The Sun Will Rise | T Shelby

thirty three

-SIX YEARS LATER-

Angelina had stayed true to her word. She hadn't given Thomas another chance and since the day she told him that there was no hope for their relationship, she hadn't seen him, or Max, again since.

She has taken her life into her own hands. A change of heart and the only way she felt fit to heal herself was to return to Rome. She left for Italy not long after she saw Thomas last. Her brother desperately tried to talk her out of it, begging her to stay in England, telling her it would get better.

His pleas were useless in the end, and Angelina returned to Italy to start her life over, trying so hard to forget about the troubles that had turned her life upside down in England.

Angelina married an Italian gentleman and had a daughter, though they were now divorced and the father had no part in their lives.

Despite this, Angelina had never been happier. She raised her daughter by herself, the two of them enjoying their modest little life together in a small home on the outskirts of Rome. Angelina worked in one of the dress shops, still carrying her seamstress talent.

She had felt no desire for a man, for a life partner or somebody to rely on. For Angelina, it felt like every time she put her faith in someone, she ended up regretting it. And so, she put faith in herself instead, knowing that she would never let herself down.

Lorenzo had been to Rome to visit Angelina and his niece Clara a few times since she had left Small Heath, though Angelina wished he would come more. She had friends in Italy, plenty of people to spend her time with, but no family.

She had not returned to England since she left, and she had no plans to until she received an invitation to Lorenzo's wedding that was set to take place in Birmingham in the summer time.

At first, Angelina discarded the invite and left it in the drawer she never looked in. Though as the days went on, she found herself having to refrain from taking the invite out from the drawer again.

Eventually, she gave in. Angelina hadn't seen her brother for over a year. Clara had asked about her uncle many times and in a way, Angelina felt bad about depriving her daughter from seeing her only other family member.

Angelina went back and forth with herself for weeks deciding whether or not to tell her brother that she was or wasn't attending his wedding. She felt harsh for not wanting to go. She had so many scars from that place, but she loved her brother harder than the scars burned.

And so, Angelina found herself clutching her daughter's hand in her own and a suitcase beside her as she stepped off the train in the centre of Birmingham.

"Zio Enzo!"

Clara ran into Lorenzo's arms as soon as she saw him. Angelina smiled and watched as he scooped her up, cuddling her tightly and whispering things into her ears that Angelina couldn't hear.

"Angelina, you look amazing."

Lorenzo embraced his little sister tightly, kissing her cheek and taking the suitcase from her hands.

The three of them left the station and made the journey back into Small Heath. Nothing had changed. The buildings were the same, the sky was grey and the chimneys still puffed out the same black smoke twenty four hours a day.

Angelina felt washed with a strange sense of nostalgia as she passed through the streets in Lorenzo's car. He had clearly been earning more money than he had before Angelina left, though he still lived in the same house.

"Welcome home."

Lorenzo opened the door and let his sister and niece inside. Clara ran through the house, curiously peering in all the cupboards and behind doors.

"The sky is so grey, mama."

Angelina chuckled and brushed her daughter's hair from her face.

"It's not blue like at home, is it darling?"

Clara just laughed and pulled some toys from the small bag that she had brought with her. Lorenzo took the suitcase upstairs to Angelina's old bedroom before returning downstairs and making a pot of tea for the two of them.

Angelina took a seat at the dining table, her eyes glancing over the newspaper that was folded in half next to the fruit bowl.

"Still no sugar?"

Angelina shook her head and Lorenzo poured them both a cup of tea and sat down opposite her with a smile.

"I've missed you so much. And Clara," he looked over at his niece who was happily running wooden trains across the floor, "She's grown up so much. I can't believe she's four already."

Angelina smiled. She was so proud of her daughter and the life she'd built for the two of them. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was everything she could wish for. And on top of that, she woke up happy every day.

"I've missed you too Enzo. You must visit more."

Lorenzo nodded, "I will, I plan to bring my wife over to Rome later in the year. She wants to see where we grew up."

"When will I meet her? Before the wedding?"

"You'll meet her tomorrow. She's with her mother tonight sorting some things out."

Angelina nodded and looked around the house. The pictures on the walls were still the same and the blankets that her grandmother had knitted were still hung over the arm of the sofa.

"You're making more money now?"

Lorenzo licked his lips and inhaled deeply, nodding at his sister.

"I am."

"How come you've not moved to a bigger house? If you can afford that fancy car surely you can afford a house with more than two bedrooms."

The siblings laughed and drank their tea. Lorenzo ran a hand through his dark hair, still slicked back the same way it had been since he was fourteen.

"I like it here. It reminds me of our house in Rome. I prefer to be cosy than lonely."

Angelina smiled, she and her brother were very alike, they were both homebodies.

"How did you start making all this money anyway? A new job?"

Lorenzo paused and looked down at his tea. He chewed on his lip and Angelina stared at him, an eyebrow raised in confusion at her brother's silence.

"Enzo?" She pried, tilting her head slightly and narrowing her eyes.

"Well," he cleared his throat and looked up at her, "I don't think you'll like this, Lina."