July 29, 1899
Day 9 of the strike
The church bells chimed two o'clock, and Spot hopped off his perch on the Brooklyn docks to head to Manhattan so he could walk Charlotte home from school. He winced when he hit the ground, still sore from the soaking the night before. He walked down the docks, trying not to limp. He'd gotten all the way to the street when he stopped short. He remembered the events of the night before. Charlotte was done with him. She'd sent over a 3-page letter that morning with Boots berating Spot for cheating on her and that other girl, talking about how the boy she'd grown up with would've never done that, and that she refused to be just another one of his girls.
He shrugged and continued down the street, away from Manhattan. He would just go see Violet instead. She'd seemed suspicious the night before, but none more than usual.
But as Spot headed south toward Red Hook, his thoughts turned toward Charlotte. He had genuinely enjoyed spending time with her. She wasn't just a way to spend an afternoon, like some of the other girls he'd had. She was smarter than she let on, as if she didn't want him to think she was smart. Spot got the feeling she didn't have a lot of experience with boys. He knew that he had been her first kiss.
That kiss. That afternoon still brought a smile to his lips. It had been a record-setting hot day, and after he picked her up after the last day of school, they had spent the afternoon swimming in the East River. He'd taken her hand and they swam a little ways away from his boys, under the dock where it was cooler. He could still remember what she felt like in his arms, shivering a little under the cool docks, despite the heat, her arms around his shoulders. Her lips had been soft against his, with the slightest taste of salt from the river. He remembered that moment every time he accidentally tasted river water.
A bike messenger nearly running him over snapped Spot out of his thoughts. He jumped out of the way just in time. He looked around and realized he hadn't gone far from the docks. He had been wandering slowly, lost in his memories of Charlotte.
In that moment, Spot knew he'd screwed up - big time. He had to get her back, but there was only one way that could happen. He continued to Violet's place, rehearsing his break-up speech.
The sun began to set behind the Manhattan skyline as Skittery and Tumbler walked Emma and Adelaide back home.
"You get enough to eat tonight?" Adelaide asked, putting her arm around Emma.
Emma nodded.
"Okay," Adelaide said, rubbing her back. "Just because we're on strike, doesn't mean you have to go to bed hungry, okay?"
Emma nodded again.
"We ain't runnin' out of savings, are we?" Skittery asked her quietly.
Adelaide shook her head, thinking fast. "No, we should be good for a little while longer."
Skittery's eyebrows raised. "Wow. How much money did Ralphie have?"
"Quite a bit."
Adelaide swallowed the lump in her throat. She hated lying to Skittery. She was thankful they were coming up on the Elizabeth Home.
Adelaide turned to Skittery. "See you tomorrow," she gave him a smile.
Skittery watched her for a few beats. Adelaide shifted her weight from foot to foot, getting the feeling he suspected something.
"Yeah," he smiled. "Tomorrow."
Adelaide grinned and leaned in. Skittery leaned down and kissed her, pulling her close.
"Gross, you two!" said Tumbler, rolling his eyes.
Emma glanced up at them, grinned, and looked at the ground.
"Adelaide!" yelled a voice from across the street. Adelaide and Skittery pulled apart and looked. Violet was storming across the street. Emma moved behind Tumbler.
"Hey, Violet," said Adelaide. "What's wrong?" she asked when she saw that Violet had been crying.
"He dumped me!" said Violet. "Spot dumped me."
"What?!"
"Yeah. He said that he thought it would be best if he didn't come around anymore, and I asked him why, and he said he didn't think he was good for me, and that I deserved better."
Adelaide clenched her jaw. She was going to kill Spot - or at the very least yell at him. "Vi, I'm sorry."
"I don't know what I did wrong! I mean, I know I can be a little rough around the edges, but he's known that! That's nothing new!"
Adelaide was still reeling from the shock of seeing this side of Violet. She shook her head in sympathy. "Sometimes that's just...the way it is."
"Don't get me wrong, I can get by just fine without him, but to just say that he's not going to come around anymore without warning? After I took care of him last night after he got soaked?"
"That's very unlike him." Adelaide was growing uncomfortable by the minute. She hated having to keep someone's secret.
"See, I still think he's got a girl on the side," said Violet. "I know it ain't you, but I think he's got someone that both of us don't know about. Some little whore he's got tucked away on the side."
"But why would he need - or want - that?" asked Adelaide.
Violet shrugged. "I don't know, but I intend to find out, believe me. I know he's been comin' over to Manhattan all the time, so he's gotta have some little hussy in a brothel over there somewhere. He's such a do-gooder, no wonder. He's probably fallen in love with one of them or something ridiculous like that, and now he's trying to save her, get her out of the whorehouses."
"You know, Vi, I wouldn't look too far into this," said Adelaide. "I mean, what good could come of it, you know?"
"I don't care about what good it'll do," she said. "But I wanna know what girl is stealing my man away from me."
Adelaide nodded. "Well, if there's any way I can help you..."
"There is."
Adelaide mentally cursed herself. She'd been trying to get Violet off her back, but she went and gave an open invitation.
"I know he's been comin' over to Manhattan a lot, and you two are close," said Violet. "Keep an eye on him when you see him, will ya? Let me know what he does, and who he sees."
"I'll do what I can," said Adelaide. "No promises, though."
"Thanks." Violet turned and walked up the steps of the Elizabeth House. "By the way, I'm stayin' here tonight," she called over her shoulder.
The four of them watched her enter the building.
"What was that?" Skittery asked.
Adelaide sighed. "That was me being stuck in the middle of Spot Conlon's poor choices."
Skittery arched an eyebrow and glanced at where Violet had disappeared.
"Well." He leaned down and gave her one last kiss. "Better you than me. Come on Tumbler."
Adelaide and shook her head and Tumbler and Skittery walked off into the night.
"Come on, kid," Adelaide took Emma's hand and walked her into the building.
