Runaway Home/Ginger

Prologue
Ciao! My name is Regina Stregone, and...well, I live with my brother and sister in law. Francesco, Frankie, and Prunella, Prunie, and their daughter, Gio.

I know my mother, don't get me wrong, I see her every six months for a weekend, but she's more of a crazy older sister if anything. So I don't really include her in my family. If I can help it at least.

My life isn't that bad, even with my mother not being a part of the equation really, so I guess I can't complain.

Prunie and Frankie have been good to me, and Gio is my best friend, with the possible exception of Tony, and I've always had a home. Not just a house, a real home. I'm lucky like that.

I guess I've never thought people could have it way worse than me. I mean, Tony has it worse than me, but not by much, as he has a loving aunt looking after him and his father actually actively seeks him out on occasion. I guess I always thought people either had really loving parents and a perfect life, such as Gio, or they were like me and Tony, had a loving guardian/family even if their parents aren't with them and they have a pretty good life.

I know, I know, I am so naive.

Actually I thought along those lines for most of my life. I never came across some one who didn't at least have someone who loves them. At least a little bit.

It wasn't until I turned thirteen that I realized things were a lot darker for some people than I had believed. And I realized, my mothering job was more than just give a hungry person as big of meal as I can, or make sure the tired person goes to sleep. No, it involved me loving the person like the mother they may not have.

And that was scary.

Well, let me start at the beginning...it was a few weeks after my thirteenth birthday when I first heard it...