Author's Note: SOOOO I said I was about to write the epilogue, BUUUUTTT I lied. Sorry not sorry, but I wanted to have at least one more chapter about Joe's family since he got to have a chapter about Marley's family. But NOW I am about to write the epilogue that is extra long and ready to have this come to an end! Thanks for the support and the reviews! Spread the love around
ALSO, I'm thinking of writing another Band of Brothers Fanfiction but with Eugene Roe as my main man! let me know what you think!
"Well, I must say that you were more beautiful than my son as described to me." Joe's mother, Olivia, explained to me in her thick Austrian accent though I could hear her clearly. I was with her in the backyard of their house, there was a small garden and a luscious spot of green grass along the fence and flowers blooming along the edges, having me think we were some kind of fairytale of how it looked. It was already dusk when we got to the house, which was nestled behind the main city buildings from San Francisco and in the suburban areas with a brick home and a wrap around front porch. Joe described it as something that was pretty shabby, but I saw it as gorgeous for a home in the big city. We were greeted by his mother and 4 of his siblings since he was the oldest of 6 children now at the age of 31. His mother merely hugged me close, and then her son in which she talked to him fast in German and he replied back. I was in awe in how much Joe himself looked like his mother: the same shade of brown in the hair and the identical smirk on the face. Which left his siblings all having the same hair thickness and the nose as well.
They all were asking things about me: Jakub who was 26, Henry was 23, Penelope was 20 and Alice being the youngest at the age of 18. The last one that was missing was Graham, the 29-year-old who moved out of San Francisco and was now working as a roofer in St. Louis. They all came out to see Joe and I as we arrived in San Francisco in order to meet me. But I also met a very young and adorable niece, whom belonged to Jakub and her name was Bethany, a six year old brunette with curls and a heart shaped face that made her look like an angel. Bethany's mother died in childbirth with Bethany, so that was a bit hard for me to hear since Jakub not only had to raise his daughter by himself, but to see such joy on the girl's face and know that her life was already stained. After I was greeted by most of the family, I was brought in by his mother and we all went into the living room. Though it was small seemed rather comfy with all of the people there on couches and chairs, as the siblings asked Joe questions about the war both in English and in German.
It was interesting to witness such a thing, sitting next to him and see him try to describe to his family all that happened, though it pained him every once in awhile through a specific memory or battle. I just sat there with him holding his hand through the difficult parts and smiling through the bright spots that he brought up, hearing his family laugh and smile when he laughed and smiled. They even asked me about what it was like for me, and I too tried to make it sound as smooth as possible and not to bring out too much of the internal damage that was left inside of me from the war. They were all listening on hand and knee as if there was some fantastic tale to tell them. After I told them all that I wanted to say to them in order to have a good impression, Joe's mother had my things taken to one of the spare rooms for me to stay in, since she refused to have me be in a hotel and not near the family.
After an hour or two of getting to know the siblings, which I did really enjoy since they all reminded me of Joe in some manner, Joe's father, Samuel, came home from work and I got to meet him, and maybe see into the future of what Joe would look like within twenty years. He had the same jaw as his son, the look of intensity and kindness in his warm brown eyes and the same tone in his voice though it was older. He was very kind, less aggressive in the hug that he gave me compared to Joe's mother, and made me think somewhat of Franklin in how he carried himself. We then had dinner around the large dining room table, praying and crossing ourselves and then eating a home cooked meal, which was what I needed since we were on the road now for days and days on end and traveling across the country. The conversation around the table was filled with jokes and snarky remarks from one sibling to another, giggles and jabs at each other were making me smile throughout the dinner from my spot next to Joe and his niece on the other side of me. She would pull on my sleeve to get my attention, but when I would look she would shy away from me and try to act like she did nothing. I grinned from her antics though her father tried to get her to behave. I didn't mind, she reminded me of myself.
