Firecracker- John Shelby

-nineteen-

When we got in I headed straight for the stairs but John called me back.
"Shirley" he said
I slowly inched towards him without saying a word.
"Have a drink" he said sliding a glass to me
Still not speaking I slid it back to him, declining.
John sighed.
"I'll sleep on the couch" he started
"You could of just sai-" I said
"You didn't let me finish" John cut in
"I'll sleep on the couch for tonight. But we do have to make this work shirley" John said
"What? So you want me to sleep with you to just get it over and done with?" I asked
I expected him to deny it but he just stayed quite.
I scoffed and turned to walk away again and but when he called out for me to come back this time I didn't comply.
I walked upstairs careful not to make noise and wake the kids and when I reached johns doorway I hesitated before going in.
His room was nothing special but it was clear it was very much his.
His bed was unmade and there where cigarette buds covering his bedside table, I made a mental note to tell him that he needs to clean them up.
When I laid down in his bed I felt a pang of guilt as John was probably cosying up on the couch at that very moment, but this was short lived as I remembered John had nothing to loose to this arranged marriage in comparison to me, he could deal with one night on the couch.

The next morning I woke up to small footsteps running to johns bedroom door. Katie and Lillian came in expecting to find their dad.
"Shirley!" Lillian shouted jumped on the bed
"Hi" I chuckled sitting up.
"Where's dad" Katie asked more cautiously at the doorframe.
"He's downstairs"I answered, not wanting to have to explain what had happened the night before without John there.
"Why?" She asked
"How about you give me a few minutes and I'll be down, then we can all have a chat" I deflected.
"Lillian" Katie said extending her hand for her.
Lillian hopped off the bed and they both headed downstairs.
I sighed and quickly got dressed and headed down.
John was already awake and slouching around the kitchen.
"Why's Shirley here dad?" Lillian asked.
"Come on here you two" John said heading into the living room.
Me and John sat on either end of the couch with the two girls between us.
"Before the boys wake up theres something we need to tell you two" I said
"Shirleys my wife now, she's going to be living here with us, she'll help me take care of you and your brothers" John said
"Are you my new mummy" Lillian asked
"You don't have to call me mummy, not unless you want to" I said.
"We've got a mummy Lillian" Katie said frustrated.
"And you won't forget about mummy, but Shirley loves you very much, just like she did". John said
"Are you inlove?" Lillian asked excitedly
"Yes, that's why we got married, and why Shirleys going to live here" John answered.
At that moment the boys both ran down the stairs pushing and shoving each other.
"James! Henry!" John called.
"Why's Shirley here dad?" Henry asked.

After we explained to the boys the same thing we did the girls and all the children where at school me and John headed out.
John and Arthur went to the fight club about getting the owner to pay protection and I was on a mission to find Tommy.
Once I got to the Shelby residence I could immediately tell polly was still angry at Tommy, and probably me.
"Hi pol" I said as she came in with the groceries, she ignored me.
"Did you speak to her" tommy asked.
"She didn't speak back" polly said angrily.
She must have been to see Ada.
"Well, did you tell her?" Tommy asked irritated.
"I'll only tell her what I know to be true" polly said
"It's the last time I'm gonna say this. It wasnt me who shopped Freddie Thorne" tommy said
"You can't seriously believe that, polly" I said incredulously.
"Well id ask you to swear on the bible, but your just as immoral as him these days" she said to me.
"Polly... why would I turn in Freddie Thorne"I asked
"Nothing Tommy does you don't know about, even more so now your actually a shelby. Who am I to assume you have any morals anymore"she said.
"Polly, I wouldn't. Ada is my best friend, and I know Tommy didn't either because I was with him all night. The only person who knew Freddie would be there who left my sight was that pretty barmaid of yours" I said more frustrated turning to tommy.
Polly snapped her head around.
"Then either way your guilty, all I know is our Ada is raising a child without his dad and it's your fault" polly stormed out the room.
"It wasn't grace" tommy turned to me shaking his head.
"So what? You think they have people watching the house? Did you see any cars? You know everyone on that street tommy" I said
"It wasn't grace"he repeated more to himself
"How much do you even know about her?" I asked
"I know enough, okay? It wasn't grace, and I'm not talking about it again" he said before leaving the room himself.