𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 ʲᵒʰⁿ ˢʰᵉˡᵇʸ

- 𝟎𝟑𝟎

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
-𝟎𝟑𝟎-

Smoke — a field full of it. The field that Valerie would remember for the rest of her years, the field that would become the last place that John Shelby would be, the first where he would find rest.

An expression of sorrow was plastered across every face. The colour black decorated the field with grief and sadness.

"We're like sitting ducks here if the wops come." Finn spoke to his uncle Charlie. Little Francesca had taken Finn's hand only moments before, standing as close to him as she could. "Yeah well, Tommy said we should do it in the open." Charlie responded.

Valerie's head was tilted downward, her arms crossed over her chest as if she were protecting herself from the truth of it all. John Shelby was dead and that was that.

It was her movement that made everybody watch with caution — she walked forward with a rose in hand and looked up at the wagon that held her late husband's body. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she placed the flowers down. Her hand brushed against the exterior.

"Mum. ." Francesca stepped forward, departing from Finn. "Can we see daddy yet?" She asked, looking up at her mother.

Valerie's heart tightened and she turned to her daughter. "No, not yet. Not for a very long time now." She explained gently, "but he'll still be here." She put a hand to her chest.

Francesca frowned. "So he isn't coming home?"

Valerie felt like she could not speak. She couldn't tell her daughter that John was dead. She just couldn't do it.

Robert, when seeing his own daughter's lack of attention as she drifted into her own thoughts, pulled Francesca away gently.

Everybody watched Valerie as she remained in place, a tear rolling down her cheek. Tommy stepped away, ready to talk about his late brother. His hand rested on Valerie's shoulder and she looked away, unable to meet his eye.

She shrugged his hand away and returned to where she had been standing.

Finn was the first to attempt to console her, his arm gently wrapping around her shoulder. It was a surprise, really, that it was Finn to do it.

"This is how John wanted to go," Tommy began, "on the smoke. . the truth is, we died together once before. Arthur, me, Danny Whizzbang, Freddie Thorne, Jeremiah— and John. We were cut off from the retreat, no bullets left, waiting for the Prussian cavalry to come and finish us off."

His voice trembled.

"And whilst we waited Jeremiah said we should sing In The Bleak Midwinter— but we were spared. The enemy never came. And we all agreed that everything after that was extra. That when our time came we would all remember—"

"You'd remember that God spared you?" Polly questioned, her voice low. "But what did you do with that extra time that he gave, aye, Thomas?" She glared at him.

Tommy didn't say any more — instead he allowed Arthur to set the wood alight, slow the smoke to poison the air. Valerie's lip trembled as she watched the flames grow. "No—" She whispered gently, attempting to walk forward but Finn pulled her back, "No, not yet—"