Now I was with his mother and we were watching Jakub twirling his daughter in the backyard, her hair flying in the wind as Joe was helping his siblings with the dishes and talking to his father on his own. Archer was chasing the both of them with a playful pounce, Bethany adored Archer and was trying to teach him how to fetch. He needed to talk to his father about plenty of things, and I didn't want to intrude. Although he wanted to talk to his father, he was more concerned that I was going to be talking to his mother alone. I told him it was mere gossip talk, but he was not convinced. Now he was feeling what I was going through when my own father wanted to talk to him alone. I was drinking coffee with Olivia when she complimented me.
"Thank you, ma'am." I said to her in a sweet tone, but she shook his head.
"Please, Mein lieber." She explained, having me watch her as she grinned at me, a grin that made me think of the safest place in the world, "You are not allowed to call me ma'am. That is for the old and unmoving kind of women. You may call me Olivia if you wish." I nodded my head then, already liking her since she had the same amount of sass that her eldest son has within himself. It was then I knew where he got it from.
"I am thankful that my son as found something special in you, and it shows through how he is now since he has come home from being away from us for four years," Olivia explained to me as we were sitting there in our chairs, having me then hear the giggling of Bethany whom was being held upside down by her father and Jakub laughing with her. "My son has a unique soul about him, and I feared that it would have been shattered forever ever since he left for the army. But it hasn't and I think it has something to do with you."
"It is he that has changed me for the better," I explained to her, "Your son has changed me for the better as one of my best friends." I was still hesitant in how I was going to break it to how I was in love with her son. It seemed embarrassing to mention out loud, though then again she had a right to know. However, I saw the look on her face and a small smirk, the exact same smirk that her son would have given me from time to time that showed that he knew exactly what I was trying to do.
"I can see that my son loves you beyond friendship," I was frozen as she said this with such certainty that it was as if she was stating it as a fact, "From what he has told me through his letters and how he looks at you from across the room: he cares for you. I have never seen him act in such a way with another person outside our family, let alone a young lady," I blush again as she chuckled from the remark of Joe, then giving me a stare that my mother would give that brought wisdom and kindness with it, "And I know you care for him, don't you."
"More than I thought I would." I explained to her simply, seeing her then look over at Bethany, whom smiled and waved at her with her tiny hand.
"süße Großmutter!" The young child said to Olivia, whom giggled as she waved back to Bethany.
"Mein Liebling Enkelin." She replied back to her, having me see Bethany beam and then run into her father's arms, who scooped her up and swayed with her. But then I saw Olivia's face grow grim, having me sit there and watch her look away from Bethany and then over to me, a solemn look and a solemn feeling fell over the both of us.
"HIs father and I left Austria when we were very young, too young to levee such a place. But we needed to find a place that we could raise our children in peace, in prosperity and with no fear, "She paused, taking a deep rebate before going on, leaning back in her chair and folding her hands in her lap, "We left just in time to miss World War One in Europe, thinking we got out of the thick of it. But once Joe was born, when we were in Michigan, we were never escaping the amount of hate and backlash from the people there because we were from Austria. They automatically thought we were the enemy because of how we spoke and our heritage." I felt terrible, since she was saying it such a way that it was tearing her heart from saying it.
"But we moved out here to San Francisco, and raising Joseph as our first child was a challenge within itself. He's gotten into more fights because of who we are then I would like to keep count, and sometimes I have feared that he would turn down a path that I would not be able to lead him out of." She stopped again, having me see that this was hurting her, talking about her eldest son like this. She cared for him, as any mother would, and she saw the stubbornness that he carried with him though I only saw a glimpse of it when we were in the war together.
"Your son is a great man, a wonderful man," I reassured her gently, seeing him look away from me as I said this about Joe, "I have seen him use that stubbornness and turn that into passion, passion for our Company of men that he would die for." She looked back at me then, having me see the glint in her eye to see if what I was telling her was true. I smiled at her, showing her where I was coming from.
"I have seen him at his lowest, but also at his highest. He was a great soldier, and a loyal friend to all he befriended. I am honored to call him my friend, and to be in love with your son." I confessed to her, seeing her gently reach over the table and take my hand, squeezing it lightly and have me watch as her face was now looking like her sons when it was on the brink of happiness and joy from a mere conversation.
