𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙏𝙃 - 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮

THREE

THREE

"I can see my baby swinging,

his parliaments on fire and his hands are up.

On the balcony and I'm singing.

Oh baby, oh baby,

I'm in love!

I can see my sweet boy swaying,

He's crazy y Cubano como yo, my love.

On the balcony and I'm singing.

Move baby, move baby-"

Achara's singing was cut off by knocking at her door. She placed her wooden spoon on her counter before heading to see who was at the door. Grace would've been the obvious answer, but she was surprised to see an older woman and Mr Shelby waiting outside. Achara giggled and went back to cooking. Polly and Thomas shared a confused look between each other, not many people would be as carefree as the girl was with having the heads of the Peaky Blinders at their doorsteps. They both stepped into the house, closing the door behind them. They admired how it looked so different to every other house they'd been in.

It was so much more minimal, basic. Polly saw the picture on the fireplace of a younger version of the girl with what seemed to be her family. Her parents, and two siblings. Yet it looked like she lived alone. There was a small statue of Buddha next to the picture. There were small plants placed across the living room and a few paintings hung up all throughout the house. Most paintings were of beautiful beaches and waterfalls, but there was one of herself. She wore a red dress that hugged her silhouette tightly as she sat on a chair that was covered in white fur blankets. The young girl looked so elegant and beautiful. Most would have mistaken her for a higher class woman in her mid-20s if they were just to see the picture.

"Something smells nice in here," Polly commented, looking at the girl who was cooking something she'd never seen before. The girl grabbed a spoon and held out some for Polly to try. The older woman tasted the food and was surprised as to how fresh and amazing it tasted, it was different to other foods she'd had before. The spice made her tongue tingle as she swallowed whatever the young girl had given her. "This is amazing. You'll have to teach me how to make this."

The girl hummed sweetly before trying some herself and mumbling something about adding more spice. "Would you like some?" She asked, "I have a habit of always making more than I need." Polly noticed how she had her hair pulled back into a low bun to make sure her hair didn't come into contact with her food. The young girl captivated even her, too. Polly noticed how one of her sleeves was lazily pulled up the most of her arm and how the other sleeve was very carefully placed a little further up her lower arm. She was very careful with her movements as if her left arm would expose something of her. Polly stared at it, curious as to what the young girl could be hiding.

"Did you cook for your family?" Polly asked, noticing how she flinched when Polly mentioned family. The woman immediately regretted the question as the girl looked somewhat upset. Polly took a leap of faith when asking her next, wary of how the girl would react, she hadn't wanted to cause unnecessary harm by stupidly mentioning something that might hurt or anger the girl. If what Thomas told her was true, Polly wasn't sure she wanted to have a shard of glass held on her throat "I guess you don't have many nice family memories?"

Achara coughed and wanted to change the subject but she didn't know how, until an idea popped in her head, "Mr Shelby." She started, "do you have a sister?" The girl's mind was brought back to her younger brother. A sweet innocent boy who was born into a world filled to the brim with pain, nevertheless, he still managed to smile and be happy, as well as put smiles and a little more happiness into the people around him. He was incredibly smart for a thirteen-year-old. He would always know what to say in times of pain, he reminded Achara of the sun. He would raise every morning and remind everyone that they were still alive and breathing.