A Shelby Mistress

Primrose

Aurora pulled up outside of Polly's to see the front door was already open. Her stomach was fluttering with nerves as her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Polly had never asked to see her before now and to say Aurora was scared was an understatement. Michael did not say why Polly wanted to see her, instead he'd informed Aurora that his Mum wasn't doing too well and left to go to work. Aurora already knew Polly wasn't doing well, she hadn't been since coming out of prison. Having a noose around your neck and almost hanging was enough to change anyone. Aurora did not blame Polly for not wanting anything to do with her and Tommy but Aurora was always willing to try and bring change to the family in the hopes it would bring them back together.

This was the first time the door had been opened without having to knock. Aurora did not feel as if this was a peace offering of any sort and the longer she stared at the open door the more fearful she became. Not once did Polly appear, stepping out from the dark and into the light of the morning. The curtains and blinds did not move either, Polly was not waiting by the window per usual when it came to Aurora's visits.
Aurora got out the car as slowly as she could, resisting the urge to get back in and drive away. She wanted this, she wanted to see Polly. It had been a few weeks since Aurora last tried to see Polly and a few month since she'd actually laid eyes on her aunt. She wondered just how bad her condition had got and if there was something, anything she could to help.
Aurora walked up the steps that led to Polly's door trying to push down her worries and smile. She knew Polly didn't want someone looking at her like she was some sick horse, she hated pity more than anything.

"Polly?" She called out calmly stepping into the darkness of the house "Polly, Michael said you wanted to see me? Here I am"
"In here" Aurora heard Polly's voice echo off the walls, a phantom in the house just like Grace was at home.
Following Polly's voice into the lounge Aurora saw her stood by the fire, leaning over it as she seemed to search into the flames, looking for something. Aurora could see immediately that Polly was in the worst condition she'd ever saw her in. Dressed only in a nightgown, stained with what appeared to be wine, the smell of it lingering in the air, Polly rocked back and forth. There were words on her downturned lips, words no one but Polly could hear. Her hair was knotted yet it was not Polly's appearance that told Aurora what was wrong but rather the incredibly haunted look in her eyes. Polly's body remained here but her everything else was somewhere far, somewhere dark.

"Polly, would you like me to make a cuppa for you?" Aurora offered walking towards her cautiously. She wanted to reach out and take Polly in her arms but knew she couldn't.
Pulling her eyes away from the fire, Polly finally looked over at Aurora, not at Aurora rather her stomach.
"Esme called, told me you were pregnant"
Looking down at her stomach with Polly, Aurora let out a soft sigh and smiled. Of course Esme had informed Polly of her findings from the night before. It seemed Michael hadn't been the one to tell her, maybe Tommy had told him to be quiet. The pregnancy had not been hard to hide until now so it wasn't surprising to her that news was spreading fast.
"Yes, due in December" Aurora answered feeling a burst of sadness run through her. She'd wanted to experience this pregnancy with Polly and have her there when she went into labour. If it had been up to Aurora, Polly would have delivered the baby just as she'd helped her Mam deliver her.
"Do you know what it is?" Polly's eyes finally met hers and Aurora saw it, a flicker of life, a flicker of the old Polly before it disappeared again.
"No" Aurora hesitated wondering how far she could push this meeting with Polly "Can you tell me Pol? Please?"
"I already know, even before the baby was conceived I knew" Walking over to Aurora, Polly pushed the opening of her coat aside and cupped her breast "It's a girl, I've seen her before. She looks like Tommy but she has your wild curls. She's a Shelby through and through"
"A little girl" Aurora whispered to herself in awe, caressing her stomach and thanking the heavens the baby would look like Tommy "Thank you Polly"
"You deserve this baby Aurora, after everything you deserve this happiness but he doesn't" Polly brought her hand to Aurora's stomach and felt the baby before she took a step back "It's time for you to go now"
"Ok" Aurora didn't want to risk angering Polly and ruining the beautiful moment that had just occurred between them "Will you see her again Polly, when she comes?"
"Perhaps"
Polly was once again leant over the fire, staring deeply into the flames as if Aurora had never been there. Nodding her head in acceptance, Aurora gave Polly one last smile.
"I love you Pol" Turning around, Aurora began making her way back out the lounge and towards the front door.
"I love you too"