Too Late To Say Goodbye | Tommy Shelby {1}

65.

Tommy felt very content with his life.

Although work was busy and with the factory workers constantly threatening strikes around the city, none of it mattered to him.
Not when he had her. Not when he saw how happy she was. Not when he could work hard during the day and come home to a warm bed with her at night.

Bella's been spending more time at home with Charlie recently, with everything going on with the unions, Tommy insisted that she did.
Not that she was against the unions, in fact Tommy knew she disagreed with him about some of his labor views. But she never says anything, not when their home life was so perfect.
But Tommy didn't allow her at the office as much unless she was with him. It could get dangerous and he refuses to put her in any form of danger.

He had been working more at the factory itself. Set up office in the conference room upstairs, where he could step out and view the manufacturing of the vehicles from the balcony.

It was a week before Christmas and Tommy was just getting home after a long day at work.

As usual, it was Bella waiting for him at the door instead of one of the maids.
She smiled at him, taking off his cap before leaning for a kiss.

"Hello Bella" he mumbled against her lips

"Hello Tommy" she mumbled back "how was your day?"

He rubbed his chin, Something he does whenever he's stressed. "More strikes breaking out, but business is still running."

Pursing her lips. Thinking about the state of the economy, it was going downhill. She couldn't even imagine where she'd be on the social scale if she never met Tommy, so she sympathized with the families that are struggling.

"Everyone wants more money, but there are other expenses to be paid." He continued, "how was your day, peach?" He asked wanting to change the subject

Smiling again, "good! Took Charlie to see the horses, he asleep now. Tired from running around with Baby."

Raising a brow "he loves that dog."

Starting to walk upstairs towards the bedroom, she laughed "of course he does! How could you not?"

"I do, I do. Just not to the extend that boy does." Tommy said in a surrendering stance, he'd never admit it but he likes the dog a lot more than he leads on.

Bella stopped at the top and turned towards him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I love our family, and that includes Baby. So thank you letting him stay. Ada will be here at the end of the week, so we have start preparing something for Charlie for Christmas." She told him, knowing that it'll be a small Christmas with the family still not on speaking terms. But maybe Ada and Eleanor will stay for dinner.

Tommy kissed her softly, "we'll make it special, I promise."

Kissing him back "thank you...Frances keeps telling me the new chef wants to know how many people will be in attendance."

Furrowing his brows "new chef?"

"Yeah, I'm told that he's foreign and likes to make big meals. Wants to know who in the family will be in attendance."

The whole situation seems off to him, this is his house, yet he didn't know about this chef.
"Leave it to me, I'll take care of it, maybe Johnny Dogs and his tribe will come."

She nodded at him, turning to continue their way to bed.

It was finally time to rest.

*****

A couple of days later, Bella was in the family room with Charlie and Baby.

As usual, the two were playing together and Charlie was telling Bella about all the things he hopes to get for Christmas.