𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞; eugene roe ✔

PART TEN

Word count; 2,628

Valentina

Sascha crashed into one of her settees, throwing an arm over her eyes. I finished the last of my coffee and leant back into my chair, watching Teo place a new cup of tea beside her. She complained of a sore head and the heat, beginning to fan her face with one hand. A rumble of cheers and laughs came from the direction of the open French doors.

"What is all that noise?" She groaned.

"It is the Americans." Emilia responded, already out on the balcony and leaning over the stone parapet.

"It is so early..."

"It is eleven, Sascha." said Teo.

"So early..."

"Do you want me to have a word with them?" I proposed.

"No, don't bother."

I rolled my eyes, "And listen to your complaining?"

"Maybe Perconte is down there." Emilia grinned.

"Is he?" She shot up.

We all giggled.

"You spoke with the man once, Sascha." I reprimanded.

Emilia supplied, "And kissed him."

My mouth dropped, "Sasha!"

Non-chalantly, Teo interjected quietly, "Ever heard of love at first sight?"

"Look, he has this way with words-"

I stood from my chair, "Right, I am going to go speak with the Americans."

"Wait- Valentina-"

"I don't want to sit here and listen to your doting, Sascha."

"Wait-"

Instantly, I was beside Emilia, leaning onto the stone parapet with an elbow and observing those below. An event flickered through my head, the daytime turning to darkness, and below I saw a medic, shaking and chanting the same incantation. Emilia touched my forearm and, like that, it disappeared. Below us, a collection of the soldiers were by the peer down at the lake, splashing in the water and encouraging encore.

"Coming?" I asked Emilia.

A light glimmered in her pupils, "Really?"

"When last did you leave the house?"

"Well-"

"Come on."

She grinned. Together, we traversed the slope, mirroring what I had to do the day before and what we always did when we ventured to the lake, years before the officers arrived; remove our heels, hold onto each other's arms, and find less pain in walking barefoot over the gravel than if we were wearing shoes. Emilia would've held me anyway, like a shy child being introduced to another by its parent. Neither of us could note ourselves as courageous but in this moment, I was her shield.

The first I saw was John, standing away from the group of soldiers - another representation of a parent observing his children, making sure one didn't hit the other or cause a dispute. He smiled warmly, eyes dropping from head to toe.

"Good morning, Miss Fritz."

"Martin." I addressed. "May I ask what is going on here?"

We reached him and, together, turned. Down the bank, near the shore where the peer stretched out from, were three men, another five throwing themselves at the other amongst the water. Those on the pebbled beach: Skinny, Heffron and Perconte. In front of them: Luz, Malarkey, Webster, Liebgott and Lipton.