"George says you can speak every language in the world!"

"Is it true that you had to sleep in a hole?"

"Was the food really as bad as Georgie said?"

"You're pretty. Your hair looks like straw."

"Say something British sounding."

Jaclyn sat on the couch, surrounded by the six girls after dinner was done. Rosemarie refused to let her help clean up, so the girls joyfully took her instead. Her face held a giant smile as she whipped back and forth to each of them. Ruth sat on her lap, playing with her hair.

"I know it's hard for your brother to comprehend, but he's wrong," she said, grinning. They giggled with this secret. "I can't speak every language, just a few. But yes, we did sleep in holes and the food was pretty terrible."

"Can you speak Portuguese? I can say a few words," exclaimed Marybeth.

Jaclyn shook her head. "I can't. Maybe you can teach me." The girl was delighted.

"Now you need to say something British!"

Luz stood with Frank in the other room, both watching the girls tackle Jaclyn with their questions. He put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, Georgie."

Luz grinned lopsidedly before looking at his father. "Thanks Pop. It's good to be home." He wrapped an arm around his shoulder, before looking back to Jaclyn. "So what do you think? I'm the luckiest guy, right?"

Frank nodded. "Oh yeah. But there has to be something wrong with her."

"Why's that?"

"Because she chose my knucklehead of a son."

They laughed together as Rosemarie came from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. She saw Jaclyn yawn in the middle of giggling with the girls. "Jackie, I've prepared George's room for you. You must be exhausted."

Jaclyn perked up, looking to her. "Oh, you didn't have to do that, ma'am. There's an inn just in town…"

Rosemarie clucked her tongue. "Nonsense. You'll have George's room." The subject was closed.

Luz's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah she can," he said wickedly.

"George can stay on the couch."

"Come on, Ma!" he cried. He walked up to her, leaning his head against hers, his eyes wide and innocent. "You're going to force your son, a man just returning from war, to sleep on the couch away from his girl?" The teenage girls giggled.

Rosemarie swatted his head. "You can quit it with the puppy dog eyes, George. You're on the couch." But she smiled and caressed his tousled hair.

She turned to Jaclyn. "Don't worry about retiring early, dear, you'll need the energy. I may need your help with Thanksgiving preparations tomorrow, if you don't mind."

"Of course, ma'am."

The older woman cocked an eyebrow. "It's Rosemarie, dear."

Jaclyn gulped. "Sorry, ma – sorry, Rosemarie. I'd be happy to help."

Luz grinned at her nerves, so taken back by it. So she does fear some things. Future mother in laws for one. He lifted his head from his mother's shoulder and held out his hand. "Let me show you where it is."

"And back here straightaway, George. No funny business in my house."

Jaclyn blushed deeply, biting her lip, but Luz just chuckled.

He escorted her to a small room upstairs, just big enough for a single bed. He pulled back the covers for her and fluffed the pillow. "Rest up, doll," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "My brothers arrive tomorrow." Jaclyn gulped again.

He pulled her close, kissing her face again. "They love you. Try and calm down."

Jaclyn grimaced. "I'm not sure if your mom does. I don't know if she even likes me."

Luz chuckled again. "She can be a hard ass," he agreed, looking down into her eyes. "But that's why you'll both get along so well. You're so similar."

Jaclyn grinned and smacked his arm. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed him quickly goodnight, still on her guard about "funny business."

With a wink, he left her. But later that night, when everyone else had fallen asleep, she felt him creep in beside her. Holding her from behind, he rested a hand softly on her stomach.


"GEORGE!"

Three grown men pushed their way into the house and immediately jumped onto Luz in a giant pile. Their laughter rang through the house, vibrating the walls.

"Help! Mack!"

Jaclyn simply watched the wrestling, but didn't intervene. She wiped her floury hands on her apron and smiled.

Rosemarie grinned at her boys on the floor before looking towards Jaclyn. She didn't miss the look of tenderness that washed across young woman's face.

One of the men popped up, noticing Jaclyn standing here. "Well hello gorgeous," he smirked, holding out his hand. "My name is Eddie. How about you ditch Georgie here and settle for a real man?"

Luz attempted to protest, but his shout was muffled by an arm around his face.

Jaclyn laughed loudly, taking his hand. "Hello Eddie. I'm Jackie. I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm rather attached to him."

Eddie grimaced, before looking down at his youngest brother. "But why? He's obviously the least handsome of us."

Jaclyn laughed again. Every one of them looked extraordinary alike, just ranging in height and build slightly. The second and third brothers stood up, finally allowing Luz to take a breath, his back flat on the floor.

If she thought Luz's sisters were a handful, they were no match for his older brothers. It didn't help that they all lived in one apartment in Providence together. Their playful bickering easily filled the house with noise in no time.

Jaclyn eventually escaped to the quiet confines of the kitchen with Rosemarie. Luz was right, the woman was a bit of a hard ass, but Jaclyn could tell she was slowly softening to the stranger in her house.

"Now just add one egg at a time, mixing in between," she murmured over Jaclyn's shoulder. "That's it."

