Oceans [A.Shelby]

THIRTY

FREDDIE'S FUNERAL was nothing short of miserable, from the dull weather to the low mood. That was to be expected when a man survived 4 years at war only to be taken by disease.

Although it was her Ada's husband's funeral, Lillian couldn't help but watch her eldest brothers interaction with Ada. Lillian had always been able to read her brother, he was completely transparent to her.

Watching him and Ada talk certainly made Lillian raise a brow.

Lillian was the first one to notice her nieces and nephews running along graves, and perhaps it was the future mom in her but she soon had them running back to their parents with one simple 'they'll be visiting you tonight if you don't stop that'. Perhaps it was a little misdirected, but it worked in a fashion. Karl ran to Lillian whom he was more familiar with then most of his family.

"Are we going to the pub or what?" Arthur questioned, Lillian rolling his eyes.

"There's still 5 hours left of the working day Arthur." Lillian reminded him, Ada rolling her eyes at her brother.

"I'm going to head back my way, I'm assuming you're staying here for a little while?" Ada asked her sister-in-law who passed Karl to her.

A gentle sigh escaped Lillian's lips as she glanced fleetingly at her husband, "for a while, I'm worried about him, and your brothers way of dealing with him is just giving him more alcohol. That never helped anyone. Have you got anybody to travel with?"

"Yeah, your brother. He said he was going to visit your parents, offered to go up on the train with me." Lillians lips turned up just a fraction.

"Ah that's very kind of him, take advantage, get him to fix your leaking tap while he's up there." Ada laughed as Theo approached them.

"I take it as you're not coming?" Theo asked his sister.

"You can manage without me, our parents are getting old and soft, you will be fine." Lillian reassured him with a soft smile.

Once the pair had left was when the day began to go downhill. The news crawling the streets of Small Heath was The Garrison has gone up in flames, it wasn't much of a surprise to Lillian. If there was one thing she had learnt in the many years of being a Shelby, where the name is spoken trouble will always follow.

Lillian returned to the betting den and sat in the kitchen checking the books, if there's one thing she couldn't stand while being pregnant, it was the constant smell of smoke. She struggled when men were coming in and out reeking of it, and she struggled when she was home. Of course she couldn't tell him not to smoke in the house because Arthur wasnt aware.

She discovered her intolerance when she had to run around the back of the house to be sick, Esmé having to bring her water on numerous occasions. That was one extra person who knew unintentionally before her own husband.

Tonight is the night, tonight is the night. She reminded herself constantly, preparing herself.

It was around 3 o'clock, Lillian was arms deep in books when she heard shuffling and footsteps through the house. Glancing away from her make shift workspace, she saw Finn.

"Ah, the junior" Lillian grinned, "what have you done now?"

"Well, I've just been to the ring, Arthur's beat the shit out of a kid," Lillian's face fell and she could only hope to the God she didn't believe in that the child was was still alive.

"oh, and Tom's called a family meeting," Finn added.

"I'm busy Finn, I've got all these books and nobody to help me at present." Lillian told him, Finn's mouth open and closed as he hesitated at the door.