BENEATH OLD DREAMS
Chapter Eight
"Thank you, Rinny," Julia told her daughter, tears in her eyes. "Thank you for being understanding."
It was the night before Laguna and Julia's wedding. Mother and daughter were talking in Julia's bedroom.
"I want you to be happy, Mommy," Rinoa replied, teary-eyed.
"Just like I told you, Rinny, I promise you... nothing will ever change between us," Julia said. "I even hope I can be a better mother to you now that my life is more complete."
Rinoa smiled.
"I can clearly see that, Mommy," she said. "I've never seen you this happy since Daddy died."
"You're not jealous anymore?" Julia asked.
It had been three weeks when Rinoa cried over Laguna's entrance into their lives.
Rinoa shook her head.
"Not anymore," she answered. "I'm already done with that."
The truth was, in that very short span of time, Rinoa had learned to accept Laguna as a second father.
Laguna was a very lovable man.
And, one time, he talked to Rinoa alone. He told her that he did not want to erase Vincent from the lives of Julia and Rinoa.
Julia told him that she never regretted marrying Vincent. And if she could turn back time, she would have still married Vincent.
"I agree with your mom, Rinoa," Laguna told her. "I also do not regret my marriage to Squall's mother. And in our opinion, Hyne made everything happen so that He could give us you and Squall. And now, He gave us another chance to keep the promises that we made together when we were younger. I promise you, Rinoa, I do not want to replace your Daddy just like he did not replace me in your Mommy's life. I hope you'll accept me even just an uncle."
And she nodded, smiling, at Laguna.
"Yes, Uncle," she said. "And thank you for coming into Mommy's life again."
That was a week after Laguna came to Deling.
A few days after their talk, the couple asked for her blessings to get married.
Rinoa was touched that Laguna and Julia gave so much importance to her permission.
She was even crying when she told them, "I'm so happy for both of you."
The preparations for the wedding took a week and a half, even if it was rush and the wedding was not that affluent.
They had to get Laguna's documents from Esthar. Raine helped processing and sending the papers to Deling.
Edea's grocery and Rinoa's boutique were closed on the day of the wedding.
The only guests at the wedding were Edea, Squall, Rinoa, and their employees at the grocery and the boutique.
Julia wore a simple white dress. No veil. She did not even carry a bouquet.
After the ceremony, they went to Deling Hotel to eat and to leave the newlyweds there.
Laguna and Julia would stay there for the night and would board the plane for Winhill for their honeymoon.
They were even asking Edea, Squall and Rinoa to go with them. But, of course, the three declined the offer. Was there ever a honeymoon that included chaperones?
The past three weeks were spent everyday by the three ladies with Laguna and Squall.
Squall and Rinoa got closer and bonded more. But just as Rinoa had declared their relationship, they remained friends.
Even if Rinoa knew that it was difficult to control her feelings.
As Rinoa got to know Squall better, she fell in love with him deeper.
She came to a decision that Squall was indeed kind, happy-go-lucky, sweet, thoughtful and caring.
He really made a good best friend.
Maybe he would even be a great boyfriend.
Rinoa breathed in sharply.
"What's the matter?" Julia asked.
Rinoa was surprised.
"Ah... Nothing, Mommy," she said. "I just thought you really are lucky. Imagine, you already had two prince charming's in your life. Me, nada," Rinoa kidded.
"That won't have happened if you're not playing hard-to-get with Squall," Julia said.
Rinoa was even more surprised.
She did not know that her mother noticed what was happening between them.
"Squall?" she said in mocked innocence. "He's going to be my brother! Really... Mommy!" she said with feigned exasperation.
"Hey... let me just remind you that you have no blood relations," Julia replied. "And it's not illegal for you to have a relationship with him. At least, with Squall, I know him already. I know you'll be in very good hands."
Rinoa pouted.
That was just an act. She really was getting nervous with what her mother was saying.
"Hmm... I can see that you have a crush on Squall," Julia teased her. "You're getting along fine. Why should you delay things?"
