Note: Hi everyone! So...who is it this time? Can you guess? Huh? Can ya? Hee hee! I am not telling! Besides, you'll probably get it anyway.XP Anyways, time to do some reading!
Chapter 5 - Promises
She was young, scared and very alone in her life. She walked the streets, begging for money, looking innocent so people will feel sorry for her. They should. She was an orphan after all. She doesn't have a family. She escaped the very strict lives of the people who worked at the orphanage. She was tired of that life. She wanted adventure, so much adventure so she knows she was free to do anything. Even at a young age, she worked and worked and worked to put some sense in her life. And then maybe she can go to school and meet good friends.
At an innocent age of fifteen, Rinoa valued the life of being free. She wandered places and in each place, she worked so she can provide for the little life that was growing in her. She didn't know how it happened, but it just did. She knew she was naive and very weak at that point when she grew attached to HIM. The man who made her believe that he loved her and would do anything for her. For four long months, she believed it and when the child was born... he disappeared. She cried of course, wishing every moment that he would return some day to see his little girl grow up, but he never came. When her daughter turned one, it was a coinsidence that she found a place for them to live. A nice place, where Diana can play outdoors and where Rinoa can watch over her. The young mother was lucky enough to find a place where no one can find any other use to it. With the money she saved up, she can go to school to get her education and to work at the same time, to feed her daughter. She was also lucky that the house they were living in was just five minutes away from a high school that she has always wanted to go to. She was also fortunate to have a neighbor, a nice woman, in her mid forties, babysit her daughter while she was away. She was a young mother herself when she had her son so, Patti, the woman, was kind enough to offer her hand in helping Rinoa raise Diana. Patti was also working part time as a maid in a rich family in the suburbs, but it did not affect her babysitting the little girl.
So, it was a lucky year for Rinoa. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of lying to the principal of the high school she wanted to go to. She had to tell him that her parents were both working twenty four hour shift and couldn't come at all to the meeting, so she had to do it alone. The Principal was, at first, unsure, but Rinoa, being out on the streets for quite some time, was used to giving him the puppy dog eyes to convince him. She didn't need to lie about her going to a catholic school when she started in kindergarten, because she did go there. It was acquired during her stay in the orphanage. It seems that all catholic schools provided many orphanage homes with many studies. And before she knew it, she was putting her new text books and notebooks in her locker on the second floor. She joined the cheerleading squad, met Squall, became close friends with Rinoa and Zell, while at the same time, took care of Diana in her own pace, with Patti's help. She went to school, then to work and then did at least five hours of cheerleading practice and came to the morning practices with perfect moves and exact motions that the Captain of the squad wanted her to do. She later became the squad Captain's number one member. For two long, she did it all and soon, it would be over and she can finally move on. No one can ever know her past and the principal has completely forgotten that he needed to meet her parents sooner or later.
"Rin?" The raven haired girl looked from reading her book and smiled as Squall approached her. It has been a few months now since they've been together. Although it was not her intention to be with him for that long, because she knew if she stayed with another man, she will become attached and her reasons of being quiet about her past will hit Squall like a ticking time bomb. She truly loved him. Maybe he could be the right father for her little Diana, but then again, she could just be jumping ahead a bit.
"What is it, Squall?" she asked, smiling, closing her book. She placed her novel on the table and waited until he sat down beside her.
"I...uh..." Even for the few months they've been together, Squall still didn't know how to approach her with a gift on every occassion. Usually, he would approach her, hug her, and then hand in whatever present he had for her. Rinoa wondered sometimes where he got all the money to buy the necklaces, the earrings and many other expensive jewelry she recieved, came from. "Happy Birthday!" He handed her a small box, wrapped in gold.
Rinoa stared at it for a moment and then looked up curiously. "What-? What is it?" Could it be? Just after a few months he was going to... Her line of thought were cut off, when Squall opened it for her instead and took out a golden ring, but it wasn't the kind where a woman wanted to be married in. In fact, it was a promise ring, which does not hold any diamonds. It was just a simple, round, golden ring. He put it on her middle, left finger and leaned over to kiss her hand, then said 'happy birthday,' the second time. "Ah... a promise ring?"
