My life-coronation street fan fiction

Brother

The next day was Saturday. Charlie and I woke up to the sound of the kids walking along the corridor to our room. The door opened and they both climbed onto our bed, Ollie in the middle and Bella between my legs. We sat up and turned on our bedside lights while the two of them chatted away to each other.

"Harry's coming home today" I told them as Charlie climbed out of bed to go to the toilet. They jumped up and down on the bed in excitement. Charlie came around to my side of the bed and leaned down to kiss me. After he whispered into my ear,
"I don't suppose you fancy going out for breakfast, I want to treat you." I looked at him and nodded before climbing out of bed and following him to the bathroom to have a shower.

Once I was out, I went into our bedroom to get dressed. Isabella came running in and said,
"Mummy, Daddy said he needs your help because he doesn't know if my green stripy top matches my blue skirt." I laughed, because, as usual, Charlie was struggling to find clothes that matched for Bella. She had grown quite a bit recently so lots of things didn't fit her, I had ordered her some new clothes but they hadn't arrived yet. I should have gone shopping but everything had been so crazy at the moment.
"Tell Daddy to put you in the multicolour striped dress instead." I told her and she ran off to her room telling Charlie what I'd said. I got dressed into a a pair of maternity leggings, a white long sleeve t-shirt and a grey cardigan over the top. Charlie came in once I was dressed, as I sat at my dressing table putting on some light make up. He bent down, kissing my neck, resting his arms on my stomach. The teenage obsession thing was back and secretly I loved it.
"I love you" he whispered in my ear. I smiled and giggled slightly before saying,
"I need you to put my socks and shoes on please." He laughed before leaning away from me and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I shower you with my affection and what do I get in return? Me being your slave." he said. I turned around and held onto his hands.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I love you, I do, but I can't reach." I told him.
"It's alright. I'm joking." He said before getting up and kissing my forehead. I then finished my make up before throwing my hair up. I went downstairs to find Ollie and Isabella with their coats and shoes on. I sat down on the bottom step while Charlie did mine, before grabbing my coat and purse and heading out the back door to the car.

We got back from town a few hours later. We had breakfast and ran a few errands before returning home. I went through the back door with the kids after Charlie, who went straight through to the pub. I helped the kids with their coats as Charlie called my name. I went into the bar and saw Harry standing there. I smiled as I saw his face and he came and hugged me. Clearly him and Charlie had arranged this so he surprised me when we got home. I continued hugging him, because even though he was my younger brother, and I was supposed to be the one who protected him. There was a part of him that made me feel safe. A part that reminded me of the past we have had, but a reminder that he is always there. Even though I now have Charlie.
I pulled away from his hug and he smiled
"Looking a but fat there smiler." he remarked and I laughed, pretending to punch his arm.
"I'm six months pregnant, what do you expect?" I said and he laughed before the kids came running in, and went to hug Harry. The five of us went into the back room where I made us some tea and the kids played with their toys.

After chatting for a while abut his holiday, Harry went upstairs with Ollie to unpack. I stayed downstairs and cleaned the bar ready for opening. Isabella sat on the bar as I cleaned chatting away, while Charlie was sweeping the courtyard at the back. When I was finished and it was time to open, I lifted Bella off the bar and carried her on my hip to unlock the doors. She wanted to go back on the bar so I let her. Until people came into the pub, she sat there chatting away to me.

By mid-afternoon, the pub was full of people. Charlie, Harry, Mum and I were all serving and the pub kept filling up. The kids were playing upstairs, coming down every so often for a drink or something to eat. They were used to doing this when the pub was busy. While I went to the back to get some clean glasses, an eruption of noise began to come from the pub. Charlie shouted my name and I came out to see two policemen standing in the middle of the pub.
"Mrs Thompson, could we speak to you? Perhaps somewhere a bit more private." one of them said. I heard him, but I wasn't taking in what he was saying. I dread to think what he needed to tell me. But I nodded and invited them to come through to the back. Charlie offered to come with me, but I said no.
The two policemen sat down at the kitchen table. I sat across from them.
"Mrs Thompson, we understand that what we're about to tell you is going to be difficult to hear, but we need you to listen to us." I nodded to them before he continued, "Your father, who we believe died a number of years ago?"
"Yeah, yeah, when I was seven." I told them.
"Right, we believe that your father had another child, a son, called Ben, who we believe was born before you." I nodded attempting to take in the information. But it was hard, I could feel the baby moving around in side me, like she knew something was wrong. But I continued to listen when the policeman resumed talking, "I'm so sorry Mrs Thompson, but your brother and his wife has been involved in an accident."
"What type of accident?" I asked him.
"A car accident, Mrs Thompson. We understand that your father died in the same way." The other policemen said, who hadn't spoken since his arrival.
"And my sisters." I added before the policemen continued.
"What we are here to tell you Mrs Thompson is that your brother, and his wife, have a son. We're afraid that there is no one else to look after him. Your brother's mother died some years ago and his wife was adopted, with no living relatives. In order to not disrupt the child any further can we ask you to come to see him."
"His name, what's his name?" I said, clutching onto my stomach feeling as if I was about to break down in tears.
"His name is Theo, he's five." I got up from the table and opened the door back out into the pub, now with tears falling down my eyes. I grabbed my coat and the officers followed me as we went out to their car. I caught eyes with Charlie, who said,
"What's going on? Where are you going?"
"It's a long story, I just need to go and do something." I told him.
"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked.
"Charlie it's busy here."
"Isla, I'm coming with you." He said before telling Mum to watch the kids and the pub and following me out the front door. In the car, I explained to Charlie what the policemen had told me, occasionally asking the policemen in front if they knew anything else. They didn't and just as Charlie pulled me into him, holding onto my hands, we arrived at the police station.