#one month before a certain Michael Sheen came to London

[ingravinoveritas]

I've been asked to write a post about Georgia's newest Insta stories, all of which (including the text title cards) are in the video above. I'm between events here at the conference, so I will try to get my thoughts down as succinctly as possible.

What seems to have happened is that Georgia dared David to climb a tree, and what we see in the video then ensued. I think what stood out to me most about this is the way David and Georgia are speaking to each other, which seems very different to how we've seen them speak to each other before. In this video, David seemed to really push back in response to Georgia, particularly when she was using her "mom" voice and talking to him like a child as she entreated him to get down from the tree:

"Get down." "You started it, Georgia." "I'm stopping it. Get down." "Oh no you're not. You don't get to do that to me."

I couldn't help but contrast this in my mind with the video Georgia filmed of David at Morrison's last year. How visibly uncomfortable he looked throughout, but despite that, kept on going and didn't say anything or ask her to stop. To go from that to, "You don't get to do that to me" seems like a major leap, and possibly another indication that the dynamic between them has shifted.

It was also interesting to see the difference as she continually pleaded for him to get down, and him seemingly...not believing her? The "Is this not a ploy?" was an interesting comment, as if he's become so used to being a gimmick, to being content for her, that he is now doubting her sincerity. It was hard not to get the feeling that Georgia was panicking less about him possibly falling out of the tree, and more about David not immediately doing exactly what she told him to.

This is not me saying that she wasn't truly worried about him getting hurt, of course, but when you take David's comment into consideration along with the second title card, it just seems disconcerting:

...I had to read this twice to really make sure I read it correctly. And again, this feels like it reinforces what we saw above, with Georgia not being able to handle David pushing back: The idea that she would be (and is) more concerned about her own image and her coming across as unappealing than anything else.

Which we again saw with the last title card and the ending of the story being that "the wife was listened to. All was right with the world." That was apparently the victory here more than anything else, at least for Georgia. And she is very good at not making this the most visible thing on the surface, but once you really think about what she is saying (he's 53 years old and embarrassing and has delusions of grandure grandeur), it starts to become a lot more apparent.

So those are my thoughts on the video. I could be wrong about all of the above, but this was what I took from it. I'm glad it all turned out well, though, and to see how proud David seemed of himself once he did get down from the tree (and him wearing that adorable stripey sweater again). Happy to hear from folks in the comments as well with your thoughts...

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Was doing Staged a big decision, because it’s so personal and set in your homes? Georgia Tennant: We’d always been a very private couple. Staged was everything we’d never normally say yes to. Suddenly, our entire house is on TV and so is a version of the relationship we’d always kept private. But that’s the way to do it, I guess. Go to the other extreme. Just rip off the Band-Aid.

Anna Lundberg: Michael decided pretty quickly that we weren’t going to move around the house at all. All you see is the fireplace in our kitchen.

GT: We have five children, so it was just about which room was available.

AL: But it’s not the real us. It’s not a documentary.

GT: Although some people think it is.

Which fictional parts of the show do people mistake for reality? GT: People think I’m really a novelist because “Georgia” writes a novel in Staged. They’ve asked where they can buy my book. I should probably just write one now because I’ve done the marketing already.

AL: People worry about our elderly neighbour, who gets hospitalised in the show. She doesn’t actually exist in real life but people have approached Michael in Tesco’s, asking if she’s OK.

Michael and David squabble about who’s billed first in Staged. Does that reflect real life? AL: With Good Omens, Michael’s name was first for the US market and David’s was first for the British market. So those scenes riffed on that.

Should we call you Georgia and Anna, or Anna and Georgia? GT: Either. We’re super-laidback about these things.

AL: Unlike certain people.

How well did you know each other before Staged? GT: We barely knew each other. We’ve now forged a friendship by working on the show together.

AL: We’d met once, for about 20 minutes. We were both pregnant at the time – we had babies a month apart – so that was pretty much all we talked about.

Did you tidy up before filming? AL: We just had to keep one corner relatively tidy.

GT: I’m quite a tidy person, but I didn’t want to be one of those annoying Instagram people with perfect lives. So strangely, I had to add a bit of mess… dot a few toys around in the background. I didn’t want to be one of those insufferable people – even though, inherently, I am one of those people.

Was there much photobombing by children or pets? AL: In the first series, Lyra was still at an age where we could put her in a baby bouncer. Now that’s not working at all. She’s just everywhere. Me and Michael don’t have many scenes together in series two, because one of us is usually Lyra-wrangling.

