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The nine Higgins children met as they usually did at the Greeley statue and walked home from there. A regular passer-by would know that if they saw the long line of children trudging slowly to the west side of Manhattan, they knew that the days work was done. In a few more hours the evening edition would be set out among the public to be distributed by the Newsies, but this was an act that the Higgins children didn't participate in. Any other parent would insist that their children work the late hours, but the Higgins' weren't any other parent. They figured that if the city could have their children for half the day, they at least should have some part of their children's time just to watch them grow. It was an amusing sight, the nine Higgins children lined up usually in order of their birth, walking home slowly, discussing their day among each other.

They walked into the old building where they shared half the house with another family and breathed in the scent of the food that their mother was cooking. "Heya kids. C'mon an' sit down. Grub's almost done." Bright Eyes said, her back turned from them as she stirred the soup. The children all sat down and after prayers, ate their food slowly and surely, talking to their parents. "Hey Mama! I saw a fire teday!" Ice said excitedly. Bright Eyes looked up sharply. Racetrack eyed her then looked at Taps, who was looking deeply into the soup bowl at the moment. "Taps." Racetrack said quietly. Taps looked up hesitantly and threw his hands in the air. "Okay! I confess! I was at da fire in Brooklyn wit' Ice. I didn't let go of her hand an' we didn't go too close. An' plus, Art was dere watchin'." Taps said quickly. Bright Eyes nodded, but Racetrack looked around the table.

"Who else was dere?" He asked, a twinkle in his eye, knowing that at least a couple of his children had to have been at the scene. Angel and Sunshine hesitantly raised their hands, then fell back to eating their soup. "It's okay. Jade an' Sketch were dere." Angel said. Racetrack smiled faintly and turned to Bright Eyes. A twinkle was in her eye, but she didn't smile. "Mama, we was careful. We had ta go anyway. We was lookin' fer Trouble." Angel protested. Racetrack laughed suddenly and practically choked on his food. Bright Eyes rolled her eyes and smacked him. "Trouble Conlon, or trouble trouble?" Bright Eyes asked, finally cracking a smile. Angel sighed as she watched her father laughing into his hands. "Trouble CONLON. He was lost an' we found him at da fire. He was okay." She explained. Racetrack finally ceased laughing, but one look at his wife's face set him off again. Then Grabs began to chuckle, followed by Picks and Pockets, then Cowboy began to laugh, then Taps, finally the whole company of Higgins' began to laugh loudly.

After dinner, Angel helped her mother wash the dishes while the other children either played or talked. "Mama, Sunshine tawked a little more teday. I tol' her dat a knew 'bout her an' Sketch." Bright Eyes smiled. "Well dats good news. Jest give her time Angel. She'll come around." She said quietly. "Yeah well dats da udda ting. I tink dat Sketch likes HER." Angel said quickly and with an edge that made Bright Eyes do more than glance at her daughter. "Is dat a bad ting?" Bright Eyes asked quietly. "Yeah, no, I dunno. It's jest strange." Angel said, plunking a dish vigorously under the water. "I know it's strange when ya tink dat yer friend or sista in yer case is fallin' in love. I know it was awkward fer me da way yer Papa would tease me 'bout da goils he'd floit wit'." Bright Eyes said, a far away look in her eye.

Angel smiled and faced Bright Eyes. "Papa floited wit' udda goils besides you? I tought you was da only goil he eva loved." She said. "Well I was, I hope. But at da time he liked ta tease me, see what I would do, how I would react. I tried me best, but usually toined really red, so he could tell dat I was mad." Bright Eyes chuckled. Angel smiled and handed her mother another dish. "Well I don't like Sketch. I jest feel," She stopped as she searched for the words. "Left out?" Bright Eyes put in. Angel glanced up at her mother. "Yeah I tink dats it. I mean, we've always done stuff tegedda. As a team. But it's like she's someplace dat I cain't be. Ya know?" Bright Eyes nodded as she dried another dish. "Yeah I do. Felt dat way more dan once." She murmured. "I'll try not ta worry 'bout it, but it's hard." Angel said. "You do dat. Don't worry 'bout it. Let it all play out." Bright Eyes advised.

