Hayate came around the corner, followed closely by Orlena. The dog barked at the sight of his former owner.
Riza jumped away from Roy, ruining the kiss that barely had a chance to begin. She knew Orlena would be by Hayate and, sure enough, there she was. "Hi Orlena, did you have fun with Hayate?"
Orlena nodded. "Yes, I was just going to my room." She said without pausing. "Don't let me ruin your fun. Hayate come." Orlena added when he stopped by Riza. Hayate whined and then followed Orlena.
"Thank you!" Roy called after her, then turned back to Riza. "I hate it when she does that. And you shouldn't lie to me. Now you better get started on dinner." He told her, then went to his study to work.
Riza sighed a little. She was too used to being alone and felt out of place in the family. She went to the kitchen as he had told her to.
A few minutes later, Orlena appeared. "Hey mom. Do you need any help?"
Oh, no. That's alright."
"But I want to." Orlena said, twisting her hips to get her dress to spin.
"How about you have a seat and I'll tell you a story as I cook?" Riza suggested. "Do you know how your father and I first met?" She asked, figuring that story will be harmless.
Orlena shook her head. "No. Dad never told me that." She said, taking a seat, though it wasn't as if she hadn't asked him before.
"I lived in the East area back then. My father . . . he was an alchemist and a very skilled one at that. Your father heard this and he wanted to learn alchemy, so he came over to learn from him. Now I, I was a very shy and quiet girl. I didn't have any friends and I had a terrible stutter. Roy wasn't bothered by this at all, which surprised me because most people made fun of my stutter. He was very friendly and nice to me and kept the conversation going when I was quiet. When he wasn't learning alchemy from my father, he was showing me how to have fun. He took me out dancing often and its because of that that I still like dancing to this day." Riza smiled as she finished.
"No way." Orlena said in disbelief. "Dad can dance?! I have never seen him do that. I wish he would dance with me."
"I could dance with you."
"Really? That would be nice." Orlena smiled.
…
After dinner, Roy sent Orlena up to take a bath before turning to Riza. "Riza, please don't be so quick to judge me so harshly. You have to remember, I've been on my own for ten years. She doesn't come last in my life. If I don't do what I do, I lose her."
"Sir relax. I won't say another thing about how you raised her. Its fine."
"Really? You sure got over that fast." Roy said, not believing it.
"Well, I can't really judge when I just got here."
"Oh, so I'll be getting a monthly grade then?" Roy rolled his eyes.
Riza gave him a glare. "I am trying to tell you I won't judge you. Ever. But if you want a monthly grade it can be arranged."
"No, no. You just worded it poorly, but you have my thanks . . . when I get an apology." Roy said, returning the glare.
"I'm sorry." She said and walked away.
"That's not a very heartfelt apology. The least you can do is look at me when you say it." Roy said, following her.
She paused and turned to him. "I'm sorry for overreacting, calling you a terrible father, and everything else that upset you." She sat on the couch, what would be her sleeping place for the night. Riza certainly didn't want to sleep with Roy after all of the fighting they've done today. "If you want to yell at me, go ahead." She said.
Roy looked at the floor. "I don't want to yell at you and I don't know why you are. Was it really so wrong of me to want an apology?" Roy turned and headed for the stairs.
…
Riza was ready to leave when morning came, but she didn't. There was still a chance things could get better. She got up off the couch and went into the kitchen.
Roy soon came down to see her. "You didn't have to sleep down here on the couch you know."
"Well, I did." She said in reply and handed him a plate. "Here."
He didn't take it, knowing she would turn away when he did. "What is it Riza?"
"Its scrambled eggs. Well done." She set the plate on the counter and turned to the eggs in the pan on the stove. "I don't know what you want me to say. I need time to adjust. I went from being a single person to having a family in a matter of days. Now eat, you have to go to work soon."
"I want you to say you're not mad at me and that you love me." Roy took his plate and walked away without waiting for a reply as Orlena appeared.
When Riza was done cleaning up after breakfast, she turned to Orlena. "Do you want to come with me as I walk Hayate?"
"Okay! But shouldn't I be walking him?"
"Of course, you're right. I'll still be with you though." Riza added awkwardly.
