Their Mockingbird- Complete

35

(You'll understand why I havnt put the day at the end)

Nancy pov

You think you know a person. You think you can trust them. Everything you do is for their benefit. All the sleepless nights worrying for their sake and it turns out it was all for nothing. Every single ounce of love and devotion you've given to that person; they never cared for you to begin with. That's how I felt reading the letter. Like my whole world had crumbled beneath me and everything I once knew, gone, dead, faded into a pit of nothing except despair and heartbreak. How can someone live knowing they spent their life leading a girl to her death. Leading a girl to her ever lasting doom

Finn heard my cries of agony as the news finally sunk in. He was there for me, holding me in his arms as I sobbed into his shirt. The reason for my clear heartbreak was unknown to my brother and yet he didn't push for me to tell him. We just sat their and cried, the letter crumpled on the kitchen worktop. My hands clutched my chest for air for this betrayal had taken everything including my ability to breath. If it weren't for finn being by my side, I may have just ended it right there. There's no need for me to be in this world if the people I love the most are despicable liars.

Every paragraph in that letter is a stab to the chest, a knife to the throat, a bullet to the head. It's killed me without anybody realising it. The sobs I tried my best to withhold escaped and for once, I didn't care. The energy required to stop myself from crying had disappeared the moment I red the inky words on the page. Immediately, it made me feel worthless and unwanted. It made me feel dead. But finn was there. Finn held me and rocked me as he himself cried for me. Despite not knowing what the source of my sadness was, the fact that I had tears in my eyes was enough to break Finns heart also. And so we sat. We sat and cried.

Many minutes went by with these continuous sobs yet I just couldn't bring myself to rise up and sort myself out. Something in me hoped the letter was wrong. Hoped it was fake or I'd got the wrong end of the stick. But in reality, I knew what had happened. God is kind but not kind enough to warn me before reading the page of suffering and pain. Why did this have to happen? Everything was going so well, and everyone was happy finally. So much shit has destroyed my family, tried to tear us apart. And for a short while it succeeded. We weren't together but now we are. Well we were. The second everyone else reads this letter, my family will be no more and I shall once again be alone

Polly entered the kitchen to find her two youngest niece and nephew curled up in a ball of despair on the floor. I can only imagine the state we must have looked. With a gasp of shock, she pulled us both to our feet and let us cry into her shoulder. Tea was made and she read the letter carefully, over and over as did finn. It was at that moment that she decided everyone must be informed of the travesty that had occurred. And so everyone came around to pollys House, no one quite knowing what was going on.

One by one they read the letter, emotions being passed along with the piece of paper. Only two feelings were there in that room. Anger. And sadness. Everyone chose one of these emotions and stuck with it. I however felt both. Anger for the time wasted caring for this person and sadness for the devastation it has caused my family. We were so close. So close to being happy and yet now we realise, behind the curtains, we were so far. Many members of my now destroyed family stormed out of the house, some returned, others I havnt seen since that day. It hurts to know that a family bond can be snapped just like that. But when I look back now, I realise how long it took. Sure the letter finished us off but the thing that started it all was the death of our mother and the abandonment of our father. From their, things were never quite right

I've not seen much of my family from that day. Since me eldest brother left, the whole family fell apart. No one cared enough to arrange a meeting. I've heard things though. My aunt pol, she died only a few years after the letter. Killed by members of the IRA. John was shot and God knows where esme went. Finn got married and had a couple kids. But then the second world war happened, he was a brave man, but he never was meant to be a soldier. I'm proud of him though. Died for his country. For us. Michael was shot on the other hand, betrayed us he did. Tommy was the one to do it, then a few months later he killed himself. Lizzie left with Charlie after Ruby died. Charlies still out there somewhere but lizzie passed of old age. Arthur never returned to us, we only know he killed himself because it was in the news paper. And then there's ada. Doctors say it was old age but that's not true. It was heartbreak and everyone knows it. She couldn't live after our family was killed. And then there's me. I got married and had several beautiful children. My husband died at war but my children lived on to give my grandchildren. And then they gave me great grandchildred. You

"Wow. Your life was very interesting but also very sad" my 7 year old grandchild, molly said as she sat on my hospital bed

"Yes it was. But there were good times too. Many good times" I said

"Aunt polly sounds badass" my 34 year old grandson Toby said

"She was a wonderful woman. Would've give you a clip round the ear for all the pranks you pull" I said making him laugh. I began to cough and I could sense my time was almost up

"It's ok. You rest now mum. You've done everything you could to protect and help us. We love you so much" my daughter polly cried kissing my forehead. Surrounded by family, I closed my eyes and drifted off into a sleep like no other. And there, on the other side, I saw them. My family. Together again. Forever. Tears were cried and hugs were given as we reunited once and for all

"You've done a good job with those kids. I'm proud of you" Arthur said to me

"I learnt from the best" I said as he wiped my tears of joy

"Who's that over there?" I asked pointing to a woman holding hands with Tommy

"Grace. His wife who passed before you returned from russia. You finally get to meet her" Arthur replied

"Guess it all worked out in the end. We're a family again. I have my family" I muttered still in shock

"Now give us a smile" John said coming over to me hugging me

"By order of the peaky fucking blinders" we all said together