GT: Our children aren’t remotely interested. They’re so unimpressed by us. There’s one scene where Doris, our five-year-old, comes in to fetch her iPad. She doesn’t even bother to glance at what we’re doing.

How was lockdown for you both? AL: I feel bad saying it, but it was actually good for us. We were lucky enough to be in a big house with a garden. For the first time since we met, we were in one place. We could just focus on Lyra . To see her grow over six months was incredible. She helped us keep a steady routine, too.

GT: Ours was similar. We never spend huge chunks of time together, so it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At least until David’s career goes to shit and he’s just sat at home. The flipside was the bleakness. Being in London, there were harrowing days when everything was silent but you’d just hear sirens going past, as a reminder that something awful was going on. So I veered between “This is wonderful” and “This is the worst thing that ever happened.”

And then there was home schooling… GT: Which was genuinely the worst thing that ever happened.

You’ve spent a lot of time on video calls, clearly. What are your top Zooming tips? GT: Raise your camera to eye level by balancing your laptop on a stack of books. And invest in a ring light.

AL: That’s why you look so much better. We just have our sad kitchen light overhead, which makes us look like one massive shiny forehead.

GT: Also, always have a good mug on the go [raises her cuppa to the camera and it’s a Michael Sheen mug]. Someone pranked David on the job he’s shooting at the moment by putting a Michael Sheen mug in his trailer. He brought it home and now I use it every morning. I’m magically drawn to drinking out of Michael.

There’s a running gag in series one about the copious empties in Michael’s recycling. Did you lean into lockdown boozing in real life? AL: Not really. We eased off when I was pregnant and after Lyra was born. We’d just have a glass of wine with dinner.

GT: Yes, definitely. I often reach for a glass of red in the show, which was basically just an excuse to continue drinking while we were filming: “I think my character would have wine and cake in this scene.” The time we started drinking would creep slightly earlier. “We’ve finished home schooling, it’s only 4pm, but hey…” We’ve scaled it back to just weekends now.

How did you go about creating your characters with the writer Simon Evans? AL: He based the dynamic between David and Michael on a podcast they did together. Our characters evolved as we went along.

GT: I was really kind and understanding in the first draft. I was like “I don’t want to play this, it’s no fun.” From the first few tweaks I made, Simon caught onto the vibe, took that and ran with it.

Did you struggle to keep a straight face at times? AL: Yes, especially the scenes with all four of us, when David and Michael start improvising.

GT: I was just drunk, so I have no recollection.

AL: Scenes with all four of us were normally filmed in the evening, because that’s when we could be child-free. Usually there was alcohol involved, which is a lot more fun.

GT: There’s a long scene in series two where we’re having a drink. During each take, we had to finish the glass. By the end, we were all properly gone. I was rewatching it yesterday and I was so pissed.

What else can you tell us about series two? GT: Everyone’s in limbo. Just as we think things are getting back to normal, we have to take three steps back again. Everyone’s dealing with that differently, shall we say.

AL: In series one, we were all in the same situation. By series two, we’re at different stages and in different emotional places.

GT: Hollywood comes calling, but things are never as simple as they seem.

There were some surprise big-name cameos in series one, with Samuel L Jackson and Dame Judi Dench suddenly Zooming in. Who can we expect this time around? AL: We can’t name names, but they’re very exciting.

GT: Because series one did so well, and there’s such goodwill towards the show, we’ve managed to get some extraordinary people involved. This show came from playing around just to pass the time in lockdown. It felt like a GCSE end-of-term project. So suddenly, when someone says: “Samuel L Jackson’s in”, it’s like: “What the fuck’s just happened?”

AL: It took things to the next level, which was a bit scary.

GT: It suddenly felt like: “Some people might actually watch this.”

How are David and Michael’s hair and beard situations this time? AL: We were in a toyshop the other day and Lyra walked up to these Harry Potter figurines, pointed at Hagrid and said: “Daddy!” So that explains where we’re at. After eight months of lockdown, it was quite full-on.

GT: David had a bob at one point. Turns out he’s got annoyingly excellent hair. Quite jealous. He’s also grown a slightly unpleasant moustache.

Is David still wearing his stinky hoodie? GT: I bought him that as a gift. It’s actually Paul Smith loungewear. In lockdown, he was living in it. It’s pretty classy, but he does manage to make it look quite shit.

