Part 2
Part One
He took her hand in his as he was instructed. As he gazed into her eyes, he could feel the smile spread across his face. This was the moment he had been waiting for: to commit to one woman for better or worse, till death do they part. And in the midst of this, he was reminded of the time he had first set eyes on her.
Being a newsie, Pie Eater was accustomed to seeing pretty girls on the streets. But this one, one he had never seen before, captured his heart the moment he set eyes on her. And he had seen her for the first time in the lobby of the lodging house. This meant, to his joy, that she was to become a newsie.
She was of rare beauty in his eyes. Though the other newsies thought her as mildly attractive yet not pretty enough to turn heads, Pie Eater had never seen a woman more beautiful. She had long blonde hair that reached four inches down her back. She also had narrow, green eyes that shone against her pale skin and a smile that sent his pulse into hysterics. From the moment their eyes met, he knew. She was the woman for him.
Now, she truly was his woman. From that moment several months ago, he had waited for this time. He was marrying her. He could hardly keep the smile from his face.
As for her, Kay too was just as joyous to be married to the first and only man in her life. There was something in his eyes when they first met that thrust her into passion for him, a complete stranger. Those brown eyes of his were so gentle as they connected with hers.
He had then taken her hand and introduced himself, and this was when she felt faint. Her heart was racing as he raised her hand to his face and brushed his lips against her skin in a simple kiss. It was then that it became evident to her as well: he was her soul mate.
This had been the first time she had been kissed by any man, and she reminisced of the first kiss they had shared together. They were holding each other�s hands as they strolled down the street. Then they had stopped rather suddenly, and he had kissed her so quickly that she had been fazed and had not known what to think of what he had done.
Once the reality of what he had done sunk in, he apologized embarrassedly, but she told him that no apology was needed and she kissed him just as quickly. Their eyes had connected again, and they drew closer and kissed sweetly. And that kiss had erased any doubt in either�s heart that they were not intended for each other.
The minister then began to speak, telling them of the blessing of marriage and how the man and wife were to cherish each other all of their days. Although both Pie Eater and Kay listened, their eyes remained united. When time came to exchange vows, their sights were severed only seconds as they slid the simple brass bands onto their fingers.
It seemed too long to them before the minister finally pronounced them as man and wife. When those words were spoken, Pie Eater wanted to run the streets of New York, screaming at the top of his lungs of how much he loved this woman. He could feel his heart drumming as he and Kay drew near and kissed now as husband and wife.
The kiss was short, too short for either. But they embraced afterward, and the minister�s wife approached them and kissed their cheeks.
�You two will be very happy.� She said warmly. �May God bless you with a prosperous life and plenty of children.�
�Thank you, Mrs. Clarence.� Kay replied, squeezing the older woman�s hands.
�I�m sorry this has to be a marry and run situation,� Reverend Clarence voiced, �but we�re to hurry if we�re to catch our train.�
�Don�t let us hold ya up.� Pie Eater assured. �We�ll be fine.�
�I�m sure. Remember, we�ll be back in four days. And Mrs. Rotherberry will be stopping by in the morning and evening to care for the house. She will not disturb you.�
�We can�t thank you enough for letting us stay at your house while you�re gone.� Kay grinned. �This is so sweet of you.�
�Well, I usually wouldn�t loan my house to two newsies, but I believe that you two are trustworthy and that you won�t steal a thing.�
�Ah, I may be streetwise, but I never steal.� Pie Eater reassured. �Now you guys should be leavin� so ya don�t miss yer train!�
The Clarences said their goodbyes to the newly married couple, and left. Once Pie Eater and Kay were alone, they embraced and kissed again, and he swept her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to the guestroom they were lent to stay in.
Both were surging with life as they approached the bedroom, for neither had been in this situation before. And now, they had no worries, and nothing to be ashamed of. Starting now, they were building a life together.
* * *
Four days seemed too short a time for Pie Eater and Kay. Now that the Clarences would be returning, they would need to return to the lodging house and the newsies. However, they had agreed that they would not tell anyone of their secret marriage.
�Why can�t we tell the newsies again?� Kay wondered.
�Cuz foist of all, I�m tryin� t� find a new job. I gotta show �em that I cin take care of ya.�
�And?�
�And it�ll prolly cause a domino affect. Wouldn�t be surprised if afta we told �em, another couple �r� two�ll take a walk down th� aisle.�
She giggled. �Maybe you�re right. But why can�t I tell Fantasia? You know she�ll probably figure out herself.�
�I jus� think it�s best if no one knows right now. It�s way too soon.�
�Mm hmm.� She shifted. �How�re we gonna find time to spend alone with each other?�
�We�ll find some ways. I wouldn�t worry �bout it.�
�I�ve also wondered about one thing in general.�
�What�s that?�
�We talked about having kids. When did you wanna plan for that?�
�Well, now definitely wouldn�t be th� right time.� They laughed together. �I�d like t� have �em soon, but I think we�d better wait a couple years.�
�How many in mind?�
�Five, maybe. Sound okay t� ya?�
�I think it sounds fine.�
They went to breakfast downstairs, then Kay left reluctantly. Because they had married in secret, they had made up stories to tell the newsies of why they would not be around for the next few years. In spite of this, they could not return at the same time because it would spark suspicion.
