What would you do, if the one that got away suddenly came back?
A story in which Thomas Shelby's first ever love returns to Small Heath only to make life even more complicated than it already is.
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Acceptance
Walking through the Birmingham night, the snow slowly falling around him, Tommy pulled his coat tighter around him. The days and nights were slowly getting colder, he had noticed.
Tommy had been pushing away the need to see Scarlett all week. Every day he would ask Kenneth how his sister was doing, making the man look at him with a sideways glance but he always answered. She was slowly healing which made Tommy sigh in relief. She was going to be fine, he knew that, and he wanted to give her all the time and space he possibly could. In the time they had spent away from one another Thomas had come to face some things himself; one, Grace wasn't who she said she was – he couldn't trust her. Two, whatever was going on between him and Scarlett was more than just very close friendship. Three, because of thing number two he was prepared to do anything possible to keep her out of the claws of Billy Kimber. Whatever it would be or however rash it was. He hadn't said anything to Kenneth yet. When the opportunity would arise he would though.
Thomas snapped out of his deep thoughts when he noticed a very bright, redhead sitting at the side of the cut with her feet dangling over the water. He would recognize that hair color anywhere and so he took a deep breathe before walking in her direction. He hadn't gone home immediately because he needed to clear his head but that hadn't exactly succeeded. Tommy let himself sit beside her at the side of the channel just looking out over the water, listening to the voices of drunken men in the background. He didn't greet her and she didn't greet him but she knew he was there. Tommy simply pulled two cigarettes from his pocket and held one out to her, which she kindly accepted. They booth took a big drag from the nicotine stick until Scarlett finally started to talk.
"She's really gone", she whispered so soft Tommy wasn't sure if she'd actually spoken. "She's gone and I'm actually happy about it".
Tommy stayed silent waiting for her to explain.
"Today I realized that I'd actually started getting used to being miserable and taking care of my mother. I started to get used seeing her so sick that I started to think it was normal while in reality it wasn't and I actually should have been happy she died. No more pain with every breath she takes, no more coughing up blood, no more constantly being tired and feeling exhausted after having walked towards the toilet. But I was so selfish. I actually wanted her to stay with me no matter how sick she was because I was afraid of what would happen once she was gone. Normal women my age would be married by now and start having children while either taking care of their families and husbands or having a daytime job. I have nothing. I've taken care of my mother for so long that I forgot what I wanted to do with my life. She's gone and I know it is better for her. But I was starting to hope every day that somebody would find a cure. I wanted her to hold on just a little bit longer instead of accepting that she would die. I didn't want her to go because then I would be alone".
