A/N: Thanks for reading! Posted on the same day as chapter 7, so please be sure to read that first! Also, there's some smut about 2/3 of the way in (if that's not your thing-just skip it!)

July 1927

They planned to spend the Fourth of July at their lake house. Sam wanted to make a whole weekend out of it. Sending Wayne on the Saturday run in the second car he purchased, they drove up to Saint Joseph on Friday. She didn't complain because she loved the fresh air, and it was already so hot in the city that she was ready to get out.

She was only sad that Jimmy chose not to join them. He wanted to stay with Stan, who was picnicking with the family of a girl from his class. Her boys were growing up so fast! Before they left, she made sure there was food in their ice box for the boys to come take.

On Friday, when they arrived, the house looked a little different than when they were here last. Sam had the furniture he talked about delivered, so it looked like a fully lived in home. He truly meant for it to be their home away from home.

When they got there, she saw the same blonde haired woman from before out on the beach with her children. She waved at her, which prompted the woman to come over, carrying her infant.

She smiled as the woman approached. "Hello, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before. I'm Susan Miller!"

She extended a hand to the smiling woman. "I'm Teresa! It's nice to meet you!"

"I'm sorry I didn't make introductions before when you and your husband were here." Without allowing her face to slip, she swallowed thickly hearing the woman calling Sam her husband.

She thought she should correct Susan, but she wasn't sure that it mattered. After all, it would be scandalous for an unmarried woman to be here with a man like this. Even if she and Sam understood their arrangement, the entire world did not. Besides, they were practically married. She didn't linger on that thought too much.

"Yes, we are back for the holiday."

"Great!" The baby started to gurgle, getting her mother's attention. She smiled so brightly at her daughter like nothing else in the world mattered. She smiled watching their interaction, making a little face at the baby. She used to do that to Stan and Jimmy to get their attention. The little girl reached out for her. "Oh! It looks like she would like to meet you, Teresa! Would you like to hold her?"

"Sure!" Susan placed the little blue eyed girl in her arms. She held her in front of her and continued making those little faces. She spoke to the little girl in a high pitched voice, making her giggle. "Hi, baby! You look so sweet! What's your name?"

"This is Mary. She's just about seven months old now." She looked around. "Where are your children?"

Suddenly, she remembered the little rag doll that she used to carry everywhere when she was a little girl, mimicking how mama took care of Stan. Mama praised how well she cared for her baby. She even learned to care for Stan to help mama. Mama told her: "You'll make a good mama one day, little Teresa." She smiled so big when mama said that because she wanted to be just like her. Though, when Jimmy came, mama wasn't there to provide encouraging words, just papa screaming at her to make the damn baby be quiet.

She felt sad for a moment, before reflecting on the beautiful baby girl smiling up at her. Babies didn't know how cruel the world could be sometimes. Indeed, they were blank slates with the opportunity to learn joy or grief. Instead of focusing on her grief, she chose joy. She returned the little girl's smile.

"Oh, we don't have any yet."

The woman flashed her a knowing smile. "Don't worry! They will come, and they will come quickly! I have four little ones of my own. Are you and Mr…."

"Bosco." The little girl grabbed mama's cross in her fist. "Oh no, baby! You can't take that!"

"Are you and Mr. Bosco recently married?"

"We are." She turned to see Sam had approached while she was playing with the little girl.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Bosco. I'm Mrs. Miller. We will have to have you and Mrs. Bosco over for supper some time!" It felt strange to go from introducing herself as Teresa to now being called Mrs. Bosco when Sam appeared. Was she meant to just disappear?

She smiled at the woman's generosity. "We would love that." Sam's recent appearance startled the little girl, making her fussy, so she handed her back to her mother.

"Well, I should get back and see what my other children are up to. If they're quiet for too long, that's bad news! It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Bosco."

"Likewise." The woman walked away, and she turned on her heel to see Sam grinning at her. "What?"

"Nothing."

She stopped in her tracks. "What is it?"

"I just...I came out to find you, and I saw you holding that baby and talking to her. It made me smile when I thought if that's how you would look like holding our baby."

She leaned into his shoulder. "Sam, we've not done anything to make a baby."

