As Anne was walking happily along to the lodging house she whistled a merry tune. Just as she was passing an alleyway she heard a strange noise come from its depths. Her whistling ceased and she turned to gaze into the shadows that lined a row of crates and trashcans.
Someone let out a gasp as she lit a match to brighten her view. A mess of matted hair quickly tucked into a pair of and two frail arms wrapped around them to stop their quivering.
"Hello?" Anne asked quietly, easing forward gently to move a trashcan aside that had been shielding her view. "What's your name?" she whispered.
The child hesitated, "Thomas."
"Thomas...you say? That's a wonderful a name. I... I... I.. used to know someone very dear ta me named Tommy," she replied, her voice cracking at the mention of her brother from her dream.
Suddenly the mess of hair began to rise from it's position and two large beady blue eyes popped open, squinting feverishly to see the girl before them. She lit another match and held it up to her face to show that she showed no harm.
"Amy?" the two eyes grew larger, which she thought to have been impossible since they were already close to the size of golf balls.
"What?" she paused, staring at the figure oddly, "Do you know me?"
"Amy!" the child squealed, jumping up from the ground to give her a gigantic hug.
The sudden extra weight caused Anne to fall backwards out into the street. The sunlight that had slowly began to slide behind the drifting clouds beamed down on the face of the boy who had jumped on top of her.
She immediately recognized him, "Tommy!" she screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged him, not caring that all of the passer biers were staring at the two squealing street rats.
"Yes! It's me, TOMMY! I have been looking all over for you, Sister!"
Anne sat up, realizing that they were receiving some very unpleasant looks. She stood him up and then bent down to give him a kiss on the cheek, "Oh my goodness! Your cheeks feel like ice! Let's get ya home."
"You mean that we have a real home? Not like that other place?" a grin splashed across his rosy face.
"Well, I can't really say what dat old place was like, but I can tell you dat here you will have nice warm bed and a group of guys dat will surely care 'bout you jist as much as dey do me," Anne replied, practically skipping down the sidewalk with her new baby brother bouncing happily on her back in piggy back style.