Orlena was fine with that. She got Hayate's leash and put it on the dog, but when she got outside, she got nervous and quickly grabbed Riza's hand with one of her's.
"Its alright. Hayate isn't the kind of dog to go racing ahead, dragging you along."
"That's not it." Orlena said, looking down. She blushed and swung her hips around, embarrassed. "I-I never . . . I've never gone out before, unless to see Knox or the girls."
". . . well . . . its okay. I'm here." Riza comforted her.
Her grip on Riza's hand tightened as she looked back at her and smiled. A little while into the walk. Orlena looked up at Riza. "How did dad propose to you?"
Riza let out a small breath. "Well, he just pulled out a ring and asked if I would marry him. It wasn't at a fancy place or at a romantic setting. It wasn't even after a nice dinner or anything of the sort, but you know what? It didn't need to be. All of that wasn't important to me. What was important was simply that he had proposed."
"That's nice, but a boy better go all out when he proposes to me if he wants me to say yes." Orlena said and blew some of her hair out of her eye. 'I deserve it.' She thought.
"You might not feel that way when you fall in love. I remember, when I was younger, I dreamed of the perfect proposal and a fairytale wedding. Now-er when I fell in love with your father, I no longer cared for such perfection as long as I got to marry the man I love. You'll understand one day."
". . . Maybe." It was hard to argue with that. "What was the wedding like?"
"It . . ." After a brief moment of hesitation, Riza told the truth. ". . . hasn't happened yet. We never got a chance to. We've been so busy."
"Ooohh! You're planning it aren't you? You two have to get married, you have to!"
"Don't worry Orlena. I can't say we're planning it because I just got back, but it'll happen."
Orlena grinned. "Do I get to be a flower girl?"
…
At home, Orlena found herself staring out a window overlooking the backyard. 'Where is he? What if something happened to him?' She fretted, thinking of her friend. A storm was moving in.
"Is something wrong?"
Orlena jumped and turned around to see the woman she believed was her mother. "No. I-its nothing." She said, unable to keep herself from sounding upset as she looked down.
"Its okay, you can tell me." Riza said softly.
"I-I wanted to play in the flower garden today." Orlena lied.
Riza looked outside. It was starting to rain. "You have a radio right? Why don't you and I dance in your room?" 'It certainly is big enough for it.' She thought, remembering her surprise when she had seen how huge it was.
"I do! Let's go!"
…
Roy walked into the house, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Oh, hello Riza." He said, seeing her stretched out on the couch.
She sat up. "You sound surprised."
"Oh, well, that's because . . . I thought you were Orlena for a second there." He lied embarrassed.
Riza gave him a look, but didn't press him for the truth. She went into the kitchen. "I told Orlena we weren't married." She told him, knowing it was safe to talk with his daughter in her room. "I hope that was alright."
Roy, having followed her, looked at her. "Why would you tell her that?" He asked, hurt.
"She was asking about how our wedding was and its hard to answer that when we never had one." Riza told him.
"Oh." 'Stupid me.' He thought, then went on. "Well, I'm going to go see Orlena. I got her her favorite flowers." Roy waved the flowers, before turning away. He had to tell her. She would've found out when he never gave them to her. Next time he would get her something, since he had forgotten.
"Okay." She said, setting the table for dinner. It was nice that he was doing something for Orlena, but she wished he could do things for her too. Dating had been so short and now suddenly it wasn't just the two of them. She wished he could forgive her at least, but it'd have to be something that takes time.
Riza went up to Orlena's room and found Roy sitting on the bed as he watched Orlena decorate her room with the flowers. "Dinner is ready." Riza announced.
"Okay!" Orlena laughed as she ran out of her room.
Roy sighed. "She really likes you. I haven't seen her this happy since I gave her that picture of you."
"Oh? Well, I am her long lost mother sir. Of course she's happy."
Roy smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "Its more than that. You're winning her heart over too."
Riza looked a little embarrassed. "Children are supposed to love their parents, just as parents are supposed to love their children." Was all she could think of to say in reply before going after Orlena.
Roy frowned at what she had said before following.
…
Another long chapter. This story has been hard to cut off. I like it too much.