"Delay things?" she answered. "That was way back in your generation. That's not 'in' in our time."
But even Rinoa did not know why was she running away from the possibility that she and Squall could have an understanding.
Why not? she thought.
"It is indeed not 'in' nowadays," her mother repeated. "That's why I'm wondering why you two are not together. Anyway, that's up to you. I think Squall also likes you. But you know what? He grew up in Esthar. Very liberated country, may I add. Esthar girls do not play hard-to-get. Maybe he'll think that you really have no interest in him and he will go back to Esthar for good."
Rinoa swallowed hard.
"If Squall goes back to Esthar, so be it," she pretended to retort. "Mommy, you need to have your beauty sleep so that you will be radiant tomorrow. Good night."
She kissed her mother's cheek.
"I love you, Mommy," Rinoa whispered.
"I love you, honey," Julia replied.
When Rinoa was in her bedroom, she replayed what her mother had said.
Is that really possible – Squall going back to Esthar?
She felt her heart lurch.
~.*.~ ~.*.~ ~.*.~
Rinoa could not stop weeping while Laguna and Julia were getting married.
After the ceremony, she immediately explained to everyone, especially to the newlyweds, that she was not crying because she was sad that they got married. She was crying because she was touched with the solemnity of the marriage.
And she was not the only one. Even Edea who was standing at her side during the ceremony was sobbing.
The reason was the wedding was held in a very large church and they were the only people in there. Twenty persons, including the priest.
Hired by Laguna from Deling Hotel, a tenor sang accompanied by a pianist and a violinist during the ceremony.
And the wedding was held during sunset. It really was a very solemn wedding.
After the ceremony, Rinoa embraced Laguna tightly as she had embraced her mother.
"Can I call you Daddy Laguna?" Rinoa asked as she looked into her stepfather's eyes.
Laguna could not believe what he heard. Instantly, his green eyes welled-up and he embraced his stepdaughter.
"I'll be very honored, Rinoa," he said, voice thick with emotion.
When she pulled away from Laguna, Rinoa caught Squall wiping tears from his face.
Earlier, as she was embracing Julia, Squall was embracing Laguna. And when she embraced Laguna, Squall embraced Julia.
Now, she pretended that she did not see him wiping at his tears. She let him have this moment all to himself.
Squall was still silent on their way to the hotel. Laguna and Julia were in the bridal car but all of them were in the van that Laguna had rented.
Again, Squall sat beside Rinoa but he looked like he was in deep thinking.
Rinoa did not bother him.
She thought that what happened today was very important. Maybe that was what Squall was thinking about.
When they were having their dinner at the Champagne Room in Deling Hotel, Julia turned to Squall.
"By the way, Squall," she said. "I forgot to tell you that your room at home is ready. You can move in there tonight so that you won't get lonesome all by yourself."
Squall would be alone because Laguna will go to Winhill with Julia.
Rinoa was surprised with what she heard.
Yes, she knew that Squall would be living with them. But she forgot that that meant she would be living under one roof with him.
Maybe Julia was not able to remind her about that because the topic that they mostly talked about was that after their honeymoon, Laguna will live in their house. Of course, Julia thought that Rinoa understood that that arrangement included Squall.
And now, it was indeed logical for Julia to invite Squall at the house before Laguna stayed there. Why should she let Squall live at the hotel after the two families are now one?
Rinoa could hear her heart hammering in her chest.
But she was more shocked when she heard Squall's answer.
"Thanks, Auntie," he said with a smile. "But I decided to go back to Esthar early. I'm booking a ticket tomorrow for the earliest flight out."
Rinoa's heart almost stopped.
Even Julia arched her eyebrows.
"You're leaving?" she asked incredulously.
Laguna answered.
"Squall said that he was uncomfortable staying here while we are gone," he said. "And he said it would be better if he would go back earlier because he can take care of the accounts that I left there."
Julia's forehead wrinkled.
"I thought you were considering staying here with us?" she asked Squall. "Have you changed your mind?"
