bitter (michael gray.)

FORTY.

A FEW MONTHS LATER

♛

Polly, Linda, Ada, Millie, Jessie Eden and Olivia were at the front of the queue for the polling station. It was finally the time for the local elections, and the girls' first real time voting ever, even for Polly.

"Can we go in yet? I'm bursting for the toilet." Olivia whined and jiggled her leg.

"Look, all you have to do is tick a box and then we'll find you a toilet. Christ you don't even have to think about who you're voting for." Polly snorted.

"Can you hang on 10 minutes?" Linda peered around to see if a toilet was nearby.

"Hopefully. I hate Michael for this so much."

The doors were finally opened and the girls led the way, picking up the ballot cards and heading to the stalls.

Once she was alone, she skim read the paper. There were various MPs for a variety of parties on the paper, but there at the bottom sat the man she wanted. Thomas Shelby MBE, standing for the Labour Party in Birmingham South. A grin grew on Liv's face as she grabbed the pencil and drew a large cross next to her cousin in law's name.

She was also smiling for another reason. Her small bump was finally significant enough to be nudging the table as she stood there. She wasn't too far along, but enough for her to show.

"Your daddy's cousin, he's going to be famous." She rested her hand on her almost invisible baby bump.

"Who are you talking to?" Jessie whispered from the booth next door.

"My unborn child Miss Eden, what's it to you?" She snapped.

"Congratulations. I didn't know I'm sorry." Jessie panicked and awkwardly pulled Olivia into a hug.

"It's fine, I was just joking. Thank you." Liv giggles at the relief on Jessie's face.

Olivia took a final glance at her paper, making sure she had voted for Tommy and not the tories, she'd rather be pecked to death by a seagull than vote for the tories. She folded the paper up and dumped it into the box, her smile growing uncontrollably.

"Polly I'm about to wet myself I'm going to see Lizzie." Olivia quick dashed out of the hall and down the steps, noting the ladies toilets and burst through the door.

Lizzie was stood at the mirror cradling her baby Ruby, showing her daughter the mirror.

"You okay Liv?" She called as Olivia urgently slammed and locked the door.

"This baby will be the absolute death of me. I only went 6 minutes ago but they're pressing down." Olivia candidly sighed as she narrowly escaped and accident.

"Trust me it gets worse. I still struggle now and we've got our little girl." Lizzie cooed as Ruby glanced at herself in the reflection.

Olivia flung the toilet door open with a sigh. She leant against the doorway as she felt the familiar feeling rising.

"You okay?" Lizzie asked her softly. Olivia shook her head, not wanting to open her mouth. "Gonna be sick?" Lizzie asked once more. Olivia nodded her head quickly before turning back into the toilet and vomiting up her breakfast.

"I feel polluted." Olivia finally cleared herself up and walked towards the sinks where Lizzie and Ruby were.

"How far along?" Lizzie spoke as Liv washed her hands and wiped her mouth.

"If I was going to London, I'd be in Northampton." Liv smiled.

"What, you took a detour off the main road?" Millie snorted as she burst through the door.