One of the regular workers came in later, and Mush had to cover for him and work overtime. By the time he returned home, he was completely beat and ready to collapse. However, he needed to fetch Samantha first. It was most likely that she was in the girls� bunkroom with Indigo.
He made his first stop in his own bunkroom, dropping his discarded shirt on his bunk before heading for the girls� above. He was so weary that his feet dragged and his muscles ready to freeze. Once he reached the bunkroom, he barely had enough strength to knock his fist against the door.
�It�s open.�
Gripping the handle, he twisted tightly and forced the strength he had left to open it door. Indigo and Samantha were resting on a blanket that had set on the floor, and Indigo�s face brightened when she saw him.
�Come here!� she said excitedly. �You gotta see this!�
�See what?� he muttered.
She lifted Samantha off the blanket and onto the floor facing Mush. Then she gave Samantha�s bottom a little pat.
�What�s goin� on?�
�Watch!�
He watched, and his jaw dropped. Samantha began to giggle as she pushed up against the floor and lifted her tiny body the least bit, and pulled herself forward. She did it again, and Mush was ready to melt over the floor.
�She�s crawling, Mush!� Indigo exclaimed.
His knees knocked together as his energy was suddenly revitalized. He rushed to the baby, lifted her into the air and praised her.
�Ya did it!� he shrieked. �Yer a big girl now!�
She giggled more, and he held her against his shoulder. He was dangerously close to tears, but refused to let them flow in the presence of Indigo. He turned and grinned at her.
�My gosh.� He sighed. �She�s crawlin�!�
�Yes! She started earlier today and hasn�t stopped since!�
His expression changed rather dramatically. One moment, he was completely overjoyed. The next, despair settled. The grin had disappeared and was now replaced with a solemn expression.
�What�s wrong?� Indigo wondered worriedly. �Are you alright?�
�For th� first time, I really feel like Samantha�s my kid.�
He hadn�t been silent for a fraction of a second before the same expression came to Indigo�s face as well. She brought herself to her feet and approached Mush.
�I can�t b�lieve I missed this.� He continued. �I�m supposed t� be �er daddy now, f� cryin� out loud! An� I missed �er crawlin� for th� first time!�
�Mush, don�t take it so hard on yourself. You should be proud.�
�I am.�
�Not just because Sweetie�s crawling now. Because you missed her while tending to her needs. You were out working to gain money so you could support this baby. There�s nothing to be ashamed of! You may work your butt off every day, but it�s all for Sweetie. You should be proud.�
He allowed her words to sink in before he said anything else. He noticed that Samantha was beginning to doze off as spittle dripped from her open mouth onto his undershirt.
�Yer right again. What�d I do without ya, Indigo?�
�I don�t know.�
�Exactly. But I know I�d be in a mess. Ya know what?�
�What?�
�I don�t gotta work t�morrah, so I�m gonna play hooky at sellin� papes.�
�Why?�
�Cuz I wanna spend some quality time wit my daughter. Look at �er! She�s gettin� so big now! I swear, she�s gotta gain �n inch every time I work at Tibby�s. I don�t wanna miss anythin� on her! So I�m gonna stay �ere tomorrah t� play with �er.�
�I think that�s a wonderful idea.�
�Wanna join us?�
�I wouldn�t miss it for the world.�
* * *
�Boots, git up!�
Kloppman�s voice loomed across the bunkroom, awakening the newsboys one at a time. However, this one time, he skipped over Mush. Yesterday, he had told him of his day he was setting aside for Samantha, and Kloppman completely understood.
As the boys began dragging themselves from their beds, Snitch noticed that Mush was still snoozing and refusing to wake up. Shrugging, he snatched his pillow and belted Mush over the head with it. He opened his eyes and groaned.
�C�mon, Mush! Ya gotta get up!� Snitch whined as he tossed his pillow back to his bunk.
�I�m playin� hooky t�day.� He muttered, hiding his face in his pillow.
