Rinoa had received a car by the time Julie turned nine. Julie no longer had to ride the bus. Her mother drove her. The situation at home wasn't any better. Squall was still drinking and now Julie was talking back to him. That night wouldn't be any different. After dinner, Squall began to yell at Rinoa for anything he could find wrong with the house. Despite his slurred speech and his mixed up words, some of the things he spat in her direction could be hurtful. Rinoa's daily goal was to never allow him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Finally Julie jumped off the couch to stand by her mom. "If you want something done," the nine year old started, "then why don't you help with it."
"What?" Squall said.
"You heard me. Mom doesn't have to do all the work. You can do something besides drink and complain. God."
"What was that? Are you talking back?" Though what he'd said sounded like on long word ('WhatwasthatAreyoutalkingback?') and not really much of a threat, Julie was still scared. This emotion wasn't something she made obvious to either of her parents. Besides, Rinoa was always worried enough for the both of them. "Watch your mouth… young lady." ('Watchyourmouth… younglaady'). His fingers wrapped around her chin roughly as the last syllables left his lips. Rinoa immediately reacted and snatched her daughter away from him.
"Don't you touch her," she snapped. Squall staggered back with a grin on his face before making his way upstairs. "Julie. Don't ever talk back to your father like that again. He could hurt you, sweetie."
"But what if he hurts you mommy?" the girl argues.
"I'll be fine. I promise. Now why don't you watch TV for a while okay? I need to take care of your father." Julie's eyes followed her mother's figure it disappeared up the stairs. Then she went outside she would not hear the noises that stirred disgust in the pit of her stomach.
It wasn't until later the same year that Rinoa began to go against Squall. One day, right after school, mother and daughter took action on a plan they'd made together. All the offending drinks were dumped down the drain. The same act Julie and Ellone performed years ago. Only this time, it wasn't hidden. Every can lay at the bottom of the sink empty and waiting to be discovered. Then the time of Squall's arrived approached. His two family members were upstairs hiding as they listened to his footsteps down below. Finally he called for his wife. "Stay here," Rinoa instructed. "I'll be right back." As her mother disappeared down the staircase, Julie stood and followed. They'd already started arguing by the time she reached a place she could watch from.
Rinoa stood looking trapped in the corner created by the counter and the sink. Squall's face was right in front of hers. His eyes danced to the rhythm of anger. Their daughter looked on fearfully, her hands turning white from gripping the banister so hard. Rinoa's eyes took a quick glance from the side at her daughter then back at Squall. He stood waiting for an answer to his questions ('Why would you do something like this? Are you stupid?').
"No," Rinoa finally said as she straightened up. She was not going to look like a cowardly nothing in front of her daughter. "I'm not stupid. Don't call me that." She suddenly felt very brave and kept going. "I did it because I want you to stop. You can't keep going on like this you know that! And you call me stupid. I'm not the one with the drinking problem."
"Enough," he muttered.
"You're gonna end up exactly like you never wanted to be! Just like your father!"
"I said enough!" Suddenly his fist was up in the air above his head, ready to come down on her. Julie's breath caught in her throat. Rinoa's pale fingers covered her own mouth. Tears appeared in her eyes. Slowly his thin lined lips began to curl downward in a sad expression. His raised arm fell down to his side. In a flash Julie was tugging her shocked mother out the door.
At Selphie's house, Selphie tried to comfort the frantically shaking Rinoa. The two friends sat at the kitchen table where Irvine stood behind them making everyone something to drink ("Hot chocolate," Selphie requested). Rinoa spilled out everything that'd happened on her listeners.
"In my head, I was chanting 'hit me, hit me, come on hit me'. I think I wanted a reason to leave him," Rinoa confessed.
Selphie looked up from the table and responded, "But if he had given you a reason, are you sure you would've left him?" Before she could give an answer, Carol (Selphie's mother) came in to announce Julie had finally fallen asleep. As she took a seat by her daughter, Rinoa couldn't help noticing how much the two looked alike. But Carol now looked better than she did years before so it was now more obvious. Selphie apparently inherited very few traits of her father's, whoever he was.