"I do not think it was the war that changed him for the better, but it was you," She explained, having me look down as if I was not worthy of looking at her in the eyes as she said this to me, "I have always wanted my son to find someone whom would love him for who he was: hotheaded and complicated with a fragile heart and a thirst for pride. You are exactly what he needs, and I see it."
There was nothing else to say about it really since his mother was somehow giving me her blessing to marry her son and to love him. It made me happy to hear it in such a manner from her, no longer being in fear that she did not like me or accept me because I was not Jewish. Joe got that from her: acceptance no matter who you were. She never saw me as different, since another person that came into her son's life and changed him for the better. I then heard music from inside the house, an accordion playing softly in the autumn night. Bethany ran from her father over to the both of us, grabbing my hand and pulling me up from my chair.
"Come! Grandfather's playing again! You must hear him!" She urged me, having me giggle as Olivia got up from her spot across from me.
"My husband plays the accordion. He's been wanting to play ever since Joe got home." She explained to me as I was being pulled by Bethany into the house again. I remembered Joe telling me of his father playing the accordion, when we were in Germany and talking about each other's families. It was a nice memory, one of the ones that never once left a bad taste in my mouth.
We walked into the living room quietly, having me stay by the archway and look on as Samuel was playing the accordion with a look on concentration on his face. He was sitting in the armchair, at the edge for his posture and the music coming out of it sounded so heavenly. The rest of the family, including Joe, were all sitting around him on the couches or on the floor, looking at him and saying nothing. They all looked like children listening to a story, but they were grown men and women with the same look of fascination on their faces. Bethany ran away from me, skipping over to Joe who was on the couch next to his father, hopping onto his lap and Joe smiling.
"Komm her, kleine oen." he said to her softly as he wrapped his arms around her, seeing her nuzzle into him and watch as Samuel was playing a soft and slow song. I watched with a smile on my face, how his fingers grazed each key and pad with no hesitance or fear, it was as if he was made to play the accordion. This was Joe's family, listening to music from the father and cracking jokes with one another. Olivia was next to me, having me look over at her and see her head tilted to the side as she watched her husband with a soft smile back on her face. I knew that smile: Joe's smile at me when we were alone with one another and speaking to each other as if the rest of the world has melted away. He looked at me the same way when he told me he loved me, and he's looked that way at me countless times when I brought him out of darkness. It made me look back over at Joe.
Joe was quiet the whole time, as was the rest of the family, but he looked like he had a weight lifted from his shoulders because of what his father was playing. The notes were like a magic spell. taking away all that he was holding onto from the war and melting them from his heart for good. A smile was on his face, his head leaning against Bethany's and his eyes were closed. He was drinking in the fact that he was home and he was with his family once again.
He opened his eyes, finding my own instantly and he smirked at me, the same smirk that had me draw into him from the moment I was walking across the lawn at Camp Toccoa four years ago. I smiled back at him, seeing him then show me the sign for I love you.
I signed it back, seeing that this was good for the both of us.
"I like your mom." I said to Joe as we were both sitting out on a bench overlooking San Francisco early one morning, seeing the fog roll in and the chilly air coming over the area. It's been a week since Joe and I came to the city and me staying with his family. His mother was beyond kind to me, and also his father and siblings. They made me feel like I was part of the family from the moment they saw me come out of the car with Joe and Archer. That morning Archer was back at the house, since Bethany begged us to let her watch him and take care of him. The rest of the siblings went to their homes after another day together, leaving Jakub with Bethany at the house with Joe and I and their parents.
"She's a bit of a handful." Joe replied in a grin, shifting in his bench and leaning back a bit in his own peacoat that he was wearing. I had my jacket on with my skirt and heels and dress shirt. From our view we were overlooking the huge bay, seeing the golden gate bridge and how it was contrasting against the gray and blue fog.
"But I like it, now I see where you get your fiery personality from. But the cockiness….that's still up in the air." I said to him, seeing him look next to me and smirk.
"Way to place nice." He commented, having me chuckle as he then wrapped a arm around me from behind, his arm on the backside of the bench and having me then give him a snide look from his action. He acted like it was nothing, but I could see he wanted to make this moment light between us.
"Oh wow, the arm behind the body trick. How many girls have you done this to?" I asked him in a sarcastic remark, seeing him only smile and look ahead at the rolling fog over the city.
