Disclaimer:I don't own anything.
Author's Note: Thanks so much for the enthusiasm, I appreciate it tons and tons! Bear with me as I repost chapters, for people that have already read most of this material.
Anyways, thanks again for the reviews and keep reviewing!! Happy holidays everyone!
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Dear Diary,
Today in school we got assigned a project about our families. I can't wait to do mine. I have the best family ever. Tifa made us lasagna for dinner today. It was really delicious. Me and Denzel worked on our homework after and I finished before he did this time! He's older so he knows more than I do but I was really good today and he let me tease him about it.
But it's been two days since Cloud left. I hope he doesn't stay away too long.
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Dear Diary,
Me and Denzel got to go with Tifa for groceries. I love grocery shopping with Tifa, she always lets us pick one thing each, even if it's candy or if it's bad for you. When we're extra good sometimes she let's us pick two! I chose gummy bears. Denzel picked sour lemon drops. I asked him if I could try one and he gave one to me. I don't know how he eats those things. I started to tear it was so sour. Tifa got worried when she saw me but then Denzel explained while I spit it out and made a face. Next time I'll stick with my own candy.
Cloud has been gone for three days now.
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Dear Diary,
Tifa cooked us a really big dinner with all our favorite foods. I ate too much. So did Denzel. His belly was really round and he complained it hurt when I poked it. When I poked it again he chased me but I hid behind Tifa. I'm glad we made Tifa smile, even if it was scary having Denzel chase after me. Tifa doesn't smile as much as she used to.
It's been eight days since Cloud left.
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Dear Diary,
I presented my family project in school today. Someone asked me how I can call Tifa my mom when she didn't have me. I said that doesn't mean she can't act like my mom. He asked if she was married. I said no, but she loves someone and he loves her. He asked me where he was and why they weren't married and I replied that it was complicated. I didn't like that boy at all. When he said my family isn't a real family, that real families have a mom and dad who are married and live with each other I got angry. I've never gotten in trouble in school before but today I got sent home with a note. When Tifa saw it she looked surprised and asked me what I got into a fight about but I couldn't tell her. She tucked me in and stroked my forehead and I didn't care what that stupid boy said. Plus, I wasn't the one with a black eye. Denzel gave me a piece of chocolate he had been saving after he heard.
Cloud has been gone for twelve days.
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Night approached and Seventh Heaven was full of patrons; it hadn't been this busy in a while. Tifa struggled to keep up, taking orders, making drinks, clearing tables, and washing glasses. For the past few hours she had been pushing herself relentlessly, rarely if ever taking a break, finding it easier to exhaust herself with work than to let herself think of anything having to do with…Tifa frowned and wiped the table faster. Holding three glasses and a pile of dirty dishes on the other arm and reviewing the orders from the other tables, she backed up just as someone was pushing back their chair, putting her off balance. For a moment, it seemed as if the dishes wobbling precariously would crash to the floor. But then, a strong arm was there, catching her waist and holding her steady. Tifa looked up, surprised, and met the striking green eyes of a tall, handsome man. He looked familiar, then recognized him as one of the strangers who had approached her at the bar. His hair was dark and was swept back into spike very much like someone else she knew…
Tifa regained her footing and stepped back, slightly flustered. "Thanks," she said to the stranger, before heading off to the kitchen. The man followed her with his eyes.
Marlene erased part of her homework distractedly, peeping glances at the bar. Tifa had been acting a little strange. Still cheerful and loving like always, of course, but Marlene didn't like it when Tifa worked herself too hard. It usually meant something was wrong. Neither her nor Denzel could forget the time when Tifa decided to scourge the entire house from top to bottom. They felt bad for any dust that Tifa laid her eyes on, it was that scary. It was around the time when Cloud didn't come home for dinner for one whole week, Marlene had observed solemnly. Tifa always worked herself especially hard when Cloud wasn't around. She wished Cloud would get some sense into his head and stay and make Tifa happy. In the meanwhile, Marlene and Denzel decided to watch out for their beautiful, adoptive "mom" themselves.
