"Squall!" Laguna beamed and stood from his seat at his desk. His hair, tied up in his usual ponytail, was peppered with more grey than it had been six and a half years ago. It suited him, Squall thought. It certainly made him look more presidential at least. "It's good to see you. This is a nice surprise! You usually say you're coming first."
His grin couldn't possibly get any bigger, Squall thought, smiling a little in exasperation. "Hey…" He looked around the office, for no reason really except to give him a moment. "Is Ellone not here?"
"Ahh." Laguna rubbed the back of his head. "No, she's popped out. Are you here to see her?"
Squall didn't need to be looking at Laguna to know his face had dropped then, if only for a moment. He was as capable of putting his emotions behind masks as Squall was sometimes. "No... I'm here to see you, Laguna."
Laguna smiled. "Well, come, let's sit." He motioned to the small sofas on either side of a glass coffee table on the far side of the office and Squall followed him over.
"So how are you? How's Rinoa? She good? No longer setting fire to the curtains in her sleep I… er… hope?" He again ran a hand across his head.
Squall shook his head. "...No. The curtain's are intact. She's ...good… Actually that's… She's pregnant."
Laguna jumped to his feet. "Woah! That's huge! That's great! This is like the best thing ever!" He threw his arms out wide as he exclaimed. Squall watched him in bemusement and Laguna hesitated. "Er… Isn't it?" Then his eyes widened slightly. "I'm going to be a grandfather?" he said, and sat heavily onto the sofa.
Squall smiled slightly. He'd anticipated Laguna's reaction, and he hadn't let him down. "Yeah, and it is… great…."
Laguna leant his elbows on his knees, his eyes intent on Squall. His smile had dropped entirely, he looked uncharacteristically serious. "But? I know there's a but there."
Squall, in a life long habit he'd struggled to break, looked to the floor at his feet. "...But… I don't know what I'm doing… I never had… I don't know how to be a dad."
Laguna nodded, and his smile came back. "None of us do! Even those of us that had dads growing up, don't really know what we're doing. Your mother didn't have a clue what to do with Ellone when she took her in, but she did it and she was a little younger than you at the time. But everyone picks these things up fast, and I hear you're a damn fast learner so I'm sure you'll have it in no time."
Squall nodded, but his "hmm" didn't sound too convincing.
"And you will come to us if you need help, and your friends, and you have plenty of support Squall. Don't worry so much."
Squall looked up. "Of course." He flashed him a quick, small smile and when it dropped, darted his eyes back to the floor.
"Er… that's not all that's bothering you is it?"
Squall remained silent. He didn't even know how to broach what he wanted to say. His mind a whirl, and the panic was a heavy ball in the centre of his chest getting bigger and bigger, until he couldn't stand the silence any longer. "Raine… she died when I was born…"
"And you're worried that will happen to Rinoa."
Worried? He was terrified. He swallowed against the burning at the back of his throat.
"Raine…" Laguna paused. He sounded a little choked himself. He still struggled to speak about her, although he'd made several valiant attempts after he realised he'd spoken with Rinoa about Julia at length and hadn't told his son anything about his mother. Ellone had, what little she could remember, and what she knew from a four year old's perspective. "There was a reason it was Raine who looked after me when I fell from that cliff. There was no one else able to in the village. She was the closest they had to a doctor, the war had devastated their population. So... when Raine needed help… who was there to help her?" His voice cracked and he stopped.
Squall didn't move, not even a hair. He couldn't, as though he'd been frozen.
"Rinoa will have a doctor, or several. And it's unlikely. She won't be out in the sticks, Squall, she'll be safe." He paused, waiting for his son to agree, but he could practically feel the worry radiating from Squall. He didn't know what to say. He was never very good with words. What else could he possibly offer as assurance? He wasn't a doctor. He could get a doctor or - Oh! "Hey, she can have the baby here in Esthar! With the best docs around. What do you say?"
Squall sighed, and lifted his head. "Yeah, okay." He felt the panic drain away to a low ebb in the background, where it will probably stay until Rinoa had safely given birth some many months later.
"I'm going to be a grandfather! It doesn't feel that long ago that I thought this day would never happen to me. How'd Carroway take it?"
Squall snorted and stood. "I don't know. I left that with Rinoa to deal with."
Laguna stood too. "You want to wait for Ellone? I can't wait to see her face!"
"No, I've got to get going." Squall smiled at him before walking back towards the door. "You can tell her if you like." He pulled the door open and paused, turning back to Laguna who was rushing to his phone - to tell everyone no doubt. Amused, Squall shook his head. "Hey,"
Laguna glanced over at him.
"Thanks, dad."