Jaclyn was hopeless in the kitchen, but she helped where should could. "I'm sorry, Rosemarie. Cooking has never been my strong suit."

Rosemarie nodded quietly. "Your mother didn't teach you when you were young?" Luz had warned her that his mother was a bit of a traditionalist. Wonder how she's going to react to a baby out of wedlock.

Jaclyn shrugged, still mixing the batter. "My grandparents brought me up after my parents died. My grandmother attempted to teach me, but I guess I was a hopeless cause." She smiled softly in memory.

Rosemarie watched her for a while before drawing her eyes away. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

She nodded in response. "Thank you. But I was blessed with my nana and poppop."

"Aren't they worried for you back home? To be away still for so long?"

Jaclyn shrugged again, quiet. "They've both been gone awhile. Since I was in college." Before the older woman can say anything, Jaclyn turned to her, her eyes shining a bit. "I want to thank you again for welcoming me into your home. Your family…" she stopped, unsure how to move forward without crying. "Your family is lovely. I'm honored to be here."

She paused again, suddenly hot and a bit dizzy. Rosemarie saw this, and took her hand, helping her sit down before taking a chair next to her. She watched Jaclyn for awhile as the young woman closed her eyes. "Honestly, dear, I was unsure about you when you arrived yesterday. Woman in war and all that. I had always pictured someone quiet to reel my Georgie in some. I thought I knew best."

Jaclyn nodded, her eyes opening and looking only at her hands. She took a another breath and the dizziness faded.

Rosemarie smiled softly. "But I can see how much you love my son." Jaclyn looked up, smiling softly back. "I am the one honored." She leaned in and winked. "Now we just need to get him to pop the question already."

Jaclyn chuckled, relief flooding her. Her moment of nausea passed. "So I've reminded him."

Rosemarie smiled wide. "I don't think you have to wait long. I've been holding onto my mother's ring a while now. He knows this." Jaclyn blushed. She cocked her head to the side, assessing her future daughter. "If you'd like, we could fix up my old dress a bit. Make it more modern."

Jaclyn felt happy tears well into her throat. "I would love that," she croaked.

A familiar smirk appeared on Rosemarie's face. "But we'll have to wait until after, of course."

Jaclyn looked confused. "After what?"

The smirk deepened. "After my grandchild is born."

Jaclyn gasped. Do I have a goddamn stamp on my forehead? "How did you…did George?"

Rosemarie shook her head. "Mothers always know, dear." With that, the two women hugged, laughing and crying tears of joy together.

Jane walked in at that moment. "What's going on?"

Rosemarie smiled tearfully. "I'm just getting to know the newest member of our family." Jaclyn beamed, happy tears falling from her eyes. Jane returned the smile and Rosemarie and Jaclyn pulled apart a bit before allowing the girl to scoot in. The three hugged together.

Luz walked into the kitchen, witnessing the three women embracing and laughing together. "Oh Jesus."

"You will not take the Lord's name in vain in my house, young man. War hero or no war hero."

Luz sighed. "Ma, I told you. I ain't a hero. Just your typical soldier." Jaclyn, Jane and Rosemarie rolled their eyes in unison.

"Shut up, George."

"Shut up, Luz."

His eyes widened. Jesus. They're multiplying.


Jaclyn had thought that she laughed a lot with her boys from Easy. They were nothing compared to the Luz men. All five of them bantered back and forth, joke to joke, until she couldn't keep them straight anymore.

She wiped tears of laughter from her eyes as she polished off another slice of pie. This kid is going to be huge if I keep eating like this. The thought sent warm flutters through her body.

It took a little while, but Jaclyn jumped into the conversation, easily the most popular since she had new Luz stories for them for the past year.

"Georgie told us you threatened his junk with a knife after he didn't behave himself," cackled Eddie. "Good for you, doll. His ego needs some punching down. Probably when the freak fell in love with ya."

Jaclyn grinned, looking at Luz who grinned back. "If that's love to you, Luz, we are way more screwed up than I originally thought."

"You can count on that, Mack."

"Why do you call her 'Mack'?" whined Ruth. "Her name is Jackie!" Her tone questioned his intelligence.

Luz grinned before ruffling her hair. "It's my nickname for her. Just like 'Ruthie' is my nickname for you. That and 'Beast.'"

Much later that night, after Beast was fast asleep, Luz, Jaclyn and his brothers walked from the house, hugging everyone goodbye. They were going to stay at their apartment until they found a place of their own.

Jaclyn kissed Rosemarie's cheek. "Thank you so much. This was the best first Thanksgiving I could ever imagine."

Before Marybeth could pepper her with questions again about why Brits didn't celebrate her favorite holiday, Luz pulled on her hand towards the car.

Jaclyn didn't want to take her eyes off the family standing in front of the house. Luz looked at her face before grinning. "Glad you like them too, Mack. We'll see them next week."

Jaclyn nodded and waved one last time to her new family. With a hand on her stomach, she grinned, thinking of Easy company. Now I have two.