In The Bleak Midwinter | T Shelby

TWENTY - A WHITE CHRISTMAS

"That turkey almost done, Dad? I'm wasting away over here!"

Kaia laughed as her brother shouted at her father from the sofa. The two of them were underneath Bonnie's blanket by the fire, glasses of wine in hand and gifts strewn around the living room.

The presents Kaia had given Bonnie and her father had gone down a treat. Aberama loved his new coat and Bonnie was in awe at the watch she'd picked out for him, putting it on straight away.

Kaia had received a new suit from her father, knowing that she'd much prefer that than a new dress. Bonnie had gifted her some perfume and a red silk scarf that matched the colour of her favourite lipstick. Considering she thought the two men in her life were clueless, they'd actually impressed her this year with their presents.

They'd spent the morning exchanging gifts before going on a long walk around the fields behind their house. Bonnie had called in to his girlfriend's house to see her for a few hours while Aberama and Kaia had a drink in The Marquis. The three of them stopped off at the cemetery like they did every year, laying down a fresh bouquet of flowers before spending some time at their mother's grave.

Snow had continued to fall every single day since Calvin had left and Small Heath had never looked prettier. Instead of the black stained cobbles and grey smoke being puffed from the factory chimneys, a white blanket covered the streets and hung from the roofs of the terraced houses. Icicles were frosted to shop signs and lampposts that cast yellow shadows onto the snow when evening fell. The village felt warm and cosy, peaceful for once, reminding Kaia of everything she wanted in life.

The family headed back to their house after visiting the cemetery, cracking open a bottle of wine between them while Aberama cooked a Christmas dinner for the three of them.

"Won't be long, son. You couldn't run round next door and ask if they have any spare potatoes could you Bon? I didn't buy enough the other day."

"You must be joking, I've just got warm under here I'm not going back out there." Bonnie replied, pulling the blanket higher up underneath his chin and resting his head against the arm of the sofa.

Kaia sighed and rolled her eyes, pushing herself up, "I'll go, Dad."

"Thank you darling, be careful."

She nodded and put on her fur coat and new scarf, wrapping it tightly around her neck before putting on her boots and a pair of black leather gloves.

Snow was still falling when she stepped outside. The air was crisp and cold but not unwelcoming. There was no breeze and the snow fell gently onto her coat, crunching beneath her feet as she began to walk to the closest house.

The sound of a horse trotting through the snow made Kaia look up from the ground, pulling her coat up above her mouth to keep her face warm.

A beautiful white horse was parading down the street, Thomas Shelby dressed in a black coat and his cap, a pair of leather gloves like hers holding the reigns as he looked at Kaia from high above.

The sky was frosted white and Tommy looked like a knight as he rode towards her, the horse powering through the snow majestically like nothing Kaia had ever seen before. The street lamps were burning and there was nobody else outside with them.

"Merry Christmas, Kaia."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Tommy."

He stopped the horse beside her, a small smile on his lips that she thought might only have been there because it was Christmas Day.

"I'm heading out to the stables, care to join me?"

The way he looked sat on the horse made Kaia feel a way she didn't want to feel. He looked handsome and powerful, almost regal. His skin was pale but the cold had made his cheeks turn crimson. His lips were chapped and his eyes were hollow yet bluer than the water in the lake  behind her home that had frozen over.