Chapter Eight
They left to go get their things, followed by Spot and Raindrop. At the Lodging House Mush and Blink pulled Raindrop aside.
"Hey, ya shoah ya don' wanna come back?" Mush asked. Raindrop nodded.
"We mean, Jack jist had one ah his bad spells, it ain't like it 'appens very often. Last time was da strike. Always blows ovah." Kid Blink said. Raindrop looked at them carefully.
"It's nothing like that," she said frankly. They raised their eyebrows.
"Oh?" Mush asked. Raindrop nodded.
"Yeah," she said, "I'll miss you'se so much, but it's hardah bein' witout Spot. It ain't like I don' love you'se, I jist…" she trailed off apologetically. Kid Blink smiled.
"Sounds like ya know what's impoitant in yer life." He hugged her tightly. "Ya know we'se gonna miss ya like crazy. Don' git yerself t'rown in da Refuge," he said. Then Mush hugged her and told her to come back often. She and Spot stood in the street and watched them walk to the Bronx to find Racetrack, and then return to Manhttan. Spot put his arm around Raindrop's waist.
"Ya awright?" he asked. She nodded.
"Fine." And she was, outwardly. Spot glanced at her. She was clutching the silver ring tightly.
"Yer not, are ya?" he asked quietly. She looked up at him from the street and her quickly disappearing friends. She looked at him for a long moment, and then back to the street. She wasn't. She refused to admit it, even after everything they had been through, but it hurt her.
T'ings aren' poifect…I still miss Blink 'n' Mush, 'n' ev'ryone else in Manhattan…but dey ain't so far away. An' I love Brooklyn. No mattah how much I miss me friends, missin' Spot 'n' Brooklyn woise. Dis is home. Raindrop was sitting on the edge of the docks by the East River. A chilly breeze blew her hair from her face. She heard footsteps behind her, and then Spot sat down next to her.
"Goigeous sunset," he commented idly, "Won't be long b'fore you'se'll need jackets ta git outta da Lodgin' House dis time ah day. Or anytime, fer dat mattah. Wintah's comin' quick." Raindrop nodded and looked at him for a moment. Then she looked back at the landscape. The river was black and cold, trees all over the city were turning red, yellow, and orange. The October sky was painted with brilliant colors and the clouds were shot with rays of sunlight. She looked back at Spot and they both smiled. They stayed on the docks until the sun slipped below the horizon and the sky was dark. Spot took her hand and they slowly walked back to the Lodging House.