---

Omg the mug’s origins :D

‘GT: Also, always have a good mug on the go [raises her cuppa to the camera and it’s a Michael Sheen mug]. Someone pranked David on the job he’s shooting at the moment by putting a Michael Sheen mug in his trailer. He brought it home and now I use it every morning. I’m magically drawn to drinking out of Michael. ‘

[invisibleicewands]

Staged's Anna Lundberg and Georgia Tennant: 'Scenes with all four of us usually involved alcohol'

Not many primetime TV hits are filmed by the show’s stars inside their own homes. However, 2020 wasn’t your average year. During the pandemic, productions were shut down and workarounds had to be found – otherwise the terrestrial schedules would have begun to look worryingly empty. Staged was the surprise comedy hit of the summer.

This playfully meta short-form sitcom, airing in snack-sized 15-minute episodes, found A-list actors Michael Sheen and David Tennant playing an exaggerated version of themselves, bickering and bantering as they tried to perfect a performance of Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author over Zoom.

Having bonded while co-starring in Good Omens, Amazon’s TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s novel, Sheen, 51, and Tennant, 49, became best buddies in real life. In Staged, though, they’re comedically reframed as frenemies – warm, matey and collaborative, but with a cut-throat competitiveness lurking just below the surface. As they grew ever more hirsute and slobbish in lockdown, their virtual relationship became increasingly fraught.

It was soapily addictive and hilariously thespy, while giving a voyeuristic glimpse of their interior decor and domestic lives – with all the action viewed through their webcams.

Yet it was the supporting cast who lifted Staged to greatness,Their director Simon Evans, forced to dance around the pair’s fragile egos and piggy-in-the-middle of their feuds. Steely producer Jo, played by Nina Sosanya, forever breaking off from calls to bellow at her poor, put-upon PA. And especially the leading men’s long-suffering partners, both actors in real life, Georgia Tennant and Anna Lundberg.

Georgia Tennant comes from showbiz stock, as the child of Peter Davison and Sandra Dickinson. At 36 she is an experienced actor and producer, who made her TV debut in Peak Practice aged 15. She met David on Doctor Who 2008, when she played the Timelord’s cloned daughter Jenny. Meanwhile, the Swedish Lundberg, 26, is at the start of her career. She left drama school in New York two years ago and Staged is her first big on-screen role.

Married for nine years, the Tennants have five children and live in west London. The Lundberg-Sheens have been together two years, have a baby daughter, Lyra, and live outside Port Talbot in south Wales. On screen and in real life, the women have become firm friends and frequent scene-stealers.

Staged proved so successful that it’s now back for a second series. We set up a video call with Tennant and Lundberg to discuss lockdown life, wine consumption, home schooling (those two may be related) and the blurry line between fact and fiction…

Was doing Staged a big decision, because it’s so personal and set in your homes? Georgia Tennant: We’d always been a very private couple. Staged was everything we’d never normally say yes to. Suddenly, our entire house is on TV and so is a version of the relationship we’d always kept private. But that’s the way to do it, I guess. Go to the other extreme. Just rip off the Band-Aid.

Anna Lundberg: Michael decided pretty quickly that we weren’t going to move around the house at all. All you see is the fireplace in our kitchen.

GT: We have five children, so it was just about which room was available.

AL: But it’s not the real us. It’s not a documentary.

GT: Although some people think it is.

Which fictional parts of the show do people mistake for reality? GT: People think I’m really a novelist because “Georgia” writes a novel in Staged. They’ve asked where they can buy my book. I should probably just write one now because I’ve done the marketing already.

AL: People worry about our elderly neighbour, who gets hospitalised in the show. She doesn’t actually exist in real life but people have approached Michael in Tesco’s, asking if she’s OK.

Michael and David squabble about who’s billed first in Staged. Does that reflect real life? AL: With Good Omens, Michael’s name was first for the US market and David’s was first for the British market. So those scenes riffed on that.

Should we call you Georgia and Anna, or Anna and Georgia? GT: Either. We’re super-laidback about these things.

AL: Unlike certain people.

How well did you know each other before Staged? GT: We barely knew each other. We’ve now forged a friendship by working on the show together.

AL: We’d met once, for about 20 minutes. We were both pregnant at the time – we had babies a month apart – so that was pretty much all we talked about.

Did you tidy up before filming? AL: We just had to keep one corner relatively tidy.

GT: I’m quite a tidy person, but I didn’t want to be one of those annoying Instagram people with perfect lives. So strangely, I had to add a bit of mess… dot a few toys around in the background. I didn’t want to be one of those insufferable people – even though, inherently, I am one of those people.

