Mom

It wasn't unusual for her to cross the bridge and visit her Brooklyn newsies or for them to come visit her, she tried to make it over at least once a week but ususally after dinner she'd go for a walk and look up to find that she was already over the bridge. Over the years it became a routine, every other day she'd finish up her work, have an early dinner with the Manhattan boys, then she'd say goodnight to the fellas and head to Brooklyn with one or more of the older boys, usually Race and Blink, following her to make sure she got to the bridge unharmed and when she got to the other side Spot or one of his boys would be waiting to take her to the lodge house where she would take care of the boys and few girls there, before settling in for the night, and in the morning Spot would walk her back to 'Hattan before any of the boys were up.

RUNNER.

When Runner was 10 a fire in her families appartment building had made her an orphan, when she was 12 she had met Mom on one of the young womans semi-daily trips to Brooklyn and was taken to Spot for work and a place to stay. Spot argued that he didn't want any girls running around trying to act tuff and getting hurt on his turf. Mom and Spot continued arguing for half an hour before Spot caved. When runner was 14 she woke up one morning with a really bad stomach ache and when she got out of bed she screamed at the blood on her matress so loud she woke up half the block. Luckly it was one of the nights Mom had stayed over and while most of the guys were freaking out she was calm as ever and explaind to the boys, and runner, that there was nothing to worry about she would take care of it. After getting a bird over to 'Hattan to explain she wouldn't be back that morning she shooed the boys out to the street to start selling, sat Runner down and explained what was going on. When Runner turns 16 she'll have given the speech to six other girls who became women while working as a Brooklyn Newsie and every time she'll wonder how Mom was so collected about the whole damn thing, and she'll wonder the same thing each time she has to go through the speech with her own daughters. Each time she gives that speech and try to calm down a terrified young girl she'll also be extreamly greatful that even though she didn't have her mama to explain things like that she was lucky enough to have Mom there to teach her this stuff.

SPOT.

He refuses to call her Mom, or any similar name. The word and everything that comes with it don't exactly have good memories attatched to it. His own mother didn't inspire any confidince that such a thing as unconditional love existed, especially between mother and child. So when he first heard about this young woman who took care of the Manhatteners without any pomp and circumstance he didn't quite belive it, then he met her. He knew right then he would never be able to call her Mom like the others did so after they had been introduced he asked for her real name, and she told him,and he was the only one aloud to call her that. A few years later as he watches her with Runner and Skips he can't help but think that this is what a mother is supposed to be and at 17 this woman is a great mother to hundreds of kids when some women can't even be an average mother to one. It's a few months after the strike that he sees her playing with Tiny Tim and he gets a flash of her sitting there with their child, a toddler with his light brown hair and chin, and her eyes and smile, on her hip and her belly swollen with another. He begins to think and then he decides and he starts training Ducky to take comand, and asks Jack about that job that was opening up at his work and to put in a good word with his boss and when he's saved up enough money he buys the perfect ring, he gets down on one knee and proposes. A decade later and he still thanks God everyday that she said yes.

ANDREW.

I have the best mommy ever! She's kind and gentle, with a smile for everyone but tough enough to stand her ground with daddy when he gets stubborn and strong enough to scare Brutus when she gives him that look. She also takes care of everyone in our family, now that's a lot of people; My dad and my brothers and sisters and me and all of our 'adopted' siblings to. Mommy and daddy said that even though they're not blood they're still family, mommy says that they found her and saved her but daddy and everyone else says that they may have found her but she's the one who saved them. I think I beileve daddy and them cause when Crutchie's leg starts to hurt mama puts it up on the couch and rubs it and he always says she has the magic touch, and when Runner doesn't know what to do anymore mommy sits and listens to her and when Runner is done she always says that even when she doesn't say anything mommy knows just what to say. Racetrack is always asking mommy to name horsies for him to bet on and telling her she's his lucky charm when he wins and when Davey gets stuck on something at work he has mama read it for him and give him better ideas. Skips is always coming over and asking mommy to help him deal with the other boroughs, telling her that there's nobody more loved and respected in all of New York then her! Daddy also says that mommy is the reason we have such a big family and so many people who care about us, cause she took care of them when they didn't have anybody else. I belive that to cause my mommy is the best mommy in the whole wide world!