Valiant Crimes

Living at her family’s old summer home was not very hard to adjust to, Ross actually quite liked it especially the fact that she was fixing the place up herself. She felt more accomplished and at peace when she was fixing up something. Ms. Rita Jefferson a widowed African American woman whom lived across the way from Ross’s home on the diminutive desolate lake property in a rather small cabin would come visit her. She was an elderly woman in her late seventies and sought companionship in Ross whilst her children were off living their own lives.

Within a few months they had become good friends, and Ms. Rita Jefferson would on occasion drop by Ross’s house unannounced which Ross didn’t mind because she was always able to see or hear Rita coming. They enjoyed having dinner together and Ross often liked hearing Rita tell stories of her life.

One particular day Ross had found herself outside breathing in the fresh air as she carried a box of vegetables from her lovely garden in the backyard back inside to be washed for a nice roast chicken she had been preparing to cook for the night. With the crate on her hip she looked out at the placid lake with a sad smile. She was proud of having a place of her very own where she didn’t have to worry about sudden attacks but part of her missed the time she spent with the Basterds. Although they were referred to as Basterds they were great men whom helped Ross grow as an individual. She went through some serious stuff with them and they accepted her as one of their own; something she will always be honored having.

Aldo had finally been released from the service and was currently walking towards Ross whose back was turned to him looking towards the lake after so long trying to find her whereabouts. She was wearing a white cotton dress and white sneakers with her brown hair flowing behind her holding a small crate at her hip casually. Even from behind, Aldo knew it was Ross because of the way she stood and the rich color of her chestnut hair that had a subtle hint of red in it when her hair caught the sunlight.

When Ross heard footsteps that were too quick to be Rita’s she turned around quickly to see who was there in her backyard with her. Ross immediately dropped the crate and brought her hands up to her face backing away from Aldo’s standing figure. Her heart was racing as her eyes looked over Aldo skeptically. She ran a shaky hand over her face shaking her head in disbelief deciding she was seeing ghosts.

“I’ve gone and lost my mind,” Ross whispers turning her back to Aldo and bent down on her knees to pick up the things she had dropped. She thought she was seeing things that weren’t there, that she was going crazy. Aldo bent down and picked up a carrot placing it in the crate. Ross looked at the hand that was helping her pick up the vegetables, freezing on the spot as her heart beat erratically against her chest. Finally Ross had the courage to turn and face the man that haunted her thoughts and dreams.
“But you’re supposed to be dead,” she croaks.
“You never were told I was alive?” Aldo questions looking at Ross surprised.
“No,” Ross answers.
“Miss Rosaline you busy girl, this cake looks divine,” Rita says from the kitchen of the house, “Where are ya anyways?”
“I’m out in the back Rita,” Ross says trying to compose herself. Ross quickly put the vegetables in the crate with her shaky hands and stood up brushing herself off. Aldo got up as well seeing the white haired woman with warm milk chocolate skin standing at the doorway of the home looking right at Aldo with a quizzical expression.
“I’ll be damned, Miss Rosaline is this the man you’ve been mopin’ around for?” Rita questions taking in Aldo’s service uniform. A slight blush surfaced on Ross’s cheeks and Aldo couldn’t help but feel a little special.
“Moping? I haven’t been moping,” Ross argues stubbornly.
“A pretty girl like you stayin’ cooped up in just one place without goin’ into town and refusin’ all the courtships from all those townsmen is mopin’” Rita scolds.
“I have everything I need right here, nothing wrong with keeping to myself, I’m not one that likes too much attention, besides I do go into town every once in a while so quit scoldin’ me,” she reprehends.
“I suppose you’re right, most of those men don’ know what to do with a girl like you anyways, ‘cause we all know Rosaline ain’t just a pretty face, ain’t that right sir?” Rita responds with a smile as she looked at Aldo.
“Right,” Aldo states looking at Ross with a smile.
“So what’s yer name?” Rita inquires.
“Aldo Raine, ma’am,” he replies
“I’m Ms. Rita Jefferson, the closest thing Miss Rosaline’s got to havin’ a neighbor,” she states with a welcoming smile.
“You two talk or something I have to take these inside to wash,” Ross states hurriedly as she walked towards the house. She felt very overwhelmed at the moment and entered the kitchen setting the crate on the white countertop next to the sink. Ross clutched onto the edges of the countertop to brace herself, it was a bit much for her to process. Her mind was a jumbled mess as she mindlessly washed the vegetables in an almost angry fashion. It had been a little over a year of thinking he was dead; would it have been so hard for him to write her or something? Ross moved on to cutting the vegetables, her chops to the vegetables very furious and loud the more she thought about it all. She had been grieving the loss of Aldo and he had been alive all along.

