Like a Horse Made of Air

Running Out of Road to Follow

She walks into the Garrison with the rest of the Shelby clan to find Arthur standing puffed and proud behind the bar.

"Welcome to me pub!" He beams as he flings his arms out wide and laughs.

Tommy stands leant against the bar with an indulgent smile on his face, a cigarette between his fingers and, a glass of whiskey at his elbow.

She can't help but think that if Sin had a body, it'd look an awful lot like Tommy Shelby.

She makes her way to her man and watches as he drops the smoke into the tray and lifts his arm up for her to tuck herself into him. There's chatter as the family laughs and cheers behind her, but her focus is on the blue eyes peering down at her.

"You're a good brother," she tells him as she cups his face.

"Maybe," he allows. "Doesn't change that I'm a bad man."

"Wouldn't change you for the world," she tells him honestly as she lifts up on her toes to kiss him.

When the kiss ends he presses his forehead to hers and closes his eyes sighing out a quiet, "I know."

"I love you, Tommy," she says.

"I love you too, Wren," he replies.

The day of the races comes all of a sudden, like it snuck up on them despite their counting of the days. She'd have helped Tommy get ready, but she knows he wouldn't let her even without asking. She sees the tension building in him every time the blonde spy comes up. In her mind she sees little glimpses of the blonde in a red dress being pushed over a billiards table only for Tommy to interrupt. She wonders if, with the mood he's in, if her Tommy will find it in him to interrupt too.

Either way she leaves him to it. With her increase in sales she needs to step up her production and she's beginning to wonder if she should take someone on as on apprentice. She knows Rosie has no interest, so she's invited Ada into the greenhouse with her.

"What do you think?" She asks the younger woman after she's walked her through making a batch of Danny-Boys.

"It's interesting," Ada allows distractedly.

"I'd believe that more if you didn't seem like you're a league and some away," Wren sighs.

Ada jolts guilty and sends her an apologetic glance, "sorry, I just. I'm sorry."

"Hey, now," she gently bumps shoulders. "You've been distracted for days. You want to talk about it?"

For a moment she thinks Ada's going to brush her off, but then she deflates and slumps into Wren who hastily wraps an arm to steady the suddenly teary girl.

"It's Freddie," she admits.

"This," Wren declares, "is a conversation best had with biscuits and liberally laced tea."

Ada chokes out a wet laugh but agrees, so they move to the sofa after arming themselves with sugary comfort food.

"Alright, what about Freddie then," Wren prods gently once they're settled.

The words come so quickly to Ada's lips she feels the poor young woman has been holding on to them for too long, "He says he isn't scared! He says we'll tell me brothers. That he loves me. That we'll get married and have a family. But then we fuck and once he's emptied his balls all's he wants to talk about is what Tommy's doing or what this other person is up to and. And somehow telling Tommy get's put off. 'Not yet, Ada, but soon,' he keeps saying. It's been a year. What the fuck does he think soon means, anyway?"