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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It's strange, isn't it? How two strangers meet and only fate knows that they will fall in love. Only fate has known for thousands of years that Thomas Shelby would meet Aurelia Cruz and a mere five months later they would be lying beside each other as the sun rose and shortly after the angel will wake to the sight of her sleeping sinner. Tawny colored eyes sleepily appreciated the serene expression of rest on Thomas' face. She knew he never slept well or for long so as kindly as she could, Aurelia unwrapped herself from his warmth and got out of the bed. She but on a robe and house shoes to check on her little girl who was still in her sleep dress playing with her dolls, pretending to cook them breakfast.
"Good morning, prinţesă mea." (My princess) Aurelia said quietly as she knocked on her daughter's open door. "Morning, momma." Marianna greeted her mother with a smile and a happy wave. "What should we have for breakfast this morning, hm?" Aurelia asks walking over and kneeling down to her daughter's height allowing Marianna to give her momma a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Tortilla?" Marianna asked with her big green eyes conveying a plead for her favorite breakfast food, a Spanish omelet. "Tortilla española? Hmm." The mother pretended to think on her decision, of course she was going to make it but she wanted to tease her child just a tad. It seemed Marianna's eyes widened with every second Aurelia 'contemplated' making her breakfast request until Aurelia laughed and finally agreed to making the food. "Come downstairs to help me cook it?" Aurelia asked her little girl who quickly but on her own robe and house shoes that matched her mother's before holding her mother's hand and pulling her towards the kitchen.
Aurelia had Marianna getting the foods they needed from the refrigerator whilst Aurelia herself started making teas and coffee. Soon after the fire ignited on the stove Elizabeth woke up and walked into the busy kitchen area. "Need help, Auri?" She asked through a yawn. Aurelia saw her daughter trying to carry everything at once and Elizabeth got the message to help the little girl carry the more delicate ingredients, so they don't bruise or break. "Thank you, Liz." Aurelia said with a smile before getting out her cutting board and knife. Marianna washed the vegetables in the sink one by one handing them to her grinning mother. "What has you smiling so wide this early? And before coffee?" Elizabeth asked her friend. Before Aurelia could answer, the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs alerted the younger two of the three women in the home. "Um, Auri, what the bloody hell is that?" Elizabeth asks in worry.
Aurelia however didn't hear the footsteps over the chopping of potatoes. "What was what?" She asked pausing her chopping for a moment to hear footsteps then running water. She hadn't mentioned she brought Thomas home or that he spent the night. "Uh..." Aurelia mutters trying to think of how to mention it in front of her daughter without Marianna asking too many questions, but kids always ask questions anyways. Elizabeth started making steps toward the stairs but walked a head of her and turned to the younger woman stopping her in her tracks. "It's nothing, Elizabeth really. I was at the club last night and then-." "Prince Thomas!" Marianna exclaimed with excitement running towards a somewhat casually dressed Thomas as he walked down the last steps. He bent down and caught Marianna in a hug and lifted her setting her on his hip. "Good morning, mica prințesă (little princess)." He tells her with a wide grin on his face. He faces Aurelia and the other woman in the room, the latter looking very confused. "Elizabeth this is Thomas. Thomas, this is my friend and Marianna's sitter, Elizabeth." Aurelia introduces. Thomas held out the hand that wasn't holding Marianna and Elizabeth quirked her brow but shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Thomas...?" "Shelby. Thomas Shelby." Thomas kindly but bluntly told her, and this made Elizabeth's eyes widen before a mischievous smile came to her face. "You're Arthurs brother, aren't you? The second eldest one?" She asked remembering what Aurelia said about him all those months ago. "Yep, that would be me." Thomas answers with a furrow of his brows as Elizabeth starts poking at Aurelia making Aurelia roll her eyes with a grin swatting the girl away.
"I'm going back to cooking. Can I get my helpers back?" Aurelia asks to change the subject before Elizabeth spilled some embarrassing piece of information. "Actually, would you look at the time? I must get home! Anyways nice meeting you Mr. Shelby!" Elizabeth said winking at Aurelia and going to gather her things. "Wait! Liz I have to pay you still don't go running off." Aurelia goes to her purse, but Thomas stops her taking out his wallet and handing a generous number of notes to Elizabeth. "Thank you for taking care of this little one." Thomas says tickling Marianna making the girl giggle and start wiggling to get away from the tickles. "Oh Mr. Shelby this is too much. I love doing this really, I don't even like Auri paying me." Elizabeth says trying to hand him back the notes, but he refused to take the money. "The money is yours." He said simply before turning and walking away with Marianna setting her down and helping her wash the rest of the vegetables.
Elizabeth tried handing the money to Aurelia, but she refused it as well, still a little shocked that he paid her babysitter. "You earned the money, Liz." Aurelia said and Elizabeth sighed in defeat stuffing the notes into her purse. "Keep him 'round, I like him." Elizabeth says pulling her friend into a hug making Aurelia laugh. Once Elizabeth had said her goodbyes to everyone once more Aurelia went back to cooking. The tea kettle started whistling as she was getting out her spices and seasonings, Thomas got out three teacups and removed the kettle from the fire. "Milk and sugar, Mari?" He asks putting tea leaves in each cup. "Yes, please." Marianna says as she dries her hands having finished washing the last tomatoes. "And you, love?" Thomas asks Aurelia. "I'll make my tea, darling." Aurelia told him making him laugh. "I can make you a cup of tea, love." He said pouring the boiling water in only two of the three cups. "I know but I need to make a different tea." She said as she poured everything into the pan. Thomas caught on to what she was saying and a small part of him didn't want her to drink that tea, but he knew that would be selfish, especially if he didn't make it past Epsom.
Aurelia gave him a smile turning back to the food and he smiled back letting thoughts of Epsom run down his back as he finished Marianna's tea and his own. Soon they three were sat at the table eating two of the three drinking tea and coffee, apparently Marianna was allowed coffee and Thomas was not aware of that until this morning. "Are you sure it's alright for her to have coffee so young?" He asked Aurelia before taking a bite of his breakfast. "She's been drinking it before she could talk, I was given coffee when I was a baby and I'm fine." She said to comfort him, finding his worry adorable. "Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?" Marianna asked before putting a fork full of food in her mouth. "Boyfriend and girlfriend? I think we're too old to be boyfriend and girlfriend." Thomas joked making Aurelia scoff. "Speak for yourself. I'm still a very young woman." Aurelia says crossing her legs taking a sip of her tea. "I thought you were twenty-eight years old?" Marianna asks her mom. "I am." Aurelia says knowing she was younger than Thomas even if it is by a couple of years. "That's old, momma." Marianna says in a matter-of-fact tone making Aurelia exaggerate a gasp. "That's not old! It's mature!" Aurelia jokingly rebuttals. "Oh, come on, love, that's just a nice way of saying old." Thomas joins the taunting making Marianna giggle. "Oh, hush old man." Aurelia gives in swatting Thomas' arm with a napkin. Thomas grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles before they all went back to eating.
The couple was unaware that little Marianna Cruz's heart was beaming with joy, the hope of finally having a papa appeared when she first met Thomas and now that he was back it strengthened her hope. Thomas also brought a special smile to her momma's face, and it was Marianna favorite smile she's ever seen her momma wear and that made her like Thomas even more. Marianna ate her breakfast with a smile and the silent wish for more mornings like this one.
