A/N: Wow…I cant believe I'm almost to fifty chapters. This story has definitely come a long way! *SOB* I feel so proud! FREE COOKIES FOR ALL OF YOU AWESOME READERS! Anyhoo, I am beginning to run out of ideas for chapters, so start sending in your suggestions! Enjoy!


49. A visit with Elmyra

Several weeks later-

I was rudely awoken by the sound of the phone in Cloud's office ringing. I tried to ignore it for about five minutes, but yet, no one else answered it. With a loud groan, I rolled out of my bed, and made my way to the room next door to mine, pushing the door open, and sleepily stumbling towards the desk.

"This is why I should move out…" I mumbled, picking up the phone and putting it to my ear. "Hello? Strife Delivery Service! You name it, we deliver it! This is Haley speaking, how may I help you?"

'I was hoping I would be able to speak to you soon, Haley.' I was a bit confused for a second, until I finally registered who the voice belonged to, causing me to grin widely.

"Hi, Mrs. Gainsborough! What can I do for you?"

'I need someone to deliver something for me, and I was wondering if you and Cloud could both do it for me.'

I didn't really understand the point of why Cloud needed to come, but I guess since it is his business, he should be able to do something.

"Sure. We'll be there shortly!"

She still lived in the same house from before. Amazingly, it was very surprising how it wasn't ruined when Meteor fell, but it still had a lot of damage done. She had some help rebuilding it and refurnishing the furniture too.

I dialed Cloud's number.

'Hello?'

"We have a delivery that requested we both go together."

'Who called it in and requested it?'

"Mrs. Gainsborough did." He grew quiet for what seemed like eternity, so I spoke up again. "Look, if you don't wanna go-"

'I just walked into the bar. Come on down and we'll go.'

I hung up, and ran into my room to change out of my pajamas and brush my hair, tying it up into a messy bun. After I had that done, I ran downstairs and outside, finding Cloud sitting on the already running Fenrir. I ran over and hopped on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist quickly, and he took off, heading to our destination.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

We stood in front of the door as I knocked on it, earning a 'Just a second!' from the other side of it. Finally it opened, revealing a smiling Mrs. Gainsborough. She smiled at me happily, pulling me into a comforting and loving hug.

"It's been far too long since you both last visited me! Please, come in!" She let me go, moving aside to let us in before she shut the door and walked us into the living room. "I'm sorry to call you both in during your working hours."

I smiled, shaking my head. "Oh, no, no! It's quite alright! Besides, only Cloud does the deliveries. We were planning to come and visit, isn't that right, Cloud?"

Cloud looked up, giving Elmyra a small smile. "Yeah…We were."

She smiled happily at the words. "Would you two like some tea?"

"Yes please!"

She looked at Cloud, who shook his head. "No thanks. I'm still on the job."

She walked into the kitchen, Cloud and I both close behind her. I sat down at the table, while Cloud stood. Elmyra came and sat down across from me, setting two cups of freshly brewed Jasmine tea on the table.

"Is little Marlene doing well?" Elmyra asked as I took a sip from my cup. "It's been practically three years already…Children grow up so fast…She must have gotten big." She smiled to herself thoughtfully, and I knew that she was probably lonely without Aerith here with her anymore, and without me too.

"If it's not too much trouble…" I began, causing her to look up at me. "I'll bring her along with me next time. She wants to see you, too."

She smiled happily. "Really?" I nodded my head, and her smile grew wider. "I'm so happy! It would be an absolute pleasure."

Cloud smiled at her, and I couldn't help but grin at the happiness that was radiating off of her. I loved Elmyra very much. She was like a second mother to me. When Aerith had brought me home, Elmyra was more than happy to have me come and stay with them. And when I had told them that once I had earned enough gil to find my own place, she opposed the idea and insisted I stayed here with her and Aerith. She even told me that I could call her mom, and I did. She treated me just like a daughter, and I guess that made me come to love her so much.

"Well then, I'm sorry, you were in the middle of work, weren't you?" Elmyra said to Cloud. He smiled.

"No, it can wait. Today isn't very busy."

"Well, why don't we all go into the living room where it's more comfortable."

I stood up with her, and followed her out, Cloud behind us. I turned around when I noticed Cloud had stopped, and was staring at something on the wall. I walked back to him. "Cloud, what're you looking-" I stopped when my gaze fell on what he was staring at.

It was a picture of Aerith from when she was probably around 5 or 6 at the time, holding a bouquet of lilies, her eyes closed as she was grinning happily. I felt the corner of my mouth tug up as a small smile began to make its way onto my face.

"Cute, hmm?" I turned to see Elmyra watching us as Cloud and I stood there looking at the picture. She approached and stood next to us. "She's exactly the same age as Marlene…She always loved flowers since a young age." Cloud turned and smiled gently at her as she continued.

"This photo of Aerith…is the only one I have left."

She smiled thoughtfully as she stared at the picture. I turned my attention to the photo hanging next to it, noticing the person in it right away. It was a picture of me that Aerith had taken while I sat out in the flowers at the church. I hadn't been looking, so she took it upon herself to take it.

"I suppose parents would normally be biased, but she really is quite cute, isn't she?" Elmyra asked us.

"Yea…she is." I said, smiling at the pictures hanging on the wall. Elmyra turned her attention to the one of me.

"Aerith took that picture when she and you went to the church one day, about a month after you had moved in with us. She had told me that since you had become part of our little family, you needed to have a perfect picture on my wall. I already had so many pictures of the both of you together, but this was the only one I had that had just you." Elmyra smiled, gazing at the picture. "You looked so calm and happy when she took it."

I looked at it, and took notice at my appearance. My hair had been longer back then, almost to my waist, whereas it's shoulder length now. I had it in a headband that had a little ribbon on it, and I had been wearing a blue sundress. I was smiling while I took in the sunlight coming from the roof as I sat in the flowers.

It had been like I had never been sad at all.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Cloud and I were walking out of the door, but we were stopped by Elmyra.

"Tell me…I've always been terrified to find out the answer to this, but…Aerith…" She looked down at the ground worriedly. "She died without suffering, right?"

Cloud said nothing, so I spoke up for him. Even though he had come to terms of our beloved flower girls death, he was still a bit touchy about talking about it.

"She was smiling up until the very end, wasn't she?"

I grabbed one of Elmyra's hands and held it with my own, giving her a small smile. "Her face was peaceful…just as if she were sleeping. And…she had a gentle smile on her face, as if nothing was wrong."

Elmyra teared up. "Good. I'm so glad to hear that." She pulled me into another hug, doing her best not to squish the bouquet of flowers she had handed me to deliver for her. "Tell her, the next time you go and see her, that mom says hello."

I smiled as I made my way to sit on Fenrir behind Cloud. "I will…I promise."


A/N: AGH! I am sorry for not updating all to fast! I have thought up another brilliant story, but I don't think I will publish it yet because I still have other projects that have yet to even be completed! SO, review! LATER TATERS!