Squall nodded. "Yeah. It's not just a birthday present either, it's a life time reminder of frienship, love and trust we have for each other. Even though we might be apart at the end of this year, this ring will make you remember the love we shared."
Rinoa giggled. "You sound like we're never going to see each other again."
The brunette wrapped his arms around her, pulling Rinoa into a loving hug. "Well, it can be true, but I hope it's not going to be like that. I hope you won't see the ring like that. It's suppose to be saying...I love you."
Rinoa hugged him back. "I love you too, Squall," she whispered in his ear. She felt tears falling from her eyes. How will she ever tell him now? A promise ring... it was a symbol of promises that no secrets will ever be kept inside. It's a symbol of secrets meant to be shared to one another. Rinoa has to tell Squall about her daughter and about her life sooner or later, but how will he react? Will he be scared away because of her daughter? Will he leave her because he's not ready to be a father yet? What about her? Can she trust a man who will love and cherish her forever? Can she really count on Squall to take care of her and Diana?
Suddenly, the girl pulled away. Squall watched her tears fall from her eyes. He wanted to reach out to her, but it was too late. He could see her running away, from his arms and out of the door of the library. Rinoa didn't know what she was doing. She ran as far away as she could. She has to get back to her baby girl... the only companion in her years of pain and guilt. The only one who will love her.
"RINOA!"
The dark haired girl felt a hand grip on her arm. She twisted around, only to find the one she was running away from. Why of all people does HE have to show up in her life? She wasn't suppose to fall for him. She was only suppose to be 'friends' with him and nothing more. She has to take care of her baby girl. "Please, Squall, let me go!"
"What's wrong with you? Let me help you," she heard Squall say. Rinoa jerked her arm away from him as hard as she could, and that short and abrupt tug forced her to stumble backwards, landing on her rear. Rinoa stayed there for a few minutes, feeling Squall's arm around her waist, helping her up. "What's the matter, Rinoa? Did I hurt you in any way?"
Rinoa gently took Squall's hand away from her and looked up, her eyes now red with sadness. She shook her head."It's not you, Squall. It's..." She looked away, afraid to stare at him in the eyes. Should she tell him? "I have a complicated life. Why are you committing yourself to me already when you don't even know that much about me?"
"Because I know you're a good person, Rinoa and I want to be with you," Squall replied.
The girl looked up, surprised by his answer. Was she really a good person? In his eyes, she was. What will he think if she told him that she had a child with a man who thought to have loved her? A man who promised everything in the world for her? Yet, the only thing HE left for her, was a child, even when she was just a child herself. She struggled through life taking care of the child. She didn't want to give her little Diana up, no matter what people say. Doesn't Squall care about her past? About how she has been living for the past fifteen years? Diana was almost turning one herself in just a month or so.What will she think of her mother when she realizes that she has been living with someone who feels guilty of everything she has done in her life?
Rinoa thought for a moment and backed away from him quickly. She shook her head repeatedly, her tears continuing to fall from her eyes. "You don't know anything about me, Squall. I don't deserve you at all. If you only know the truth..." With that said, the dark haired girl turned and ran.
This time... Squall did not run after her.
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"I'm home!" The dark haired girl smelled something delicious, unlike the usual things she smelled everytime she came home. The smell she endured for months now whenever she opened the door to Patti's home, was the smell of either Diana's diaper or the fresh milk that she probably spilled while trying to drink it. However, it was different this time. The smell of old diapers and spilled milk was gone and replaced with her favorite cookes sausages, delivered straight from Pike Place Fish Market in downtown Seattle. It was famous for its plump and juicy sausages, which Rinoa knows from Patti's stories about her time working as a waitress close to the market. The girl made her way to the kitchen, where she found Diana sitting on a high chair and Patti, with her back to her, cooking the sausages on the stove. Rinoa greeted her daughter with a loving kiss on the head, before sitting down on the empty chair beside her. The baby was playing with the spoon Patti probably gave to her to keep busy so she wouldn't complain about anything. Sometimes, Diana complained almost about everything and that thought made Rinoa laugh.
"How was school?" a voice asked from behind. It took a couple of seconds to realize that she has been thinking for the last couple of seconds she was sitting on the chair. Rinoa looked up as Patti served the plate across from her two sausages, then picked up the plate and placed it in front of the dark haired girl. She then went back to the counter and grabbed a fork, placing it on the plate.
