2

First Three Years

Alley and her mother met Johnny and his mother, Lisa, when the children were 6 months old. Mrs. Conlon and her husband lived two doors down form Alley and her mother. Because her parents weren't married they lived in separate apartments. They wanted to get married but Mike didn't have the money yet. Alley's mother had gone to work, but they still didn't have the money.

Every morning before Ashley went to work she'd drop off Alley with Mrs. Conlon who went to work later then her. Mr. Conlon had already left by that time. He didn't come home until late and most of the time he was drunk. When Lisa went to work she dropped the children off at Mrs. Elizabeth Gregory's house. She would watch the children until their parents came home from work. Mr. Gregory was Mike's supervisor at the factory where he worked. Mr. Gregory came home earlier to pay with the children. The Gregory's adored the two children and their parents. Mr. Gregory retired however when Alley and Johnny were three.

Alley and Johnny were the best of friends. When Johnny learned to crawl, Alley was close behind. And when Alley learned to walk Johnny was close behind. They said their first words on the same day only a few hours apart. They had that special link about the I guess you could say. However more often then not Lisa and Johnny were at Ashley's house because Lisa's husband was abusive. When it got really bad Johnny and Alley would go to Alley's great grandmother's house and stay there.

Alley and Johnny enjoyed chased each other and playing tag down the hall. One night when both their mother's were working late, Alley fell and skinned her knee. It took Johnny a second to realize what had happened. He came to a stop and then ran up to help her up. Alley was crying when her father walked into the complex. Mrs. Gregory was already putting a bandaid on her knee and cleaning it up.

"Mrs. Gregory. What happened!"

"Don't fret. She's okay Mike."

"Daddy we play and I fell. See" She triumphantly pointed to her knee.

Mike smiled at his daughter. Alley ran to him and he picked her up as Johnny held onto his pant leg. He laughed and bent down to pick him up too.

"Well now we know to be careful when we're running." Alley and Johnny nodded. "Thank you Mrs. Gregory."

"Not a problem. They're complete angels."

He put the two down and they ran off down the hall, Johnny chasing Alley again.

"Mike, Ken was up here again."

"You mean Ashley's stalker." he said in a whisper.

"Yes."

"Thanks for telling me." She nodded. "Kitten come on it's time to come home."

"I don't wanna."

"Come on. Johnny can come too." He turned to Mrs. Gregory, "You know the way those two play reminds me of how I used to play with my siblings."

Mrs. Gregory smiled. "You know sometimes Johnny chases her pretending he's a dog.. Its just adorable."

"Well," Mike laughed.

Alley and Johnny came to a stop in front of the two.

"Daddy I hungry."

"Alright, thanks again Mrs. Gregory."

"You're welcome. Their food is in they cabinet."

"Thanks, well come on you two."

They ran to the door and waited there for Mike to open it. He opened it and they ran in. Alley and Johnny chased each other in circles around the table.

"Johnny stop chasing my little Kitten," Mike said with a chuckle. "You know what mane suits you Johnny." The two stopped and listened. "Spot." They all laughed.

"Cause he chases me. And I'm a kitten." Alley said proudly.

"Yes my kitten."

From then on Johnny wouldn't go to Mike unless he called him Spot. That name would stick with him for a long time.

One day when the children were three Lisa got seriously ill. Ashley went to Lisa's every night to put Johnny to bed and check on Lisa. A few weeks later in the middle of the afternoon Lisa died. Mrs. Gregory found her and then took the children on a trip to the factory in which their father's worked. Mr. Gregory who was there on his last day of work because he retired after that, when to tell Johnny's father. Mrs. Gregory took the children home and called the morgue.

Two day later Lisa was buried in a tiny cemetery three blocks away from the factory, ten from their homes. Johnny's father came home drunk one night and hit Johnny leaving him alone in the house and he didn't come back. Shortly after that Johnny ran away. Mike and Ashley never saw him again, because two months later they would be dead.

This was the start of Alley's world falling apart before her eyes. She cried for weeks when Johnny didn't come back. She stopped realizing crying wasn't going to bring him back. He turned four a month later and a month after his was Alley's.