Angel nodded, then suddenly put her soapy hand up to her face in recollection. "Oh Mama! I 'most fergot. Spot said ta tell ya dat he was tinkin' of ya an' he'd come ta see ya soon." Bright Eyes smiled and nodded. "Thanks Angel. Dat'll be nice." She said quietly, a smile still on her lips. "Mama, how well does ya know Spot?" Bright Eyes chuckled. "I knew him since he was a kid. Before he was da leada of Brooklyn." She said proudly. Angel stared at her mother. "Really? Den you knew him 'fore he knew Blue?" Angel asked, referring to Spot's wife. "Oh yeah. We was partners. I lived in Brooklyn 'fore I lived in Manhattan. An' even when I did go ta Manhattan, I'd still go back an' forth. We go way back, Spot an' me." Bright Eyes said, a reminicent look on her face.

Angel glanced at her mother before speaking again, this time in softer tones. "Did ya, did ya eva love him?" She asked. Bright Eyes looked over at her daughter, her eyes wide. "Well I," She started, then her face relaxed. "Yeah meybe at one point in time I loved him." She said quietly. "You did? Why didn't you get tegedda? I mean, did he not love you or sometin'?" Angel asked. "Oh Angel." Bright Eyes said in a sigh. "Please Mama. I wanna know. It'll help me undastan' dis ting wit' Sunny betta." Angel pleaded. "I dunno if it'll do dat." Bright Eyes remarked. "Well, we didn't see eye ta eye on some stuff. We was partners yeah, an' tegedda we made a poifect team, but as ta lovin' each udda, well, it didn't always woik out. I guess it was my fault." Bright Eyes said. "Yer fault? What did ya do?" Angel asked.

"Well, I loved him, but at times he seemed too full of himself, too confident dat he could have any goil he chose, even me. I wasn't 'bout ta let him have dat powa ova me. Dat was one facta. Anudda was dat we jest weren't right fer each udda. We would git in some of da awfulest fights." Bright Eyes said with a smile. "An' I tol' him dat we couldn't woik out. Afta dat he moped 'round so much, an' I jest couldn't take him actin' dat way. So I left." She said with a shrug. "You left Brooklyn 'cause you an' Spot didn't git tegedda?" Angel said, her voice echoing her surprise. "Yeah, funny huh? Good ting I did too. Uddawise you wouldn't be here." Bright Eyes said, fondly caressing her daughter's wild curls. Angel stared at her in surprise, then turned back to the dishes in almost a daze. "Whoa. I didn't tink, whoa." She murmured. "It ain't a well known fact, so I'd 'preciate if ya didn't spread it 'round." Bright Eyes warned.

Angel nodded, then turned back to her. "Does Papa know?" Bright Eyes paused momentarily. "No. He don't know. I neva told nobody. Spot was jest gainin' powa an' I didn't wanna endanga dat. An' plus at 'bout dat time I could tell dat he was sweet on Blue." Bright Eyes said. "But Mama, Blue an' Spot fight all da time. But dey're married." Angel pointed out. "Yeah, but dey's poifect. Dey're so alike dat dey woik good tegedda. Plus Blue kin control Spot. She don't have no sympathy fer him when he don't git his own way. Dats one ting dat I couldn't do. I let him have his own way in most tings 'cause I couldn't stand ta see him hoit. Blue on da udda hand." Bright Eyes laughed. "You see Angel, it all woiks out fer da best. Spot's got Blue. I've got yer Papa. It all woiks out accordin' ta plan. An' I couldn't be more happier." Bright Eyes said with a smile. Angel grinned and gave her mother a quick hug. "I'm glad dat I'm you an' Papa's dawta." She whispered. "Me too baby. Me too." Bright Eyes whispered as she pressed her daughter close to her. "Hey if you goils eva git done in dere, we kin play some cawds!" Racetrack called from the next room. Bright Eyes and Angel looked at each other and laughed hard. "An' why would I wanna miss dis?" Bright Eyes laughed.

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