"I know that, sweetheart. I just meant in the future." He took her hand and smiled at her, eliciting a smile of her own.

"She was a delightful baby." Maybe babies brought joy, too.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For most of the afternoon, she and Sam sat out on the patio. The beach was so lively with families all along the beach. Though, she didn't mind the noise of people enjoying the beach. It was a different kind of noise than the bustle of the city, and they were out in the open air.

"I guess we all had the same idea, huh?" Sam laughed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"It would seem so." She couldn't get over how gorgeous and expansive the lake was.

"Can you swim?"

"Not really. I haven't tried since I was child."

"Want to go for a dip? I'll go in with you."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure!"

"Go get your swimsuit on."

She frowned. That would be a problem. "I don't have one."

"Yes, you do. It's in our closet."

"Oh?"

"I had a few things delivered here for you. I thought you might like to have a swimsuit and a few dresses for lounging in the summer weather here."

She smiled. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek before going to get changed. She still felt perplexed by his gifts, but he was very thoughtful.

Though, looking at herself in the swimsuit, she was half scandalized. The shorts came above her knees and the little skirt around the bottom did not provide much more coverage. She did love the emerald green color, and it was nice. She thought about it for a moment. Sam purchased it for her, and it's not like she was accountable to her papa's wishes since he kicked her out. They weren't in Chicago. Who would see her?

She met him in their parlor, where he was now wearing his swimsuit. He was staring at her. "Should I go change?"

"Absolutely not."

She smiled nervously. "Then, why are you staring?"

"I'm taking in how beautiful you are." He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her deeply. Sometimes, she didn't understand how he still reacted like he'd never seen her before. By now, he'd seen every inch of her body!

After the kiss, he took her hand, and they walked out to the lakeshore. There were a few soft waves brushing in over the sand. She looked at him, uncertain whether she should go in.

He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Don't worry. We'll go in together. Just hold onto my hand. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They walked in, up to their legs at first. The water was cool and felt nice in the heat and humidity of the day. He kept their hands clasped and moved to hold her from behind. "Now, we'll go out a little further. It might start to drop off. Don't panic. Just hold onto me."

She squeezed his hand. "Ok."

They continued moving out, and within a few steps, she could no longer feel the sand beneath her feet. The loss of the ground took her breath away, but Sam held her up. "I've got you. Just start paddling your feet."

She held on tightly and did what he told her. "Do you want me to let you go so you can try paddling on your own?"

She wanted to say yes, but her bravery failed her when a wave brushed into her, moving her body involuntarily. She was terrified! "No! No, please don't let me go!"

"Don't worry. I'll never let you go." His voice was very calm but assertive as he held her tightly in his grip with their hands still linked. He was talking about much more than this moment in the lake, and she wasn't sure she opposed that idea anymore. They waded there in the lake a bit longer, until the sun was low in the sky.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, she woke before Sam. Her first thought was to go relieve her bladder and start breakfast, but then she caught a glance of Sam. She'd have to unwind from his arms to get up. They'd fallen asleep facing each other. Even in his sleep, he had that look of joy etched on his face that he got whenever he saw her. It made her smile. Perhaps it was vain, but she wondered if he dreamed about her. Staying here a little longer wouldn't hurt.

At breakfast, he was a little quiet, reserved even. "What would you like to do today, sweetheart?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. Do you want to swim again?"

He smirked. "Maybe later. How about we walk out to the lighthouse? I was thinking maybe we could go out into the countryside later. I'd like to do some shooting."

"Shooting? You have a gun?"

He laughed. "I have several. I always keep at least one in the car."

She wrinkled her nose. "Why?"

"For protection. Though, I suppose if we start spending more time out here, I could take up hunting."

"Have you ever been hunting?"

"Once. I don't suppose you've ever been."

"No. Have you ever shot anyone?"

"I suppose so." He never talked about it for his own reasons, but she knew he fought in the Great War like papa. He lost his brother there. Papa said that any man worth his salt who could go, went to the war because it's what men did. She was young, but she knew it was also when he first got the taste for drink. He never drank before he came back from the war. When mama died a year later, it was downhill from there.

