Tommy replies.
"You boys might as well get used to it," Kezia states, "it's a regular occurrence."
"Who wants to go to the pub?" Arthur asks, John and Tommy instantly agreeing.
"You're not leaving, we're spending time together on Christmas Eve," Polly states, from where she was playing Mah Jong with Jeremiah. Finn and Isaiah were sat by the tree rattling the presents with their names on them trying to work out what they'd get.
"Told you," Kez replies, "might as well get used to it."
"I don't want to get used to this," Arthur retorts, "my ears are hurting."
"Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh, over the fields we go, laughing all the way," both women then let out horrendous cackles as they linked arms and skipped in a circle.
Kezia stands up, and the women cheer, thinking they've finally worn her down, but instead of walking towards them, she backs away into the kitchen to pour herself another drink, the two younger women followed her, continuing with their singing.
"I'm surprised you haven't told us to shut up, we've been going for a while, we got bored a couple of songs ago, we just wanted to piss people off," Ada laughs.
"Why would I tell you to shut up?" Kezia replies, filling her glass up.
"You're telling me you weren't the slightest bit annoyed with our singing?" Ada responds.
"Used to be. Not anymore," Kezia shrugs, "realised it made you happy, didn't want that to stop, so I just got used to it."
"You're sweet on us," Ada teases, stealing her sister's glass of whiskey and downing it.
"You made me a-happy sometimes, you made me glad," Kezia states, taking the glass back from her younger sister, "no more for you, Chakano."
"Al Jolson," Bea says, "you just quoted Al Jolson. You like our singing, admit it!"
"Liking it doesn't mean it's good," Kezia responds.
"Harsh," Bea gasps.
"True," Kez retorts, taking a sip from her drink, walking towards the front door which someone had just knocked on.
"Evening, Kez, sorry I'm late," Theresa smiles, as Kezia opens the door, looking her up and down, "you're over a month late."
"I got caught up with a Frenchman, it's over now though," Theresa says, following Kez into the house, shutting the door, "I couldn't send a letter."
"I forgot you were illiterate," Kez mutters.
"Well, you haven't changed," Theresa laughs.
"Tess!" Ada exclaims joyfully, embracing the woman.
Theresa used to work at the blacksmiths with Kezia, but two years into the war she decided to volunteer as a nurse and was shipped to France.
"Nice, sturdy table and chairs," Theresa comments, glancing at Kez, "your handiwork?"
"Perhaps," Kezia replies.
"I must say it's better than anything I could put together," Theresa hums.
"Obviously," Kez states.
"Humble as ever," Theresa scoffs, rolling her eyes, Kezia mimicking her before dodging the hand that came to swat her arm.
"Oh my, baby Bea, you have not grown an inch," Theresa teases.
"Have so," Bea remarks, as Theresa and Ada exit the kitchen, laughing about something else.
"Take that look off your face," Kez states.
"What look?" Bea responds, as Kezia comes to stand in front of her, "you know what look I'm on about."
"Fine," Bea sighs exasperatedly, "do you know how frustrating it was? I tried for years to be your friend, to be an acquaintance because you were Ada's sister. She showed up at your work and had your undivided attention. It happened again, just now, she walked in, and it was like your eyes couldn't divert themselves."
"I thought she was dead, Bea, she can't write, she couldn't send letters, I thought she'd died in France," Kezia replies, "it's like I was seeing a fucking ghost."
"So you admit you couldn't take your eyes off of her?" Bea states, "you bring your ex to your house, and can't take your eyes off of her and expect me not to be annoyed?"
Kezia laughs, "my what?"
"Don't try and tell me you've never touched her," Bea scoffs.
"I mean sure, we've probably brushed against each other when we were working," Kez shrugs.
Bea glares up at her, "is this all just some joke to you? Am I a fucking joke to you? Why are you laughing?"
"Oh," Kezia says, taking Bea by surprise by lifting her onto the table, Kez's hands resting on her thighs gradually trailing them higher, "you mean have I touched her like this? Like I touch you?"
"Don't even think about kissing me to try and shut me up," Bea warns, "I'm mad at you."
"Why?" Kez asks.
"Did the whole 'bringing your ex to your house and staring at her like nobody else was in the room' not sum it up for you?" Bea remarks.