Squall smiled sadly.
"I'll have to think about it some more, Auntie," he said.
Rinoa felt her hands went cold. She had no more appetite to eat.
Just last night, her mother had warned her that this could happen. And now it was happening.
But she wanted this to happen. For Squall to go back to Esthar and not see him anymore.
That was then. But now, she was frightened.
Why did she ever reject Squall? Why did she repress all the feelings that she had for him?
Initially, she rejected him because she thought that that would be like surrendering to the union of her mother and Laguna.
But she had already accepted the fact that Laguna and Julia were really in love, hasn't she?
The second reason was that they would be stepsiblings if their parents were to get married.
But, as Julia had pointed out last night, there was no law that stated that that was prohibited and immoral.
Maybe, she got scared because this was the first time that she felt this kind of emotions. She did not know how would she handle this.
But she could not bear the thought of Squall leaving more.
Dinner ended with Rinoa not knowing how in the world she finished her dinner.
Goodbyes were exchanged at the lobby.
Edea kept teasing the newlyweds.
"Maybe when you get home, you'll have a baby brother or sister for Squall and Rinoa!"
Rinoa was stung at the words. It seemed as the stepsibling thing was given significance. This was the thing that she wanted to erase.
She was not thinking of Laguna and Julia anymore. She knew that the two were very happy.
She was thinking that Squall would be all alone in the hotel.
And he would be booking a ticket tomorrow.
What if he would get a ticket for the earliest flight?
What would she do? How would she stop him?
She had to kiss Laguna and Julia goodbye.
She did that. She smiled. She even said, "Enjoy yourselves. Take care."
But her mind was still on Squall. On Squall who was currently standing beside her.
The newlyweds trudged the stairs.
Squall turned towards her. For the first time since the wedding ceremony.
"Well, that's done," he said, smiling sadly at her.
The tone he used was not the tone that Rinoa was used to. Rinoa was used to the full-of-life tone.
"You're really leaving?" she asked.
She was hoping that Squall would take back what he had said.
But Squall nodded.
"Yup," he said.
She swallowed again before asking again.
"Why?"
Squall looked directly in her eyes.
"I guess there's no place for me here, after all," he said.
She felt what he wanted to say. That was exactly what Julia had told her last night.
Squall thought that he was nothing to her.
Were his feelings for her that strong? Did his decision to stay in Deling or go back to Esthar depend on her?
She wanted to tell him that he was wrong. That he had a place in her heart. That he occupied her whole heart, even her soul.
But she was not used to talk about such things.
Heck, she did not even experience what she was feeling right now.
Rinoa did not know how to tell Squall what she felt.
Squall did not tell her directly that he liked her. He did not even ask her directly. How would she respond?
The evening ended. Squall told her that he would call her up tomorrow regarding the details of the ticket that he would be getting tomorrow as he bade her goodbye for the evening.
In the cab, Rinoa wept.
Edea put her arm around her niece's shoulders and embraced her. She did not tell her that she understood everything Rinoa felt.
~.*.~ ~.*.~ ~.*.~
A/N: Hi! Hope you readers out there enjoyed this chappy. I'll be posting the last chapter of this fic soon. I really hope you appreciated this story.
Again, I would like to thank all of you who read... BUT I really would like to acknowledge the people who took the time and patience to review and share their insights, comments and encouragement. Thank you for giving me the inspiration to finish this story.
Arriennye: Thank you so much for all the encouragement! I really appreciate everything you said in your reviews. =D I hope you liked this chappy. Thanks again!
remote_mine: Thank you very much! Squall got pissed off because Rinoa was insisting the fact that they would be stepsiblings which he hated because he wanted Rinoa to be his girlfriend. Yes, he had siblings from his mother's other family. He did not want another sister. He just wanted a friend... or maybe even a girlfriend. I think I'm not making sense right now. It's 2 in the morning. =D Anyway! I hope you liked this chapter. I'll be sending you an email soon!
Again, thanks!