Too Late To Say Goodbye | Tommy Shelby {1}

66.

Even though it was Christmas Eve, Tommy still went to the factory.

Bella understood, it was important to make sure that it was running properly and no planned strikes were coming.
But still she made him promise that he'd be home in time to put the cookies out with her and Charlie.

So there he was, trying his best to get everything done so he can go home to his family.

Entering the conference room he's been working out of, he found Michael hunched over a pile of snow.

"Told you, you didn't have to come in on Christmas Eve." Tommy spoke to him

Michael stood bringing a document to him "yeah well same fucking union convener....all wire cutters here are women. Thinks the pay is unfair."

Tommy read over the paper. "Well tell him that there are no men wire cutters so there's no comparatives."

"She. The union convener is a woman."

"Fuck her then."

"Want me in the meeting?"

Tommy stared at him for a second "no...and Michael.-" he said as the boy started to leave
"-lay off the snow."

Michael sighed "sometimes I have a sniff off the snow, so what?"

Tommy sat with a cigarette lit "how's your mother?"

"Look the cocaine keeps me awake." Michael argued

"Mmhmm, Bella misses her. Your mum. says she still won't talk to her."

"She talks to things that aren't there. Takes pills and drinks whiskey." Michael gave in and told him

He already knew this but needed this confirmation "you let her. Talk to them with her...these spirits she sees, they're real. Believe they're real with her...and eventually she's be able to remove that noose from her neck."

"Fuck, Tommy. Sounds like family advice. You coming back?"

Tommy blew out smoke. He wouldn't. No matter how much Bella begs him he couldn't do that to them.

"Nothing to come back to."

*****

Bella was surprised when Frances popped into Charlie's room to tell her that Tommy has arrived home.

It was still light outside and although she asked him to be home early today, she didn't expect it to be this early.

Scooping Charlie up, who was getting far too big for her to carry, they headed downstairs to his office.

Knocking but not waiting for him to reply, she walked in with a smile. He was standing behind his desk, smoking a cigarette and reading the newspaper.
"Look Charlie, Daddy's home."

Looking up when he heard her "hello you two" he greeted but not moving away from the paper.

"It's Christmas Eve Daddy!" Charlie yelled running over to him as soon as Bella put him down

Placing a hand in his head, Tommy nodded down at his son. "That it is, now why don't you play in here while I finish some work 'fore we put the cookies out, eh?"

Smiling up at his father, happy to be allowed to stay in here with them. "Okay! Cmon Baby!" He cheered to the dog running over to the couch in the office.

Bella let them have their moment together before going over to Tommy herself. Wrapping her arms around his bicep, looking at the paper that was laid out, delivering news about the labor unions.