"Poor girl," Carol commented about Julie. "She was so upset, but she's finally asleep."
"Thanks mom. You want something to drink? Irvine's making some hot chocolate."
He said, "It's already done." He put two cups down on the table, one in front of Selphie and the other in front of Rinoa. "Here, Mrs. Tilmitt. You can have mine. I don't really want any anyways. I'll just have a sip of Selphie's." He took a seat on the other side of Selphie.
"What are you going to do now, Rinoa?"
Rinoa sighed, "Well tomorrow I'll probably go get mine and Julie's things. Then I'll take her and go to my parents' house to stay. I'd stay here but I don't want to be a bother. I don't doubt there will be some problems. Squall isn't just going to let us go."
"Is there anything we can do to help?"
"You could help me get my stuff and move it. It'll be easier to do while Squall's at work but I don't think I can do it all myself."
"What about Julie?"
"She's supposed to go to school but I think I'll keep her home."
"What about work? I'm not sure they'll let me have it off," Selphie said. "I can tell them that you're sick but I may not be able to help you. Is it okay if Irvine and my mom do it?" Rinoa nodded. "Is that okay with you guys?"
They both responded, "Yes, of course."
"Then it's settled."
A bed was set up for Rinoa in a room in the back where some of Selphie's old things had been stored. Julie slept on a cot adjacent to the empty one. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully. There was no tension in her face. A mother's pale fingers gently ran through her daughter's dark hair. "Please don't hate your father," she whispered before lying down and drifting to sleep.
In the morning Selphie was gone. They had not given her work off, just as she predicted. Carol asked Rinoa if she'd like some breakfast. "No thank you," Rinoa replied politely. "I'm a little anxious to get this over with. In fact, I think I'll get Julie up now." The child woke with ease and followed her mother to the kitchen. Not long later, the group consisting of four people left for the Leonhart house. Squall was gone. They packed clothes as well as some toys into the trunk of Rinoa's car, which she had left behind on her way to Selphie's the previous night. Quickly everything was thrown into boxes and carted away. The whole process only took a couple of hours. "If Squall comes by asking for me, tell him you haven't seen me and you don't know where I am."
Carol said, "Don't worry, we'll take care of it. If anything goes wrong, someone will let you know."
"Thank you." Rinoa hugged Irvine and Carol before getting into her car. "Tell Selphie I'll call her."
Julia Heartilly was alarmed at her daughter's sudden arrival with boxes in her arms. "Rinoa, what's going on?" she asked.
"Can we stay here for a while?"
"Of course." Once all the boxes were in the house, Rinoa explained the situation. "Oh my… Are you hurt? How did things get this bad?"
"I'm fine and so is Julie. I'm sick of being afraid. I told him before if he didn't at least try to quit, I was going to leave." The flesh of her bottom lip became trapped between her teeth. "I miss him already… and I'm afraid Julie is going to hate her father. She should hate his actions, not him. But … I know this is what I should do. I have to get through it."
"Why don't you go take a nap or something? You look frustrated. I can take care of Julie for a while. Your old room is still ready for you." Flushed in pink Rinoa's room was exactly how she remembered it. Of course there were minor details that had been forgotten, for example, the music box gathering dust on the dresser. Inside it, Rinoa found the friendship bracelet given to her by Selphie when they were children. A smile appeared on her face as she tied it on her wrist where it belonged. The bed was big enough for Julie and Rinoa to share it so Raine decided they would do that. It felt weird coming back home again. She never really thought it would escalate to this. But there she was standing in the middle of her old room. Maybe this was just a turning point to better things, or possibly the beginning to the worst of it. As she lay down Rinoa tried to clear her head of these painful thoughts.
Caraway knew there was something wrong when he came home and Julie hadn't gone home yet. "Is she spending the night here again?" he asked his wife.
She said, "Sort of. Her and Rinoa are going to stay here for a while."
"Why? What happened?"
"Ask your daughter. She's upstairs in her room." Julia didn't want to tell her husband. She didn't know what Rinoa wanted her father to know. It was easier if she did it herself.