"It was good," she replied, taking the fork from the plate and stabbing the plump sausage with it. She didn't need to tell the woman about her and Squall. Maybe next time...she thought. Usually, she didn't have time to eat lunch that Patti cooked everytime she came home from school, but since the food was quite different from all the other ones, especially since the food is a plump sausage which made her hungry, she thought she should stay for a while and eat. Besides...she had an hour until she had to go to work.
"What time do you have work today?"
The girl chewed the last piece of sausage in her mouth and after a couple of those, she swallowed the piece until she answered, "Five." She dusted off the little chunks of the sausage that fell on her cheerleader skirt and continued eating hungrily.
Patti nodded to her answer and went back to the stove to put the pan back on top and to turn off the heat. When she was finished, she sat down on the table beside Rinoa and watched the young mother and her daughter play with their fingers for a while, until she looked up at the dark haired girl and sighed. "Rinoa, there's something you should know."
Rinoa stopped playing with Diana and looked at Patti. Whenever the woman had that tone of voice, for Rinoa, it didn't sound good. "What is it, Patti?" she asked, with a concerned expression on her face.
The sandy-haired woman brushed a strand of curly hair from her eyes and sighed. "Your daughter she...how should I put this?"
The girl waited patiently.
"She said her first word today!" Patti blurted out, her expression changing from a serious look to a smile.
Rinoa closed her eyes and sighed, smiling. She playfully slapped Patti in the arm and took a long deep breath. "God, Patti! I thought you were going to say something serious!!!!"
Patti laughed. "I'm sorry. It's really cute how you look whenever you're worried! I can't stand it! You look just like my son's daughter!" She glanced at the girl, wondering how she could look like her granddaughter, when her son's daughter was only ten. "Oh come on! You still have that baby look on your face! You look like your ten yourself everytime you smile!"
The dark haired girl didn't know whether to find that as a compliment or an insult, but decided on taking that as a compliment. Realizing she has been sitting here long, she glanced at her watch and was surprised that it was already quarter pass four. She has to pick up a present for Patti before going off to work and then come home with it, wrapped. Standing up, Rinoa leaned down and kissed her daughter on the cheek, before running up the stairs to pick up her uniform. She waved good bye to Patti and to Diana and left the house, thinking about what to get Patti on her fifty second birthday.
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She placed the items inside the plastic bag and gave a sweet smile to the customer, a mother around her thirties, with a seven year old daughter. The little girl, blond and curly, bounced up to her mother and took her hand, with an adorable smile on her face, because she has just gotten a chocolate lollipop from her mommy. Rinoa watched them through the window from the counter, wishing in her heart that she never went with that MAN who told her lies and wishing she never went to the ally to see him there. Guilt still lingered in her heart, but with what she did, she had to pay the price. She has to work hard to pay for her daughter's diapers, food and health care. But whenever she looks in Diana's eyes, she knew she hadn't made a mistake. Having a life into the world made her want to work harder. Diana must be a sign from God for her to work harder in her life, she thought.
"Daddy! Can I have this? Please?" Rinoa jumped away from her train of thought and looked up. A young boy, about ten, jumped up and down, in front of his father, holding some kind of toy robot still wrapped in its plastic cage.
"No," the father simply replied, his back towards Rinoa. The sound of the door opening made the father and his son look up as a woman entered the building, shaking her head unbelievably at the two and approached them. The man and the boy both turned around so Rinoa could see their faces. "Are you spoiling our son again, Ian?" came the woman's voice.
Ian? The man, who was called Robert glaced at Rinoa, his eyes seem to hold some kind of mysterious and familiar energy. Rinoa took a deep breath. His face was vaguely familiar and his eyes...she could never forget such eyes. "Honey? What is it?" his wife asked, turning her head towards Rinoa. The two stared at her for a while, but Rinoa brushed off the awkwardness between herself and the man and smiled.
"Would you like me to find out how much that toy is?" she asked finally.
