Nothing Left To Break

24

"No Fin, it's t-h-e-r-e, that one is used when you're going somewhere, or looking at something" she explains to the child.

He had asked her for help with his homework. So now they sit at the kitchen table with Fins workbook. She was teaching him the different 'there's', he didn't understand it at all and he was quickly becoming frustrated.

"I don't get it" he mumbles, he obviously didn't want to be there. He wanted to go out and run around with his friends. Not doing his homework with a schoolteacher no less on a Friday evening.

"Okay. So, where is Polly right now?" She asks, looking over at Polly momentarily who is standing in the corner of the room with a glass of whiskey, watching the girl and her youngest nephew.

"Over there" he states, the realisation falling on his face. He smiles quickly and writes down in his work book.

Lani smiles at him.

"There you go!" She exclaims, patting him on the back softly.

"Think that's enough learning for one day, eh Fin?" Thomas comes into the kitchen, standing behind Lani's chair, leaning over her and kissing her on the cheek before walking over to Polly. A serious look falls onto Polly's face.

"Can we talk" Thomas asks in a serious tone. Without saying another word they both leave. Thomas looks at her momentarily with a questionable look. He looked like he was contemplating something. Not that he would tell her what that something is. She hated being in the dark about things.

Fin packs up his stuff quickly, before Lani can interfere and get him to stay to continue studying. She didn't like how Thomas had just come in and controlled the entire conversation. She was just getting somewhere with Fin.

"Bye Ani" Fin calls, still leaving a big mess on the table. Lani sighs at his incompetence and begins to clean up the mess.

---

Polly and Thomas had walked into the living room and were speaking in hushed tones so to not let Lani hear.

"What's going on?" Polly asks her nephew who had a nervous look on his face. He paced around in a circle for a few minutes before finally speaking.

"Grace is back" he lets out. Admitting defeat. Stopping his pacing and turns to look at Polly.

"You didnt" she spits, a look of pure anger plastered on her face.

"Fuck, no Polly. I wouldn't" he spits angry at the fact that she would even suggest that. He wanted his aunts support and advice at this moment, not an interrogation.

"Well what happened then?" She asks, still not complelty sure that he wasn't still involved with her. He was obsessed with her. They had such a complicated one sided love. She hurt him more than anything before. Before her he only had flings and prostitutes since the war. She could not come back into his life. She would not let him do that to himself, or to Lani.

"She tried to kiss me, told me that she still loved me" he admits, averting his eye contact now with Polly "I pushed her away and told her to fuck off. But pol" he starts, holding onto her shoulders "lani can't know about this, it would just make her nervous. I only told you so you can be aware" he states, taking his hands off her shoulders and stepping back slightly, turning around to observe the room, trying to stop his head from spinning. Then his eyes land on Lani standing in the doorway, holding some of Fin's stuff. She had halted in the door.

"Just came to put these down. Don't want to disturb" she says, saying the last sentence harshly, staring Thomas straight in the eye, not showing any emotions. After saying that she walks into the room and slams Fin's books on the small table, causing a thud sound, startling the two in the room.

At that the door sounds a knock.

Thomas walks slowly to the door, not expecting anyone. He hoped to god that it wasn't Grace, it couldn't be Grace. He told her not to come anywhere near him, he was with someone new who he was committed too and didn't want to jeopardise that. He wouldn't jeopardise that.

Opening the door he is relieved that it isn't Grace. Instead he is met with Lani's sister.

They had never met before but Thomas recognised her from Lani's photos up at Alfie's office. She was standing there with a polite expression. Wearing a long and modest dress with her brown hair pinned in a tight bun. She was the complete opposite of her sister and it showed. Behind her however, with a less polite expression was Vincent Solomons standing by a car on the street, he was staring directly at Thomas.

"Hello. Dorothea is it?" Thomas asks, reaching a hand out for her to shake. She does so and smiles back.

"Yes. Is it Tommy? We have never formally met" she states with a slight edge to her voice. All Solomons had an edge to their voice.

"Yes that's right. Can I help you with anything?" He asks in his rough voice, he has turned to his business side. He wasn't sure why she was here, but he knew it wasn't to bless his and her sister's relationship.

"Dot, dwi ddim yn mynd I nunlle gyda ti" I'm not going anywhere with you. Lani voices, coming around the corner after listening in on the brief conversation.

"It's rude to speak welsh when you're in the presence of an englishman" Dot corrects, tutting her sister.

"Oh for fucks sake. Just cer nei di" just go will you. Thomas was confused at what she was saying. He judged that it wasn't pleasant as she was spitting at her sister, she wasn't shouting. She wouldn't.

"Lani, we need to talk. I don't have time for your childish behaviour" she states. Sometimes Lani thought that Dot should have been the teacher. She treated everyone like children so why not make a career out of it.

"Then leave" she says calmly, stepping in front of Thomas and stepping a mere inch or two away from her sister. She looks over her head and sees her brother.

Dot stays silent and looks back at Vin, giving him a pointed look. They obviously had a plan before knocking on the door. Because after this, Vin pushes himself away from the car and begins to walk towards the house.  This wasn't going to be fun.

Turning away from her sister, Lani faces Thomas.

"I need some space. I'll be at the Garrison, can you come and get me in about twenty minutes or so?" She asks pointedly. She was angry with everyone in that house, except Polly. And she didn't want Thomas to be part of her family disfunction. Well, more so than he already is.

He nods and gives her a sympathetic look.

God she hated that.