She wanted to ask Sam about the war, but the look on his face made her think better of that. "Do you think I can learn to shoot?"

"I think you're more than able to shoot."

"Will you teach me?"

"I did say I'd teach you whatever you wanted to learn. I guess I've been doing a lot of teaching lately. I don't see why learning something outside of the bedroom would hurt."

"Sammy!" She tossed a piece of her cold bread at him as he laughed.

"You just have to promise not to get mad at me and shoot me."

"Only if you keep saying things like that!"

"Just a little humor." He caressed her cheek. "I know you wouldn't actually do that."

Once they finished eating, she cleaned the kitchen as he read from the paper. Since he learned to read, he liked reading the paper to her. After, they went for their walk. The red and white lighthouse was incredible! They said sometimes the waves were so high out there that they engulfed the lighthouse. She couldn't imagine what a sight that must be!

Out at the lighthouse, a man was taking photos. When Sam spotted him, he offered him money to take their photo in front of the lighthouse. After giving him their address so the photograph could be delivered later, they were off. She packed a basket of food they could carry out to the countryside with them because Sam planned to stay out there for quite some time.

When they were far enough out, Sam parked the car. He grabbed the basket and his gun after opening her door. They walked for a bit until they found a good spot where they could pitch the blanket and shoot.

He picked a tree that they could shoot at. He'd brought some board, like the kind for darts, to shoot. He shot first, showing her how to properly hold the rifle and take aim. When he handed her the rifle, she thought her first shot might blow her over. But Sam stood off to her side, holding her waist, so she stayed upright. By her third shot, she was shooting near as good as Sam. He placed his hands on her waist, kissed her cheek, and called her a natural.

When they sat down, she giggled.

"What is it?"

"You love walking around the middle of nowhere to find places to shoot, but you get upset when I want to walk around the corner at home."

"It's different out here. Besides, you like running off alone."

She shrugged. "What's going to happen to me in the neighborhood?"

"I don't know. Maybe nothing, but that doesn't mean I don't like ensuring your safety myself."

"I can take care of myself."

"I've never doubted that you have had to take care of yourself and your brothers, but there are people in this world with evil intentions. And now, you've got me to take care of you."

"If you say so, but I don't think I could ever live thinking people are just out to hurt me."

He chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "And you won't have to because I've got you covered." He kissed her. She felt self-conscious at first, especially being out in the open like this. He never kissed her in public, but she supposed they were in the middle of nowhere. He deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him.

He ended their kiss to whisper in her ear. "You know what I'd like to do? I'd like to put you against that tree and worship you. Touch you until you sing your beautiful song for me. Would you let me do that?" She felt the heat pool in her belly.

"Maybe we could later when we get back to the house."

He started stroking her cheek. "Come on, sweetheart. No one is out here but us. You always say how much you love the fresh air."

"What if there's someone else out here?"

"There's not."

"A tree doesn't seem very comfortable."

"Fair enough. Does this blanket suit you?"

She smirked. "I suppose so, but you're sure there's no one else out here?"

"I'm pretty sure. If someone comes strolling by, I'll cover you." He tapped the blanket for her to lie down. He lifted her dress over her head and pulled her bloomers down. He pushed his own slacks to his ankles and settled in behind her. His hand quickly found her center as he started to kiss her neck and shoulders and move behind her. She liked when their pleasure came at the same time.

She was facing a field of wildflowers between the trees. They were so wonderfully colorful as they floated in the slight breeze. When she turned her head up just slightly, she could see the huge white clouds floating over the clear blue sky. It was beautiful, romantic even, like those old paintings of heaven. She thought of all of the adventures she wanted to have under open skies like these. Maybe it was time to start a new adventure.

She leaned forward on her elbow, away from his kisses. "Sammy?"

"What is it, sweetheart? Are you ok?" She lifted his hand off of her as she rolled over to face him. She was quiet for a moment taking in his look of confusion.

"Are you going to marry me?"

He laughed nervously. "I think I've been clear that that's my intent. I've brought it up before and was hoping my chances might fare a bit better tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, during the fireworks show." A blush crept over his face.

"Why don't you just ask me now?"

"Now?" She nodded at him.