The man shook his head and turned his eyes away from her, then took the toy away from his son, who pouted and began to cry. His mother placed a hand on his head and smiled. "Sweetheart, I'll get you a toy next time, okay? I'll buy you an even bigger toy than the one on that shelf there." She looked up at the dark haired girl and smiled at her. "Thank you, but I don't think we're buying a toy today. Maybe next time," she spoke. She took her son's hand and led him out the door, followed by her husband, who took another quick look at Rinoa before heading for the door.
"Ian?" Rinoa called, looking at the back of the man's head.
The man paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Is there something you want, Miss?" He stood there for a while, waiting for her to answer.
Rinoa shook her head. "No nothing. I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," she replied.
Ian nodded, taking her apology and opened the door to meet his family waiting outside. Before they hopped into their black BMW, Ian's wife took one long look at her, before joining her husband and son in the car. Rinoa watched then pull out from the parking space and drive away, with the strangest feeling in her soul, that the man, named Ian, with the familiar name and face was the man she has dreaded and longed to see.
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Work took longer than she had anticipated. She locked up the building, picked up her backpack which she stuffed her uniform in and started walking into the busiest night of Seattle. It was Wednesday, the middle day of the week, so of course everyone would be running around in stores, preparing their decorations for the upcoming weekend. Wednesdays, stored also closes late. The latest would be at ten o'clock and Rinoa, suddenly realized that she had forgotten to buy a present for Patti. She stopped in front of the clothing's store and peered inside through the glass window and noticed a nice, black poncho that she knew Patti would really love. It was the exact same poncho, maybe except for the neck part that made it look different, that Patti lost from the dog next door, which chewed it all off with one bite and buried the rest deep underground. The poncho was given to her by her son's wife at Christmas and she has always worn it everytime Rinoa saw her, until one fateful night when Patti was drying it up in the clothesline after washing it clean. The dog must have been a high jumper to reach the poncho, or the material must have slipped a little to the other side so the dog was able to get it.
The dark haired girl looked down at the price. She smiled, noticing the price tag on the poncho. She was glad she could afford it. Patti would really love it, she thought. Deciding on the gift, Rinoa went inside the building, purchased it quickly and asked for one of the cashiers to put it in a nice birthday bag. The cashier was a young girl, about her age, who didn't seem to know what she was doing, so Rinoa had to wait a few more minutes, until the Manager of the store joined the girl behind the counter. He apologized to Rinoa about the delay and explained to her, that the girl was in training and he just went out for a couple of minutes to put some items behind the store. Rinoa shook her head and told them it was all right. She wasn't really in a hurry. Not really...
After that nice, short delay, Rinoa was able to get the poncho ready to be unwrapped by Patti. She left the store quickly and took the same route she usually took home. The last place she had to cross, was an ally, a shortcut to Patti's neighborhood. Normally, there wasn't anyone there, but she was startled to find a man there, his back leaned against the pavement. "Oh! I'm sorry! Normally, no one would be here, everytime I took this way."
"Hi, Rinoa," the man spoke.
Rinoa blinked, taking a step back. How did this man know who she was? Then, the thought hit her. "So...Ian, you finally came to see me?"
"What are you doing here?" Ian asked, taking a step forward towards the light so she could see his face. "You following me now, Rinny?"
"Don't call me that!" she hissed. She walked pass him, but Ian had grabbed her by the arm and forced her to look at him. "Stop it, Ian! Aren't you even going to ask how your DAUGHTER is doing?!"
Ian let go of her the moment he heard that word. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about! Your daughter, Diana! Or have you forgotten about her already? You know, you make me sick! You make me pregnant with the lies you told me, left without a word and you didn't have the decency to tell me that you were married and had a son?! GOD!" She slapped his hand away that was ready to grab her arm again and began walking away. "I think you should think about what you did before you come and see her!" Rinoa paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. "IF you want to see her that is!"
"I want to see her, Rinoa," Ian replied. That comment made Rinoa pause in her spot. "I had to leave the following morning because my son had a piano recital and... My wife and I had a fight that morning and... I don't know what I was thinking..."
"Save your excuses later, when I plan on listening!" She turned and left for good.
