Chapter Ten
The early morning was anything but inspiring. The reporter Bryan Denton had bailed all of the newsies arrested out of jail and paid their fines. They had regrouped at Tibby's, and told the others of the sad news that Jack had been sentenced to live at the reform house until he was 21 years old. Then Denton dropped another unfortunate announcement. He was being assigned as a war correspondent, and would soon be sailing out of New York harbor. They would be losing the one connection they had to the media. Some left Tibby's, Blink included, to return to the boarding house and get some sleep.
The bump on Blink's head had reduced in size, and there was only a little blood. He washed up, and even though he had a bag under his eye from fatigue, he couldn't go to sleep without seeing Molly. He left Klopper's with somewhat fresh clothes, and trekked his way across the streets in the early morning.
He was sure that Molly would be awake already. He knew she worked as soon as the light allowed. Blink approached the door, pausing as voices drifted out of the open window. A deep laugh he had never heard before rumbled from the window, and Blink recognized the language of the Irish. Molly had taught him some words, but he still was unfamiliar with the language. He knew enough to recognize the deep voice of Seamus, but the other man's he couldn't place, although it had a familiar tone to it. Pausing by the door, he couldn't decide quite what course of action to take, but listened to the two men talking.
Tommy.
Blink placed the voice and he immediately became suspicious. Why would Tommy call on Seamus so early? Perhaps he had been out all evening with the man. He listened carefully, trying to pick up the words he knew. Tommy. Father. Molly. Son. Child. No, not child. Children. Why would they be talking about children? Tommy said something. Grandfather. Seamus laughed. He said son again. Blink felt his stomach drop. He wasn't saying son. He was saying son-in law.
He reached for the door handle, his blood boiling. It was unlocked, and he threw the door open, stepping inside boldly. Seamus and Tommy looked up in surprise from their spots in front of the workbench. Tommy's eyes narrowed, but his mouth held a smug look that made Blink want to punch him. Seamus stood, wobbling slightly. He was still drunk from the night out, and his expression darkened.
"What are ye doin' in my house?" He boomed.
Blink narrowed his eyes, examining Tommy angrily. The young man gazed at him vacantly and Blink realized he was in his cups as well. "Did you two have a good night out?"
Seamus blustered, "Ye get out! Ye're no longer workin' here. I don' want to see ye here again!" He belched, ruining his tirade.
"You have no right to kick me out."
"T'is my home, my business, ye insolent whelp!"
"No!" Blink was too disgusted to hold back his anger, "It's Molly's home. It's Molly's business. What kind of father makes his daughter do what Molly does? You're just a drunk!"
"A drunk!" Seamus pounded his fist on the work table. Tommy stood up suddenly, he looked ready for a fight.
"Yea! A drunk. You know what you do to Molly? I've seen her count the money in the drawer in the morning, and she does the books to account for the money you take to go out every night. You're a pathetic excuse for a man!"
"How dare you!" He began shouting in the old language. Gesturing wildly and pointing towards Tommy. Tommy rushed forward, his fists raised. He was bigger than Blink, but he was still drunk. Blink tripped him up easily, sending him crashing into a set of shelves against the wall. The shelves shook and metal molds spilled over the floor. Tommy remained on the ground, looking up dazed.
Blink shouted, pointing at Tommy, "So this is the man you want marrying your daughter? Another useless drunkard?" Seamus's face was red with anger, and he was breathing heavily.
"Father!" All three men looked to see Molly clutching the door frame from the stairs. She was still in her dressing gown, her hair in a long braid over her shoulder. She eyed them all, "What is going on?"
"Go upstairs, Molly," Seamus growled.
Molly tensed in the stairway, but she ignored her father, "Nick, what's happened to Tommy?"
Blink tried to keep the anger out of his voice, "He's drunk."
Seamus moved towards Blink, "This is none of yer concern!"
"Enough!" Molly moved into the room, her small frame imposing in spite her father's height. "Why do ye have to be like this? Ever since mam died-"
"I don't want to talk about that!" Seamus pulled Tommy up from the ground roughly. "Molly, Tommy has asked for your hand, and I've accepted."
Her face grew pale, "What?" She stared at Tommy, and he had the sense to be ashamed.
"Aye, its time." Seamus glared at Blink, "Before anyone has the chance to ruin ye."
It was too much. Molly had had enough. She clenched her fists at her side, "No."
"What?"
"No!" Molly looked at Tommy. "I'm sorry Tommy, but I cannot accept ye. I will not marry ye. Do ye understand?" She took a deep breath as she stared at Tommy's dumbfounded face. "I think ye should go home now." To Blink's surprise, Tommy walked out the door without another word.
Seamus ran to the door, calling for him to come back. He soon turned around, reeling in anger, "What is this?"