Was there much photobombing by children or pets? AL: In the first series, Lyra was still at an age where we could put her in a baby bouncer. Now that’s not working at all. She’s just everywhere. Me and Michael don’t have many scenes together in series two, because one of us is usually Lyra-wrangling.

GT: Our children aren’t remotely interested. They’re so unimpressed by us. There’s one scene where Doris, our five-year-old, comes in to fetch her iPad. She doesn’t even bother to glance at what we’re doing.

How was lockdown for you both? AL: I feel bad saying it, but it was actually good for us. We were lucky enough to be in a big house with a garden. For the first time since we met, we were in one place. We could just focus on Lyra . To see her grow over six months was incredible. She helped us keep a steady routine, too.

GT: Ours was similar. We never spend huge chunks of time together, so it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At least until David’s career goes to shit and he’s just sat at home. The flipside was the bleakness. Being in London, there were harrowing days when everything was silent but you’d just hear sirens going past, as a reminder that something awful was going on. So I veered between “This is wonderful” and “This is the worst thing that ever happened.”

And then there was home schooling… GT: Which was genuinely the worst thing that ever happened.

You’ve spent a lot of time on video calls, clearly. What are your top Zooming tips? GT: Raise your camera to eye level by balancing your laptop on a stack of books. And invest in a ring light.

AL: That’s why you look so much better. We just have our sad kitchen light overhead, which makes us look like one massive shiny forehead.

GT: Also, always have a good mug on the go [raises her cuppa to the camera and it’s a Michael Sheen mug]. Someone pranked David on the job he’s shooting at the moment by putting a Michael Sheen mug in his trailer. He brought it home and now I use it every morning. I’m magically drawn to drinking out of Michael.

There’s a running gag in series one about the copious empties in Michael’s recycling. Did you lean into lockdown boozing in real life? AL: Not really. We eased off when I was pregnant and after Lyra was born. We’d just have a glass of wine with dinner.

GT: Yes, definitely. I often reach for a glass of red in the show, which was basically just an excuse to continue drinking while we were filming: “I think my character would have wine and cake in this scene.” The time we started drinking would creep slightly earlier. “We’ve finished home schooling, it’s only 4pm, but hey…” We’ve scaled it back to just weekends now.

How did you go about creating your characters with the writer Simon Evans? AL: He based the dynamic between David and Michael on a podcast they did together. Our characters evolved as we went along.

GT: I was really kind and understanding in the first draft. I was like “I don’t want to play this, it’s no fun.” From the first few tweaks I made, Simon caught onto the vibe, took that and ran with it.

Did you struggle to keep a straight face at times? AL: Yes, especially the scenes with all four of us, when David and Michael start improvising.

GT: I was just drunk, so I have no recollection.

AL: Scenes with all four of us were normally filmed in the evening, because that’s when we could be child-free. Usually there was alcohol involved, which is a lot more fun.

GT: There’s a long scene in series two where we’re having a drink. During each take, we had to finish the glass. By the end, we were all properly gone. I was rewatching it yesterday and I was so pissed.

What else can you tell us about series two? GT: Everyone’s in limbo. Just as we think things are getting back to normal, we have to take three steps back again. Everyone’s dealing with that differently, shall we say.

AL: In series one, we were all in the same situation. By series two, we’re at different stages and in different emotional places.

GT: Hollywood comes calling, but things are never as simple as they seem.

There were some surprise big-name cameos in series one, with Samuel L Jackson and Dame Judi Dench suddenly Zooming in. Who can we expect this time around? AL: We can’t name names, but they’re very exciting.

GT: Because series one did so well, and there’s such goodwill towards the show, we’ve managed to get some extraordinary people involved. This show came from playing around just to pass the time in lockdown. It felt like a GCSE end-of-term project. So suddenly, when someone says: “Samuel L Jackson’s in”, it’s like: “What the fuck’s just happened?”

AL: It took things to the next level, which was a bit scary.

GT: It suddenly felt like: “Some people might actually watch this.”

How are David and Michael’s hair and beard situations this time? AL: We were in a toyshop the other day and Lyra walked up to these Harry Potter figurines, pointed at Hagrid and said: “Daddy!” So that explains where we’re at. After eight months of lockdown, it was quite full-on.

GT: David had a bob at one point. Turns out he’s got annoyingly excellent hair. Quite jealous. He’s also grown a slightly unpleasant moustache.