�Why for? Ya gonna eat int� your savin�s?�
�Naw. I got extra money now that I woik at Tibby�s. I�m gonna stay �ere �n� spend th� day with Sweetie.�
Snitch did not push on the subject any longer. A tight smile formed across his mouth as he nodded and went to the washroom. He also did Mush a favor by telling the other newsboys of his agenda and told them to let him sleep. All of the newsboys agreed and dressed quickly to let him be.
Once all of the newsies had herded from the bunkroom, Mush fell right back to sleep. However, his sleep did not last long, for a half-hour later, Samantha began to whimper, prompting Mush to tend to her. He yawned and stretched before he reached down and lifted her from the crib.
�Whatsamattah, Sweetie?� he mumbled. �Hungry? Poopy diaper?�
For some odd reason, her bottle was nowhere to be found. It didn�t matter though, for Samantha only needed her diaper changed at the moment. He fulfilled the duty, then set her back in the crib.
�Gotta let daddy sleep.� He told her. �If I�m gonna spend th� day with ya, ya should let me have a few extra minutes �f sleep time.�
She garbled at him, and he flopped onto his other side and shut his eyes. No sooner than fifteen minutes did the door open and a hand jerk him awake.
�Go away!� he murmured sleepily. �I�m playin� hooky, an� I wanna sleep!�
�Mush, it�s me!� Indigo�s voice swept through his ears. �Come on, it�s time you finally woke up.�
Groaning, he mumbled words beneath his breath as he shifted to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. His eyesight returned to normal, and he found Indigo standing before him with a brown paper bag in one hand and Samantha�s bottle in the other. He scowled at her.
�Ya took �er bottle?�
�I came in late last night and got it. I thought since you wanted to sleep in, I�d take care of breakfast. This way you wouldn�t have to worry about getting Sweetie her bottle yourself.�
Shrugging, he thanked her. She gave the bottle to Samantha, who took the bottle and held it in her hands and she sucked the milk. Mush watched in awe.
�I din�t know she could �old th� bottle by herself.�
�She�s been doing it for days. She�s been getting very strong.�
�Man.� he sighed. �I�ve missed so much already. What else can she do?�
�She can garble, and she can wave.�
�Oh. Anythin� else?�
�Not really.� She seated herself on Bumlets� bunk and opened the bag. �Hope you�re hungry. I stopped by a restaurant to pick up some breakfast for us.�
�Ya din�t need t� do tha-�
�It was absolutely necessary, and I wanted to do it.�
There was no use in arguing further. �Whatcha got in there?�
�Biscuits, and some gravy if you want.�
�Please.�
�I also have some red apples. And some bacon.�
�Bacon?�
�Yes.�
�Wouldn�t that get th� bag all greasy?�
�It�s packed carefully, don�t worry. And it�s still warm.�
She handed him his breakfast, and he, obviously famished, devoured it and was finished within six minutes. Indigo had to laugh at him.
�Good thing I got breakfast.� She said. �You seemed hungry enough. Full?�
�Yup.�
Samantha was finished with her bottle, and he took her and burped her, then set her back in the crib. Indigo was giggling to herself.
�What?� he wondered.
�Oh, nothing. She�s just adorable, that�s all.� She scanned him. �You should go change your clothes now. I�ll stay here with Sweetie.�
�Y� know somethin�, I think I�ll take a bath. Haven�t had one in a week �r so.�
�That sounds like a good idea. But don�t take too long.�
�I won�t! I don�t wanna miss a thing wit Samantha!�
�Is that her real name?�
�Yup. But I prefer ya call �er Sweetie.�
�Alright. If she does anything cute, I�ll tell you about it.�
He emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, shivering yet thankful he was clean. He went to his bunk and found Indigo bouncing Samantha on her knee. She was enjoying it because she kept laughing and cooing.
�She a good girl while I�s gone?� he asked.
�Yes, she was.� Indigo lifted her from her knee and handed her to Mush. �In case you�re wondering, you didn�t miss a thing. She just played with her dog and I put her on my knee to play with her.�
From that point on, Mush and Indigo spent every minute with Samantha, watching her and playing with her and teaching her new things. Her crawling was slow, but remarkable to watch. It was evident that the newsboys would need to be cleaner around her before she broke into their things.