GoodGurl: Wow! That's something eh? Rinoa's life is even more complicated! She has a great boyfriend, who gives her a promise ring, which she can't accept because she feels guilty for not telling him about her daughter? And...*gasp* What's this? Diana's father shows up unexpectedly?! With a son and a wife as well! What the hell-? Heh heh! Find out next time! ;)
Chapter 5 - Promises
She was young, scared and very alone in her life. She walked the streets, begging for money, looking innocent so people will feel sorry for her. They should. She was an orphan after all. She doesn't have a family. She escaped the very strict lives of the people who worked at the orphanage. She was tired of that life. She wanted adventure, so much adventure so she knows she was free to do anything. Even at a young age, she worked and worked and worked to put some sense in her life. And then maybe she can go to school and meet good friends.
At an innocent age of fifteen, Rinoa valued the life of being free. She wandered places and in each place, she worked so she can provide for the little life that was growing in her. She didn't know how it happened, but it just did. She knew she was naive and very weak at that point when she grew attached to HIM. The man who made her believe that he loved her and would do anything for her. For four long months, she believed it and when the child was born... he disappeared. She cried of course, wishing every moment that he would return some day to see his little girl grow up, but he never came. When her daughter turned one, it was a coinsidence that she found a place for them to live. A nice place, where Diana can play outdoors and where Rinoa can watch over her. The young mother was lucky enough to find a place where no one can find any other use to it. With the money she saved up, she can go to school to get her education and to work at the same time, to feed her daughter. She was also lucky that the house they were living in was just five minutes away from a high school that she has always wanted to go to. She was also fortunate to have a neighbor, a nice woman, in her mid forties, babysit her daughter while she was away. She was a young mother herself when she had her son so, Patti, the woman, was kind enough to offer her hand in helping Rinoa raise Diana. Patti was also working part time as a maid in a rich family in the suburbs, but it did not affect her babysitting the little girl.
So, it was a lucky year for Rinoa. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of lying to the principal of the high school she wanted to go to. She had to tell him that her parents were both working twenty four hour shift and couldn't come at all to the meeting, so she had to do it alone. The Principal was, at first, unsure, but Rinoa, being out on the streets for quite some time, was used to giving him the puppy dog eyes to convince him. She didn't need to lie about her going to a catholic school when she started in kindergarten, because she did go there. It was acquired during her stay in the orphanage. It seems that all catholic schools provided many orphanage homes with many studies. And before she knew it, she was putting her new text books and notebooks in her locker on the second floor. She joined the cheerleading squad, met Squall, became close friends with Rinoa and Zell, while at the same time, took care of Diana in her own pace, with Patti's help. She went to school, then to work and then did at least five hours of cheerleading practice and came to the morning practices with perfect moves and exact motions that the Captain of the squad wanted her to do. She later became the squad Captain's number one member. For two long, she did it all and soon, it would be over and she can finally move on. No one can ever know her past and the principal has completely forgotten that he needed to meet her parents sooner or later.
"Rin?" The raven haired girl looked from reading her book and smiled as Squall approached her. It has been a few months now since they've been together. Although it was not her intention to be with him for that long, because she knew if she stayed with another man, she will become attached and her reasons of being quiet about her past will hit Squall like a ticking time bomb. She truly loved him. Maybe he could be the right father for her little Diana, but then again, she could just be jumping ahead a bit.
"What is it, Squall?" she asked, smiling, closing her book. She placed her novel on the table and waited until he sat down beside her.
"I...uh..." Even for the few months they've been together, Squall still didn't know how to approach her with a gift on every occassion. Usually, he would approach her, hug her, and then hand in whatever present he had for her. Rinoa wondered sometimes where he got all the money to buy the necklaces, the earrings and many other expensive jewelry she recieved, came from. "Happy Birthday!" He handed her a small box, wrapped in gold.
Rinoa stared at it for a moment and then looked up curiously. "What-? What is it?" Could it be? Just after a few months he was going to... Her line of thought were cut off, when Squall opened it for her instead and took out a golden ring, but it wasn't the kind where a woman wanted to be married in. In fact, it was a promise ring, which does not hold any diamonds. It was just a simple, round, golden ring. He put it on her middle, left finger and leaned over to kiss her hand, then said 'happy birthday,' the second time. "Ah... a promise ring?"
Squall nodded. "Yeah. It's not just a birthday present either, it's a life time reminder of frienship, love and trust we have for each other. Even though we might be apart at the end of this year, this ring will make you remember the love we shared."
