July 19, 1915

Three years later

"What-cha thinkin' about, sweet Sammy?" Tommy asked as he absentmindedly rubbed his thumb over her bare shoulder. The two lovers were once again abed together, and he was getting more and more bold with their sex life.

"I'm thinking that I'm still a little shocked. You could have had your pick of I don't even know how many other women in the world and you chose me. Why?" she asked.

"Aye, I suppose that's true enough. But it was you I fell in love with," he pointed out, gently fondling her big, soft mounds, largish thumb circling the pink buds.

Sammy gave a small moan of pleasure. "If I didn't know you, it wouldn't be your eyes I stared into"-he kissed each closed eye-"or your lips I kissed"-he kissed her with enough fire and passion to make her love him all the more-"or your breasts I touched"-he licked the soft mounds of flesh and she mewled in pleasure-"or your soft stomach that I press against when we cuddle"- he rested his hand aginst her soft, pale abdomen-"or your walls that I entered."

At this he slowly slid a finger in. Lord, but she felt amazing! "Slippery as waterweed," he murmured. Oh, how soft and wet and warm her center felt! "Oh, please, Tommy, I need you in me!" she whimpered.

He growled in desire and looked at her with love and lust in his eyes. He loved her more than life itself. He wanted her so badly it hurt. Slowly, gently, he positioned himself over, taking care not to crush Sammy. He pulled back suddenly and she looked at him.

"What is it, sweetheart? Tommy?"

"You're so small, I'm scared I'll hurt you," Tommy confessed. She hugged him tenderly, giving him a sweet kiss. "You won't hurt me. I love you, Tommy, and more important I trust you."

He kissed his way down her body until he found her nether regions. His lips found the sensitive bundle of nerves and and alternated between kissing it and suckling at it gently. It was large and engorged from the pleasure, and he kissed her again as his thumb circled it.

She kissed him then, nipping at his lip. His younger was in her mouth, and she could feel her knees grow weak with pleasure.

He straddled her, pinning her down. He positioned himself and entered her warm, wet center.

Sammy gripped his bottom and pulled it towards her as he thrusted. She could feel herself getting more and more wet with each movement. She pulled him to her and kissed, long and hard and deep. Tongues explored, hands flailed, and after about ten to fifteen minutes of sweet, passionate lovemaking, she felt her ecstasy coming on. "Faster, harder," she urged. "Don't be gentle. Don't stop, oh, please, don't stop!"

"Let go, Sammy. Just feel," he urged her.

And then she came, stuffing the corner of the blanket into her mouth to stifle her moaning. Tommy also released, and exhausted from the force of it, slumped down on top of the goose feather mattress. He rested his hand on her soft stomach. "Someday I hope you and I have children together," Tommy murmured.

She sat up suddenly and blanched. "I've never even thought about having children." Sammy looked irritated, and her hair tended to frizz when she was upset. Tommy smiled then, and Sammy's knees grew weak at the sight as they always did.

"I would never force you to have children. If you don't want them, then we won't have them. But do you ever believe you will change your mind?" he asked.

"Maybe. Maybe one day when I have more patience and more money. But right now, that day has not arrived," said Sammy.

"For what it's worth, I do think you'd be a good mother," he told her.

"I always hoped that if I ever had kids, I'd pass them something I used to love as a child," she said. Tommy was curious. "What was it?"

Sammy blushed cutely. "You'll laugh."

"I swear I won't. What was it?"

"It was a little stuffed cat with the most beautiful blue eyes and gray and white stripes. I carried it everywhere and named it Kitty. I slept with it even as an adult," Sammy explained. "But I didn't get a chance to grab it before coming to the past."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Be with you in a mo!" Tommy called. Quickly, the two lovers got dressed and Sammy sat at the window seat.

It was a letter carrier. "Thomas Ryan?" he asked.

Tommy nodded. "Aye, I'm Tommy. Who's askin'?"

"Yeah, who are you?" Sammy asked from her perch.

"I've been sent to give you this," the letterman said, handing Tommy an envelope.

After Mr. Mail was gone, Tommy sliced it open with a letter opener.

He went white as a sheet. "What is it?" Sammy demanded, knowing immediately that something was wrong. She snatched the note out of his hands and read it. She nearly fainted.

It was a conscription letter.

"You can't go! Do you have any idea how many people are going to die in this war? I almost lost you once already, and I'll be damned if the only man I've ever truly loved is going to go off to I don't even know where! You will die in the trenches!" Sammy shouted, tossing the letter aside.

"Sammy, don't you get it? I have no choice. I registered for the draft knowin' full well what could happen. We have to show the Germans that they won't beat us in the end!" said Tommy.

"GET OFF YOUR PATRIOTIC HIGH HORSE! You will die if you go off to war!"

"Dammit, don't you think I know that?!"

Sammy flinched. She hated when people shouted at her.

Seeing what he had done, he immediately apologized. "I'm sorry. But I have no choice."

"You have a choice to stay here with me or die in the trenches. If I were you I'd pick the obvious one," Sammy pointed out. "I can't even look at you right now."

But Sammy lost the battle, and a week later, the whole Circle was at the train station. Tommy wasn't the only one shipping out for the war at that station. Wives said tearful goodbyes to their husbands. Girlfriends tried to be brave for their boyfriends. Children cried for their fathers. And some had no one to send them off.

"I will miss all of you so much," he said. Poor Sammy was shaking and biting her lip, trying not to cry. It took all his composure not to melt into her arms and never let go. "I know you don't want me to go," he said softly. "I also know I have no more choice in this than you do."

He looked so handsome in his uniform. She allowed herself a look at him. "I'm trying to think of something sarcastic or romantic to say and so far, I'm coming up dry," she confessed.

"You don't have to say anything." He kissed her like it was his last night in the world, because it may very well have been. She slipped him a package. "There's photos of all of us in there and some food from me. I figured you could use some decent food. I love you, Tommy Ryan. Come back to me."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a parcel. "For you to remember me by. Call it a peace offering of sorts," he said, handing it to Sammy. She tore open the brown paper to find a clumsily stitched little stuffed cat with grey and white stripes.

Sammy stroked the cat's velveteen face. "It's just like the one you told me about, isn't it?" Tommy asked. She choked back a sob, determined to be brave for him. "Yes, it is. It's Kitty 2.0!" He was happy, as he'd made it himself.

It was only after he had boarded his train with one final wave and the train had pulled away that Sammy let the tears flow free. Mandy held her as she let out deep, racking sobs, hugging the stuffed cat to her chest, and wept as if her heart would break.