Another Paradise | T Shelby

TWENTY FOUR - AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

"Come on now Charlie, quickly!"

Turning to look over her shoulder, Blair beckoned Charles with her hand to catch up with her, the child bending down to pick up a toy soldier he'd dropped on the path.

"Sorry!"

He ran to catch up with Blair, shoving the small figure in the pocket of his shorts and grabbing hold of her hand instead, beaming up at her with rosy cheeks and hair tousled from the wind.

It was a Monday afternoon and Blair had taken Charlie to the farm that day. They'd enjoyed a picnic in the park and looked at the animals, sharing an ice cream before Charlie begged Blair to push him on the swings for twenty minutes straight.

They weren't too far away from Small Heath and so, upon Charlie's request, decided to take a walk into the village to visit Thomas at work.

Hand in hand they walked through the dusty streets together, chatting about mindless, innocent things. Charles told Blair about a friend he'd made on the estate down the road from where they lived, explaining to her how Frances took him over to play with the other boy every day while she and Tommy were in Paris.

"Do you think Daddy will be happy to see us?"

Blair smiled down at Charlie, "Of course, he loves us both very much."

Led by Charles, Blair helped him push open the door to the house, the doors to the betting offices already open. It was a barrage of men's voices as they walked inside, stressed out shouting mixed with laughter and jokes while they worked.

"What are you two doing here? Come here, you!"

Arthur placed down his drink when he saw Blair and Charlie walk in, opening his arms for his nephew to run into, picking him up and throwing him into the air before catching him safely, childish laughter echoing around the room.

"We came to visit Daddy at work, Uncle Arthur. What else would we be doing here?"

Arthur laughed, "You have got the Shelby wit, haven't you son? I haven't seen him in a while, I've just been out. I think he's in his office though."

Charlie squirmed from Arthur's grasp and ran down the corridor, only to be grabbed by John who put him in a headlock, making the little boy scream with laughter.

"Did you enjoy the party the other night, Arthur?" Blair asked.

"It was great, yeah. I'm so happy for you, for all three of you. Those two bloody adore you, you make the perfect family."

Arthur was truly happy for his brother and Blair, knowing from the day they all met that he would never see Tommy as happy with anybody else as he was with Blair. Although time had pulled them apart, he wasn't surprised that fate had brought the two of them back together, not remembering a time before then that Thomas ever glowed as much as he did with Blair.

"Blair, come on!" Charlie called.

"Thank you, Arthur," she replied with a sincere smile, "I'll see you later."

Blair quickly caught up with Charlie, saying hello to John before being pulled by the hand down the hallway to Tommy's office.

"Knock first, remember."

Charles grinned and knocked harshly on the frosted glass, his eyes bright with wild excitement at seeing his father, making Blair's heart swell.

"Yes?" Thomas called out from the other side of the glass.

Charles tugged on the handle, pushing open the door and running inside, only to turn on his heels and look at Blair.

Standing idly in the doorway, Blair felt her heart stop beating as she saw her fiancée leant across his desk to light someone's cigarette, Lizzie's cigarette.