Is David still wearing his stinky hoodie? GT: I bought him that as a gift. It’s actually Paul Smith loungewear. In lockdown, he was living in it. It’s pretty classy, but he does manage to make it look quite shit.

[sympathyfortheblinderdevil]

Diversion: Chapter 3

Chapter 1, 2  can be found on my masterlist because Tumblr hates links.

Tommy tries to get Esme out of his system. Esme redoubles her efforts to hold on to John.

Tommy Shelby stood alone under a naked light bulb. He badly needed a drink and he had come into the tack room to find the bottle of rye whiskey that Charlie kept there.

His nerves were admittedly rattled after what passed between him and Esme. What was she thinking, putting her arms around him? It was a spontaneous act, something that he was sure she had not planned on doing, but she must have read something in his bearing that drew her in. He thought of the way that his breath caught when she kissed him. It only lasted seconds, but he had thought of little else since she left.

He found the rye stashed behind a can of oil, and drank straight from the bottle. Cheap stuff. It had a bite and Tommy winced as it momentarily took his breath away.

Of course, she left in a hurry. He had tried to calm her down— tried to make her stay if only to prove that nothing untoward had happened, but she was spooked. He had told her, “Esme, it’s okay, it was nothing, just sisterly affection”

But her wild eyes and shaking hands showed him all he needed to know. There was no sign of the bravado that she usually displayed to him. She stared at the stall, blinking into nothingness for a moment, then turned and walked away as fast as she could go without running.

He would have to steer clear of her for a while or she might have a fit of conscience and run to John about how she kissed his brother. Little did he know that she had already done just that. The irony of her situation made him roll his eyes as he threw back another mouthful of the rye. John could hardly keep track of who was under him nowadays, but Esme...Esme was pure of heart (or at least pure in deed). Tommy was certain that she had kept to her wedding vows.

Still, she had always fascinated him. One moment she was steady and grounded, like the earth itself, but in the next, it was as if some kind of magic guided her every move. Once he saw the magic, he couldn’t get it out of his head. John was a lucky man. With a woman like her, why did his brother need to stray?

Tommy saw the way that she took care of everyone but herself and handled all the mundane details of family life. She really didn’t have a choice though, did she? From the moment she came to them she was saddled with the children. Before she could get her legs under her she was pregnant. She stood up to John and confronted him about his dalliances, but it ultimately got her nowhere. As a woman, it was her lot in life.

He couldn’t place exactly when his thoughts about her had started to change, and he supposed that it had happened gradually. He’d always had an admiration for her boldness, even if at times it was a problem for him. She had a fire within her and a temper that could go off like a hand grenade. She knew her own mind and would tell anyone about it when she first arrived, but over time he’d seen her light dimmed under the weight of her responsibilities and John’s indiscretions. He had begun to notice the little ways in which life chipped away at her, and he felt the need to intervene on her behalf.

He replaced the bottle and ran his hands over his face. He was bone tired, and his mind was muddled. He needed to go home and sleep it off.

***

Esme made her peace with John that night. He had stumbled home in the wee hours, crawling into bed beside her and taking what was his. She lay on her back watching him above her. The curve of his lips, his angular jaw, his alabaster skin…it was all too much to resist. He made her feel euphoric, so transcendent, that she wondered how she could ever doubt his love for her. There may have been others, but she was his wife. She was his home. Afterward, as he lay sleeping on her chest, she stroked his hair and thought about the last few weeks. Of course, John wasn’t perfect—he often disappointed and hurt her—but she loved him. No matter what he got up to, she could never seriously entertain the thought of leaving him, especially not for his brother.

Tommy wouldn’t be any better for her, she mused. The whole town knew about his regular visits to Lizzie Stark. His brooding silences would be unbearable. Esme was moody herself; she needed someone lighthearted like John to balance her. Besides, even in her wildest imaginings, there’s no way that she and Tommy could make a life together. The very idea was ludicrous! If word were to get out about the circumstances of their… whatever was going on between them, it would blow the whole family apart. The bizarre connection that they shared had to be buried. She knew what she had to do.

She eased John off of her. “Why’d ya do that? I was comfortable,” he sleepily mumbled.

“I need to turn out the light, Love.”

Once the lamp was off, she turned back to him and ran her fingers along his brow as her eyes adjusted to the dusky shadows of the room. “John, I need you to do something for me.”

“Mmmm, anything for you. Just name it.”

