Another love

Part Eighty - Six

Tommy's heart was pounding, he felt the tunnels closing in on him through all the dirt, the Prussian man coming for him. He didn't want to do it, he didn't want to kill him, but he had to.

"Tommy." She whispered and that's when he felt it. Her gentle touch on his shoulder.
He blinked and turned to face her, she was real she was there.

"Sarah." He panted, suddenly calmer. The Prussian man was gone, but he was still in the tunnel.

Sarah pulled him next to her "Breathe, Tom.....Tommy just breathe." She soothed as they sat crouched in the dirty tunnel.

"Will you stay with me this time?" He asked her.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Mr Shelby?"

Tommy jumped at the sound of Francis's voice. He'd been pushed back into an old memory, into an old dream he used to have in the war. He'd pretend Sarah was with him in the tunnels, keeping him calm, keeping him hopeful for their wedding when he got home, except there was no wedding, at least not back then. She was gone.

"Francis, where is Mrs Shelby?"

"She's upstairs getting ready, sir."

Tommy nodded and went upstairs to their room where Sarah sat at her vanity, her eyes puffy as she put on her earrings. She caught a glimpse of him standing in the doorway from her mirror and sent him a gentle nod.

Tommy took a step closer into the room almost too nervous to say anything to her before settling on, "the car will be here soon."

Sarah nodded and powdered her face trying to hide any sign of crying.

"I'm sorry," Tommy whispered.

"What for? It's not your fault." She replied with no emotion in her voice.

"I shouldn't of - she's at peace now." He mustered up.

"Yeah, well, neither of us will ever see her again." She replied flatly, finally turning to meet Tommy's gaze, watching as a frown covered his face

"What do you mean?"

Sarah snorted, "Well our Ruby was a sweet, kind and caring girl. Whatever bliss exists after this life, we won't be going to. We're bad people Tom, we've done bad things." She told him as she turned her back to him again and took a nervous breath, "Have you been drinking?"

She hated herself for asking him that question, Tommy had never faltered from his sobriety. Had remained stoic about it. When he didn't say anything she quickly turned to look at him and stood up. They both made to take a step towards each other but as if there was an invisible barrier between them they stopped and just stared at each other.

"Mum."

Sarah jumped slightly as Charlie appeared at the doorway

"Yes." She whispered her eyes shifting to her sons before looking back at Tommy

Charlie looked between his parents nervously, "I need help with my tie." He said quietly.

Sarah didn't answer she just looked at Tommy expectantly. For a minute Charlie wasn't sure if they'd heard him, he opened his mouth to repeat himself but Tommy put his arm around him.

"Come on, let's sort you out eh?" He said to his son as he guided him out of the room, taking one last glance at his defeated wife.

From the moment Ruby had been pronounced dead everything felt numb, the walk through the cobbles of Small Heath felt like a Smokey blur as she kept her eyes on the casket that little Ruby now rested in. her eyes burned from the tears, the shivers that rolled through Charlie knowing he would never see his sister again. And Tommy, well, his speech was full of contradiction when both he and Sarah knew exactly what he had planned after the funeral.