When I got to Joe's I hopped up the steps two by two trying to get up her- I mean- Joe's apartment faster. I heard a high pitched voice but to my surprise it wasn't Rosa… "Marty? What the hell are you doing here?" Marty is this seventeen year old kid that Joe grew up with and he keeps bringing him on these dangerous missions. He's got a voice like freakin' woody the wood pecker and no one really thinks it's a good idea to bring him a long, but Joe's a hard head and won't listen to no one.

"Yo Vito, Joe invited me! So what are we doing today? Taking down greasers? Robbin' a bank?" I walked in the apartment without listening to him; come on the kid is pretty annoying.

"Hey, there he is, Vito come sit down." I looked around the room but she wasn't there. Then I peeked into the kitchen, but she wasn't there either. "Whoa, Vito what are you looking for?" Joe was confused.

"Rosa, have any of you guys seen her?"

Eddie answered this time "That crazy broad? No. Why do you care?"

"I just thought she would be here, is all."

"Oh Vito this is big boy stuff, that dumb dame does shit jobs. Jobs that are so dangerous it's possible you might get killed."

I jumped at what I heard "What! Why would you make her do that?"

"Vito listen she is just some dumb broad that no one gives two shits about, now sit down we got shit to do."

I couldn't listen to the mission after that story. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she okay? I mean my jobs were no walk in the park so what could they make her do? When I finally tuned in, I didn't like what I heard…again. Joe and I were supposed to go down to the nicest hotel in town and blow it up. This is going to be a real treat.

6 HOURS LATER

Well the plan didn't go so well. The bomb blow up to early, Climente the mob boss we were supposed to kill got away, shot Marty the poor kid, and raced down the street. Naturally we went after him and killed em', but gosh what a day. Joe kicked me out he seemed really distraught about the whole Marty thing. Well it was his idea to bring him along. The only thing I was looking forward to was getting home and talking to Rosa again, but when I got there I still couldn't find her. I started to worry. Pacing the floor back and forth with a beer in my hand was bringing her back. I sat on the couch and when eight o' clock rolled around I got into my car. The only place I could think she may be was at the hospital with her ma so I drove there. I got up the stairs and into the room. I looked at her she was making a bed in the chair next to her mom.

She stopped and looked at me "Vito! What are you doing here?"

"Vito? How are you dear?" Her mother said in a weak voice.

"Hello ma'am, I'm good thank you. Rosa what are you doing? It's getting late come home."

She looked away and continued to make her bed "I don't have a home Vito you know that."

"Come on Rosa, can we talk about this? Why sleep here you have a bed to sleep in." I walked up to her touching her arm.

She swiped her arm away "Vito not now. It was nice of you to let me stay there, but it was only for the night I will figure something out." She left the room "Nurse? We need some assistance please."

I followed her out the door and with my body I boxed her into the wall. "Rosa, please come back to my house. I gave you my bed, my food, my car just please come home."

She pushed me away from her "ENOUGH, JUST STOP." Her voice cracked "That is not my home. I am not weak. You look at me like some needy charity, but I'm not, I'm not, I'm not." A tear rolled down her face as she turned away clutching her stomach.

I went to her wiping the tear from her cheek "I won't force you to come, but I just wanted you to know how happy I was to have met you and…this may sound rude but the best thing that's happened to me this week was watching you get evicted. I'm sorry this isn't coming out right, but I need you to know I really looked forward to coming home today…." I walked down the steps not looking back. I had this weird feeling. It was like a tornado was ripping up my insides, something ached when I left. It felt worse than that bullet the Nazi's put into me.

I straightened up and watched him walk off. My eye twitched and my mouth was in a tight frown. Why did it hurt to watch him walk away? He was nothing to me. Nothing but a…a… wonderful guy who didn't treat me like…shit what was I doing standing here? I should probably go. I shook my head "No" I walked back to mom's room.

"Rosa honey what are you doing?"

I hid my red tear filled pulsating eyes. "Going to bed, what are you doing?"

"Rosa I want you to go…go with him, I've never seen someone more in love."

My eyes widened "Love?" I turned and paused thinking, smiling but I stopped. "What do you know about it? He's just another guy trying to get what he wants out of the "poor defenseless woman."

"Or he wants company, friendship even?"

