Too Late To Say Goodbye | Tommy Shelby {1}

99.

Ada and Lizzie took it upon themselves to plan every detail of the wedding.

Which of course Bella doesn't mind, she wouldn't know the first thing about planning something so grand.

While Eleanor and Polly have been doing their best to help get ready for the baby and help Bella with whatever she needs.

That left Tommy to keep an eye on Charlie and Baby.

Their break was going smoothly thus far, but everyday he's here and not at the office he can feel his mind becoming more troublesome.
But he's kept it to himself. Seeing as Bella has been blissfully distracted, he knows she was worried about being left with her mind as well after all the business. So Tommy wouldn't dare voice any of these things to her, not wanting to place any negativity in her head.

The couple has been home for a few weeks now. And if Tommy even mentioned getting involved with the business again, Arthur would shut it down immediately, saying he'll take care of everything until the baby arrives.

Tommy exhaled the smoke he was holding as he walked down the path leading to the stables.
Charlie was running ahead of him with Baby jumping and barking by his side.

It was chilly outside but Charlie wanted to go see the horses, and Tommy needed something to distract him, so he tried to relax with a cigarette following his son down the path.

When entering the stable, Charlie went to stand on the stack of hay to look over the short wall to see Monaghan Boy.

Tommy let the cigarette hang from his lips as he stroked down the horses nose. Baby sat by his legs watching the bigger animal.

"Daddy?" Charlie's small voice rang out as he rested his head on his folded arms.

"Yes Charlie?" Tommy answered, still concentrating on the horse.

"Will Mummy forget about me when the baby comes?"

Tommy's head instantly snapped up to his son when he asked that. His voice was small, sounding almost as if he was scared to ask. Tommy had no idea that his son felt like this, and knew it would break Bella's heart if she heard it.

Stepping away from the horse, putting out his cigarette on the way, coming to rest his elbows on the stable wall next to his son.
"You see Charlie, your Mummy has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. She'll love you and your new sibling all the same. And with every passing year, she'll love you both more and more."

"Really?" Charlie asked sounding better than he did before

Tommy nodded at him "really. She'll be busy with the baby for a little while but that has nothing to do with you. They'll just need extra care until they're big like you."

Charlie smiled "I'm excited to show them all my toys!"

Giving a small smirk and ruffling his hair "and they'll love playing with you."

******

The next day, Tommy's thoughts still haven't calmed down.

Polly was at the house directing men who were putting together the baby's room. Eleanor and Bella wanted to spend the afternoon with Charlie. So Eleanor insisted he took sometime to himself, already having scheduled for him to go golfing.

It was not typically something he did. Leisurely activities as such were not something he really enjoyed.
But he was trying, not wanting to admit that he was struggling.

Lining up the end of the club on the 8th hole, trying his best to ignore the caddie boy who seemed way too anxious around him, hitting the ball pretending to care where it landed.