Aurelia Cruz is a well respected club owner and madame in London, but she has things she holds very sacred and sacred things that hold her.
Thomas Shelby is a Birmingham gangster making his way up in the business world, and is trying to expand busin...
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"Marianna this is my friend Thomas, I told you about. Thomas this is my daughter, Marianna." The mother and daughter both looked at him and he was blown away by how much Marianna and Aurelia looked alike save for a few things like Marianna's lighter complexion and different colored eyes. She truly did look like her mother. "Princess Ada's brother?! The prince?!" Marianna whisper shouted though more shouted. Thomas thought her childlike excitement was adorable and decided to play along. "At your service." He says with a bow. Aurelia puts her daughter down who bows back before turning to her mother in excitement. "Is he staying for dinner, momma?" She asks. "Uh, why don't you go wash up for dinner, amorcita? I'll ask him but he might have some business to do, okay?" Aurelia requests not wanting her daughter to already get attached if Thomas wasn't going to stay. "Okay." Marianna agreed and Aurelia kissed the top of her daughter's head before sending her upstairs to wash up.
Aurelia gestured for Thomas to follow her back into the kitchen so they could continue talking. She finished cooking taking out a plate for herself and her daughter. "I'll tell her you had some business to take care of and had to go." She told him. "Are you making me leave?" Thomas asked. "Thomas, I'm not making you leave I'm just- look I have been doing just fine for the last nearly five years on my own and I can continue that way so don't stay out of pity. If you're going to stay do it because you genuinely want to. If not, I understand completely, it's all a lot to handle at once and you've already got other things going on so I'm giving you a way out if you want it." She explains putting rice and beans on a plate. Thomas goes to the cabinet he saw housed her plates and picked one up for himself and walked over handing it to her. "I want to stay. It's not every day I'm called a prince." He says amusement in his eyes. "You'll stay for dinner, but I want you to take some time and really think this through, Thomas. Marianna and I are a package deal it's both or nothing." She says and he nods his head in agreement the patting off little feet running down the stairs cut the seriousness in the room. "Marianna Isobel, no running down the stairs you'll hurt yourself." Aurelia scolds as her daughter got to the last few steps on the stairs. "Sorry, momma." The four-year-old said before she helped her mom set the table by grabbing three sets of utensils, Thomas grabbing glasses and setting the table with her. "So, what's this about me being a prince, eh?" Thomas asked Marianna. "Well, Ada's a princess because she's so pretty and you are her brother, that makes you a prince. Momma also said you are brave and kind like princes are supposed to be." Marianna explained simply. "Did she?" Thomas asks with a smirk thrown to Aurelia. "She also said you were a little scary looking." Marianna said making Aurelia giggle as she set three full plates on the table. "I'm scary looking?" Thomas feigned hurt. Marianna looked Thomas up and down with squinted eyes. "I've seen scarier." She shrugs sitting in her seat making Aurelia laugh more. Thomas smiled and chuckled himself at the little girl's attitude. "You are your mother's daughter, alright." He notes pulling Aurelia's chair out for her after she brought a pitcher of ice water. "Thank you." Aurelia says before sitting down and scooting her chair in.
"So, Marianna are you in school?" Thomas asks between bites of delicious food. "Yeah. My teacher's name is Mrs. Geller. She's nice." Marianna says before putting a spoonful of rice and beans in her mouth. "Do you have any friends in your class?" He asked and Marianna waivered looking at her mother. "If you want to tell him you can, my love, Thomas can be trusted." Aurelia tells her daughter, if Marianna wants to tell him then she can it's just some kids at school that have already been handled. Marianna looks Thomas in the eyes and sighs after she's finished swallowing her bite. "My class was bullying me for being Hispanic and not having a dad. This boy Elliot and this girl Nancy were doing it most one day and after he called momma a bad word and Nancy pushed me I punched Elliot and pushed Nancy back." She spoke looking at her plate a bit embarrassed. "Oh, I see. Did they get in trouble?" Thomas asked and Marianna nodded her head. "Momma came to school and talked to the head teacher, and they had to clean the chalk boards and erasers for a week." Marianna told him smiling at her mom. "You talked to the head teacher?" Thomas asked Aurelia with skepticism lacing his tone. "I recognized him from work. He pops into the club every now and again. He loves the music." Aurelia lied coolly in front of her daughter, but Thomas caught on and grinned at the woman he loves, because yes even through finding out she is married and a mother he still loves her. In fact, seeing her with her daughter has made him love her more. Right now, that simple life he pretended to avoid; that mundane life he craved more than anything was right before him. A simple life is just in his reach, he just needed to approach it gently and with certainty.
Once dinner was finished Aurelia had Thomas make himself comfortable while she went upstairs to get Marianna bathed and tucked into bed. The four-year-old asked an array of questions about Thomas and if he liked her mom and if her mom. Liked him, all questions were obviously avoided. "I like him. He's funny and nice." Marianna told her mom as she wiggled into bed getting comfortable. "Yeah, he is." Aurelia agreed bringing the blanket just under Marianna's chin. "Is he staying?" Marianna asks with a bit of hope. "No baby. He's very busy and has very important work to deal with so we might not see him for a while." Aurelia lets her down gently. "Oh, okay." Marianna accepts the excuse with a yawn. Aurelia kisses the top of her daughter head and wishes her a good night's sleep; leaving the door open a crack when she leaves the room.
She walks down to see Thomas smoking and washing dishes, she watches him for a moment before clearing her throat. "You didn't have to." She gestures to the dishes as she walks over to him picking up a dry rag and wiping down what he washed to dry them. "You cooked. It's the least I could do." He said leaning against the counter drying his hands before he pushes a few strands of hair out of her face and kisses her cheek. "I'll stay at a hotel tonight. I've got something to deal with tomorrow morning and the next few days until Epsom. We can be happy together, all of us. Look at me, Aurelia, look." He says and she turns to him as he holds her face in his hands seeing the doubt in her eyes. "A few things to straighten out is all. To make sure that we start this right." He says and she grabs one of his wrists and turns her head to kiss the palm of his hand. "We'll see." She says knowing Thomas' actions mean more than his words. He accepts her answer knowing that she doesn't want herself or Marianna to get hurt so she doesn't hold him to a promise she isn't sure he'll keep. He doesn't want to hurt them either especially since he could see himself sitting at that dinner table with them for the rest of his life. "Thomas." She called to him. "Alfie has something going on with the Italians. Be careful" She warns him before he leaves. With one last kiss Thomas leaves to drive to a hotel, his head clearer and heart fuller than it's been in days.
