As the youngest Shelby child and twin to Finn Shelby, Kezia has spent the last 4 of her 10 years locked away for her mental defectiveness.
She returns to Small Heath under the legal guardianship of her brother, Thomas Shelby. Despite knowing she's s...
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kizzie waited with Tommy outside for the rest of the family to arrive. Upstairs, Aunt Polly began getting Ada ready.
"She's about to deliver your new niece or nephew," Tommy explained.
"Sounds painful."
Ada could be heard from down the street.
Their brothers came barreling down the street not a minute later in John's new car. Polly joined them to let in Esme. Did she know how to deliver babies?
"Your sister is upstairs about to have a baby and all you can talk about is the bloody car?" Aunt Polly scolded.
Tommy shrugged. "Not much else for us men to do, Pol."
"Except go get drunk!" Arthur yelled.
Tommy placed a gentle hand on Kizzie's back. "Right, let's go."
"She's not a man, Tommy," Aunt Polly said. "She stays here to help."
The finality in her tone made Kizzie pause. Her aunt was right, even if she didn't understand what not being a man had anything to do with helping their sister. Kizzie would...help; she decided.
"Kizzie," Tommy broke her thoughts. "Do you want to stay here with Ada or come with us?"
She rocked in her spot between them. Aunt Polly burned eyes into her. Kizzie remembered Ada's words and she didn't want to be around her sister right now. What if she said something else to her? Something worse?
She ran off in the direction of her brothers.
Tommy's satisfied smirk only infuriated Polly more.
"You're a cruel, manipulative man, Thomas. Knowing all you had to do was throw out Ada's name and Kizzie would run into your arms."
Tommy let the words roll off him as he retreated. "Let us know when it happens, Pol!"
☻
The brothers and Kizzie sat in their regular room. Each had their own predetermined seat.
Arthur and John liked to sit together facing the door while Tommy sat closest to the door at the table's end. Kizzie sat in between him and Arthur, cross-legged and hunched over her sketchbook. Bottles of alcohol circled her.
"To beautiful women," Arthur toasted.
Grace entered with another pitcher of beer. They spoke about the wedding, Ada, and Freddie being allowed to visit.
"That's right," Tommy confirmed. "I'm all heart tonight."
Her brothers laughed as Grace took her exit.
"You know what, John boy?" Arthur said. "I think it's that lovely barmaid, that pretty barmaid that just walked out, that's made our brother gone all soft."
