Field of Poppies

August 1917

Dear Amelia, Max, and Annie,

We're back in France in La Bassée. There are a lot of men from Lancashire. We've been around so many French and Canadians that it's strange to be around people who don't live too far from where we do.

It's getting colder again. Sometimes I think I've gotten used to the cold but then snow hits and it's unbearable. When it gets too cold, I like to picture I'm in Birmingham by the fire. I imagine everyone's there. The war's over. There's nothing to be afraid of. I hope that'll be the case soon.

It's hard to know that I've missed Max's birthday again and may miss Annie's as well. I hope I can make it up to them when I return.

My hands are getting a little numb, sorry if my handwriting is hard to read. I should finish this letter so you get it soon. I may not have time to write in the coming week.

But I hope to hear from you soon. I love you all very much,

Tommy

~~~~~~~

A month after the letter was sent out, the 179th was buried alive.

~~~~~~~~~

No one in the Shelby household was notified. But Amelia knew something was wrong. Deep down in her gut, she knew something had happened to Tommy. The only person she could trust with this feeling was with Polly.

Amelia didn't want to frighten the others and she was sure they wouldn't understand either. But Polly was a bit more understanding when it came to a natural intuition.

"He hasn't written. None of them have." Amelia tried to keep her composure. She told herself she needed to remain strong until she received news confirming if she was right or wrong. "It isn't like them. One of them would have written by now. But they've all gone quiet."

Although it was difficult to accept, Polly knew she was right. None of the Birmingham boys had written in weeks. Even Ada had confided to Amelia that Freddie hadn't sent her anything. Rosie Owens said it had been a couple of months since Danny had sent word. Barney's mother was at her wit's end waiting for her son to reply. Little Isiah was heartbroken that his father had yet to respond to the letter Ada helped him write.

"Pol, what if something bad happened? What are we supposed to do?" Reality was sinking in. Amelia knew all along that it was a possibility they could lose someone. To lose all of them was something too awful to even think of.

"I don't know." She admitted. "But we can't do anything until we know for sure. We need to pray that-" The words stuck in her throat. She had been praying ever since the boys left that day three years ago. "Pray that they'll be brought home to us."

~~~~~~~~~~~

The letter came almost a month later. When Amelia saw Tommy's handwriting on the envelope she nearly screamed with relief. Frantically, she tore open the envelope.

Dear Amelia,

I thought we were all going to die

She couldn't read on. Clutching her chest to hopefully calm her racing heart, she took a few deep breaths. Sinking down to the floor, she looked away from the letter up to the ceiling.

He was okay. He was alive.

Annie, who was now two-years-old, toddled into the foyer. "Mummy!" She held her teddy close to her.