I stopped making my bed and heard what he said repeating in my brain "I need you to know I really looked forward to coming home today…." "…wanted you to know how happy I was to have met you" Then a heavy set black woman nurse came in "You called ma'am? What was it you needed?" I pushed past her "Ma'am" she was startled "Where in the heavens are you going?"

"Home" I smiled and started out the door.

I got in the house, went straight for the fridge for a beer and avoided my bedroom. I couldn't look over there. I watched the fireplace thinking. I thought about her, my life, my ma who I missed so much. I thought about a lot of things. I stretched out on the couch watching my eyelashes come closer to one another with each blink. Just when I was about dead asleep the door-bell rings. My eyes shot open as I got up. I groaned as I walked to the door "What, who I it? So help me god if it's more bad news I'm gonna-" I opened the door and there she was. I looked at her my mouth a jar.

"The hospital kicked me out…" She looked up at me with what little belongings she had.

I smiled and extended my arm "Come on in hobo" I laughed at myself.

"Well how long did it take you to come up with that one?" She walked in dropping her bags. We sat on the couch watching TV. I made jokes and told her about my mission. She told me about hers. She has to deal with a lot of shit in one day. We feel asleep watching I Love Lucy.

The next time I woke up it was three in the morning. It was a phone call from the Lone Star bar. "Hello?"

A black man answered from the other line "Hey is this veeeto? I have your buddy Joe here. He says he knows you? This crazy Kat keeps jarring on about some buddy name Marty. And I don't know how to get this crazy flake outta here?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You friend is here drunk and scarin everyone away can you please come down here and get em'?"

"Oh mother Fu- yeah, yeah I'll be there don't give him anymore to drink."

"What was that about?" Rosa sat up

"It's nothing. Why don't you go ahead in my room to sleep."

She glared at me "Vito tell me what's going on now."

I told her about Joe and she jumped up ready to go. "I'm not staying here I'll go and help."

There was defiantly no use in arguing with her so we got in the car and drove down there.

When we got down to the bar Joe was wasted. The bartender said "I tried to cut him off but he was going to air my ass out if I didn't."

Vito walked over to Joe and spun the chair around and sat. I stood by the bar stole and watched him. He was so sweet about it. He talked to him like they were brothers. He comforted him and told him it would be alright. I've never seen any man act the way Vito did, civilized. Usually with men it's fighting and yelling and getting physical, but not with Vito. I liked that. Then when we thought everything was done Joe screws up.

"This never should have happened, never, never!" Joe banged his gun against the table and it went of hitting the bar tender as he went to get his keys from the door.

"Whoa, oh my- Joe what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry I was just-"

"You were just what? Great, get in the car I'll take care of the body."

Joe walked to the car as I went up to Vito "What are we going to do?"

"I have to get his body out of here. You wanna help me out here?"

Vito and I got the body into the trunk and got in. Vito drove and I sat in the passengers sit, while Joe lay drunk in the back.

He shot up and leaned into the front seat "Well, hello who are you? Oh wait a minute" he stopped trying to swallow vomit "sorry 'bout that, anyway you're the girl Vito's always asking about!"

"Alright Joe that's enough, sit down."

"No, no wait a minute. You know you're a lot prettier than I thought you would be."

I chuckled "yeah thanks."

We got to Joe's apartment "Okay here we are, try not to shoot anyone from here to the door okay?"

"I'm sorry about all this Vito."

"Yeah… hey Joe" Joe stopped and looked at him "Just call me tomorrow okay?"

"Okay bye Vito. Bye ya pretty little dame."

We watched him wobble to the door before we drove away. "Okay we need to get this body to the junk yard without getting stopped."

I looked at Vito and said "That was really sweet the way you talked to Joe today. You didn't get mad or nothin' you just were so nice" I yawned getting tired "It was really sweet." I said faintly as I leaned on the window shutting my eyes.

"Thanks, I'm glad you think so" He smiled to himself "If you're tired then just go to sleep I'll weak you up when we get home.

"No, no its-" I yawned again and feel asleep.

I went to the junk yard and carried her out of the car. I drove the car into the crusher and pushed the button. The car and body were smashed. I found another vehicle in the parking lot and took it, picking Rosa up and putting her in I drove home trying not to wake her from her sleep as she sleep in my lap.