"Plenty, and they have worked every time." Joe replied back.
"Clearly." I countered back, seeing him now playfully glare at me as I just smiled. It was nice to have another light moment between the both of us since lately we were both trying to figure out if our families liked each other. So far, there was nothing to really worry about.
"So, my niece really likes you." Joe stated, changing the subject, having me grin from thinking about Bethany and how joyful she was.
"I like her too. She's very fun to play with." I added with his statement.
"She's more like a oddball than I ever thought a 6 year old would be," Joe explained, having me smile widely at notion of Joe calling his own niece a oddball, "But she's a great kid. My brother did really well raising her, given the circumstances." That was a bit painful for him to say, I could hear it in his voice. Since his brother had to raise Bethany by himself, I could tell it was hard for him and the rest of the family.
"But she has you, and your grandparents and other Aunts and Uncles to help her out." I reassured him, seeing him still look a bit off with what he told me. He never mentioned Bethany before when we are getting to know each other in England and even in Germany through our small talks. She must of been far too precious for him to mention out of his lips.
"I know she does, and we're helping out with Jakub as much as we can. But the last time I saw her, she was two years old and just learning how to speak fully in German." Joe explained some more, having me feel his hand that was on the backrest go to my shoulder and I reach up to grab his hand in my own, feeling how cold his hand was in my own.
"She's a beautiful little girl, cheri." I reminded him, seeing him now smile from me mentioning how beautiful she was.
"Looks just like her dad, but she does have the infamous Liebgott nose. That's going to bite her in the ass later." Joe joked, having me scoot closer to him and feel him wrap his arm around me and we both were just sitting there on the bench.
"I like your nose." I reminded him, seeing him look over at me with his genuine smile and then kissing me lightly on the lips.
"And I talked to Webster on the phone last night, after you crashed." Joe explained, having me feel a lighter moment happen from the mention of our neutral friend.
"Really?" I asked him in interest.
"Yeah, he's coming out to Berkley in two days to a writing seminar he got himself into right after the war. Apparently it's a class requirement at Harvard and he's coming out with a couple of buddies. He wants to meet up and grab a bite to each when he's here." Joe explained with his own smile. I was glad Webster and Joe were back on good terms again, since the incident with both the German Captain in Germany and in the French town of Hagenau.
"I would love to see him." I replied, then seeing Joe take my other hand in his, my left hand, and having me look down at the brass ring that was on my ring finger. I looked too, how the ring itself was dark against my pale finger and how it was still there, having me never taking it off once sine he gave it to me in Germany. Joe watched me looking at the ring, and I started to turn it while it was still on my finger, slowing seeing it there and a small smile still on my face.
"I never told you about this ring," Joe stated, having me finally look up at him in confusion, "Well, not the whole thing about it. You remember when I told you that I got it with Luz when we were in Germany, one night out with him?" I nodded my head, remembering that day clearly in my head as he gave me the ring and we were out on the camp field.
"I actually lied to you." He explained calmly, though I wasn't angry with him about that at all, "I got it when we were in England." I was floored from that piece of information, not moving from my spot and thinking that everything around us now was shifting and morphing with our relationship.
"The night after that guy was tryin' to flirt with you at the bar, before we went to the bar with the others, I was out on my night off with Toye and Luz, going over to one of the villages there just because we were bored. I saw this ring in the pawn shop that we were snooping around in, and I thought of you because it reminded me of your hair in the nighttime: your hair looks like bronze." After he said this, he ran his fingers in my hair gently, the end of my hair were in his fingertips and he was looking at my hair in a loving way.
"I honestly just wanted to give it to you as some kind of….promise ring or somethin' sappy life that. But I had no time to give it to ya, we were running around bat shit crazy and I could never find a good time to give it to ya." Joe stammered out, trying to make it sound good enough for me since it was a struggle for him to confess what the ring was really meant for. But who was I to be mad at him for something like that?
