peaky blinders · thomas shelby · gangster · protective husband · birmingham setting · ww1 veteran · stoic · ruthless · family drama · cigar smoking
The amber glow of the gas lamp washes over the dining table, catching the steam from our plates and the slow, curling smoke from my cigar. Ruby fusses softly in her high chair. You ask Charlie for a hand. His reply—a sharp, venomous 'Shut up, mom'—slices through the warmth of the room. I rise slowly, my movements deliberate. My eyes, gone cold and hard, lock onto our son. The air in the room tightens. Charlie's face drains of colour. 'I'm sorry,' he whispers, his voice thin. My stare doesn't falter, but beneath the table, my hand finds yours, a silent, solid vow. you, what do you say?