"I don't wanna sell papes, Frankie, I wanna play with my dollies." Fiona Sullivan scowled up at her big brother, Frank, and tugged petulantly at his sleeve, making the older boy scowl right back down at her. He was seven, a grown up to Fiona, who was only four, and could barely stand upright for long enough to sell newspapers, usually ending up sitting at Frank's feet, sucking on her thumb, whining about wanting to go back home.
Except neither of them had a home to go back to. They were on their own, since their father, John, was in jail, and their mother, Ada, had gone away a week before, and was not, apparently, coming back. At least, that was what Frank had told Fiona. She didn't understand why mama would leave them, but she trusted Frank, he had always taken care of her. He looked after her, made sure she got food, made sure she was tucked into bed. He was her big brother, the most important person in her life.
"But we gotta sell papes, Rosie-posie, we gotta, or we ain't gonna be able to afford to pay for our beds, you know?" Every night, Frank very carefully walked her to the girls house and made sure she was settled before heading back to the boys house himself. She kept trying to tell him she'd be fine on her own, but he wouldn't listen, he was still too scared for her, she was too little. And she both loved, and hated his nickname for her, a nod to her tumble of red curls, that always seemed to fall into her face, resisting any attempt to tame them, and in defiance of Frank's careful hair combing, one of their morning rituals she hated most of all.
But she finally pouted at him, and took his outstretched hand, nodding. "Ok, papes. But then, please can't we play with my dollies?" She peered up at him, her brown eyes wide, knowing her brother had never been able to resist her when she did that, and true to form, Frank sighed a bit, and nodded. She knew he hated playing dolls with her, because the older boys made fun of her for it, but it was the only thing that made her forget that they were never going to go home again. Frank knew that, it was why he put up with the teasing, to make her smile.