The Hanging Noose

Sixty-One

Dottie disobeyed Tommy's orders, and she knew he would have something to say about that, however she refused to think about that. Instead, she wanted to enjoy her time with her brother.

She gave Micheal and Gina a glass of whiskey each from her drinks cabinet, and poured herself a cup of tea. Micheal raised an eyebrow when she sat down.

"A cup of tea? Thea? Who are you and what have you done to my sister?" Micheal remarks, smirking slightly.

"I don't drink around the kids," Dottie says, glancing at where Eliza and Florence is laying on the sofa together, both passed out and cuddling in to each other with Eliza kicking her legs slightly every so often.

"Tired them out, haven't you, Micheal?" Gina says, leaning her elbows on to the table.

"They've missed you," Dottie says, smiling fondly, "Isiah's missed you too. He's replaced you with Finn."

Micheal half grunts as Gina raises her eyebrows.

"Who's Isiah?" She asks, "you'll have to forgive me, Micheal's forgotten to inform me about everything. You'll have to get me up to scratch, Dottie."

"Isiah is the girls dad," Micheal replies.

"Oh? They don't look alike," Gina comments.

Dottie breathes out, her stomach churns. She looks at the sofa, hearing Eliza snore. "Eliza's dad is different to Florence's. But he's dead, and he didn't know Eliza. The only person she's known as her dad has been Isiah."

Micheal hums, "Dottie was with Reggie for a while, that's her biological dad." Micheal adds.

Gina nods. She looks at Dottie as Dottie stares back at her, as if there's a silent agreement, a silent likeness of each other.

"So how was Rosemary?" Micheal asks, changing the subject.

"Yeah, she was alright," Dottie says, shrugging, "the girls enjoyed us staying with her, they love the garden, tried to destroy it several times."

Micheal hums, chuckling, "bet she didn't enjoy that."

"She didn't mind so much," Dottie responds, "I think she just liked the company since Dad died... she was alright with the girls, played with them for hours. Florence adores her, apart from when she refused to let Florence eat on the floor."

Gina frowns.

"Eliza and Florence hate eating at the table," Dottie explains, looking at Gina. "I let them eat on the floor, makes life a whole lot easier without any tantrums."

Micheal hums, he pulls out a cigarette from his pocket, "can I smoke, Thea?"

Dottie nudges her head towards the window, "open the window. I don't want the smoke to linger."

Micheal nods, standing up and leaning over Gina to open up the window. He then offers Gina and Dottie a cigarette, to which both accept.

"You shouldn't have let us stay here," Micheal suddenly says once the lit cigarette is between Dottie's lips. "I bet Tommy will go mental."

"Tommy is Tommy," Dottie responds dryly, taking hold of the cigarette between her fingers, "I weren't ever going to let my little brother stay in a hotel."

"Mum will have something to say."

Dottie hums, "probably." She looks down to Gina's tumbler, "you haven't touched your whiskey."

Gina turns her head, looking at Micheal. She nods, and Micheal looks at Dottie, who's risen her eyebrows.

"You're going to be an aunt, Dots."