He reached down to his slacks and brought a golden ring out of his pocket. "Teresa, will you marry me?"

"Yes."

He smiled bigger than she'd ever seen him smile as his voice cracked. "You will?"

She smiled before he kissed her. "I will."

He slid the golden ring with a diamond in it on her finger. It was a beautiful ring. Maybe one of the best gifts he'd given her yet. She looked at her hand for a moment before returning her attention to Sam, who was just gazing at her with love in his eyes.

"Sam, I hope you don't think poorly of me for what I'm about to say."

He tensed up a bit. "I would never think poorly of you, my love."

"I'm glad to we're here. I'm happy to be here with you. It's very romantic and sweet."

"But?"

She bit her lip before just blurting the words out before she lost all courage. "I want you to make love to me—the kind where you can make a baby."

He blinked rapidly. "You want to make a baby right here?"

She lost her nerve and her words just started sputtering out. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't even be talking like that. Just forget I said it. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, he laughed. It was just a soft laugh, but it came from deep in his belly. "Teresa, among other things, I just proposed to you with my slacks down around my ankles! Do you think I found any shame in your request? Nah, I was just thinking about how only my Teresa would suddenly need me to stop making love to her to ask me to ask her to marry me—so she could tell me she wants to make a baby under the open sky!"

She was in a deep blush now. "That's not exactly what happened."

"It practically is." His laughter continued, and she felt a bit more embarrassed each passing second. He reached for her. "Come here. I should've known my Teresa would tell me exactly when she was ready. You know I'll always give you what you want. And this—it's something I want too, but I need you to understand something. If we do this, I need your promise that we will marry within the month. If you wish to wait longer to marry, and I really hope you don't because I want you to be my wife as soon as possible, I would say we can't do what you want to do. I won't have you floating around heavy with my child and unmarried. There's no reason for that."

"I can agree."

"Once I have you, I doubt I will ever want to stop." She didn't doubt him. Since they first started their explorations, they touched each other most days except for when she had her courses. She didn't see how this would be any different.

"Do you mean we could be here a while?"

"Well, we can be here as long as you want. It seems you really like that notion." He laughed again, and this time she let out a soft giggle. "I hope we continue to take pleasure in each other and that you want me as much as I want you because sweetheart, I want you very much. More than just the carnal act, I want you to know I love you and will always take care of you. I'll do my best to provide for you and give you everything you want. I don't want you to be ashamed of your desires or needs. I want you to be brave and tell me exactly what you need. I love you, Teresa, and I hope you never see me or our marriage as some duty that's imposed upon you."

"You're not a duty to me, Sam."

His lips found hers. As they kissed, she placed her hands beneath his shirt to touch his chest. She really liked his chest. It was already slick with sweat from the heat, but she didn't mind. Rolling over on top of her and kneeling between her legs, he removed his shirt over his head and unfastened her brassiere before he continued kissing her.

He placed his hands on her thighs, pulling them apart. "My beautiful Teresa." He was touching her sensitive spot and kissing her. She already felt ready to combust as she let out breathy sighs.

"Are you ready for me, baby? Do you want all of me?"

"Yes, Sammy."

"Good because I want you more than anything, my love. Can you relax for me?"

She nodded and did her best to relax even if she was nervous. She heard this part was incredibly painful. She felt him at her entrance and started to tense a bit. He touched her sensitive spot once more as he pushed inside of her. That wasn't so bad.

She found his eyes staring into her own. "How are you doing, sweetheart? Are you ok?"

"Mmmmhmmm."

"Ok, good. I'm going to start moving my hips. When you're ready, you can move yours too. Just like we always do."

He started moving his hips, thrusting into her. At first, she felt a strange sensation as the pressure built with his movements. About the fourth or fifth time he did it, the strange sensation was replaced with the start of the feeling of pleasure she'd come to know. After a few more thrusts, she was moaning in deep pleasure with each of his movements. And so was he. She squeezed his shoulders as she fell over the edge. When she opened her eyes, she stared at the open sky holding the promise of this adventure. She'd never seen anything so beautiful! He followed suit soon after.

As he rolled off of her, he brought her into his side. She realized too late that she was so nervous about her request for him to make love to her, that she'd never said what she meant to say first. "I love you, Sammy."

