Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 (or any other chapter for that matter.)

A/N: The author loves reviews, I mean, really, really likes them. However, in a massive effort of self restraint, she is trying to refrain from begging & pleading for them. Do you like the story? Do you hate it? Are you feeling particularily ambivalent towards it? Let me...er...the author know how you feel. Please? (Uh-oh, there she goes again....) ;)

7...

Time always marches on. Tony sighed and stretched, trying to determine which box to tackle next. He wondered when he'd first developed that low ache in his back, the dull pain that came from sitting too long in one place. He hated to think that he was entering the famed 'middle-aged' years of his life, but his body told him it was the truth. He who was once an athlete in his prime, now reduced to...this. Shaking his head and reaching to turn on another overhead light, he knew he was being silly. He was still very much in shape, in some ways more than he'd been at 20. Maybe it was just knowing how much time had passed, how much had happened, that made him feel old. Twenty years, a lifetime ago. Yet, it didn't seem that way, sitting there surrounded by the relics of his life. Today, the colors, the scents, the images, all seemed as vibrant as they had so long ago.

Only a few more boxes left. Each filled with memories, the good ones, the bad ones, the pinnacles, and the heartbreaks. A grin widened across his face as he reached for the nearest box and read the label. Sam. He opened it up and brushed his hand lightly over the soft blue blanket Marie had knit for her. Blue, because up until the moment he'd first held her in his arms, he'd been convinced that she was going to be a boy. From that moment on though, he never wished for anything more that what he had. His perfect baby girl: who wasn't anywhere close to being a baby anymore and not even so much a girl. She was an adult, a wife, and a college student, but still, deep down in his heart she'd always be his little girl.

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What a summer we had. I was on top of the world with Marie at my side. I was at the top of my game, and flying high. It was something else to stand out there on the field and know that my wife my wife! was up in the stands watching me play. It wasn't an easy summer for either of us though. It's hard to suddenly become two after being one for so long. I wasn't used to having to think about someone else all the time, and she wasn't used to being alone so much of the time. I mean, between the practices, the games, the away games, and the occasional night out with the boys, Marie and me didn't spend an awful lot of time together. And she missed our life in Brooklyn: the family, the neighbors, and the constant supply of noise to lull her to sleep at night. But we had each other, and when we were together we made the most of every moment.

We came home to a cold and dreary November and packed ourselves into the cozy one bedroom my dad found us, not too far from the street where I grew up. It wasn't much, two rooms with a bare-bones kitchen off to one side and a child-sized bath, but it was home. Living in close quarters, you learn a lot about a person: their likes and dislikes, when to push and when to give some room, and the surefire ways to bring a smile to their face. I took what jobs I could get and Marie was in her glory making our place a home. It was a good life, more than I ever expected to have, and the icing on the cake was the day Marie told me we were going to have a baby. This was the dream we shared; three, maybe four kids to share our lives with while I made my fortune playing baseball and Marie took care of us all. See, the thing was, both me and Marie grew up without brothers and sisters, and the idea of a big, bustling family was the one thing we'd always wanted. I spent a lot of time as a kid imagining how great it'd be to have a brother, someone to show me the ropes or maybe for me to show the ropes to. This baby, this wonderful, thrilling piece of us, was the start to the family we so wanted.

Having a baby seemed to me the most amazing thing. Well, apart from the cramps and nausea and the countless other things that plagued Marie through her pregnancy. But really, to look and her and know that she was carrying another life inside of her, it was...indescribable. And of course, I had a thousand questions about it that she never seemed able to answer. It was like she belonged to something I could never be a part of. I envied her that connection to our child. She was a first-hand observer; I was just a bystander. But I discovered something about myself during this time; I liked looking after her. It made me feel like someone better than myself, someone worthy of all the breaks I'd gotten. And I swore that when I finally got a chance to meet our kid, I'd be just as much a part of their life as Marie.

Another summer passed, this time playing in a league closer to home. Though it wasn't exactly the step I'd been hoping for career-wise, it was probably a good thing for me. Marie could stay in our apartment in the city, and I could maybe prove myself to the scouts that were starting to nose around. There'd been some doubt about my ability to play because while I'd been a star player on my old team, the team wasn't exactly star- quality to begin with. It took a lot of work, a lot of practice, and a lot of missed time with Marie, but I was making a name for myself as a dedicated player and sportsman. In fact, I only ever missed one game. Sure, it was the last big game of the season, but I had an awful good excuse.

Her name was Samantha.