Rinoa giggled. "You sound like we're never going to see each other again."
The brunette wrapped his arms around her, pulling Rinoa into a loving hug. "Well, it can be true, but I hope it's not going to be like that. I hope you won't see the ring like that. It's suppose to be saying...I love you."
Rinoa hugged him back. "I love you too, Squall," she whispered in his ear. She felt tears falling from her eyes. How will she ever tell him now? A promise ring... it was a symbol of promises that no secrets will ever be kept inside. It's a symbol of secrets meant to be shared to one another. Rinoa has to tell Squall about her daughter and about her life sooner or later, but how will he react? Will he be scared away because of her daughter? Will he leave her because he's not ready to be a father yet? What about her? Can she trust a man who will love and cherish her forever? Can she really count on Squall to take care of her and Diana?
Suddenly, the girl pulled away. Squall watched her tears fall from her eyes. He wanted to reach out to her, but it was too late. He could see her running away, from his arms and out of the door of the library. Rinoa didn't know what she was doing. She ran as far away as she could. She has to get back to her baby girl... the only companion in her years of pain and guilt. The only one who will love her.
"RINOA!"
The dark haired girl felt a hand grip on her arm. She twisted around, only to find the one she was running away from. Why of all people does HE have to show up in her life? She wasn't suppose to fall for him. She was only suppose to be 'friends' with him and nothing more. She has to take care of her baby girl. "Please, Squall, let me go!"
"What's wrong with you? Let me help you," she heard Squall say. Rinoa jerked her arm away from him as hard as she could, and that short and abrupt tug forced her to stumble backwards, landing on her rear. Rinoa stayed there for a few minutes, feeling Squall's arm around her waist, helping her up. "What's the matter, Rinoa? Did I hurt you in any way?"
Rinoa gently took Squall's hand away from her and looked up, her eyes now red with sadness. She shook her head."It's not you, Squall. It's..." She looked away, afraid to stare at him in the eyes. Should she tell him? "I have a complicated life. Why are you committing yourself to me already when you don't even know that much about me?"
"Because I know you're a good person, Rinoa and I want to be with you," Squall replied.
The girl looked up, surprised by his answer. Was she really a good person? In his eyes, she was. What will he think if she told him that she had a child with a man who thought to have loved her? A man who promised everything in the world for her? Yet, the only thing HE left for her, was a child, even when she was just a child herself. She struggled through life taking care of the child. She didn't want to give her little Diana up, no matter what people say. Doesn't Squall care about her past? About how she has been living for the past fifteen years? Diana was almost turning one herself in just a month or so.What will she think of her mother when she realizes that she has been living with someone who feels guilty of everything she has done in her life?
Rinoa thought for a moment and backed away from him quickly. She shook her head repeatedly, her tears continuing to fall from her eyes. "You don't know anything about me, Squall. I don't deserve you at all. If you only know the truth..." With that said, the dark haired girl turned and ran.
This time... Squall did not run after her.
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"I'm home!" The dark haired girl smelled something delicious, unlike the usual things she smelled everytime she came home. The smell she endured for months now whenever she opened the door to Patti's home, was the smell of either Diana's diaper or the fresh milk that she probably spilled while trying to drink it. However, it was different this time. The smell of old diapers and spilled milk was gone and replaced with her favorite cookes sausages, delivered straight from Pike Place Fish Market in downtown Seattle. It was famous for its plump and juicy sausages, which Rinoa knows from Patti's stories about her time working as a waitress close to the market. The girl made her way to the kitchen, where she found Diana sitting on a high chair and Patti, with her back to her, cooking the sausages on the stove. Rinoa greeted her daughter with a loving kiss on the head, before sitting down on the empty chair beside her. The baby was playing with the spoon Patti probably gave to her to keep busy so she wouldn't complain about anything. Sometimes, Diana complained almost about everything and that thought made Rinoa laugh.
"How was school?" a voice asked from behind. It took a couple of seconds to realize that she has been thinking for the last couple of seconds she was sitting on the chair. Rinoa looked up as Patti served the plate across from her two sausages, then picked up the plate and placed it in front of the dark haired girl. She then went back to the counter and grabbed a fork, placing it on the plate.
