On her way to the bar Tifa realised the kids school was only a short detour up the next street. She thought she could try to see the teacher so who can tell the kids to return home to the bar instead of to Elmyra's. While passing through the school gates she saw Barret standing near the main entrance talking to the teacher. Rushing over she saw Marlene standing nearby, "Barret, is everything alright, why are you here?" Tifa questioned the former Avalanche member.
Turning around he saw her approaching, "Tifa, the school's been trying to contact you all morning the hell you been?" He questioned his metallic hand pointing straight at her.
"I've been at the medical centre since yesterday afternoon, Cloud was injured. I forgot my PHS, what's happened?"
"Denzel, has punched another boy, who had pushed Marlene." The teacher informed Tifa, "When you couldn't be contacted, we contacted Barret instead,"
"I see," Tifa leaned down to Marlene, "Are you alright sweetie?"
"I'm fine," the young girl nodded, as the school bell rung.
"Marlene, get into class, I'll be in shortly," The teacher said, before turning to face Tifa, "He's been put into solitary classes, I wanted to have a chat with you about his change in attitude recently."
Tifa looked at the teacher in confusion, "What change in attitude?"
"He's been disruptive in class and not doing as well as he used to." The teacher explained.
"I'll have a word with him." Tifa promised.
The school bell rang again, so the teacher excused herself.
Stopping her, "Can you tell them to come home, not to their Aunt Elmyra's?" Tifa added before letting the teacher go.
Turning to Barrett, "Let's go the bar, we need to catch up," Tifa said.
"I'm here to see Elmyra, I'll be round later," He replied.
"Actually, I need to see her too. I need to thank her for taking care of the kids last night." Tifa replied before leaving the school grounds with Barret following.
Knocking on Elmyra's front door Tifa realised Barret was hanging back, "Barret, you alright?"
He didn't get chance to reply as the door opened. Tifa looked in shock at Elmyra, at her attire, she was dressed in a low cut top and a short skirt, "Oh Tifa, I err, I was expecting someone. Please come in." Elmyra said taking a step back her face beetroot red.
Tifa, looked back toward Barret, 'Is Elmyra sleeping with Barret,' she wondered as Barret walked forward, following Tifa into the house.
Inside Elmyra was nowhere to be seen. 'She must be getting changed.' Tifa thought taking a seat on the sofa, Barret seemed to be uncomfortable about something his gaze staring at the staircase leading upstairs.
After a couple minutes of silence Elmyra appeared at the bottom of the stairs, Tifa was correct, she had gone to get changed. "Sorry about that Tifa," she looked to Barret who was now stood next to her. She leaned into him whispering something into his ear, he nodded, "Tifa, Barret and I are dating we've been together for a couple of months now."
Tifa stared at the pair, she didn't know what to say.
Elmyra walked over, "Tifa are you alright?" She asked sitting down next to her.
"Yes, I'm just in shock is all."
"I understand, we wanted to keep this secret, in case didn't work out between us."
"I will not tell anyone," Tifa said 'I'd better give them their privacy' she thought glancing at the clock on the wall, "I need to get back to the bar. I just came to say thank you for taking care of the kids last night." She stood up, and walked over to Barret.
"Tifa, I didn't want to deceive you about this." He said as she approached him.
"Its alright, you deserve happiness," She looked back to Elmyra, "You both do." She opened the front door, "Be sure to call into the bar later, alright Barret,"
"Sure will do," he acknowledged as she walked through the door.
'Home at last,' she thought unlocking the side door to the Seventh Heaven bar and walking inside. Locking the door behind her she headed up the stairs deciding to have a quick shower.
At the top of the stairs she went into her bedroom to get undressed. She saw her PHS laying on top of her bed, she grabbed it checking for messages. However the screen refused to light up. 'Hmm, battery must have died.' She realised walking to the charger which was sat on her desk, 'Be a couple hours before its fully charged,' she thought looking around her room. She saw a small pile of discarded clothing in the corner, she grabbed it and headed towards the laundry room to wash them. 'I'll wash Cloud's and the kids laundry too since I'm washing,' she thought seeing as the machine was only half full.
Inside Cloud's room she opened the laundry basket she had left in the corner for him to put his dirty clothing into. 'He's got a lot of washing here,' she sighed taking the clothing from the basket, checking the pockets where neccessary. She found a small peice of paper inside a pair of trousers, which she placed on his desk, resisting the urge to unfold it and read it. She wondered about the paper as she left his room her arms full with his clothing.
Leaving the laundry room, after turning on the washing machine to wash their clothes, she headed to have her shower. On the way she detoured into her bedroom to get undressed, throwing her clothing into the corner. 'I'll wash them with the rest of Cloud's, and the kids, clothes later.' she thought, grabbing a dressing gown from her cupboard before going into the shower room.
After the shower she put on some comfortable clothes and decided to start cleaning the appartment starting with the vacuuming. She took the vacuum from the closet, and took it into the living room.
After finishing vacuuming and dusting the appartment, she stood in the hallway outside Cloud's room. She debated leaving the room, but her desire to clean it won out. So she opened the door and push the vacuum inside, sighing at the mess inside. Looking at his desk she saw paperwork littered all over it and the floor, she started picking up the paperwork placing it into neat piles on the desk.
She looked to the paper from earlier, her curiosity to read it made her reach for it. She touched it, but stopped stort of picking it up, 'No, I need to respect his privacy,' she scolded herself and retracted her hand away from it.
She stared at his bed and removed the sheets and pillow cases, replacing them with new ones, before grabbing the vacuum and using it on his floor.
When she was finished cleaning his room, she grabbed his bed sheets and pillow cases, aswell as the washing from the kids room, and placed them in the washing machine hanging the now clean washing on the hangers to dry.
On her way to her bedroom, she heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. Adopting a defensive stance she waited for whoever it was to reach the top.
Hi, sorry about the menial housework here, the messages should be received next chapter, Tifa's mobile, (PHS) should be charged by then. Thank you for continuing to read this, I know there's not much action. I have some idea's to liven things up. I.e. Tifa joining the WRO and some guard hounds attacks the training center.