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the ground, he offers up the shoes. Yvonne turns her head away in disgust at the horrible stench coming out of them and says, “What am I gonna do with your crummy shoes? Come back when you have ten bucks.” The guy doesn’t even bother putting on his shoes as he sulks past me, mumbling under his breath about how unfair life is.
    Yvonne’s last customer pulls out a handful of crumpled bills and coins, holding them up like a child in a candy store asking how much he can buy with his allowance. Yvonne begrudgingly uses her finger to dig through the coins, seeing if he has enough. Apparently he does, because she takes the money and stuffs it into her pocket. She lays her hand on the junkie’s head. Just before she closes her eyes, a small girl clutching a teddy bear steps out of the shadows and into the alley.
    â€œDaddy, I’m hungry,” the little girl says.
    Startled, Yvonne opens her eyes, her hand recoiling from the man.
    â€œNot now!” the man hisses. “Daddy’s gettin’ his medicine.”
    Yvonne is rattled. She can’t take her eyes off the girl’s filthy face and ragged dress. The stuffing of the bear is coming out of holes in its seams.
    â€œCome on, Yvonne,” the junkie pleads. “Do it.”
    â€œIs that your daughter?” Yvonne asks.
    â€œYeah.”
    Yvonne must see what I do—the junkie has no love for the girl. The only love this man has in his heart is for getting high. There just isn’t enough room left over for his daughter.
    I saw this same expression on my father’s face when he used to look at me.
    â€œWhat’s her name?” Yvonne asks.
    â€œHarriet,” the junkie spits. “Now gimme my fix.”
    Yvonne takes a couple of steps toward the girl and says, “Hi, Harriet. My name is Yvonne.”
    â€œEveryone calls me Harry,” the girl says.
    â€œOkay. Hi, Harry.”
    â€œGimme my fix!” the junkie yells. “Leave my daughter alone!”
    Yvonne ignores the man. She kneels down next to the girl. “That sure is a nice teddy bear,” she says. “What’s its name?”
    Harry looks from Yvonne to her father and back again. “Mr. Bear,” she says, in not much more than a whisper.
    â€œNice name.” Yvonne licks her thumb and tries to wipe away the grime from the girl’s face. “Are you hungry, Harry?”
    The little girl nods her head yes.
    This scene is just too much for the junkie, and he rushes over and grabs his daughter by the arm, lifting her up and away from Yvonne. “I said to leave my daughter alone,” he snaps. “I paid for my fix, so give it to me!”
    I run into the alley, stopping Yvonne before she lunges at the man. “Yvonne, no!”
    â€œI want my fix, bitch!” the junkie screams, gripping Harry by the arm.
    Yvonne takes a couple of deep breaths, calming herself. “Okay, I’ll give it to you,” she says, “but only if you give me your daughter.”
    â€œWhat?!” both the junkie and I say at the same time.
    â€œThat’s the deal,” Yvonne says. “Take it or leave it.”
    The junkie lets go of Harry. “You want my daughter?”
    â€œBecause obviously you don’t,” Yvonne snaps.
    The little girl begins to cry. “Daddy, don’t,” she sobs.
    The junkie actually considers it.
    â€œYvonne, don’t do this,” I say.
    â€œWhy not?” Yvonne asks. “He doesn’t deserve her.”
    Harry grabs her father’s hand, pulling him away from Yvonne and me. “Let’s go, Daddy. Please, let’s go.”
    â€œGimme my money back,” the man says. “I’ll score some dope off Filthy Mike.”
    Yvonne pulls his money from her pocket. The junkie reaches for it, but Yvonne drops the bills and coins on the ground. The coins clank on the concrete and scatter like ice from a spoon.
    â€œYou stupid bitch,” he says,