As Pie Eater spent the rest of the time alone, he tidied the bedroom and waited downstairs for Mrs. Rotherberry. She had told him that she would teach him to cook to help him pass the time.
Once she arrived, she took him to the kitchen and taught him how to prepare dinner rolls and a roast beef plate. He studied carefully, and repeated her process flawlessly. To say the least, she was rather impressed.
�Looks like you�ve got quite a knack for cooking.� Mrs. Rotherberry observed.
�My ma was a good cook. So was my pa.� Pie Eater replied.
�I see. I think that wife of yours will be rather impressed too once you get a place of your own.�
�I hope that�ll be soon. But I gotta get a job first.�
�Don�t you have one?�
�Yeah, but I just get a dime a day. That ain�t �nough t� support a wife on.�
�Hmm. Are there any careers you�re looking toward?�
�Not really. Din�t have too much �f �n education, so I don�t got all th� qualifications. It�s gonna be tough findin� a job for someone who ain�t too smart.�
�You�re a smart young man. I see it in your eyes.�
�Naw I ain�t.�
�Just because you didn�t go to school too much doesn�t mean that you�re not smart. If you�d like, I could tutor you.�
He laughed blandly. �Thanks, but no thanks. I gotta concentrate on gettin� a job.�
�Alright. But if you ever change your mind, you be sure to get a hold of me.�
The Clarences returned shortly after that, and Pie Eater left their house, thankful they had been so gracious to loan him and Kay their house. He walked the streets awhile in order to pass the time, then went to Tibby�s to meet the newsies. He was greeted warmly, particularly by the guys.
�So, how�s yer pa doin�?� Jack called.
�Better now. But I might hafta go help �im out some more sometime later.�
�Pie Eater!� Kay waved her arm at him.
He grinned as he joined Kay at her table and kissed her. When they parted, she smiled.
�I missed you.�
�Ya did, didja?� he chuckled to himself. �I missed ya too.�
They spoke awhile, ignoring everyone else in the restaurant. He told her of the cooking lessons that Mrs. Rotherberry had given him, and of her offer to tutor him.
�It was awful temptin�, but I told �er I couldn�t.�
�Why�s that?�
�Cuz it�s too soon. I wanna spend time with ya now, especially now.�
She lowered her voice. �It�s gonna be tough. You know Kloppman and his rules.�
�Yeah, I know. An� we both know �is feelin�s of us couples kissin� in front of �im.�
�I know.� She rose. �I think to allay any suspicion, I�m gonna go back to the lodging house. I�ll see you there, okay?�
�Okay.�
She bent down and kissed him quickly. �I love you.� She added in a near silent whisper.
�I love ya too. Now get goin�.�
* * *
It became apparent after their one-month anniversary that keeping their marriage a secret would be difficult to do. The newsies were constantly questioning their being together, especially if they wanted to take a walk by themselves. It wasn�t long before they had spotted one or two spying on them.
One particular night, they spotted Snitch in the shadows, and they ducked into a nearby coffee shop for some privacy. Pie Eater ordered some coffees for them to allay further suspicions of any other newsies who could be around.
�I wish we could tell them.� Kay mumbled as she bent her head down. �I�m tired of being spied on every time we ask to be alone.�
�I wanna tell them too.� He reached over and squeezed her hand. �But it�s too soon. An� I still haven�t found a job yet.�
�And what then?�
�Then I�ll get �nough money t� buy �n apartment or somethin� so we cin move out.�
She sighed heavily. �At the rate we�re both going, it�s gonna be a while.�
�Don�t blame me for that. Most jobs I wanna apply for need a higher education.�
�Why not factory work?�
�Factory work demands too much. I wanna get a job that gives me time t� spend with ya.�
�It�s been nearly two months already. We haven�t had any time alone to ourselves since our honeymoon.�
�Tell ya what. Our two-month anniversary is comin� up on th� twentieth.�
�July twentieth.� She said dreamily. �Has it been two months already? It seems longer.�
He nodded. �Yeah, I know. We got �nother five days till th� twentieth. An� I promise, on our two-month anniversary, we�ll get some time alone. I�ll think of something.�
* * *
�Kay, you�re acting strange.�
Kay�s head shot up at that statement. Fantasia had seemingly been unaware of the new glow to her face due to her marriage, but now that she suspected something, panic began to form in her stomach.