Meanwhile Rita Jefferson was taking her leave so that Aldo and Ross could have time alone. Rita and Aldo spoke briefly but it was enough for Aldo to feel awful for not finding Ross sooner. He was told how Ross had been acting like she was grieving over a death that she seemed to be waiting for something to put her out of her misery. Aldo cautiously entered the kitchen to see Ross angrily throwing a prepared chicken into the oven and slamming the oven door shut. He could tell she was really fuming by now and he didn’t blame her, if he had thought she was dead for so long to find out she was alive he’d be angry too. Ross snapped her gaze to Aldo.

“Damn you! I thought you were dead for so long, how dare you not tell me! Do you have any idea what you put me through?! I’ve been going out of my mind trying to forget you and now you’re here like the ghost of Christmas past,” Ross rants furiously soon she began cursing in Spanish out of habit. Aldo watched Ross paced back and forth cursing up a storm in every language she spoke moving her hands around incredulously refusing to look at him. He did the one thing he only knew to get her to stop and marched up to Ross then pulled her into a passionate kiss. Ross let out all her pain and frustrations into the kiss; her eyes clenched tight not wanting it to end. Aldo lifted Ross onto the countertop and Ross pulled him closer to her body with her legs wrapped around his waist as they continued to kiss. The pair broke apart breathing heavily and looked at one another, Ross’s small delicate hands on both sides of Aldo’s face.
“Am I interrupting something?” a low angry tone questions from the doorway. Aldo watched as Ross’s golden eyes grew wide and pushed him away. She hopped off the countertop and chased after the man that had stormed out of the room in anger.
“Dominic please wait,” Ross calls after him as he made his way to his car. The man with raven hair slicked back nicely with pomade turned around to stare at Ross with his light baby blue eyes that showed how hurt and angry he was.
“You said you wanted to try and make this work then you go and do this? How the hell do I react to this Rosaline?!” Dominic shouts angrily gesturing to the house.
“Dom, I didn’t plan this if that’s what you think,” Ross responds.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” he scoffs crossing his arms in front of himself trying to figure out what was going through Ross’s head.
“Look I’m sorry okay? I thought he was dead it just got a bit out of hand, I had every intention for you to come over and stay for dinner, I swear to you I did not plan for this to happen,” she replies. Dominic saw no lie in Ross’s golden eyes and let out a sigh.
“Well now what?” Dominic questions looking down at Ross.
“You probably wouldn’t want to stay for dinner would you?” Ross says biting her bottom lip looking down at her feet.
“I’ll come back for dinner, at six, I’ve got a few errands to run,” Dominic says lifting Ross’s chin to look at him then kissed her cheek. Aldo watched from the window at the exchange, he didn’t like it one bit. Dominic left in his nice car and Ross watched him until his car disappeared around the corner. Ross let out a sigh running a hand through her hair and stood there for a moment to process everything. She wanted to bash her head into a wall out of sheer frustration. Dominic was a good man, Ross knew that was true and he had been nothing but kind and patient towards her never once judging her or asking a dozen questions. Ross enjoyed his company and thought he was rather handsome though it wasn’t something Ross cared about, she loved people for who they were on the inside as cliché as it sounded. Then there was Aldo, he was strong, dangerous, yet also a Southern gentleman all the while. Another sigh escaped Ross’s lips before she turned and went back inside to face the man she thought to be dead.