"Not my ex," Kez clears up, "didn't take you for the jealous type, I'll be honest."
"So not your ex? But you've slept with her?" Bea replies, and Kezia shakes her head, "as I said, the most I've touched her is when we were at work, it was a tight space, we probably bumped into each other, but that's it. And did the whole 'I thought she was dead' not sum up why I was staring at her?"
"If I find out you've lied-"
"I haven't," Kez cuts her off, "I might've had some... sleepovers in the past, but none of them I'd ever dream of seeing again, nor would I bring them around my family. She is also straighter than the handle of my hammer. She loves men so intensely sometimes it's horrifying."
Bea laughs softly, smiling up at Kez, whose thumbs were caressing her inner thigh.
"You were wrong before," Bea states.
"Not words I'm used to hearing, but carry on," Kez says.
"I wasn't jealous," Bea replies, "I felt disrespected."
"It's okay to be jealous, it's hot when you're mad at me," Kezia teases.
"I'm always mad at you." Bea states.
"Explains why I find it difficult to keep my hands to myself," Kezia hums, before shrugging, "I get jealous."
"You do?" Bea questions, surprised, "you never seem jealous."
"Oh, I've got a coping mechanism that calms me down," Kez smirks.
"Coping mechanism?" Bea responds.
"Mhm," Kez nods, "involves your pretty thighs wrapped around my head whilst you scream my name, it really helps me."
"I don't scream," Bea huffs.
"You're right," Kez says, "it's more like an exclaimed whimper."
"Oh, fuck off," Bea blushes, pushing Kez's hands off her legs.
Kez laughs, hooking her finger around the pendant on Beatrice's necklace, "my attention is on you, even if my eyes aren't, you're the one on my mind, you don't need to be frustrated or jealous, okay, beautiful?"
Bea nods, "okay."
"We should probably go join the others before someone comes looking for us," Kezia states, placing a chaste kiss to Bea's lips, before laying the necklace back against Beatrice's chest, her thumb grazing over the pendant, dropping her hand and taking a step back, allowing Bea to get off the table.
"Too late," Bea shrieks, noticing Tommy stood in the doorway, his mouth slightly agape, cigarette centimetres away from his lips. He'd obviously been about to take a puff when he'd walked into the kitchen.
"For fucks sake," Tommy sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"It's not what it looks like," Bea states.
"It's exactly what it looks like," Kez corrects.
"You couldn't find any other woman in Birmingham? It just had to be your sisters bestfriend?" Tommy says, "Ada will try and tear your hair out."
"She can't reach my head," Kez replies.
"She can reach mine," Beatrice squeals, touching her hair.
"Oh, you don't need to worry, she'll blame the situation on Kez," Tommy says.
"Phew, I like my hair," Bea sighs relieved, and Kez stares at down at her, "seriously?"
"It's a very nice head of hair," Bea remarks.
"Bea, go back to everyone else," Tommy commands, "I need to have a talk with my sister... alone."
"Okay, bye," Beatrice nods, rushing out of the room, thankful that she'd been dismissed.
"What were you thinking?" Tommy says to his sister.
"Have you seen her?" Kezia shrugs, "and why are you assuming this is my doing?"
"Because, Kez, it usually fucking is!" Tommy exclaims, "we both know it'll end badly."
"And I am guessing you're assuming that would be my fault as well?" Kezia responds.
"Obviously," Tommy states, "Kez...you don't sleep with your siblings bestfriend. It's just something you don't do."
"What's done is done," Kezia replies.
"How long has this been going on?" Tommy asks.
"Almost a year," Kez answers.
"You've been sneaking around behind Ada's back for a year?" Tommy says.
"Almost a year," Kezia corrects and Tommy shoots her an agitated look, "so it's been going on for almost a year, what are you two?"
"Nothing... sort of friends?" Kez replies.
"One of you is going to get hurt by this, and I have the feeling that it won't be you," Tommy states, "you're playing with her emotions."
"Because I'm just that bad of a person, right, Tom?" Kezia says, "I'm a shitty person, that's what you want to say, isn't it?"
"What happened with Candace?" Tommy replies.
"Candace? What happened with her is none of your fucking business," Kezia scoffs.
"Yeah, well, just make sure it doesn't end as badly, this would affect more than just you," Tommy states.