Nicotine // [michael gray / peaky blinders]

Twelve

One year passes and Tommy kept his word. He went to New York to collect Grace and the pair of them were due to arrive back in around a month. And Thomas was even right about the husband killing himself, she'll be telling her family it was due to consumption, but it was really a suicide, and people in America knew that.

"Pol, we need to start with the wedding details for Tommy and Grace." I say, walking into the kitchen at the betting den.

"I don't want anything to do with that wedding."

"I know you wouldn't, which is why I'm sending you to the tailors with John to pick out their suits. You're making sure that the boys look good, all right?" I say and she nods.

"Do you know what color Tommy wants?"

"Dark blue." I nod. "The Shelby boys will all be dressed in dark blue."

"And what will you and Michael be wearing?"

"You know Michael, he really only likes red, so he'll be wearing a red and blue tie, and a red rose, by order of Tommy, and I'll be wearing a blue dress that matches the blue in the tie." I say, reading off the paper that I've written down. "Michael and I have gone to the tailors already, if you want to see the progress on the dress I'll be wearing. Oh, and I've talked to John. He wants pinstripes, and Tommy has agreed to that, but Thomas and Arthur should have the same type and color of suit."

"So who am I shopping for a suit for?"

"You're telling the tailor what type of suit Thomas wants. He wants his usual type, but in blue. He wants Arthur to have the same type, but with the shirt that Arthur normally wears, John gets his normal suit, but with pinstripes. You're ordering for Johnny Dogs as well. I've got his measurements-" I put the piece of paper on the table. It was an awkward twenty minutes, trying to explain to Johnny why I was measuring him when he has suits. "The type of suit he wants is written there, and he said that the tailor knows what he means. Tell me if the tailor was confused and I'll bring him in-"

"You're taking this very seriously."

"This is my only job until the bloody day of. I've got to take it seriously."

"When am I doing all of this suit business?"

"Not until Thomas gets back."

"Fucks sake, why are you making me worry about it now then?" She asks, and takes the papers out of my hands. "Stop worrying. Are you excited to meet Charles?"

"Very." I smile at the mention of my godson. "I was overjoyed when Grace said that she got her husband to agree to me being the godmother."

"You saw her when she was here? Around a year ago?"

"Yes. I saw her for a couple of days when I was living at Tommy's." I nod. "I had one good talk with her and she knows that she's still not my favorite person in the world."

"Good. Now, enough wedding talk. Where is Michael?"

"He should've been down. I'll get him." I say and go back upstairs.

In the past year, Michael and I have grown closer than ever and we even had a pregnancy scare, but my mate who's a midwife checked me out and told me there was nothing to be worried about.

"Hi love." I say to Michael, entering his room which has become both of ours.

"Heard you talking wedding details from the top of the stairs and decided I needed to stay away until you were done or you came to get me." He says, cigarette in his hand lit, walking towards me, and putting his hands on my waist.

"I'm sorry that it's the only thing I talk about, but when Grace gets back I have to see if she likes everything that I've set, and then I have to make a fucking menu with her, and-" He cuts me off with a kiss.