She stood at the door, twitching nervously. She wanted to reach out and use
the knocker but her senses were screaming at her to run. Her flame-red hair
ran down her back to the swell of her hips in knots she hadn't taken out.
She'd been so stressed about today that she had completely forgotten and
only now was she thinking of the state she must be in. Finally steeling her
courage, she reached out for the knocker, only to be thwarted by the door
swinging inwards. Before her stood a woman, almost a whole head shorter.
Her thick brown hair was filled with streaks of grey, her deep brown eyes
studying the stranger before her.
"Can I help you love?"
"Uhm. I'm looking for a Reno Lyngley."
"He's in the back. Wait a moment, I'll just go and get him." The older woman turned and walked down the hallway. She stood in the doorway talking to someone out of sight. Voices drifted down to Dione as her stomach churned.
"Bright red hair, just like mine used to be? You sure?"
"Of course I'm sure Reno. She's stood at the door right now, looking like she's having kittens!" she said, turning to face Dione with a smile of reassurance on her face.
"What does she want then?"
"She didn't say, she only said that she was looking for you."
"Christ woman! I've made more than enough enemies in my lifetime! What if she's here to kill me?"
"Reno, I do believe you're getting paranoid in your old age! Just go and talk to the poor young thing, or will I have to make you?" She leaned forward, clenched fist held in front of her whilst a menacing grin slipped upon her face.
"Alright, I'll do it. just so I don't have to shame you in a fight woman!"
"Hah! You, beat me, in a fight? You've never beaten me yet Reno!"
With that, a new figure filled the doorway, a tallish man with grey hair and a slim figure started to stride towards Dione before halting suddenly, shock covering his face.
Dione dropped the handbag she had been kneading between her hands nervously and ran forwards, throwing her arms around his neck.
"Daddy!"
The smile slipped from the woman 's face behind Reno, pure mortification replacing it.
"Dione." Reno whispered, his arms hanging loosely from his side.
Slowly she let go, stepping backwards.
"Oh dear lord, I never wanted this day to happen." he said under his breath, but it was still loud enough for Dione to hear. With a choked cry, she span and ran from the house into the street, a flood of tears running from her soft blue eyes.
Reno sank to his knees, his head falling; unbelieving of what had just happened. Arms slipped around his waist and he felt weight upon his back.
"I'm so sorry darling. so sorry." she whispered.
.oOo.
A week later, Reno woke up screaming. Every night since Dione had arrived on his doorstep he'd had the same nightmare, always ending the same way - Dione slitting his throat and laughing all the time. He heard Tifa stir in the room next to him; he'd been exiled to the spare bedroom because of the afore-mentioned nightmares.
He knew what he had to do. He had to find Dione and tell her the truth. But it was a truth he himself didn't want to share again. All these years of living in happiness with his wife were threatened by the arrival of his daughter. The daughter of his first wife.
.oOo.
AS dawn's first rays of sunlight crept in through the window, her arm slowly reached out across the bed to rest upon his chest but he wasn't there. Damn. I oughta be able to remember I made him move into the spare bedroom. Drawing her hand back, she felt a sudden shock of pain in her palm.
Opening her eyes as she sat up, she saw a rose thorn embedded in it, the rose itself hanging limply from her hand and a note on her pillow. Easing the flower away, she sucked on the wound while picking up the note with her other hand. Reading it, she sighed and lay back down in the bed, the note falling from her grasp. "May the lord go with you Reno."
.oOo.
Darling,
I can't just leave this hanging the way it is. I have to find Dione and tell her the truth. She deserves at least that much. I've gone to try and find her. I don't know when I'll be back but you can be sure I will be. I can't even stand the thought of being away from you. but this has to be done.
With all my love, Reno -X-
"Can I help you love?"
"Uhm. I'm looking for a Reno Lyngley."
"He's in the back. Wait a moment, I'll just go and get him." The older woman turned and walked down the hallway. She stood in the doorway talking to someone out of sight. Voices drifted down to Dione as her stomach churned.
"Bright red hair, just like mine used to be? You sure?"
"Of course I'm sure Reno. She's stood at the door right now, looking like she's having kittens!" she said, turning to face Dione with a smile of reassurance on her face.
"What does she want then?"
"She didn't say, she only said that she was looking for you."
"Christ woman! I've made more than enough enemies in my lifetime! What if she's here to kill me?"
"Reno, I do believe you're getting paranoid in your old age! Just go and talk to the poor young thing, or will I have to make you?" She leaned forward, clenched fist held in front of her whilst a menacing grin slipped upon her face.
"Alright, I'll do it. just so I don't have to shame you in a fight woman!"
"Hah! You, beat me, in a fight? You've never beaten me yet Reno!"
With that, a new figure filled the doorway, a tallish man with grey hair and a slim figure started to stride towards Dione before halting suddenly, shock covering his face.
Dione dropped the handbag she had been kneading between her hands nervously and ran forwards, throwing her arms around his neck.
"Daddy!"
The smile slipped from the woman 's face behind Reno, pure mortification replacing it.
"Dione." Reno whispered, his arms hanging loosely from his side.
Slowly she let go, stepping backwards.
"Oh dear lord, I never wanted this day to happen." he said under his breath, but it was still loud enough for Dione to hear. With a choked cry, she span and ran from the house into the street, a flood of tears running from her soft blue eyes.
Reno sank to his knees, his head falling; unbelieving of what had just happened. Arms slipped around his waist and he felt weight upon his back.
"I'm so sorry darling. so sorry." she whispered.
.oOo.
A week later, Reno woke up screaming. Every night since Dione had arrived on his doorstep he'd had the same nightmare, always ending the same way - Dione slitting his throat and laughing all the time. He heard Tifa stir in the room next to him; he'd been exiled to the spare bedroom because of the afore-mentioned nightmares.
He knew what he had to do. He had to find Dione and tell her the truth. But it was a truth he himself didn't want to share again. All these years of living in happiness with his wife were threatened by the arrival of his daughter. The daughter of his first wife.
.oOo.
AS dawn's first rays of sunlight crept in through the window, her arm slowly reached out across the bed to rest upon his chest but he wasn't there. Damn. I oughta be able to remember I made him move into the spare bedroom. Drawing her hand back, she felt a sudden shock of pain in her palm.
Opening her eyes as she sat up, she saw a rose thorn embedded in it, the rose itself hanging limply from her hand and a note on her pillow. Easing the flower away, she sucked on the wound while picking up the note with her other hand. Reading it, she sighed and lay back down in the bed, the note falling from her grasp. "May the lord go with you Reno."
.oOo.
Darling,
I can't just leave this hanging the way it is. I have to find Dione and tell her the truth. She deserves at least that much. I've gone to try and find her. I don't know when I'll be back but you can be sure I will be. I can't even stand the thought of being away from you. but this has to be done.
With all my love, Reno -X-