As Bucky pulled me along, I looked around the apartment, the living room was modest, a worn brown sofa and brown armchair with matching cushions on both, a small TV set sat on what looked like a painted wooden box, and a very worn rug covered most of the floor. We walked past an almost untouched dining room, a four-person hardwood table and chairs sat in the middle with a sewing machine and a pile for clothes on the table, a few oil paintings and family photos scattered the walls. Finally, the kitchen was small with a green colour theme, it was very clean and tidy. Bucky led me to the sink and we both wash our hands, he led me to the living, to the sofa, he sat. I stood.

Steve's mom walked into the room Steve in tow with a freshly cleaned cut. "Take a seat, sweetie" she smiled at me, I shook my head. "are you okay, sweetie?"

"My clothes are dirty, ma'am,"

"oh Mary, don't you worry, take a seat," I paused, she smiled "sweetie would you like a change of clothes? Would that make you feel better?"

"I- Really?"

"Of course sweetie, come with me, I'm sure Steve wouldn't mind you borrowing something?" she looked expectantly at Steve, he smiled.

"Sure!"

I followed Steve's mom to a bedroom, I assumed it was Steve's it had a few toy cars on the dresser and some shirts scattered on the floor.

"Boys are just so messy," she laughed "But you've got to love them!" she stepped over to his dresser, digging and pulling out a dark grey pair of slacks and a light grey tee shirt. Holding them against me, she nodded "I think these will do, and I can wash your pretty dress and I'll mend some of these holes and rips for you"

"Ma'am you're too kind..."

"Please call me Sarah, now, put these on, bring your dress out and we'll have some lunch together, I hope you like stew"

She smiled leaving me to get changed, I slowly changed out of my dress, pulled on the tee and slacks, I looked myself over in Steve's standing mirror. My hair was wiry and tatted, I tried to comb my fingers through it but it would take hours to make this look normal again. Sighing I stepped out of the room, with my dress balled up in my arms. Sarah met me and took the dress from me,

"Well, it looks like they just about fit, I suppose they'll do for the time being." she smiled "Go take a seat on the sofa with the boys and I'll get you some stew,"

I took a seat next to Steve and Bucky, smiling small at them. "Thank you for the clothes, Steve"

"You're welcome" he beamed

"Now you just need to brush your hair and wash your face and you'll be perfect!" Bucky grinned, I know he didn't mean it as bad as it sounded, plus he's right, I wish I just had a brush and clean water, oh and soap!

"Bucky-"

"It's fine," I smiled at Steve. Bucky looked confused at the exchange. Sarah walked in with a tray holding three bowls of steaming hot stew and three slices of homemade bread. We all took one off her and she prompted us to take a slice of bread too. We all thanked her before digging in. It was almost impossible to hold in my moans as I ate, it was possibly the tastiest food I'd ever had, the stew was packed with veg and some chicken pieces, the bread was white cut into thick slices, slathered in butter, I felt like I was eating like royalty.

I suppressed the urge to lick the bowl clean before passing it back to Sarah as she came back to collect the bowls.

"Hey Mary, would you like my bread?" Bucky asked holding it out to me,

"You're not going to eat it?"

"I'm full," he smiled, yeah full of shit... But I won't say no, I gently took it from him smiling,

"Thank you" As I finished that slice Sarah came through

"Everyone enjoy the stew?"

"That was the best meal I've ever had and my throat don't hurt no more!" I blurted out excited, Sarah smiled, with a small laugh.

"Glad to hear it! Steve, why don't you pull out a board game or some cards whilst I mend and wash Mary's dress?"

Over the next hour, Steve and Bucky taught me how to play Gin Rummy, I was really not good. Sarah came out to join us, saying my dress was drying on the line. Another hour past and I notice the sun setting, BETH!

"I'm so sorry, but I best be going, I'm meeting my friend at Brooklyn Bridge at sunset-"

"You can't travel there by yourself at this time, it's far too late!" Sarah responded shocked,

"It's okay, really,"

"Mary, the boys didn't have to tell me you're living on the streets... But I would appreciate if you didn't leave tonight, I'd love it if you could stay and then tomorrow if need be you can go meet your friend..."

Sarah was inviting me to stay... But Beth would worry. "But my friend will worry-"

"How about you tell me what your friend looks like and I'll go see her and tell her where you are?"

