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Birmingham, 1915
Isabella had celebrated her birthday, Christmas, new year's and Easter without her brothers for the first time in her life, and the way the war seemed to fare it wouldn't be the last. According to Isabella's calculations she suspected she would spend at least two more birthdays and holidays without her oldest siblings.
Months after her brother's had left they were supposed to come home, they had gotten a five day leave. They had excitedly written to their family, promising to be home to celebrate the new year. Yet when the new year approached, the brothers were a no show, and as the new year passed, they still didn't show.
Weeks later, the family received a letter from Arthur explaining their absence, the Germans had attacked and the brothers weren't allowed to go home. Polly and Ada, even though they were angered, understood why the boys couldn't come home, it was after all a war. Little Finn, who wasn't so little anymore, was saddened because he was starting to forget his brothers.
Isabella on the other hand was pissed, she had allowed herself to be excited, her brothers had after all promised they would come home for a couple days. And there they had gone and broken yet another promise. They promised to never leave her, they did. They promised to be at her every birthday, they weren't. They promised to always be there for her when she had nightmares from 'the swizzled doctor incident', they weren't. And now Isabella could add, not coming home for new year's, to her list of all their broken promises.
No one seemed to be able to keep their promises to Isabella. She was sick of it. She was sick and tired of feeling disappointed. She was sick of people telling her to not feel disappointed. Most of all, she was sick of her feelings being invalidated. She had every right to be pissed at her brothers, her mother, and her stupid asshole father.
Isabella had been spending the last couple of weeks, ever since new years, ignoring her brother's letters. They had sent her multiple letters, and Isabella used to respond to them, but she lost all hope. They weren't coming back, they were going to continue making and breaking promises. According to Polly, they had been begging for any correspondence from their little sunshine. And every time Polly brought up the letters – her brother's pleadings, and Isabella's lack of response – she got an irritated roll of eyes and a groan in return.
Isabella simply didn't care. And the more she ignored her brothers and the less time they spent occupying her brain, they simply ceased to exist to Isabella. It sounded awful. But that was just how her brain worked. If she didn't think about you, she forgot all about you, until the next time she saw you again. Which she probably never was going to do.
