𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 · 𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

EVELYN WAS DRIVING all the women in the room absolutely mad. She could never be in the same spot more than ten minutes before needing to get up and move – finding it particularly harder to stay in the uncomfortable chair as her aunt dolled her up. 

"Eve, can you just sit still so I can add the last pin to your hair?" Polly huffed in frustration, watching her niece shuffle in her seat. "You're never going to get married at this pace."

"Sorry," Evelyn mumbled, throwing her head carelessly back as strands of hair fell from the pretty braid her aunt had done.

"Fucks sake."

Evelyn ignored Polly's swearing, focusing on herself in the mirror. She had always known she was a looker – having been told it her entire life, but it wasn't until that moment that she had believed it. Her high cheekbones were covered with a thin layer of blush, pretty crystal blue eyes standing out against the black kohl that lined them - lips a cherry red that matched her fingernails.

"You look just like your mother," Polly hummed with a small grin as she pressed a kiss to the crown of Evelyn's head. "You ready to put on the dress?"

Taking a deep breath, Evelyn stood from the small stall near the vanity – walking towards Ada who was holding the delicate light blue fabric in her hands.

"She's going to look even more like her when she puts on mums dress," Ada chuckled, tears brimming her eyes as she took in her sisters appearance. "C'mon, put it on!"

An excited giggle burst from Evelyn's throat as she stepped into the unzipped dress as Ada had helped her. Evelyn took a shaky breath as her sister walked them over to the mirror on the vanity so Evelyn could take herself in while Ada zipped her up.

"Your mother was pregnant with Arthur when she got married to your father," anybody in the room could tell that Polly was trying to hold back her tears, her hands delicately hovering over Evelyn's bump. "She'd be so proud of you, my darling girl. By God, that woman would probably walk you down the aisle herself."

Evelyn was quick to pull her aunt into a tight hug, her arm reaching out behind her to pull Ada into it as well – the three Shelby ladies holding onto each other with all their might and love.

"Will you do it?" Evelyn whispered when Polly pulled away. "Will you walk me down the aisle, Pol?"

A fresh lot of tears fell from Polly's beautiful eyes, as she took her niece's cheeks between her palms – trying not to mess her makeup.

"I would, my beautiful girl," Polly hummed, before gesturing towards the door that swung open. "But someone else wanted to ask you if he could."

Evelyn swivelled around on the balls of her feet to meet the familiar sharp features of her older brother, Tommy. The man was lazily smoking a cigarette as he leant up against the wall and took in Evelyn's appearance with a soft smile – Lizzie, rushing in after him.

"I tried to get him to stay with the men but he's as stubborn as a fucking mule," Lizzie huffed, her arms crossing over her chest.

Polly shook her head and took Ada's and Lizzie's hands in hers – leaving the room to Evelyn and Tommy. The room was silent as the pair of siblings stared intently at each other, Evelyn trying to read Tommy's face before a large grin spread across his plump lips.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he pushed himself off the wall to walk towards her. "Give us a twirl, eh?"

Evelyn's bright laughter could be heard down the halls of the house as Tommy twirled her under his arm – both siblings genuinely happy for the first time in what felt like years.