�What makes you say that?� she shot back, hoping to conceal fear of any kind.
Fantasia�s jade green eyes scanned over her. �Come with me to the washroom. I wanna talk to ya in private.�
Shrugging, Kay followed. Thankfully, none of the other girls had heard of what Fantasia had said, so they would be alone. Fantasia�s voice lowered so to prevent the other girls from hearing.
�There�s something different about you.� She murmured.
�Different in what way?�
�You seem light on your feet. And it looks like ya got this rosy glow in your cheeks. And don�t think I haven�t noticed you �n� Pie Eater trying to sneak off all the time.�
�Is it a crime that we just wanna spend some time together?� she defended. �All we�ve done is allowed our relationship to grow a bit. That�s all.�
She was telling the truth, but leaving out the most important part. She refused to lie to anyone about this if she could help it.
�You�re not�I mean, are you being careful?�
�Being�careful? What�s that mean?�
�I mean I hope you�re not doing anything right now that you�ll regret later, or that Pie Eater would break your heart because of.�
Kay laughed aloud. �Fantasia, we�re doing nothing to be ashamed of! Absolutely nothing! You�re my best friend, you should know by now how high my morals are.�
�Alright. I just don�t wanna see you hurt, that�s all.�
Kloppman knocked on the door, then poked his head in to tell the girls it was time for them to prepare for bed. Kay was one of the first to grab her clothing and rush to a stall to change, another odd thing for Fantasia to notice. Kay was usually the one to complain of going to bed early. She shrugged it off and followed behind Aki to wait in line.
As soon as she was dressed, Kay rushed from her stall back to her bed, dumped her clothes underneath the bed, and crawled beneath her covers. Balla arrived a few minutes later and was confused by her behavior.
�Kay? Are you okay?� she wondered.
�Hmm?� Kay rolled onto her back.
�I�ve been a newsie for a year now and shared a bunk with you for half as long. For as long as we�ve shared a bunk, I�ve never known you to run to your bed like you have.�
�Aw, it�s nothing. It�s just that Pie Eater�s gonna take me to that new Italian restaurant down the street tomorrow, and I can�t wait.�
�You talking about that real nice one that opened on Broadway?�
�That�s the one.�
�Race was talking about taking me there too. He�s Italian, you know.�
�I know. But he said that it�s a very special occasion and I can�t wait.�
�Uh huh.� She sighed. �Well, I guess I�ll turn in now. G�night.�
�Night.�
It was another several minutes before the lights went out. However, Kay did not fall asleep. She lay awake an hour until she was almost positive that all the girls were sleeping soundly before she pulled her covers off and stood to her feet.
She carefully tiptoed over to the window, which had been left open since it was a warm night. She slipped through silently, careful not to awaken any of the girls, and climbed the fire escape. It was September twentieth, their two-month anniversary. And tonight, she was meeting Pie Eater on the roof.
To say the least, she was rather shocked when he told her to meet him there, until she understood why. If they were to leave and not return till the next morning, this would spark too much suspicion among the newsies. The roof was the only place for privacy and no one would suspect anything.
Once she reached the roof, she found Pie Eater resting against a pile of stacked crates and staring up at the night sky. Kay took a seat beside him and laid her head against his shoulder as he slipped his arm around her.
�Look at th� sky, honey.� He whispered.
She did. The sky was slightly brightened by the lights of the city reflecting off the smog. Still, there was a touch of the night sky and stars here and there. A cool breeze blew in the middle of the warm atmosphere to give a refreshing breath of air.
�It�s so beautiful.� She muttered. �It�s perfect tonight.�
�Yeah. Let�s watch th� sky a little longer. That okay wit ya?�
�Of course.�
They continued to watch the sky as the cuddled together every few seconds. There was a romantic atmosphere also there was not much romance happening at that very minute.
�David,� Kay broke the amorous silence, �I wanna tell the newsies so much. I want them to know how much we love each other.�
�Do ya think that I don�t wanna?�
�I didn�t say that.�
�I know.� He kissed her forehead tenderly. �But I do wanna. It�s hard f� me not t� tell any �f th� guys. I want them t� know how much I love ya as much as you do.�
�If they knew, we wouldn�t be sneaking out like we are now. We�re breaking Kloppman�s rules, you know.�
He laughed and held her closer. �No we ain�t. He said that he don�t want no cuddlin�, kissin�, an� above all, no couples layin� in a horizontal position of any kind in his lodging house. We ain�t in the lodgin� house, we�re on the lodgin� house, Karen. He won�t mind.�
They both began to chuckle, then they kissed. Their kissing was simple first, then grew into passionate before it expanded into more. After an hour, they left the roof, disappointed that their fleeting hour had not lasted long enough. They kissed once more before they parted ways to their rooms, and turned in to their beds.
