Spot looked around the room while Lily folded clothes and put them away. "Where's Rae?" he asked. "I've been in this bed three days and she hasn't been here yet."

Lily turned around but didn't look at him. "She got arrested this morning…"

Spot cursed. "Why?"

She hesitated. "They think she tried to kill you…"

Spot laughed and stopped, wincing in pain and clutching his ribs. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. She would threaten, but she would never do it."

"They said they would let her go…" She sniffled, "if we could prove that it wasn't her…"

"But I don't know who did it, Lily! I don't remember!"

Lily sniffled again and turned away.

"Where's that baby?"

"Sleeping."

"Did you ever name him?"

She shook her head. "I was waiting on you."

"Bring him here so I can get a look at him."

She turned and walked over to the crib near the window. She picked up the baby and walked over to the edge of the bed.

"Get closer! I can't see him."

She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned close to him.

He glanced at the baby and then turned away. "Mackenzie…"

"But he's so tiny…"

"Call him Kenny then…I don't care. Now get out!"

She sighed and stood, leaving the room.


Sippi stopped abruptly when he saw two small figures huddled on the doorstep. "What do we have here?" he asked, kneeling in front of them.

"Don't touch her," the little boy said, putting his arm around the little girl, whose head rested in his lap.

"Don't you want to come inside where it's warm?"

The little boy shook his head. "Momma said to wait here for our Daddy to get us."

Sippi frowned. What kind of woman would leave her children out in this cold? "Do you know your daddy's name?"

"Momma said his name is Spot."

Sippi bit back a curse. "I can take you to him..."

The little boy's eyes narrowed. "But Momma said..."

"Your daddy hurt his leg and won't be able to come get you for a long time. You don't want her to get sick do you?"

The little boy looked down at his sleeping sister. "I think she's already sick..."

Sippi pushed back the blanket that was wrapped around the little girl and could tell just by looking at her that she was running a fever. "What's her name?" he asked, scooping the girl into his arms.

"Sally…I'm Sammy…"

Sippi nodded. "Come on, Sammy. Let's get you to your daddy." He carried the little girl into the lodging house and placed her on the couch nearest the fireplace. "Lily!" he yelled.

She rushed into the room a moment later. "What is it?" she asked.

He looked up at her from where he knelt beside the couch. "Hand Kenny to Spot and go warm up some broth. I need more blankets…and one of those thick wool nightgowns from Rae's room."

Lily looked down at her son and hesitated.

"Come on, Lily…there isn't time for you to dawdle. This little one is very sick."

Lily placed Kenny in Spot's lap before he had a chance to react and scurried from the room.

Spot stared down at the small baby in his arms. He went to move his hand, but Kenny wrapped his little hand around one of Spot's fingers. It suddenly hit him that this fragile little thing in his arms belonged to him.

The little boy that had followed Sippi into the room crept over to Spot's chair. "Can I see?" he asked.

Spot looked down and found himself looking at a miniature copy of himself. "Who are you?"

Sippi glanced over his shoulder at them. "Meet Sammy...he's your son, Conlon."

"Oh no! I don't have any kids!"

Sippi sent him a look. "You're holding one and looking at two more..."

"I don't have kids, I tell ya!"

"Sammy..." Sippi said. "What did your mommy say your daddy's name was?"

Sammy stuck his finger in his mouth, looking from one man to the other. "Spot..."

"Don't prove nothing!" Spot argued.

"Just take a look at him, Conlon. He looks just like you!"

Spot turned his head, refusing to look at the little boy by his side.

"Scared of what you might see, Conlon?"

"Spot Conlon ain't scared of nothing!"

"Then take a look!"

Growling, Spot glanced back down at the little boy. He recalled a photograph that Gran had kept on her dresser. It was a picture of his family when was about the same age as this boy. The resemblance was frightening. "Stand up straight, kid," Spot snapped, covering the shock by switching to his old role of Brooklyn leader.

Sammy stood a little taller.

"What's your name?"

"Sammy..."

"How old are you?"

Five chubby fingers came out as Sammy replied. "Five."

Spot nodded toward the blanket wrapped figure on the couch. "Who is that?"

"That's Sally...she's my sister...she's three..."

Lily hurried back into the room with three quilts and a long woolen nightgown. She handed them to Sippi and dashed into the kitchen.

"Come here, Sammy," Sippi said. The boy moved over next to him. Sippi wrapped one of the blankets around his little shoulders. "Go sit on the floor over there by your daddy." Sammy did as he was told. Sippi removed the tattered blanket from the little girl.

She whimpered.

"It's alright sweetheart," he said, softly. "These blankets are warmer," he added, dropping the nightgown over her head. He then took one of the blankets and wrapped it around her thin shoulders. He lifted her into his lap and tucked the other blanket around her. He held her close, rubbing her arms to try and get her warm.

Moments later Lily hurried into the room with a pewter mug in her hands. She handed it to Sippi, who tried to coax the little girl in his arms to drink the warm broth. The little girl soon fell into a fevered sleep.