"Really? Oh well, she's... Tall, brown hair with grey bits, I think she's older, she was wearing a brown dress and black boots when I last saw her today..."

"Grey hair? She's not your age?"

"No, ma'am, but she's still my friend"

"Of course! But I think she'll understand if you don't meet tonight, we could both go find her tomorrow to explain why you couldn't see her?"

"I guess she would understand, we don't see each other every day..."

"Then it's settled! You will stay the night and we'll go find your friend tomorrow, and we'll take her some stew if you like?"

"You're too kind, Miss Sarah, maybe just as kind as Beth!"

Sarah smiled, "Well Bucky, I think it's time for you to go unless you're staying the night too?"

"I best be going, I promised Rebecca I'd help her with her reading tonight," he smiled, standing up and heading to the door he said his goodbyes and he was gone.

"Right then, Steven why don't you go do them dishes and I'll set a make-shift bed up on the sofa for Mary and maybe you'd like a warm bath to, Mary?"

I looked on shocked, a bed? A bath? This is far too overwhelming, how are they so kind?

"I'm going to take your silence as a yes," Sarah laughed, "Come help me find some bedding and then I'll run you a bath,"

After helping Sarah make me a bed on the sofa, I helped her use a bucket and a pot to carry warm water from the sink to fill the bathtub. It was small but I was so excited to jump in, the last bath I had, if you can call it that, was a dunk in Betts Creek on the East Side and if anything, I think it made me dirtier. Sarah left me in the bathroom, handing me a small bar of soap, some hair lotions, a towel and a far too big sleep shirt, telling me to take as long as I needed but remember to wash behind my ears and scrub my hair hard with the lotions.

After what felt like forever soaking in the clean, warm and now soapy water, I got out, wrapped myself in a towel and brushed my hair with my fingers as best I could, it was slightly easier to do so, whatever those lovely smelling lotions were they worked magic on my hair!

I dried myself as best I could with the towel and pulled the shirt over my head, it fell almost to the ground, I left my underwear and Steve's clothes in a pile by the door as instructed and made my way out, Sarah smiled at me from my make shift bed.

"Come join me, I'll brush that lovely hair of yours and plait it out of your face,"

"Where's Steve?"

"I've sent him to bed, I thought it'd be nice if us girls could have a chat" she smiled over to me, her smiled really was infectious, I joined her. She sat me in front of her on the floor and started to brush the ends of my hair. "So, tell me about yourself, how old are you? Where were you born? Do you have any brothers and sisters?"

"I'm not sure how old I am I was 8 when papa... Left and that was a long time ago or I think it was? I was born here in New York, in my mama and papa's apartment, papa used to say they couldn't wait to get to the hospital to meet me" I smiled to myself, "it was just me, mama and papa,"

"And where are they now?"

"Papa said mama died when I was born, she met me but then she died, and papa was taken away"

"I'm sorry sweetie, I bet your mama was a lovely lady, where was your papa taken?"

I paused, "He... He used to steal to feed me and he got caught... Again. Usually he'd come back after a night or two but I waited for weeks and he didn't. I think he's still with the police, or with mama"

"You said you lived in an apartment with your mama and papa, what happened to the apartment?"

"I don't know I've lived on the streets as long as I can remember, papa liked to gamble with other men on the streets, I think that may have had something to do with it..."

"Oh okay, sweetie," she seems to pause her movements and questions for a moment as if thinking of something to say, "How did you meet your friend Beth?"

"She found me under the bridge, she would bring me food and show me how to find scraps myself, she tried to get me to talk forever, today is my first-time speaking in... Years"

"You didn't talk to anyone? Ever?"

"Papa said children who were quiet were more likely to be given a nice home- MY NOTE! It's in my dress!" I scrambled up, "my note!"

"Calm down, what note?"

"In my pocket, my papa wrote me it!"

"Okay okay sit back down, I'll have a look"

She left and came back with a soggy piece of paper, my note, she passed it to me

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't realise it was in there," I tried to unfold it but it ripped, I sighed sadly

"It's okay it was just... When I didn't talk, I'd show people hoping they'd help,"

"Well, now you've got, me and Steve, and Bucky and Beth, you have friends to help you," she smiled, patted my head.

"I like friends better."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, let's get you all tucked up, it's getting late." Sarah pulled back the covers and helped me get comfy, tucking me in, she smiled, "My, it is lovely having another girl around"