𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 ʲᵒʰⁿ ˢʰᵉˡᵇʸ

- 𝟎𝟎𝟔

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
-𝟎𝟎𝟔-
𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟗

Valerie had gotten the job. And although she was aimlessly cleaning tables and pouring drinks as the day went by, she found it a lot less stressful that what she had previously been doing. Valerie had a constant knot in her stomach as the hours passed. And she didn't know if it was because she was pregnant or because of John.

"Is it always this busy on a Friday?" Valerie asked Grace when returning behind the bar. Grace smiled slightly. "I'd say the least busiest day would be a Tuesday afternoon," she said.

Valerie nodded along and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Grace. For getting me this job. It means a lot."

Grace shook her head. "It's no problem."

"Evening," Tommy placed an empty whiskey bottle in front of them. "Get us another, Grace." He sent the blonde away. Valerie stood with a nervous expression. "I'm getting the impression you've found out then." He suggested.

She bit the inside of her cheek and responded with a simple nod. "And I do not wish to talk about it."

Tommy leaned forward. "That baby inside of you will grow up a bastard, Valerie." He said, using her real name despite not being told by her what it was. She let the name thing go over her head. "Well, Thomas, I don't know what it is that you expect me to do." She said with defeat.

Tommy went to speak but was quickly interrupted by his Aunt. "Your brothers are fighting over that bloody game again." Polly informed him. Tommy scoffed and went to see what was the matter.

"What can I get you?" Valerie asked.

Polly gave her a quick once over. "So you're who's got our John acting like a child?" She asked. Valerie tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Don't worry, love, you aren't missing out on much." Polly joked.

Valerie would have loved to laugh with the woman but couldn't find the energy to.

"What's your name, love?"

She hesitated slightly. "Florence." She lied. Polly took out a cigarette and lit it. "Your real name." Polly asked. Valerie sucked in a breath and chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Valerie."

"Well, Valerie. Whatever it is that you and John had going on, I'm sorry that it's ended the way it has." Polly tried to put two and two together and gathered that they did indeed have a thing together and she had found out about the arranged marriage between John and Esme.

Valerie looked down and folded the cloth in her hands. "I had a job to do." She shrugged. The best way for her to get over it would be to pretend like he was just another client.

"Sure you did." Polly smirked. Her eyes traveled down to Valerie's stomach. "And i'm assuming you won't be doing a job like that anymore." She guessed.

Valerie swallowed hard and placed a hand over her stomach as if to hide it. She didn't have a bump of any sort yet. But the way Polly looked at her, it was like she knew.

"Our Ada is pregnant too. She's twenty." Polly lowered her voice. "She was scared shitless at first but she soon got over it. She's ran off now to be with her husband." Polly tutted.