At one time, they had turned their backs on her, and later found her chewing on one newsboy�s shoelace. Mush interfered and asked Indigo to put everything on the floor onto a bunk for Samantha�s sake.
�Kloppman told me she was gonna start puttin� things in �er mouth. Look for liddle things especially. She�ll like those th� best.�
She did as he asked, and their playtime continued. By lunchtime, Mush offered to treat Indigo for her sacrifice in buying breakfast for them. She accepted. He gathered Samantha and some money, and the trio left for Tibby�s.
A few of the newsies were gathered at Tibby�s when they arrived, and many offered to let them sit with them. Mush finally agreed to sit with Race and Bunny.
�So �ow�s yer day �f playin� hooky?� Race wondered.
�Pretty good.� Mush shifted Samantha slightly. �She�s been doin� so much stuff I din�t know she could! It�s so awesome t� watch!�
�And she�s glowing.� Bunny observed. �I think she�s had a wonderful time spending a day with her daddy.�
Daddy. That word brought a glow to Mush�s face as well. As he had said the day before, this was the time he truly felt that he was Samantha�s daddy. He was so proud that he had made two and a half months with her and had done a good job in taking care of her.
Mix and Firecracker came by after Mush and Indigo had ordered their lunches and offered to watch Samantha while they ate. After much debating, Mush agreed. He handed them her bottle and told them to give it to her if she became whiny.
�So Mush, ya didn�t hear about Twilight and Specs today, did you?� Bunny offered.
�Naw, I din�t. Indigo?�
�I didn�t hear about it either. Did they make some kind of announcement while we were at the lodging house?�
�They did.� Race replied. �They said they was gettin� married in two weeks since Specs got a job as a shippin� clerk�s aide an� was makin� three bucks a week.�
�Wow.� Mush uttered. �Married in two weeks. I can�t believe it.�
�They said they were gonna have a small wedding.� Bunny stated. �Just a simple ceremony at the church a few blocks from here. All of the newsies are invited. And she said that she wanted all of the girls to be her bridesmaids, but since there are so many of us she�s only gonna have one.�
�An� I take it that�ll be Seven, since they�s been friends f� so long.�
�Yup.� Race said. �An� take a wild guess who�s gonna be Specs� best man.�
�Bumlets.�
�Duh! They both said they chose �em so no one�s feelin�s would get hurt. An� everybody understood.�
�So what�re they gonna do after they get married?� Indigo inquired softly.
�Specs said somethin� �bout goin� to Atlantic City �n� spend a few days for th� honeymoon.�
�And where�ll they live? Will they still live here?�
�Kloppman said �e�d enlist th� guys t� help clear out th� cellar so they cin stay there till Specs cin afford t� live somewhere else. That shouldn�t be too long though. There�s a big chance �e�ll get a raise if �e works good enough.�
�That�s good. Wish I woulda found that job so I�d make that much money for Sweetie.� Mush muttered.
�Don�t give it a second thought, Mush.� Bunny affirmed. �You�re making enough money for her now. And it�s nothing to be ashamed of. You�re providing for her, even if it is a small sum. But someday that small sum�s gonna add up to everything you need. You�re doing a great job.�
* * *
Samantha was already asleep by the time Mush and Indigo reached the lodging house. He was careful in setting her in her crib, and admired her as she slept.
�Can�t blame �er for bein� so tired.� He said. �I�m tired too.�
�Then you should probably take a nap.� Indigo suggested. �You�ve been working pretty hard lately.�
�Think I will. An� if Sweetie wakes up, will ya take care �f �er?�
�Of course I will. And I won�t take her from the house.�
�Thanks.�
She left the bunkroom, and he kicked his shoes off. As he examined them, his heart sank. The leather shell was so floppy with all of the open holes and shreds. The soles were almost completely worn out, and the shoelaces were frayed. All that was on his mind were those shoes he had needed so dearly.
