My Child, born of me.
He stared as she sat in her own little area at the table. Her sanctuary. Her dark hair fell slightly covering part of her delicate, four year old complexion. Her sweet, gentle voice hummed out an angelic like hymn like her mother sang to her. She sat surrounded by her crayons, paint sets, and markers. She scribbled away at her creation on paper. Her tiny hands moved in a back and forth motion.
Then she looked back up at him. Her watery blue eyes, matching his own. She smiled sweetly and held up her picture. "See?" She said, "It me, you, mommy, and grandpa. Grandpa said he has to be in here or he'll give me Fujis." Her face suddenly toned serious. "It tickles me." She walked up to Squall and climbed up upon his knee. "Do you like it?" Squall smiled at her and said uncomfortably, "It's nice, Eliaa." She beamed and climbed down. "Mommy coming home?" He nodded. "Soon."
She looked at the clock and as she could tell time, independently wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight daddy." She said softly. She then marched out the door and across the hall of Garden to her bedroom. Squall stood up and walked to the window. Below him, he could see the light of Esthar. The room he was in was dimly lit, except for a lamppost by the couch where Eliaa sat before. He instinctively started to clean up her mess.
A pair of hands wrapped around his shoulders stopped him. "Is Eliaa in bed?" Squall turned around and saw Rinoa. "Well?" she asked sternly. "Yeah." Rinoa sighed with relief. "Good. She didn't give you a hard time did she?" "No." Rinoa nodded with contentment again and moved across the room to the bathroom and shut the door while getting ready for bed. Squall shut the door to the hall. He liked living like this, with a whole section of Garden just for his living. He crossed the room and removed his shirt. He then parted the covers over his bed and lay down, resting. He reached over and shut off the lamp.
A couple minutes later, Rinoa got out of the bathroom and lay down beside him. He listened to the paces of her breath as they hit his chest, softly and warmly. Then he thought of his own parents. Laguna told him how much Raine was loved by him, but why did he leave her? Why did he show no emotion when he spoke of her death? He was sure Laguna had his regrets. Squall pushed the thoughts of his father out of his mind. What mattered was that he was there for Rinoa, for the rest of her life. And he would forever be with Eliaa. She was his child.
He stared as she sat in her own little area at the table. Her sanctuary. Her dark hair fell slightly covering part of her delicate, four year old complexion. Her sweet, gentle voice hummed out an angelic like hymn like her mother sang to her. She sat surrounded by her crayons, paint sets, and markers. She scribbled away at her creation on paper. Her tiny hands moved in a back and forth motion.
Then she looked back up at him. Her watery blue eyes, matching his own. She smiled sweetly and held up her picture. "See?" She said, "It me, you, mommy, and grandpa. Grandpa said he has to be in here or he'll give me Fujis." Her face suddenly toned serious. "It tickles me." She walked up to Squall and climbed up upon his knee. "Do you like it?" Squall smiled at her and said uncomfortably, "It's nice, Eliaa." She beamed and climbed down. "Mommy coming home?" He nodded. "Soon."
She looked at the clock and as she could tell time, independently wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight daddy." She said softly. She then marched out the door and across the hall of Garden to her bedroom. Squall stood up and walked to the window. Below him, he could see the light of Esthar. The room he was in was dimly lit, except for a lamppost by the couch where Eliaa sat before. He instinctively started to clean up her mess.
A pair of hands wrapped around his shoulders stopped him. "Is Eliaa in bed?" Squall turned around and saw Rinoa. "Well?" she asked sternly. "Yeah." Rinoa sighed with relief. "Good. She didn't give you a hard time did she?" "No." Rinoa nodded with contentment again and moved across the room to the bathroom and shut the door while getting ready for bed. Squall shut the door to the hall. He liked living like this, with a whole section of Garden just for his living. He crossed the room and removed his shirt. He then parted the covers over his bed and lay down, resting. He reached over and shut off the lamp.
A couple minutes later, Rinoa got out of the bathroom and lay down beside him. He listened to the paces of her breath as they hit his chest, softly and warmly. Then he thought of his own parents. Laguna told him how much Raine was loved by him, but why did he leave her? Why did he show no emotion when he spoke of her death? He was sure Laguna had his regrets. Squall pushed the thoughts of his father out of his mind. What mattered was that he was there for Rinoa, for the rest of her life. And he would forever be with Eliaa. She was his child.