𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 · 𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

EVELYN OFTEN WONDERED how much death she had encountered in her life. After her mother passed, it was as if the angel of death began to follow her family around and Evelyn was waiting for the day to come where it was her turn. 

The Shelby woman would often tell herself that she wasn't afraid of dying, she knew those around her would go on with their lives eventually and pretty soon she would be nothing but a mere imprint left on their lives. But although she didn't fear death, it didn't stop the suffocating grief that would wrap around her heart and constrict when someone she loved fell into the arms of death. 

The world around Evelyn crumpled when Polly called to break the news. She was packing the last of her belongings, getting ready to inform Alfie of why they needed to go back to Birmingham, instead the sound of the phone ringing paused her actions – Evelyn quick to pick up the device incase it was Tommy, instead it was her aunt.

"Eve," Polly spoke hastily. "You need to come home now, it's John." Evelyn frowned.

"What's John? Aunt Pol, what's going on?"

Evelyn could hear her aunt let out a shaky breath on the other end of the receiver, causing Evelyn to question her again; prompting Polly to speak.

"He's gone, Eve. John's dead."

Evelyn dropped the phone in shock as Polly's words tore through her like knives, her blood running cold. Her brother was dead. She didn't register that she had fallen to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably – it felt as if all of her breath had been sucked from her lungs and Evelyn clawed at her neck trying to make it stop. She needed it to stop hurting. 

She was a shaking mess by the time Alfie had arrived home, he had plucked an arrangement of flowers on his way, pink roses, Evelyn's favourite. He was excited to celebrate their engagement with their friends at the pub, Ollie announcing it to the workers at the distillery once he saw Alfie walk in with a huge grin on his lips. Alfie had informed his right-hand-man of what he had planned the day before and Ollie was overly excited for his boss.

"I'm going to do it," Alfie grinned, looking towards Ollie who tilted his head in a silent question. "I'm going to ask Eve to marry me."

A glowing smile overtook Ollie's face as he let out a hurried, "that's amazing!" 

Ollie, along with the likes of the other workers in the distillery had become quite taken towards the Shelby woman. She made their days a little brighter whenever she took the time to just so much as say hello and they all appreciated how she was quick to put Alfie in his place; stopping him from yelling at them. 

They all loved Evelyn's spitfire attitude and enjoyed watching her yell at the men who tried to double cross Alfie. Amusement covered their faces when they watched her storm away from the men who got an earful from her and Alfie sorted them out for good, nobody having the heart to tell the Shelby woman that he had to intervene because the men were too proud to take a woman seriously; even one as dangerous as Evelyn Shelby.

Alfie was on cloud nine as he walked through the front door, he called Evelyn's name as he walked through the downstairs area, not catching sight of her in her usual seat by the window as he had been expecting. It wasn't until he heard the sound of Cyril whimpering and scratching at something upstairs that he got worried.

With a groan, Alfie pulled himself up the flight of stairs, not paying attention to the way his hips begged for him to slow down. His eyes found the tan fur of Cyril outside the bedroom, his paws clawing at the bottom of the shut door leaving scratches, he seemed to be in distress which had Alfie panicking.