"It was good," she replied, taking the fork from the plate and stabbing the plump sausage with it. She didn't need to tell the woman about her and Squall. Maybe next time...she thought. Usually, she didn't have time to eat lunch that Patti cooked everytime she came home from school, but since the food was quite different from all the other ones, especially since the food is a plump sausage which made her hungry, she thought she should stay for a while and eat. Besides...she had an hour until she had to go to work.
"What time do you have work today?"
The girl chewed the last piece of sausage in her mouth and after a couple of those, she swallowed the piece until she answered, "Five." She dusted off the little chunks of the sausage that fell on her cheerleader skirt and continued eating hungrily.
Patti nodded to her answer and went back to the stove to put the pan back on top and to turn off the heat. When she was finished, she sat down on the table beside Rinoa and watched the young mother and her daughter play with their fingers for a while, until she looked up at the dark haired girl and sighed. "Rinoa, there's something you should know."
Rinoa stopped playing with Diana and looked at Patti. Whenever the woman had that tone of voice, for Rinoa, it didn't sound good. "What is it, Patti?" she asked, with a concerned expression on her face.
The sandy-haired woman brushed a strand of curly hair from her eyes and sighed. "Your daughter she...how should I put this?"
The girl waited patiently.
"She said her first word today!" Patti blurted out, her expression changing from a serious look to a smile.
Rinoa closed her eyes and sighed, smiling. She playfully slapped Patti in the arm and took a long deep breath. "God, Patti! I thought you were going to say something serious!!!!"
Patti laughed. "I'm sorry. It's really cute how you look whenever you're worried! I can't stand it! You look just like my son's daughter!" She glanced at the girl, wondering how she could look like her granddaughter, when her son's daughter was only ten. "Oh come on! You still have that baby look on your face! You look like your ten yourself everytime you smile!"
The dark haired girl didn't know whether to find that as a compliment or an insult, but decided on taking that as a compliment. Realizing she has been sitting here long, she glanced at her watch and was surprised that it was already quarter pass four. She has to pick up a present for Patti before going off to work and then come home with it, wrapped. Standing up, Rinoa leaned down and kissed her daughter on the cheek, before running up the stairs to pick up her uniform. She waved good bye to Patti and to Diana and left the house, thinking about what to get Patti on her fifty second birthday.
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She placed the items inside the plastic bag and gave a sweet smile to the customer, a mother around her thirties, with a seven year old daughter. The little girl, blond and curly, bounced up to her mother and took her hand, with an adorable smile on her face, because she has just gotten a chocolate lollipop from her mommy. Rinoa watched them through the window from the counter, wishing in her heart that she never went with that MAN who told her lies and wishing she never went to the ally to see him there. Guilt still lingered in her heart, but with what she did, she had to pay the price. She has to work hard to pay for her daughter's diapers, food and health care. But whenever she looks in Diana's eyes, she knew she hadn't made a mistake. Having a life into the world made her want to work harder. Diana must be a sign from God for her to work harder in her life, she thought.
"Daddy! Can I have this? Please?" Rinoa jumped away from her train of thought and looked up. A young boy, about ten, jumped up and down, in front of his father, holding some kind of toy robot still wrapped in its plastic cage.
"No," the father simply replied, his back towards Rinoa. The sound of the door opening made the father and his son look up as a woman entered the building, shaking her head unbelievably at the two and approached them. The man and the boy both turned around so Rinoa could see their faces. "Are you spoiling our son again, Ian?" came the woman's voice.
Ian? The man, who was called Robert glaced at Rinoa, his eyes seem to hold some kind of mysterious and familiar energy. Rinoa took a deep breath. His face was vaguely familiar and his eyes...she could never forget such eyes. "Honey? What is it?" his wife asked, turning her head towards Rinoa. The two stared at her for a while, but Rinoa brushed off the awkwardness between herself and the man and smiled.
"Would you like me to find out how much that toy is?" she asked finally.
The man shook his head and turned his eyes away from her, then took the toy away from his son, who pouted and began to cry. His mother placed a hand on his head and smiled. "Sweetheart, I'll get you a toy next time, okay? I'll buy you an even bigger toy than the one on that shelf there." She looked up at the dark haired girl and smiled at her. "Thank you, but I don't think we're buying a toy today. Maybe next time," she spoke. She took her son's hand and led him out the door, followed by her husband, who took another quick look at Rinoa before heading for the door.
