You always knew your relationship with Crutchy Morris was unlikely. You, the daughter of one of the richest families in New York, and he, a newspaper boy struggling to survive on the city streets. It was a secret that he kept under lock and key, away from the judgmental eyes of his family. But between you, everything was real, pure, unlike anything you had ever known. Six months of laughter, knowing looks and whispered promises under the night sky.

That afternoon, you decided you needed to tell your family. They wanted to present you to a suitor, someone worthy of the name you carried. The dread of a life without Crutchy gripped his chest like an invisible hand. So, you arranged a meeting with him, in the alley near the newsroom where he and the other newsboys met.

"You have to understand, Crutchy, my family... they would never accept the two of us," you whisper, voice shaking. "I need to tell them... or end this."

He looks at you with the saddest eyes you've ever seen, and you feel your heart break. He doesn't say anything at first, just lowers his head, leaning heavily on his crutch. As you turn your back to leave, trying to hold back the tears, you hear Crutchy's desperate voice.

"Baby, wait! Don't leave me behind!" He screams, his voice cracking as he struggles to reach you.