Tommy opened the letter in secret, when he thought his comrades-in arms were all sleeping. He caressed the paper, visualizing Sammy writing it by lamplight. He read it in a whisper.

"August 10, 1915

Dear Tommy,

It's strange being on my own again, and not in a good way either. I have work and I have my friends, but since shipping out you've left a huge vacancy in all our lives. It's quiet without you, too quiet. I still half expect you to come barging in through my door and making me laugh like always, promising that everything will be okay, but you never do, and I'm always reminded of why. But I try to put on a brave face for you. You're my best friend and the love of my life and if anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. I almost lost you once. I'm not letting history repeat itself. Nighttime is the worst. That's when the monsters in my head strike, and I'm reminded of my old wounds. The silence is deafening, and the fact that you aren't here to comfort me with one of your tender, warm hugs is ever present. I sleep with Kitty 2.0 each and every night, and I sometimes pretend it's you. And of course there's the rest of the Titanic Circle to think about. Olaus and Mandy seem to be hitting it off but who knows if that will go anywhere. I do think he has a crush on her though. Poor guy gets so flustered and nervous around her that it couldn't be more obvious. But I think she's just trying to keep her head down and not get into any trouble. I wonder if she's going about this the right way?

Please, please stay safe, sweetheart. I love you, I miss you and I'm thinking about you constantly. Come back to me, Tommy Ryan.

Oceans of love from your Sammy."

"Who's Sammy?"

Tommy nearly jumped out of his skin. "Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!"

It was Private Nathan Lane, from San Francisco. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to scare you. I just couldn't sleep."

"It's fine. Sammy's my girlfriend," Tommy explained. He showed the other lad his one photo of her. Nathan whistled. "She's a keeper, that one. What's she like?"

He smiled wistfully. "She's the strongest woman I know."

"What is that?" Jack asked Sammy as they played checkers.

"It's a letter, from Tommy. Want me to read it to you?"

"Sure, why not?"

"August 20, 1915

Dear Sammy,

Hearing from you is the only thing that really keeps me going. You owe me five dollars; I knew Olaus was in love with your friend. He'll tell her how he feels all right. Didn't I tell you? I don't know her as well as you do, but the two of you seem to be thick as thieves. I'm so sorry to hear how you're struggling with my being gone. You're on my mind constantly. When I accepted that conscription letter I knew it would hurt you. I didn't know how much. Whenever you feel sad and miss me, remember the happiest moments of our relationship. Remember my kiss, my voice. Remember that I love you. How is everybody? What's the betting that Fabrizio will have finished Crime and Punishment before I come back? Has Olaf warmed up to him yet? What about Helga? How's her English coming along? That's the worst part about being in the thick of it all; knowing nothing about the people you love.

It's been only been a few weeks since I shipped out. France would be beautiful were it not for the war. There are nights when I think of you and nights when I think of my time back in Ireland. My life then and my life now wouldn't be much different but for you. I'm not afraid to die. But I am scared to leave you behind. You say Gryffindor is the house of bravery. I'm not brave. But I am yours. The other day, I had a beer with two Scottish fellows. Yesterday they both died. It's different here than back home. You have to treat every day like its your last because here, it very well could be. Every day, I see innocents killed indiscriminately and it infuriates me. I just want it to end so I can find my way home to you and be in your arms once again. I love you.

Love from your bonny soldier lad,

Tommy."

"He once accused me of being in love with a girl who was way out of my league," Jack pointed out. "Now it's him that's lovestruck."

"I learned a long time ago to never let go of love," said Sammy. "I almost lost him once. Losing him would not just kill me, it would destroy me."

"You know, you don't always have to be so brave for him," Jack said as he took her king. "It's okay to be scared. We all were on Titanic."

"Maybe, but there is a huge difference between a sinking ship and a freaking war."

"Not really. They're both terrifying and insane situations."

"Any way you slice it, I am afraid. Not just for Tommy but for all the other poor unfortunate mother's sons who've been called to serve."

"So how did you meet this Sammy of yours anyway?" Nathan asked.

Tommy sighed. "We were on Titanic together, in third class."

"You were on Titanic?" asked Nathan. "That had to have been scary as hell."

Tommy nodded. "It was. I got shot and she was hit by one of those hatesticks that the cops use."

"Enough talk. Read the letter, go on!" said Captain Jeremiah Phillips from Ohio.

"Fine then."

"September 1, 1915

My love, my Tommy,

It's September first, and this is the day you were supposed to go to Hogwarts with me, or Ilvermorny at the very least. I'll skin you alive for making me miss that train. Just kidding! (Or am I? Cue evil cackle here!)

I'm sorry. Joking around is my way of coping with you not being here. I just hope I've been brave enough to be yours. In all honesty though, I'm so scared of losing you. God, Tommy, I'm so scared for you. I crave your touch constantly, even something as simple as holding hands. I'm never not thinking about you. The others try and try to distract me, but I can't just get over the love of my life being in harm's way. I worry about you all the time, that you aren't eating enough or sleeping enough. Just please, please be careful. I know I say this every letter but it's true, and that goes for all of you reading over Tommy's shoulder.

Please come back to me.

Sammy.'

BOOM!

The world exploded, and shrapnel flew everywhere. "Take cover!" Tommy yelled, grabbing Sammy's letters and her photo and stuffed it inside his coat. He dove as though to hide. But there was nowhere to hide. It was chaos, pure chaos. Men lay dead everywhere in the trenches. Tommy held onto his helmet and gas mask and ran for his life. A blinding pain hit him in the head, and the world went black.

And then, the letters stopped, with no rhyme or reason to it. The whole Circle worried for their lost Irishman friend, but no one was more anxious or scared than Sammy. She had nightmares and looked like sleep wasn't her friend. She spoke less and less. She fell into a deep depression, only leaving the apartment to work and grocery shop.

"He'll be all right. He could have been struck to the head and gotten amnesia. I've heard of soldiers coming back home with no memory of their lives," said Mandy one day. She took her friend's hand, determined to help her somehow.

Sammy only looked out the window sadly, touching her window flowers. "You'd better go home, Mandy. Haven't you got work tomorrow?" was all she said.

And one day, someone rang the doorbell. It was the same messenger soldier who had given Tommy his conscription letter. She opened the note, and her knees buckled beneath her and she sank into a chair. What is it?" Fabrizio asked. "It's a telegram from Presbyterian Hospital. Tommy's been wounded," she whispered with icy cold fear in her eyes and her voice. Many thoughts flirted through Sammy's mind, but one stuck out:

Is he all right? Is he safe?