She took a deep breath and whispered into the darkness, “I want another child.”

As her words settled on him, she could see his smile in the pale light of the moon.

***

The next few months were a blur for Tommy as he became more involved with business in the London clubs and horse racing. He was often in the company of his horse trainer, May Carleton, and his pursuit of a blue ribbon kept him out of Small Heath much of the time, both by circumstance and design. He avoided Charlie’s yard as much as possible for he knew that Esme would be there any odd moment that she could steal away for a ride. While he trotted around the fields of May’s estate he often pictured what Esme would look like astride the gelding, her dark eyes twinkling with contentment and her curls flying out behind her. Later, in the warm glow of the firelight, May would reap the benefit of Tommy’s fertile imagination. His resolve to avoid Esme was strong, and after a time he almost felt like he had gotten his strange infatuation with her out of his system.

However, when he was at the betting shop, Polly caught him stealing glances at Esme one too many times. She tried to give Tommy the benefit of the doubt, but in her bones, she could feel that something wasn’t right. She couldn’t fathom why the two of them would be in cahoots, whether it be business or personal, but all the signs were there. The two of them were keeping something a secret.

The straw that broke the camel’s back came on an ordinary Wednesday morning. Polly was preparing cash boxes for the day when Esme made her way into the betting shop with eyes that were bruised from lack of sleep and red from crying. She busied herself compiling the odds on the day’s races while Tommy paced outside his office and waited for his brother. When Tommy asked her John’s whereabouts, she snapped.

“How would I know? He fucking hasn’t been home!”

Their eyes met and Tommy’s heart dropped to his feet. “Esme, come back to my office,” he rasped, his voice a low rumble.

As Tommy ushered Esme back to his office, Polly stood aghast. The tone of their voices as the conversation went on sounded a bit too familiar.

“I’m fed up with having my heart broken. It’s not fair,”

“What are you going to do?” Tommy asked.

“He is my husband. It’s not like I have much of a choice.” Full of anger and pride, she tried to will away the tears that fell from her dark eyes.

Polly could hear Tommy sigh deeply. She could almost picture the way he would rub his forehead and light a cigarette. She got up from her desk and headed toward Tommy’s office.

Tommy’s reaction to Esme’s distress was telling. For a moment, he stood smoking as he wrestled with the emotions that he had worked so hard to suppress. His head told him that he was frustrated with John and worried about the effect that his extramarital activities would have on the company, but his heart just wanted to hold Esme while she cried. He went to her and placed his hands on either side of her face, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. His hard edges softened, and his tone was soft and low. “I know you love him, but you deserve better.”

By then Polly had reached the threshold of Tommy’s office, and she couldn’t believe what she was seeing and hearing. Tommy locked eyes with Polly and coolly regained his composure, but Esme couldn’t face her and rushed from the room.

“Thomas Michael Shelby,” Polly spat.

“She does deserve better. I know it, and you know it,” Tommy roared. He refused to be painted as a villain when all he had done was offer comfort and sympathy to a member of his family. Years of practice had taught him to rationalize his most grievous behaviors, and this was no exception. He pointed at Polly with the hand that held his cigarette and continued, “You have taken her side too.”

“It’s not about taking her side and you know it,” Polly flung back at him. She pointed her own finger at Tommy, “You had better watch yourself, Thomas. Take this up with John, and bloody leave her alone.”

“Do you really think that I would go after my brother’s wife?” Tommy was indignant.

Polly threw her hands up and shouted, “I don’t know what to expect from you anymore!”

Tommy and Polly’s heated exchange reverberated through the air of the office. Esme scrambled to her desk and fought back a wave of nausea as she fished her purse out of her desk drawer. Her face and hands were going numb and she could feel a sheen of cold sweat forming on her back. I have to get out of here for a while, she thought as she reached for the doorknob. Just then, the door swung open and she was face to face with her husband.

“What are they goin’ at it about? You can bloody hear them down the block.”

“Move!” Esme commanded and pushed him aside. She leaned on the cool brick wall of the building, eyes closed. She breathed in deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth in an attempt to settle her stomach.

John turned and stepped back out into the lane. He put an arm around Esme’s shoulder, which she shrugged off.

“Leave me alone, just back away,” she half moaned.

John was undeterred. He moved around until he was face to face with her. “Hey, what’s wrong, love?”

She squinted her eyes in the hazy sunlight of Small Heath and swallowed another wave of nausea. “I’m pregnant.”