From the Cold Streets to a Loving Home

"MOM!" Charlie, the nine-year-old, screamed, a soccer ball in one hand and his cleats in his other. "Will you please bring me to practice now? I'm gonna be late!"

"Alright," I huffed. Wiping a piece of hair out of my face, I picked up four-year-old Josie and put her on the ground. She immediately slipped her tiny hand into mine.

"Darry!" I called up the stairs. "We're leaving!"

He replied something, but I couldn't quite make out what it was. I just took it as an okay or some other kind of affirmation.

The soccer fields were only five minutes or so from our house, so we were there with ten minutes to spare. "There, Charlie. You're ridiculously early."

"Well, I have to put my cleats on," he argued stuffily. He cracked a smile that looked just exactly like his father's as he laced up his shoes. One of his friends waved from outside, so he ran out, calling a goodbye, right before he slammed the door shut.

"Bye bye," Josie waved, closing and opening her small fist.

"He'll be back," I promised. "You want to go play in the park?"

Her green eyes (just like mine) lit up dramatically. "Yeah, Mommy."

I pulled around the fields to the other side, where they had a plastic kiddie park for toddlers. Josie ran out immediately and struggled to climb the tower, which was made for kids a little older than her. That didn't stop her, though. Nothing ever could.

As I kept an eye on her, making sure that she didn't hurt herself, I couldn't help but let my mind drift to the different members of the gang.

Ponyboy was all grown up and engaged to Mary-Kate. They had their share of troubles, but in the end, they realized that they really loved each other. I was happy, since they were really adorable together.

Soda had recently started dating a girl with light brown hair and soft green eyes named Melissa. She was a real sweetie, which was exactly what Soda needed.

Two-Bit was still a wandering drunk, and I wished I could say that he was working on it, but he wasn't. At all. Thankfully, he was still the same old Two-Bit, going from blonde to blonde to blonde.

Steve...I didn't really know about Steve. I hadn't talked to him in a while. That reminded me that I should probably have tried to contact him...Eh, I'd try later.

Josie ripped me from my thoughts as she patted my knee, extending her hand. "Mommy, I picked this for you!"

In her chubby hand was a small dandelion. It was close to the stage where it turned into the bud with the little things to blow into the wind, but the thought was cute.

"Thanks, sweetie," I smiled, taking it from her. "It's beautiful."

She let out a loud laugh before running back to the playground.

It was funny how genetics played out with the kids. Josie looked just like me, and Charlie looked just like Darry. But those two kids weren't going to go through the hardships that Darry and I had to go through. No way.

There was a scream from the playground, and I immediately got to my feet, my heart starting to race. "Josie?" I called, trying to keep my voice as light as possible.

But when I found her, she had just found another kid to play with in the playground. They were trying to boost each other up to climb the fireman's pole, since they were both too small and weak to achieve it alone.

"Help, Mommy?" Josie asked, widening her eyes.

Laughing a little, I picked up Josie and placed her at the top, followed by the other little boy she found.

They both cheered before running down a rickety bridge, acting as if it was going to collapse. It made me happy that I finally decided that I wanted kids.

When I got pregnant and Darry suggested that we moved, I was shocked at first. But it didn't take too long to warm up to the idea. After all, I wanted the best life possible for the kids, and we definitely weren't going to find that life on the East Side of Tulsa.

So we moved to a suburb, where it was quiet, peaceful, not too crowded. There were no greasers, no Socs...just regular people.

Every time I watched my kids join a new group of friends or join a sports team without question, it made me smile. They wouldn't have to grow up too quickly, just at their own pace. And sure, they'd have their share of drama, but at least they wouldn't be subjected to the horrors that they would if we had remained in Tulsa.

"Thought you'd be lonely," Darry voiced from behind me. I turned to him and laughed.

"Did you start walking right after we left?"

"No, 'course not," he lied. "So I see Josie's made a new friend."

In the distance, I could see them both playing on the swings, pushing each other so they would go about a foot in the air (maybe), and then switching off.

"Yeah. But ask her later, and she'll have no idea what his name was."

"Gotta love being a kid," he smiled, leaning in and kissing the side of my face.

"Ew..." Charlie expressed from behind us, scrunching up his nose. "You guys are gross."

"Someday, you're gonna be glad that we love each other," I told him, rolling my eyes. "Now go get your sister so we can get some ice cream."

"But she always kicks and screams when she has to leave the park," he whined.

"Exactly why I don't want to get her. Now do you want ice cream or not?"

He sighed, but continued along. Instead of arguing with her, he just picked her up and carried her over to us. She was in too much of a daze to do anything about it, so we were allowed to leave without a scene.

Letting Darry drive, we started down the street toward the ice cream parlor. I couldn't help but think as I looked back at my kids in the back seat, arguing over whether being sweaty was good or not, I couldn't help but think about how great I had it now.

I used to hate that I lived on the streets, but I grew to accept it. If I had never run away and spent that time homeless, then I wouldn't have ended up with the perfect life I did.

I had no regrets.