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MARIE BROWN MADE HER WAY TO THE SMALL HOUSE ON WATERY LANE. She rested her hand on the rough paintwork that coated the door and pushed. The hinges squealed as she stepped foot inside the narrow hallway where she saw Thomas Shelby standing at the entrance.
"Aye, well, speak of the devil." She heard from behind Thomas, further into the kitchen.
"How are you, son?" Arthur Shelby asked, before his face lit up and his eyebrows raised in mock excitement.
"Marie Brown, you've grown up to be a pretty little thing, haven't you?"
"Mr Shelby." Marie nodded subtly, before she made her way to over John pressing her lips against his for a short kiss.
A look of shocked surprise came onto the face of Arthur Senior. "Oh, I always knew our John would get under your sheets."
"Get out." Maries stomach shifted uneasily and she noticed that the hands that she was hugging herself with were pinching into her skin. She eventually released her hands but then she couldn't figure out what to do with them, so instead they clasped and unclasped each other as if in constant need of touch.
"Come on son, I'm a changed man. "
"This family needed you ten years ago, and you walked out on us." As the words left Tommy's mouth John frowned. Marie, catching sight of his frown, took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers together, and gave him a quick, reassuring squeeze.
"Tommy, he's different..."
"Shut up."
"It's all right, son. Arthur Shelby never stays where he's not welcome." The eldest Shelby spoke as he raised from the chair and grabbed his coat.
"Quite something you've become." Turning her focus away from the conversation at hand she looked up towards John who was resting beside her.
"Bye, son."
The silence caressed her skin like a cool summer breeze, smoothing her soul, taking away her jagged edges. Marie's gaze fell onto the table in front of her as she swallowed heavily.
Arthur's face was one of awkwardness. Thomas was not even hurrying to save his brothers feelings, to fill the void with a non-comital statement of appreciation. The void was a cruelty he inflicted unintentionally, but had he been aware he would not have cared one iota. "He's our dad."
"He's a selfish bastard." He picked his eyes off the kitchen table and raised his eyebrows towards Arthur.
"I should get going. I'll see you later, John." And with a swift kiss to the man's cheek she left the house without another word, not wanting to be present during the families dispute.
