Black Beauty |T. Shelby|

xv.

'And if somebody hurts you, I wanna fight
But my hand's been broken one too many times
So I'll use my voice, I'll be so fucking rude
Words, they always win, but I know I'll lose'

1919, Birmingham

Finn came running into Rowena's room crying and waving around one of his toys. "Winnie! Winnie!" He jumped onto her as she was just sitting down at the windowsill embroidering designs onto a dress she had been working on. She wanted to make a maternity dress for Ada as a present.

"Woah, woah, woah. Hey there Finn, what's the matter?" She asked once she set down her pin cushion with needles poking out of it that were still connected to pieces of thread.

"I-I was playing wi-with a dog at the corner of the b-block but he ripped Mr Frank's arm off!" Finn explained as he held up his favorite toy. Winnie pouted and carefully took the ruined toy from his small hands.

"It's alright, Finn boy. I'll sew it back on, quick and  easy. It'll be like it never happened." She dug around her sewing kit for thread the same color as 'Mr Frank' so the fix will be seamless. She found one that was perfect and grabbed a needle to start sewing the arm back onto the little fabric toy's torso. After about five minutes, it was fixed. "There you go. Good as new."

Finn took it from her hands and jumped up and down, he kissed her cheek, yelling a quick "thank you!" as he ran out of her room and down the stairs. She laughed and went back to work on the dress. She knows Ada is going a tough time right now with everything, so she wants to lift her spirits.

...

Polly and Rowena walked to Ada's place. "I thought I heard someone knocking." She Shelby girl said as the women sat down in the parlor. "Couldn't get back to sleep."

"The longer you leave it, the worse it gets." Was all Polly said. "Believe me. I know." Ada and Winnie looked at the woman with confusion. "I was sixteen. And just didn't dare tell anyone."

"Polly, Freddie will come back." Ada said. But the other two women could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

Polly didn't respond, she kept telling her story. "In the end I did it myself. I did it to myself. And k almost died. And he didn't come back. They don't. Why should they? You know the words. 'You're a whore. The baby's a bastard.' But there's no word for the man who doesn't come back. One day, in your wedding day, you'll have a good man on your arm. And you'll say 'Polly, thank you for common sense."

Ada looked at her aunt with tears in her eyes, Winnie was sitting there silently. "This woman is in Cardiff." Polly continued. "Take the train tomorrow." Polly stood up and left. Ada looked broken.

Winnie decided that the Shelby sister probably wants time to herself so she set the box containing the dress on the coffee table. "Just in case." She gave her a warm smile and left.

NOT EDITED