My Heart Is Buried In Venice -Joe Liebgott

Twelve

Joseph

I sat next to Maggie as we said our last goodbyes to Eliza. Maggie sniffled looking down at our little girl.
"We'll be back for you before you know it sweety," she sniffed looking at her.

"Can I see her Maggie?" I asked her, she nodded and handed me Eliza.

"Hey there sweetheart," I smiled at her, "You're grandma is going to take such good care of you. But we'll be back to take you and give you all the love." I sighed as I felt my tears start to well up. Maggie blinked her tears away and looked at us. I kissed Elizas head. I gave her back to Maggie who was in tears now.

"I love you so much Eliza, we'll be back for you." She sniffed and kissed her head and handed her to the medic. Where he proceeded to leave for the plane taking them back to the states.

Maggie leaned into me as she cried, I put my arm around her and held her other hand.

"Maggie it's not the end remember? The war is going to end and we'll get to go home. Get married, raise our little Liebgotts." I sighed coaxing her. We were going out to Germany today.
I pulled the chocolate bar out of my pocket and handed it to Maggie. She sighed unwrapping it and took a bite of it. She wiped her eyes and ate the chocolate.

"Protch, Liebgott ready to go?"Nix came in and asked us. Maggie nodded standing up and grabbed her bag. I got up after her grabbing my stuff.

We walked out to the truck and we climbed in.
The men cheered and sang a song about victory, while Maggie just cried silently. I put my arm around her and she put her head in my chest. I held her as she cried in my chest, "Maggie Shh it's going to be okay." I frowned, she picked her head up and I wiped the tears from her face. She opened my pocket on my jacket and grabbed the cigarettes and the lighter. She put it in between her lips and lit it. She took a deep inhale.

"So what's your guys plans after the war?" Frank asked us.

"Me and Maggie are heading back to San Francisco. I'm gonna get my job back at the cab company, then we're getting married!" I smiled trying to get Maggie happy.

"I'll probably go back to my job as a Nurse. My family moved down to California, so that Joe's family can help out with Eliza as well." Maggie nodded, I took the cigarette from her mouth and put it in mine taking a drag.
"Shit, Joe where are we going to live after this?" Maggie looked at me. Her green eyes went soft and she frowned.

"I've got some money saved and set aside Maggie we'll get an apartment for the time being till we can get that baby blue house we talked about." I tucked some of her brown hair behind her ear. Her lips curled into a smile, the way the sun hit her hair made it appear more Carmel than brown.

"Oh get a room," Luz rolled his eyes.

"Hey! Shut it George!" I yelled at him, Maggie shook her head and kissed me. I cupped her face in one hand and kissed back. She licked my bottom lip asking to play tongue tennis. I smiled and opened my mouth for her. We grazed our tongues together and she smiled pulling away. Her lips now plump and red from all of that.
We got into Landsberg and I sighed running my hands through my hair.
They stopped the trucks and I helped Maggie out. She was still a little sore after giving birth.

"Okay boys start setting up a Head Quarters." Speirs commanded. Maggie and I walked hand in hand looking around at Germany. It truly is a pretty place, she leaned into me and kissed my cheek.

       Maggie and I sat in the living room of the house that people gave up.
"Guys did you hear?" Winters ran in.

"What? What happened?" I sat up, Maggie looked at him.

"300,000 Krauts surrendered! We're moving out in an hour. He smiled big looking at us.

"No way..." Maggie smiled looking at me, I held her face and we kissed. We got up to go outside, I held her hand as we grabbed our stuff. We threw our stuff into the truck and we heard Nix yelling.

"Cathys divorcing me...she's taking the house, our kid, the dog..." he sighed, "Thats not even her dog it's my dog!" He yelled and threw his helmet.
Maggie frowned and looked at me.

"We're never gonna get divorced sweetheart." I sighed as we helped load stuff up.
Winters yelled for everyone to start getting in, Maggie got in the back of the truck and I got in after her. She leaned her head in my shoulder.
As the men started to get in they started singing.

"Gory, gory what a hell of way to die, gory gory what of hell of way to die gory gory what a hell of way to die he ain't gonna. Jump no more." I giggled singing with them. Maggie rolled her eyes and kissed me to get me to shut up.

We were deep into the woods and Maggie and I shared a cigarette.

"It's gonna be good times Web. When we get home I mean. First thing I'm gonna do is get my job back at the at the cab company in Frisco! Make a killing off all those fucking sailors coming home you know? Then I'm gonna marry Maggie over here," I pointed at her, "Shes got the biggest softest titties I've ever seen. She's also got the best smile I've ever seen." I laughed and looked at her. She blew out the smoke and shook her head.
"So yeah we're going to get married, then we're gonna buy a house, a big house, with lots of bedrooms." I smiled talking to him.

"It's going to be Baby Blue remember?" Maggie added on.

"The lots of bedrooms for all of our little Liebgotts we're going to make." I giggled and pulled Maggie in between my legs.

"I'm excited to live our perfect life," Maggie giggled.

"So what about you Web?" I smacked his side.

"I guess I'll finish school first and then." He started.

"Wait a minute, finish school?" I asked him, he nodded.
"You mean all this time you've been talking about Harvard this, and Harvard that. And you ain't even finished?" I asked him, I held Maggie's hands looking at him.

"For one thing I haven't told you anything, but yes, yes I haven't finished school. So the fuck what?" He got a little defensive.

"All right Web, breathe a little Jesus. It's just the way you always talked you know? We all figured that." I paused realizing that we'd all been making fun of him.
"Hey you know what? You're right. So what the fuck?" I shrugged and kissed Maggie's neck.

"So what did you study?" Maggie asked him.

"Literature," he nodded.

"Get outta here? You serious? I love to read!" I smiled.

"Do you?" Mags and Web both looked at me.

"Yeah! Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon mostly." I took the cigarette from Maggie and put it in my mouth.