However, one hour had been just enough time for a process to take place within Kay�s body. And not just any process, but one that would change the entire course of their lives.
* * *
Her stomach churned, then lurched violently. Thankfully, the bucket was set before her to catch her stomach�s substances in the nick of time. She coughed and sputtered, then swept the sweaty tendrils of hair from her face and dried the tears in her eyes.
�Kay, you�ve been sick for weeks now.� Aki clarified. �When will you go see a doctor?�
�I don�t need a doctor!� Kay shot angrily. �I�m only sick in the mornings. I usually feel fine before lunchtime!�
�Hey, hey!� Psyche defended. �Don�t get snippy at her, she�s just worried about you!�
Stunned at her own behavior, Kay burst into tears. �I�m sorry, Aki. I didn�t mean to be mean!�
�Aw, you don�t hafta cry.� Aki soothed.
Her crying only increased from there, and Fantasia and Autumn were at her side, trying to comfort her and ease her tears. When Kay did not stop crying, Snicker decided to do something about it.
�Aw, c�mon, Kay!� she whined. �You�re almost a grown woman! This ain�t nothing to be crying over!�
�I can�t help it!� Kay wailed. �I just can�t stop crying.�
�Sheesh.� She mumbled as she stormed from the bunkroom.
Fantasia helped Kay to her feet, but her knees fumbled and almost sent her to the ground again. Autumn caught her in time.
�Kay, I don�t care if you�re only sick in the morning.� Fantasia stated. �I�m taking you to the doctor this afternoon.�
�I don�t need to see a doctor. I�ll be fine!�
�You�ve said that every day for the past two weeks. This time, I�m not listening to you! You�re coming with me to see the doctor.�
Now furious, Kay burst angrily from the bunkroom, ignoring the pangs in her stomach area. With her arms wrapped around her stomach, she stomped through the snow-coated sidewalks toward the distribution yard, ignoring everyone who said hello to her.
Her emotions were in a jumble, especially anger, grief and paranoia. What was happening to her? Although she hated to admit it, she believed that she should see a doctor.
The past two and a half months had been awful for her. First, there was that sickness she endured in the mornings. Usually, she�d feel just fine about three or four hours later. Then, there was her ravenous hunger. For some reason, she had suddenly become more hungry than she had ever been before. There were even certain foods she had massive cravings for. She had also gained some weight, especially since she had been sleeping longer and resting more. And finally, she had not been cursed in nearly four months. This was definitely something to look in to.
�Kay! Kay, hold up!�
�Leave me alone!�
Pie Eater pulled up beside her. �Kay, whassamattah?�
�Just leave me alone.�
�Why?� he lowered his voice. �I�m your husband, I oughta know.�
�Look, I�m not feeling good, and I feel like I�m gonna throw up again. So go away.�
�Throw up again? Ya mean ya already did this mornin�?�
�Yes, I threw up this morning!�
�Kay, you�re gonna see a doctor t�day. I�m makin� sure.�
�Fantasia said she was gonna take me.�
�I think that�s a good idea. Th� newsies �r� slowin� down on their spyin�, so I think this�ll prevent further spying.�
Her anger suddenly evaporated. She burst into tears again, prompting Pie Eater to stop and hold her.
�What�s wrong now?�
�I don�t know.� She sobbed. �I don�t know what�s wrong with me!�
�Aw.� He kissed the top of her head. �Listen, I�ll get Fantasia for ya, an� why don�t you two sell t�gether so ya cin go to th� doctor as soon as your done?�
�I wanna stay with you.� She clung tighter to him.
�I wanna stay wit ya too. But I think it�d be best if ya sold with Fantasia t�day. Don�t worry, ya�ll be okay.�
She sniffled. �Alright. I�ll sell with her.�
He nodded, then scanned the streets for Fantasia. �Blink, Fantasia! C�mere!�
The two newsies rushed over. �What�s up?� Blink wondered.
�Blink, how �bout a guys� sell out t�day?�
�What?�
�Kay�s sick, an� Fantasia�s gonna take �er t� th� doctor when she�s done sellin�. I thought it�d be best if they sold t�gether t�day, so ya wanna sell wit me?�
His jaw dropped. �Ya mean for once ya ain�t gonna sell wit yer goil?�
�There ain�t no harm in lettin� �er sell wid �er best friend for one mornin�. So how �bout it?�
�Fine with me.�
�Okay.� He turned to Kay. �As soon as yer done wit th� doctor, you come straight t� me, alright?�
�I will.� She promised.
He kissed her lips quickly, then walked off with Blink. She stared after him, hoping that whatever plagued her would not be too severe.
* * *
