Nothing Left To Break

5

"MISS SOLOMONS. PLEASE JUST TELL HER TO GO TO SLEEP"
Mrs Wallace calls as she nears the house. Poor Mrs Wallace had rushed up to her as soon as she was in sight.
"What do you mean?" Ani asks, quickening her step.

"Ada. Some men came around and she's been screaming at them for ten minutes" she says, beginning to get riled up.

"Okay. Calm down Mrs Wallace. I'm sure it's nothing to worry abou-" she starts, placing a hand on her neighbours shoulder.

"I'm not bloody worried, I'm angry. I've got kids trying to eat their dinners" she basically shouts.
"Don't talk to me like that" Ani snaps before walking past her. Alex following closely behind.
This was going to be fun.

----------------------------

Ada had been having a good day. She had taught Karl how to make biscuits. She wanted to make it up to Ani for getting her in trouble with Mrs Wallace. Then, they went out on a walk. Even went to the pictures. Karl was a dream and had only had one breakdown. Then, when they got home, Ada started making dinner. A stew. It was basically a mix of the only things they had left in the house.

Then, as she was dishing a plate up for Karl a knock sounded at the door.

Thomas, Arthur and John were on the other side of her door. Her brothers.
Without saying anything she shut the door and locked it.

But Thomas made himself a fucking key.

"Ada, we're your family. Just talk to us. How about we have some of that stew, eh?" Arthur says, walking towards her and trying to give her a hug, stealing a
glance into the kitchen and seeing his little nephew waiting for his stew.

"You're not having any of my fucking stew. I want him to leave" she shouted, shutting the door into the kitchen so Karl wouldn't hear. She had tears of rage ready to fall from her eyes at any second. When it came to her family, she wasn't the most level headed person on earth.

"Ada" Thomas starts, speaking quietly and walking towards his sister slowly
"Ada, we just want to talk" he says. Putting both of his hands on her shoulders, like he were calming a horse in a storm.

"Oh just fuck off" she practically screams in her brothers face.

Before Thomas can say anything else the door burst open. Everyone stopped and looked at the two people at the door.

Ani and her brother Alex had concerned and worried looks on their faces. Ani seemed to ignore the new people in the house as all her eyes could focus on was her friend.
"Ada. Mrs Wallace complained, again. Please, can you keep it down?" She asks kindly. Taking her coat off and hanging it up on the pegs near the door.

"What the fuck are you doing here" John snaps at her. Ada then walks towards John and stands right in front of his face.
"Don't you fucking dare talk to her like that" she shouts.

Ani then holds onto Ada's shoulders and pulls her back, in the meantime slightly pushing Thomas out of the way.

She tries to fight but Ani has a tight grip. Ada is forced to take a break from shouting. Ani stands in front of her, blocking her brothers out of the conversation.

"Ada. Where's Karl" She does not seem to ask this. She states it. Taking complete control of the situation.

"Kitchen" she manages to get out.
Ani smiles at her and rubs her shoulders slightly, comforting her.

"Alex, stay here with Ada. Make sure that there is no more shouting. I'll be back in a tic" she says instructivly, looking at her brother. He nods and goes to Ada's side.

Lani walks to the kitchen door and slowly opens it.
"Is there a Mr Karl Thorne in here?" She asks in a sing song voice.
She hears a stifled giggle and a sniff come from the corner of the room.

Ani looks to the corner and sees Karl curled up, crying.
"Baban bach, what's wrong?" She asks (baban bach=little baby) , going up to his side and gently proping him up.

"Is mum in trouble?" He asks, wiping his nose.
"You don't need to worry about your mum. Are you forgetting that she is The Ada Thorne? She's the strongest woman in London" Ani says picking the little boy up.

"Then why was she crying?" He asks.
"Because even the strongest people need to cry. It doesn't make you any weaker if you cry, Karl bach" (bach=little) she says, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Ani then places him back down on a seat by the table. Then, she gets the plate that Ada had already done for him and puts it in front of him.
He looks up at her and smiles sweetly.
"I love you Auntie Lani" Karl says.
"I love you too" Ani says, stroking his head then walking out the door. Back to the argument.

All of them now sit in the living room. Ada in the corner on a chair, turned away from her brothers, John, Arthur and Alex on a sofa and Thomas standing up next to a drink caddy.
"Could you pour me a whiskey please" she asks Thomas as she walks in.
"Scotch or Irish?" He asks, not looking her way.
"Irish" she states. Going to sit down on the other sofa, opposite the boys.

Thomas passes Ani the drink.
"Thank you" she says, taking a sip then putting it down on the table. Well corner of the table, just so she doesn't damage the puzzle, of course.

"Ani, these are my brothers. Arthur, John and Thomas" ada states, her voice going a little shaky.
"I kind of guessed that" she says, laughing slightly. "Nice to meet you" she states, smiling at the three brothers.

"Boys, this is Ani and her brother Alex. Ani lives here" Ada says, obviously very nervous around her brothers.

"Yes. Well, we already met. Didn't we 'Ani'" Thomas says condescendingly from behind her.
"How?" Ada asks.

"They were at Alfie's when I went around. I took a wild guess that they were your brothers" Ani says a small smirk coming into her face.

Trying to hide it she pick up her drink and takes a rather large sip.

"How?" Ada asks, repeating her last question.

"Their temper" Lani says, looking at Ada cheekily.

Thankfully, Ada giggles.
"Makes sense. How bad were they?" Ada asks.
"Well, I've got to hand it to them. I would say they were like you with Isaac when he shouted at me" Ani says, stifling a laugh.

Ada doesn't even try to stifle it. She just laughs her head off.
They have both kind of tuned out the other people in the room.

Ani finishes her drink and gets up to help herself to another one.
"Please tell me that you've finally broken up with him" Ada says, sighing.

Ani stays silent and pours a drink. Knowing that Alex is listening and will probably tell Alfie everything he hears.

"Leilani, you were supposed to leave him after seeing your brothers" Ada demands.
"Ew. Ew. Ew. Don't call me that. It makes me want to hurl. If I'm not in a fancy party with rich people, then my name is Lani" she says happily. Going back to her seat with her drink.

The shelby brothers seem to be watching her every move. Examining her.

"Have you left him yet?" Ada repeats her question.

"Alex, can you go sit with Karl so he's not all alone, please?" Lani asks, trying to get him out of the room.
Before leaving, Alex looks at her suspiciously, knowing what she's doing.

"No. But let's not talk about that now" Lani says, as soon as Alex is out of the room.