Y O U R C R U C I B L E
"May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
Lottie Thorne, sister of the notorious Freddie Thorne, is counted as part of the Shelby family. And her loyalty is...
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"You better hope you're telling the truth, for your sake"
Freddie held the baby delicately in his arms, heart-filled tears rolling down his cheeks. Lottie gripped her hands together and rested them underneath her chin, almost as though she was praying. She was not a religious person, like Polly, but if she were religious, she'd be thanking God with her entire being for this one moment. "He's so perfect," she whispered as she smiled, rosy cheeked, at Ada and Freddie. "So perfect."
She reached with her hand and delicately moved a tuft of the baby's hair to the side, her heart filling with joy. In that one moment, Lottie had forgotten about all the pain from the day and she only felt the overwhelming happiness that drowned the room. But it was not to last.
Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door; the thudding sending echoes through the room and igniting a set of cries from the baby. "Open up! Police!" A man shouted from outside.
Lottie stood, her eyes wide. Their smiles all vanished. "What?" She gasped, fear filling her. "Freddie, you have to go! They'll get you!"
"Freddie..." whispered Ada, pleadingly. Lottie couldn't even imagine how she was feeling, the agony of just having a child and then now being separated from the father... it was too much to think about.
Lottie carefully took the baby from his arms, kissing the child on the top of his head, before handing him back to Ada. She then grabbed Freddie's arms and pulled him harshly as he was unmoving, staring at his wife and son. "Come on!" She shouted.
A loud crash came from the other room and the police barged through the door. "You can't come in here! There's a baby just been born!" Esme shouted, trying to create a barrier between them and the others, but they pushed passed her.
"Don't hurt him!" Ada begged.
Lottie was pushed away from her brother as they grabbed him.
"Don't make a scene," said Freddie, not fighting back, glaring at Lottie. But she wasn't going to listen. He was her brother. Damn right she'll make a scene.
"Freddie!" Ada cried as the police pinned him against the wall, kicking him.
Lottie ran forward and tried to get them off him. "Freddie! Stop! You can't!" She shouted.
"Please, you're hurting him! Leave him alone!" Ada begged, tears running down her face as the baby in her arms began to cry even louder, screeching.
