Miss Gray

eighteen

eighteen
the epilogue
1924

Small footsteps slapped all across the floors of number thirty-six Watery lane. It was the sound of tiny, slapping feet which woke Anna. The child who the footsteps belonged to barrelled his way into the room where she slept, furiously shaking her.

"Auntie Anna, mummy says she's made you breakfast." The child leaned close to the woman's face, making it the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes.

"Thank you, James, go tell your mum I'll be down in a minute." She smiled, dismissing the boy. Sighing, she pushed herself up, a task becoming increasingly difficult as her stomach swelled more and more by the day. Slipping on her robe and house shoes, she made her way to the small kitchen, passing countless children as she did so.

Sat at the table in the centre of the room was Esme, looking tired already despite the day only just beginning.

"You sleep okay?" Anna asked as she tucked in to the small meal Esme had prepared her.

"As well as you can with five kids and no husband."

"I'm sorry for sleeping in, you know I would've helped."

"Don't be stupid, you're seven months gone I wouldn't ever expect you to lift a finger. You've got all this fun to come."

"I can't wait." Anna said sarcastically as the screams from the children got louder once again.

"It's a blessing really. What are you doing today?"

"Work as usual."

"I will never understand why you continue to work for that scumbag after everything he's done to wreck this family."

"I do it because with Polly gone, the company would undoubtedly fall apart without a woman there to keep Tommy in check."

"You got that right, but still, you're more of a woman than me for not running that place into the ground."

"Sometimes you just have to rise above it Esme." Anna got up to clear her plate away. "I'll be off soon, shouldn't be back late."

*

Anna walked into the shop differently to how she used to. The confidence in her was drained at the loss of her Michael and the fragile state she was in took away all hints of intimidation. A series of 'Good-morning's was heard from all directions as she walked to her office. Tommy watched her, giving her just enough time to get settled before he went in for the kill.

"Anna." He said bluntly standing in the doorway.

"Fuck off Thomas." She sighed, fed up at his persistent attempts at apologising.

"I've not come to apologise."

"Then what have you come for? My baby's not here yet do you can't take that away from me too, you'll have to wait."

"Anna." He raised his voice, stepping further into the office and closing the door behind him. "There's something I want you to know."

"What?"

"You're going to hear some things about today but I need you to trust me that they're not true."

"Trust you?" Anna laughed.

"Anna. Don't read the papers and if anyone tells you anything concerning Michael or your mother, they're not true."

"Okay." She sighed, just wanting him to leave.

"I'll explain when it's all over. Don't work too hard, I'll se you later." He walked out of the room, Anna saying her goodbyes in the form of a middle finger in his direction. What on earth was all that about?

*

It was almost the end of the day before Anna was disturbed again. This time, it was by a face she was much happier to see.

"How are you doing?" Isiah smiled, walking to stand opposite his friend's desk.

"As well as I can be."

"I'm guessing you've heard?"

"Heard what?" Anna felt as though she was speaking a different language to both Tommy and Isiah today, they seemed to be talking in codes. Isiah placed a newspaper on her desk with sympathy glazing over his eyes. "Page three." He instructed. Anna's mind returned to Tommy's earlier comment about her not reading the papers but intrigue got the better of her. She wished it hadn't. There on page three was the headline 'Birmingham gangsters to be hung today at Winston Green.'

"Tommy told me not to trust the papers." Anna told Isiah, ignoring the tears brimming in her eyes.

"I just thought you should hear it from me rather than a stranger."

"Will you take me to Tommy's please?" She managed to whisper before breaking down. Isiah rushed to embrace the pregnant woman, shushing her as she sobbed.

"Of course." He answered before helping her up.

***

The two sat in the car outside Tommy's home for quite some time. Anna wanted more than anything to go in and have Tommy tell her he'd sorted it but she feared going in would result in being told both her mother and the father of her baby were dead. Isiah was a saint, waiting with her without complaining.

"Let's just get it over with." She suddenly said, calming herself down from her most recent outburst. Isiah followed her closely up the path to Tommy's front door. Letting herself in, Anna saw the foyer was in complete darkness. There was no sign of movement as she walked across the room for the first time since that fateful day. Walking into the family room, she saw a figure stood in the corner by the phone. The lighting was dim but the figure looked like Tommy. The only thing unusual was the clothes he was wearing, old and baggy.

"Tommy?" She questioned, stepping into the room. When the figure turned towards the light, her heart stopped. It was Michael. With his eyes wide, he bounded over to the woman, hugging her tightly as she once again began to cry but this time for entirely different reasons. "I thought you were dead." She sobbed.

"I've been trying to ring you." He pulled away slightly, forcefully pressing his lips onto hers. Their tongues intertwined for the first time in months and they got so lost in each other that Michael almost forgot to ask the question he wanted to know most. That was until the answer poked him in the stomach. Pulling away, his hands fell to Anna's stomach where a definite bump had formed.

"It's true?" He whispered. Anna nodded excitedly.

"It's true." She confirmed. His gaze once again met hers, hardening once again.

"Marry me?"

"What?"

"Please?"

"Of course." Throwing herself at him, she pushed her lips onto his once again, feeling as though she couldn't possibly be any happier.

A/N
For those of you leaving us here, thank you for reading.
For those of you who want more, there is a sequel but updates are slow.
Chapter zero of the sequel is the same as this chapter, I just wanted to give some closure to the readers not wanting to read the sequel.
For those of you wanting something a bit different, there are two other stories on my page.
Thank you x