"Ian?" Rinoa called, looking at the back of the man's head.
The man paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Is there something you want, Miss?" He stood there for a while, waiting for her to answer.
Rinoa shook her head. "No nothing. I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," she replied.
Ian nodded, taking her apology and opened the door to meet his family waiting outside. Before they hopped into their black BMW, Ian's wife took one long look at her, before joining her husband and son in the car. Rinoa watched then pull out from the parking space and drive away, with the strangest feeling in her soul, that the man, named Ian, with the familiar name and face was the man she has dreaded and longed to see.
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Work took longer than she had anticipated. She locked up the building, picked up her backpack which she stuffed her uniform in and started walking into the busiest night of Seattle. It was Wednesday, the middle day of the week, so of course everyone would be running around in stores, preparing their decorations for the upcoming weekend. Wednesdays, stored also closes late. The latest would be at ten o'clock and Rinoa, suddenly realized that she had forgotten to buy a present for Patti. She stopped in front of the clothing's store and peered inside through the glass window and noticed a nice, black poncho that she knew Patti would really love. It was the exact same poncho, maybe except for the neck part that made it look different, that Patti lost from the dog next door, which chewed it all off with one bite and buried the rest deep underground. The poncho was given to her by her son's wife at Christmas and she has always worn it everytime Rinoa saw her, until one fateful night when Patti was drying it up in the clothesline after washing it clean. The dog must have been a high jumper to reach the poncho, or the material must have slipped a little to the other side so the dog was able to get it.
The dark haired girl looked down at the price. She smiled, noticing the price tag on the poncho. She was glad she could afford it. Patti would really love it, she thought. Deciding on the gift, Rinoa went inside the building, purchased it quickly and asked for one of the cashiers to put it in a nice birthday bag. The cashier was a young girl, about her age, who didn't seem to know what she was doing, so Rinoa had to wait a few more minutes, until the Manager of the store joined the girl behind the counter. He apologized to Rinoa about the delay and explained to her, that the girl was in training and he just went out for a couple of minutes to put some items behind the store. Rinoa shook her head and told them it was all right. She wasn't really in a hurry. Not really...
After that nice, short delay, Rinoa was able to get the poncho ready to be unwrapped by Patti. She left the store quickly and took the same route she usually took home. The last place she had to cross, was an ally, a shortcut to Patti's neighborhood. Normally, there wasn't anyone there, but she was startled to find a man there, his back leaned against the pavement. "Oh! I'm sorry! Normally, no one would be here, everytime I took this way."
"Hi, Rinoa," the man spoke.
Rinoa blinked, taking a step back. How did this man know who she was? Then, the thought hit her. "So...Ian, you finally came to see me?"
"What are you doing here?" Ian asked, taking a step forward towards the light so she could see his face. "You following me now, Rinny?"
"Don't call me that!" she hissed. She walked pass him, but Ian had grabbed her by the arm and forced her to look at him. "Stop it, Ian! Aren't you even going to ask how your DAUGHTER is doing?!"
Ian let go of her the moment he heard that word. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about! Your daughter, Diana! Or have you forgotten about her already? You know, you make me sick! You make me pregnant with the lies you told me, left without a word and you didn't have the decency to tell me that you were married and had a son?! GOD!" She slapped his hand away that was ready to grab her arm again and began walking away. "I think you should think about what you did before you come and see her!" Rinoa paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. "IF you want to see her that is!"
"I want to see her, Rinoa," Ian replied. That comment made Rinoa pause in her spot. "I had to leave the following morning because my son had a piano recital and... My wife and I had a fight that morning and... I don't know what I was thinking..."
"Save your excuses later, when I plan on listening!" She turned and left for good.
GoodGurl: Wow! That's something eh? Rinoa's life is even more complicated! She has a great boyfriend, who gives her a promise ring, which she can't accept because she feels guilty for not telling him about her daughter? And...*gasp* What's this? Diana's father shows up unexpectedly?! With a son and a wife as well! What the hell-? Heh heh! Find out next time! ;)