�If I hadn�t found Samantha that night, I woulda had those shoes by now.� He thought remorsefully. �But Samantha needed the money more than I did then. Now I really need new shoes.�
He stretched across his bunk and sighed. Perhaps he could find a newsie whose shoes had outgrown and give them to him until he could afford a new pair. Then he realized that it was highly unlikely that he would ever have money to afford another pair of shoes. Every cent he earned went toward Samantha�s future.
When he finally pushed the issue from his head, and fell asleep and slept for a good two hours. Surprisingly, none of the newsies had returned yet. He altered himself to a sitting position and glanced down at the crib. Samantha was not there.
Shrugging, he moaned and rose to his feet. He trudged upstairs and knocked on the door. When he heard the words, he entered. Indigo was playing with Samantha on the floor again.
�She do anythin� cute while I was asleep?� he questioned.
�Yes, but nothing that you would have missed.�
He seated himself on the floor to watch Samantha closely. She laughed and waved her arms about, having fun just playing with herself. He took her after a few minutes and set her on his lap.
Since he had not been able to see her for as long as he had wanted, he examined her to see in what ways she had grown since he had last checked. She was several inches taller, and was losing some of the baby fat that all babies are born with.
One of the qualities about her that Mush has first noticed was that she had nearly a full head of hair when he found her. Now, she had an overabundance of lovely chestnut colored hair that even curled somewhat. And her eyes were a deep, inky blue that was rare for someone so young.
He twirled a small tuft of her soft hair around his finger and smiled. Then he pressed his cheek against the top of her head and rocked her a little. She was so soft and so delicate, and now, he was her daddy. Those tears were forming again, and once more, he held them back.
�Oh Indigo.� He breathed. �She�s so beautiful.�
�That she is.� came the soft reply.
�When I was a kid an� my mama was still alive, I used t� tell her that I was tired �f bein� all skinny, an� she used t� recite t� me her favorite Bible verse.�
�Which one was that?�
�It was Psalm one thirty-nine thirteen. �For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother�s womb.� She used t� tell me that I was who God made me an� that I should be proud of it. Now that I think of it, �e created Samantha too. An� she�s perfect.�
A small smile spread across Indigo�s lips.
�Why was she jus� left on th� street like she was?� he wondered aloud. �She�s such a beautiful baby. I love �er so much. I jus� can�t see why someone would do such a thing.�
�Maybe they did what they thought was best for her.� she offered.
�What makes ya say that?�
�I don�t think anyone would have left her on the street because they didn�t want her. I think they might have left her there because they loved her.�
�Ya lost me.�
�Here�s my opinion. Sometimes a parent or a couple can�t take care of a child because of financial situations or something similar. I think they left her on the street so someone would be sure to find her and take her into their care or take her to an orphanage. It�s as simple as that.�
�It wasn�t a real good street t� leave �er on. Blink �n� me were th� only ones around at th� time.�
�Maybe it�s just fate.�
�Or a miracle.� He nuzzled Samantha�s cheek. �I say she�s a miracle from God above cuz she�s my liddle angel.�
* * *
With summer in full season and days growing longer, Mush found that he was missing Samantha more and more whenever he worked at Tibby�s. Those three days he took up selling newspapers were not nearly enough for him to see his little girl. Still, he reminded himself that he was doing what was best for her and continued work.
The wedding day for Twilight and Specs was approaching quickly. This particular night, Seven had arranged for the girls to throw Twilight a bridal shower at Tibby�s that would last quite late into the night. Indigo would be attending, and thankfully, Mush did not have to work that evening. He could spend time with Samantha.
Once the girls left for the party, it was evident that the boys were bored. While some of them had joined Race in a poker game, others played other cards games or just engaged themselves in conversations. As for Mush, he was seated on his bed, playing with Samantha and trying to teach her how to talk.
Before long, he heard someone coming to join him. As expected, it was Blink. He seated himself on Bumlets� bunk.
�Guess yer th� only guy who�s still got �is goil around.� He muttered.