His eyes glistened. "I love you too, Teresa. The sky really is beautiful, isn't it?"

"It is."

"So why today?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you want me to ask you today?"

She wasn't ashamed to say it, but she felt a bit silly. "Because of how you sleep."

"Do I sleep a special way?"

"You had this big grin on your face this morning. Whatever you dreamed of made you very happy, and I wondered if it was me. I stayed in bed for an hour longer just so I could watch that grin because it made me happy. You told me you bought the lake house so we could have little adventures, and when we got out here...I knew it was time for our adventure to begin because I love you. I-I've never said it, and I meant to say that before we started."

He kissed her lips softly. "It's ok. I already knew you loved me, sweetheart. While I can't say I remember what I dreamed, you make me happy. You have for so long. I love you, Teresa. My priority from now is making sure you're happy."

"You do."

"And since my wife just told me she wants to make a baby, I think we should stick with those efforts!"

"I still don't think that's what I said!" She laughed at him as he rolled her over. When they finished, they fixed their clothing and lay together on that blanket, kissing and cuddling, until the stars were high in the sky.

When they arrived back at the lake house, they stripped bare and made love again. The next morning, he encouraged her to straddle his hips like she had tried to do in the car that night, only now, there were no clothes between them. Just their bodies. The pleasure felt so great that she wasn't sure she would get enough. Why did people talk about such a powerful sensation like something that was so dirty and shameful?

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"For what?" As she lay there trying to still her breaths in his arms, she was unsure if this was something you normally thanked someone for.

"Putting me out of my misery. My nerves were getting all out of whack thinking about waiting until tonight and wondering if you'd say yes."

She put her hand on his face, and he kissed her palm. "Well, I did. I'm your problem now!"

She laughed, but his face went rigid. "Don't say that."

"It was just humor."

"I know you meant it that way, but it's how your father speaks of you. You're not a problem or an inconvenience. You're a wonderful woman. I'm lucky to be the man who calls you his wife, and I'm lucky to get to start a family with you. I want you here with me because I love everything about you. Even at our hard times, I still love you."

She looked into his kind eyes. After everything he'd done for her, he truly believed he was the lucky one. "And I love you."

When she took a bath later that morning, everything came crashing down. She realized she bled during their lovemaking. Sam didn't hurt her. Was that supposed to happen? Did that mean she was expecting? If she didn't know these things, was she ready for any of this? Did she make a mistake? The realization that she didn't know what she was doing made her eyes water. For not the first time, she selfishly wished mama were here to guide her through these things-if she weren't disappointed in her. That's when her soft sobs began. When Sam found her crying in the bathtub, he knelt by her side to comfort her.

"I don't know if we made a baby. Am I supposed to know already? Am I already a bad mother? I don't know how any of this actually works, apart from terrible advice from the nuns!"

She determined Sam was right. The nuns really didn't know what they were talking about. She expected that love making, especially when they'd not officially taken vows in front of the priest yet, would lead to her being split apart in excruciating pain. Yet, Sam was very tender and made her feel very good.

He smiled at her, pushing a wet strand of hair out of her face. "I think we have time before we know anything of the sort, and I'd never think you a bad mother. Jimmy didn't come from your body, but you're his mama. He's a good boy because of your love and care. Just relax and enjoy your bath. Don't worry about the future of the Bosco family today!"

He kissed the top of her head and left her to her bath. A few hours later, she felt incredibly foolish. Maybe she could get a book from the library when they got home. Surely, this information was in a book!

That night, she sat in the sand with Sam. He wrapped his arms around her and intertwined their fingers, touching her ring, as they shared a glass of whiskey and watched the fireworks. The next morning, they returned to their Chicago home.

A/N: The idea of grief (and trauma) left unchecked is definitely a thread throughout this story, and it's really in your face early in the next chapter. Similar to canon, no one helped these children grieve and heal. The oldest child (Teresa) stepped up and started managing the younger siblings and their alcoholic father. Grief and trauma take a toll on even the strongest, even if they manage to seem put together.

Also, the same note about sex/sex ed from chapter 6 applies here. And I promise we've not seen the last of Jane ;)