"What's happened to ye, father?" Molly slipped into the old tongue, tears brimming. "What would mam say if she saw you?" Seamus's mouth gaped, losing some of his bluster. "I remember when seeing you used to make me happier than anything else in the world. Now look at you. You can't talk to me. You don't look at me. I'm here by myself! I run everything by myself! I'm only 16!" Tears streamed down her face. "I didn't just lose my mother, I lost my father too! Nick has been the only here for me in months. I can't do this anymore!" Her face crumpled, and she wiped at her eyes, shouting, "I can't do this without you, Da!" She looked at him, his face looked shattered. He stepped back, wobbling on unsteady feet. Molly hiccupped, "Father, please..." She took a step towards him, "Say something, please."
Seamus turned and walked out of the room, lumbering into the back alley and walking as if a ghost. Blink walked to the door and saw him wander away. He had watched in tense silence, and now he shut the door quietly. He looked to Molly, she was drying her eyes on the sleeve of her dressing gown. He walked to her tentatively, placing a hand on her arm. He had little idea as to what just happened, but Molly seemed strangely calm.
"Molly..." Blink whispered.
She finished drying her face hastily. "Oh, Nick. I wish things could be different."
"I know." Blink took a deep breath. "Maybe now's not the best time then, but maybe it is." He shrugged, taking her hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "I came to apologize to you. For running away. I never should have left you alone like that." She nodded a little. "I left because I thought that maybe I didn't deserve you." She opened her mouth to protest. "Just listen for a moment. I realized something tonight. That I don't want to be without you if I can help it. And maybe right now I don't deserve you, but if you want me, I'm going to do everything I can to deserve you." She was looking at him with fresh tears in her eyes, and he took a deep breath. "I love you, Molly. I do. I shoulda told you before."
Molly beamed through her tears, "And I love you!" Blink grinned and took her up into his arms, holding her tight. When he set her down again, she was wiping her eyes and smiling at him sheepishly. She clutched her dressing gown more tightly around her, "I should go and change. There's still work to do today..." Her face settled into a little frown as her eyes passed the back door on her way upstairs.
They spent the day working alongside each other. Blink told her all about what had happened at the newsie rally, and about his night spent in jail. He mentioned being with Spot, but left out the details of their conversation. He enjoyed her suddenly shy smiles as he brushed up against her, or played with a bit of her hair. Overall, the day was one of the happiest he had had, despite the disheartening events of the morning, but he could see Molly's eyes stray towards the door every now and then, and he knew that she was thinking, and worrying, about her father.
Molly tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest as the day wore on. That Blink loved her made her happier than she thought was possible, but her thoughts wandered. Where was her father now? She had never seen such a look on his face, and it broke her heart to think what would happen to him. What if he was arrested? Out drunk in the middle of the day, the cops would have no problem locking him up. It was nearly dark when she confessed her worries to Blink out loud.
"It's so late. Do you think he's alright?"
Blink admitted to himself that it was potentially a bad situation, but he hesitated to say as much to Molly. "No one would pick a fight with a giant like your dad, I'm sure. Do you know where he usually goes?"
She was pacing the floor nervously. "He sometimes goes to the old neighborhood. We lived on Monroe when we first came here. Otherwise there are plenty of establishments between here and there that he could have gone to. I don't really know though."
"Why don't I go look for him?" Blink suggested.
She turned to him with wide eyes, "Are you sure? How would you find him?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "I'll ask around, see if anyone's seen him. He's a hard man to miss."
"Would you really?"
"Of course."
They were interrupted by a loud rap on the back door. Blink got up to answer it, for once hoping that Molly's old man would be on the other side of the door. They were both surprised to see Mush standing with his hands in his pockets.
"Mush, what's going on?" Blink asked.
Mush took his hat off after spotting Molly in the corner of the room, "Sorry to bother you, miss." He turned his gaze to Blink, "We got trouble."
"What?" Blink stood aside so Mush could come inside.
"A couple of us tried to break Jack out last night, he wouldn't go. Then this morning, he showed up at the printer's."
"They let him go?" Blink asked hopefully.
"No," Mush shook his head, "he was wearing a new suit. He sold us out, Blink. He's not striking no more."
Blink stared, "I don't believe it. Not Jack."
"We all saw it. We're having a meeting at the lodge house now. We need everyone we can get, Blink."
Blink glanced at Molly, her face still concerned. "Mush, I gotta do something before I can come along."
Molly spoke up, "No, Blink, you should go."
He turned to her in surprise, "Are you sure?"
"Yes." She nodded resolutely, "He'll be fine, he always finds his way home somehow."
"Wait outside for a minute, will ya Mush?" Mush nodded, stepping out quickly. Blink turned towards Molly, "Are you sure about this?"
"It's okay, really. Your friends need you."
"Okay," Blink kissed her good bye. "But promise you won't go out looking for him by yourself."
"I promise." Molly squeezed his hand and then he walked out the door to catch up with Mush.