�Y� mean Mimic�s at th� shower too?�
�Yup. So how�s Sweetie holdin� up?�
�Good.� He lifted her to his lap. �She�s got two teeth now. An� she�s crawlin�.�
�So that�s why ya told us all our stuff�s gotta stay off th� floor.�
�Yeah. She put somethin� in �er mouth th� other day an� woulda swallowed it if I �adn�t seen it.�
Samantha was growing drowsy and yawned loudly. Knowing it was close to her bedtime, Mush set her in the crib and covered her to her middle with the tiny blanket. She fell asleep instantly.
�Aw, Blink.� He said softly. �I wish I could �ave more time wid �er. I hate workin� away from �er. I�m afraid I�ll miss somethin� important that she�s gonna do since she�s gettin� older.�
�How old is she now?�
�Kloppman thinks �bout seven months. She should start walkin� in a few months. I don�t wanna miss that.�
Their was a brief period of silence, one that spoke only too clearly to Blink. He could hear every word that Mush was not saying by reading his face and eyes. He frowned.
�I know what yer thinkin� about.�
�Ya do not.� Mush defended.
�Yeah I do. It�s written all over ya face.�
�Alright, what�m I thinkin� about?� he challenged, staring down at Samantha.
�Yer thinkin� �bout gettin� Samantha a permanent mommy.� He paused. �This soon? Yer awful young.�
�It�s not that. I jus� want what�s best f� Samantha. With me woikin�, I got someone t� come home to. But she�s by �erself. She needs someone who cin stay with �er all day. She needs a mother. An� I�m smart �nough t� know that I can�t be both daddy an� mommy to �er.�
�Lots of people are both parents t� their kids.�
�Yeah, but most ain�t my age, or found their kids on th� street. Most of �em made their own kids.�
�I�ll give ya that one.�
�B�sides, who�ll talk t� Samantha �bout what happens when she gets t� her teen years?�
�That�s goin� a bit too far int� th� future. Ya got years ahead of-�
�I know, but it�s better t� think far ahead. An� what about buyin� stuff for �er? I don�t got a clue what girls want. I can�t do this on my own, Blink. I need help. Permanently.�
�Couldn�tcha jus� enlist �bout two more guys t� help ya?�
�What good would that do? They�d jus� find or take their girls, marry �em an� leave me with potty-trainin� �er.�
�I wouldn�t.�
�Yeah ya would. Ya got Mimic, an� I know how ya feel �bout �er. Someday yer gonna leave us b�hind for �er.�
Shrugging, he agreed. �Guess yer right. So yer really gonna look for a mommy for ya Sweetie.�
�Yup.�
�Got anyone in mind?�
Samantha reawakened with tiny whimpers and tears. When Mush lifted her from the crib and cradled her, her whimpers silenced. She just wanted to be held.
�Looks like she jus� wanted �er daddy.� Blink murmured with a smile.
�Yeah.� Came the soft reply.
He began to hum to her, and slowly rock her in his arms. She responded by placing her tiny hand up against his chest, directly over his heart. She began to doze off again.
�See that, Blink?� he whispered.
�See what?�
�She�s got �er hand on my heart.�
�That supposed t� mean somethin�?�
�Yeah, actually. She�s done it a few times. I think it�s �er way of sayin� that she loves me.�
�Really?� his eyebrows raised.
He nodded, and then resumed humming to the baby. She was asleep within minutes, and he gently set her in her crib, then hunkered down to kiss her ever-soft cheek. Blink watched in awe.
�I love �er a lot.� He continued. �But kids need lots of love. I�m afraid I won�t give �er all that she needs.�
�Ya leave �er �ere, she will. Th� goils luv �er. I�ve seen th� looks on their faces. They luv �er.�
��Specially Indigo.�
That last statement was barely audible to Blink�s ears, although Mush had been speaking to himself rather than his friend. Blink examined Mush�s face thoroughly, then leaned back and nodded.
�Mm hmm.� He voiced.
�What�re ya �mm hmm�in about now?� Mush wondered suspiciously.