"But it was when I thought you died, in Bastogne….and even after when we were sitting in the chapel together…that I knew that I wanted it to be more than a promise ring for the both of us," Joe explained some more, shifting in his spot on the bench as he touched the ring with his fingers and traced it slowly, "And you should know, I have never been this sappy or this….emotional when it came to girls and being all romantic and shit. But Marley, you've changed me for the better….and I want nothing more than to marry you and to heal with you for the rest of our lives." I smiled widely at him, seeing that he has changed dramatically since we met four years ago and started our journey in the war. I then watched him carefully, seeing him fish something out from his jacket pocket carefully, his tongue was even sticking out in how he was getting whatever he was trying to grasp out. It was when he pulled out his hand again, the small trinket that was in his hand and was shining even in the foggy morning. I had no words to say, and I couldn't move from my spot since he was holding it out in front of me.
An engagement ring.
"This was my mother's ring, belonged to my grandmother back in Austria," Joe explained to me as I was looking at the ring he was holding between his two fingers, right in between us, "My mom wanted me to give it to her future daughter-in-law, and she figured it was you from the moment we came home a few days ago." I still had nothing, seeing the glimmering ring that he was holding in front of me. The diamond was a hexagon cut, with intricate carvings of the metal wrapped around it, looking like victorian vines and such beauty with it. Although it was very old, it looked new and beyond beautiful for words. And he wanted to give this to me.
This was the topping of the many reasons why I did not deserve to be in his life or for him to love me. This represented beauty and I was broken, beyond broken. I blamed the war for making me broken, all of the blood that has been on my hands and face, all of the screams of the dying men that I could not save. It was making me now not good enough for this ring Joe wanted to give me. Almost like I was drowning in the ocean, reaching up with no air in my lungs and no one was going to save me as I was sinking lower and lower towards the abyss.
"Marley?" Joe asked me, his voice was so soft now since he was waiting for some kind of answer from me. But I shook my head slowly, closing my eyes and feeling hot tears hit my skin and my eyelashes. I could not take this ring from him now, not that all of the plaguing images of darkness were coming back over me and having me think of myself less of a human and more of a ghost. Joe deserved someone who would be happy and full with him always, when I knew I would still be suffering in front of him and making him suffer in return.
"I don't deserve you." I stammered out in a mourning tone, having me seeing him move next to me. He grabbed my legs gently, placing them on top of his own on the bench and then having me face him now, though my eyes were still closed and my head bowed. How could he still have faith in me, though I was so broken and still trying to mend myself. Although we were planning on getting married for so long, I never though seeing a ring of this beauty and history would make me feel less self-worth.
"It's you I don't deserve," Joe reminded me, having me open my eyes and see him lean close to me to where we were almost touching heads, "I don't care how many days or weeks, or goddamn years I have to remind you over and over how wonderful you are to me and how much I love you. I'm going to remind you always because you deserve to hear from someone that you are beyond amazing, and you are worth loving and caring after. Marley, you have helped people survive any kind of death since you were just a kid," I kept my eyes on him as he paused, having me see him wrap one arm around me to keep me close to him, "Let me be able to take care of you and take away any of the bad dreams and memories."
I closed my eyes again, feeling the small sense of warmth coming through me as he was telling me all of these things. He knew where I was coming from; that I was not deserving of him and I should just be left alone for the rest of my life. I was called to serve others and protect them, but he now wanted to protect me since he knew I needed it more than ever.
"Please Marley." Joe hummed to me, having me take out a shaky breath and slowly nod my head. I knew this was what I wanted, and I had to accept that fact. There was nothing that I could do that would keep Joe's love for me away and far from me. I had to learn how to take the first step that was meant to be with him: accept that I needed someone to take care of me. Someone that would look at my burdens and pains and not reject them. Someone who saw me as whole, not broken.
Joe slipped the ring onto my left finger, right underneath my bronze ring and I felt as though everything that was holding me back up until this point was now exploding out of my chest and soul. it was no longer binding me down, no longer making me second guess myself. He then kissed me into oblivion on the bench, having me slowly kiss him back and pour what I was feeling right back into his kisses.
He reached into the ocean waters, wrapping his hand over my own and pulling me up from my own despair and into the land of the living. I was gasping for fresh air again, and Joe was giving me life.
