━━𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 [𝐓.𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐁𝐘]

𝘪𝘪. -𝘥𝘦𝘶𝘹

𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫

𝐨𝐧𝐞

♕

𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴

Birmingham
Small Heath 1919

It had been three years. Three years of pretending and playing house in a home that wasn't home. The nearly twenty four year old woman had grew accustomed the the facade however. The sealed shut smiles, the cheery eyed welcome for customers and the hollow laugh for flirty men who thought buying flowers won the way to a broken girls heart.

It wasn't easy by no means, being a young single mother in a world run by men- let alone one who couldn't afford anything other then the rags on their backs. It wasn't like anyone in Small Heath was particularly rich but the two Johnson's stood out like a saw thumb, with their bones poking out of their skin and the French twist in their lips- much to many's beliefs they weren't a posh nit family from Paris.

It went as routine, as it did for the last few years, ready to start the day tired and hungry, as she sat at the kitchen table counting the little coins she had that would either go toward food or rent- never affording both at the same time.

"Merde."𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵. Her voice cracking as she spoke, pinching the bridge of her noise in exhaustion and exasperation. Placing the two coins back on the dented kitchen table as she began to fiddle with the splintering wood in front of her.

"Mum?" The morning struck drawl startled Dawn out of her thoughts turning towards the singular bed through the opening of the doorway, smiling softly as her worries washed away, watching the little blonde sit up beneath the blankets.

"Oui mon amour."𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. She hummed, the soft melodic tune, skipping past her frosty lips, walking with a jump in her step as she reached him.

Theo smiled up at his mother as she lapped her thumbs under his eyes, sweeping away any dust that settled in the corners. Pulling a cheeky grin when he felt the playful pinch of his cheek, blinking innocently up to the young woman who caressed his smooth pale skin and in a shy voice spoke up, "I'm cold."

Guilt washed over her as she glanced at the crack in the window, the cool air stalking through and catching them in its trap, she couldn't help but feel bad, her stomach eating in on itself, this wasn't the life she promised him when she opted for a new start. But regaining her posture she dropped her hand from his childlike chubby cheek, and with a exaggerated gasp she let out a chuckle,
"Well, come here then!"