Devoted (John Shelby)

Part 12

Epsom, a day everyone had been waiting for. Cynthia was excited because she wanted to see Tommy's horse run, this fell through as soon as she was looking through her good dresses and John telling her "what the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm getting a dress for Epsom" she said, looking briefly at her husband, whom she hadn't really spoken to in a while.

"You're not going" he told her firmly.

"Why?" She questioned, looking down defeatedly before looking back up at him with a hardened look, "are you killing someone there?"

"I can't say" John said and she scoffed.

"That means you are" she shook her head, "typical"

"I can't deal with this, I'll see you when we come back"

"If you come back" she grumbled underneath her breath.

"I'll make sure to come back" John said softly, not wanting to anger her further.

"Don't expect me to be here when you do" she said, frowning at her husband.

"Thia, look, I don't know what else I can fucking say apart from I'm sorry" John said, walking up to his wife, "I love you but this is really something I don't want you to be a part of, it's too dangerous"

"Is this how our life is going to be like forever, John?" Cynthia said, wiping a few stray tears that leaked from her eyes.

John looked at her with sad eyes, "I really have to go"

"Go then" she snapped.

"I promise we'll speak when I get back" he said, placing his hat on his head. "Bye"

Cybthia looked at him briefly and gave a slight nod. She then turned to throw the dresses back into the wardrobe. When she heard John leave the house a sob escaped her lips as she clutched onto the few dresses in her hands. She fell to her knees and sobbed. It wasn't until Jack knocked on the door, saying that he and his siblings were hungry and that Benny was crying.

She quickly wiped the tears away and picked up Jack and tickled his stomach, causing him to giggle. "Get your siblings to get changed and we'll eat breakfast. Afterwards we'll see grandma and grandpa Lee, how does that sound?"

"Great, mummy"  Jack said, she placed him down and he scurried to his sibling's room, waking them up loudly.

Cynthia quickly went to get Benny and to get him to stop crying. As she made the kid's breakfast she fed Benny and entertained him until breakfast was ready, the four other children came running down the stairs and onto the chairs at the table, waiting patiently for their food.

Cynthia gave each child their food and then packed a couple bags of kids clothes, just incase they stay over at her parent's.

"Come on, kids." Cynthia announced, "we've got to go" she said, she had managed to convince David to drive the lot of them to her parent's since they now live the gypsy life quite a while away.

"Cynthia!" Her father greeted happily as he spotted Cynthia walking across the field with Benny in her arms and the other children around her.

"Hi" Cynthia smiled softly back at him, "I hope you don't mind me showing up unannounced with the kids"

"Not at all! It's lovely to see them" Her father said, hugging her gently and looking towards Benny, "and who's this little fella?"