She watched warily as yet another man approached the counter, leaning over the bar and saying something to Tifa standing behind making drinks. Marlene fully expected the encounter to be just like every other time where Tifa would turn them down gently. The number of men who would approach Tifa was too many to keep track. So she was shocked when the conversation between the dark-haired man and Tifa continued longer than usual. The men, while usually not easily discouraged, could take a hint when Tifa gave them her final answer in that firm, Tifa manner. Marlene stopped pretending to do her homework and looked over at the two indignantly, not able to hear what they were saying but scrutinizing them nonetheless.
"Hello."
Tifa looked up from wiping a glass to meet the gaze of a pair of familiar green eyes. It was the stranger from before who had steadied her.
"Can I help you?" she asked politely, trying not to notice how intently he was looking at her.
"Actually, I was wondering if I could help you. You look a bit weighted down with work, I wanted to see if you needed a hand." His voice had a pleasant timbre and he grinned at her.
Tifa raised her eyebrow at him. "Thank you for the offer, but I don't usually let strangers help out at the bar."
He nodded. "I understand," he replied congenially. "Let me try that again." Tifa watched curiously as he turned around to walk away, only to take a few steps before he came back to the bar. "Hey there. My name is Skylar." He extended his hand in greeting. Tifa hesitated a little…but then remembering how he had saved her a mess of broken dishes, she grasped his hand in hers.
"Tifa."
"So, Tifa, now that we're not strangers, I was wondering if you'd let me give you a hand," he said with a rogueish smile.
Tifa let herself smile lightly. "So, Skylar, I'm sure you're not offering to give up your night to hard labor for nothing in return."
"I'm offended you think I'm out for personal gain," he returned, jokingly indignant. "I am fully willing to help out at no cost to you…but if you happen to not be busy this Saturday, I'd like to take you out. So what do you say?"
Tifa smiled at his antics. Maybe this is what I need, she thought to herself. He seems nice enough. I've never considered dating anyone because…because—she felt a pain in her chest. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She had been waiting for so long…dreaming…hoping…and then she had ruined it. Her heart had been broken for the thousandth time, and she was tired of picking up the pieces and pretending as if everything was alright.
Besides, he hadn't been back for almost two weeks. Maybe he would never, she thought in despair. A life without Cloud…?. Could she do it? Was she strong enough? Imagining never seeing Cloud again…it suddenly became hard to breathe.
She realized the man was still waiting for a response. She opened her mouth to say something…hesitating…
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Dear Diary,
A stranger that we've seen often came tonight. He flirted with Tifa a lot. Me and Denzel gave him our best ugly faces but it was unlucky that he didn't see. We've decided we need to think of a codename for him. It's okay though because Tifa still said no.
Cloud has been gone for thirteen days.
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Dear Diary,
Mr. Dogbreath came back today. Me and Denzel were instantly on the lookout. Everytime he approached the bar me and Denzel made sure to have a question for Tifa. But I think Tifa got suspicious because she sent us upstairs to do our homework. I stuck my tongue out at Mr. Dogbreath on the way up the stairs and this time he saw. But that's okay because Tifa still turned him down.
It's been sixteen days since Cloud left. What's taking him so long?
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Dear Diary,
Tifa broke two dishes today. She hasn't broken a dish in a long time. It's been seventeen days since Cloud left.
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Dear Diary,
Me and Denzel went into hiding today because Tifa decided to clean the entire house from top to bottom. Then she took us out for grocery shopping as if to say sorry for scaring us and let us pick two things each. She cooked us a big huge meal but halfway through I noticed she hadn't eaten much. She just looked outside as if she was daydreaming but I don't think it was a happy daydream.
Cloud has been gone for twenty days.
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Dear Diary,
It's been twenty-four days since Cloud left. I asked Tifa where he was while she was herding us into bed. She smiled a little and said that she didn't know but he should be back soon. It's strange. Tifa's smile isn't like most people's. Hers smiles are a little sad, even though smiles are for when people are happy.
I don't think I'm going to ask Tifa that question anymore.
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Dear Diary,
I had a nightmare and crept into Tifa's room because I was scared. I thought that I could sneak into her bed like I did sometimes when I was younger, but when I walked in Tifa wasn't sleeping. She was sitting in the windowsill, head resting on her knees, looking outside in the dark. I asked her what she was looking at and she said that she was looking at the stars. I crawled into her lap and she wrapped her arms around me and I wasn't scared anymore. When I woke up I was tucked into her bed and Tifa was making breakfast in the kitchen. I wonder if she slept at all.
It's been twenty-six days since Cloud left.
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