Rinoa woke up to the sound of knocking at her door. "Come in," she called as she sat up. Her father came in and leaned against the door with his arms crossed.
He said, "So, what brings you here? It's obviously more than a friendly visit."
"Do you want me to leave?"
"No, no. I didn't say that. But I have a feeling you're here for more than a visit. What happened?"
"I told Squall if he didn't quit drinking, that I'd take Julie and go. So here I am." It wasn't really a lie. She just didn't tell him everything she'd told her mother. Having her father involved in this kind of thing would only lead to trouble. Besides, she wanted to handle it by herself."
"Are you going to divorce him?"
"No but this is the last chance he gets. If he blows this… I can't go back to him."
"Something else happened. What aren't you telling me?" he asked.
"Nothing important. Just something small I'm afraid might escalate." Caraway just nodded. He didn't want to push her into telling him something she wasn't comfortable talking about. He also knew that she wouldn't want him interfering. When he took care of a problem, he made sure it wouldn't arise ever again.
"Well, you make sure and tell me if I can do anything to help."
"I will, daddy." As he went back downstairs he thought 'Daddy? She hasn't called me that in a long time'. The moment he found out Rinoa was carrying a baby inside of her all those years ago he was flooded with anger. 'She's just a kid herself,' Caraway had said almost shouted. Julia agreed of course. 'Have we done something wrong in raising her,' he wondered in secret. Where had they gone wrong? Didn't they spend enough time with her? All parents probably asked themselves this when they felt their child had done something rash. Getting pregnant was a big deal, a big responsibility for someone still in school. Julia kept saying, 'I know you're angry but please don't yell at her'. Yes, he had been angry. But his anger didn't out-weigh his pity. Inside, he felt bad knowing it would be a difficult road for Rinoa. To make matters worse, many pregnant teens were susceptible to premature births. Then there was the issue with teen marriages. How would Rinoa ever make it through, especially if she ended up doing it alone?
Julia looked up as Caraway approached and said, "How is she doing?"
"She seems all right," he told her. "She's awake if you'd like to go talk to her."
"Can you keep an eye on Julie for me then? I'll be right back." She traveled to the second floor and into Rinoa's room. "Rinoa, can I come in?" She waited for her daughter's answer with her head peering from behind the door.
"Yeah," Rinoa said.
"It's nice to see your room being used again. How have you been doing?"
"I'm okay. Daddy tell you he talked to me?"
"He did. How much of a chance are you going to give Squall? If he tried to hit you, Rinoa, that's serious. That's not something you can just say 'oh well' to. Don't endanger your life or Julie's."
"I wont, mom. This is his last chance. I promise. If he doesn't get his act together then… I …" Tears glazed her eyes over. Julia pulled her daughter into a comforting hug.
"Oh honey. I know it's hard to think about and how much you love him but you have to protect yourselves first. I'm not saying you should completely abandon him. Maybe he'll try to get better. But if he doesn't, at the very least you two should separate for a while."
"I know." Rinoa pulled gently out of the embrace and pulled her knees against her chest. "It's upsetting to think about. When the time comes, I'll do the right thing. For now, if Squall comes by, he shouldn't see any of us. So don't let him in."
After a few days had passed Julie returned to school; Rinoa returned to work. Julie filled Ellone in on everything that had happened. "I was so scared," she admitted. "I really don't remember getting my mom out of there but she says I did. Maybe I shouldn't miss him and I should be mad. I am mad. How could he do that to mom…? I heard her say she misses him. Well so do I."
Ellone's head bobbed up and down in a nod as she said, "I know what you mean. I miss my dad too. So does mom. But your dad is still alive. Things can still change."
"What if it doesn't though?" Her friend only shrugged. In a way they knew the answer already. It would mean Squall would have to move out. Or Rinoa would take Julie somewhere else. Then they wouldn't see their friends anymore. Julie would be the new kid in a strange school. Making friends wasn't an easy task for her either. She'd feel worse if things ended up the way they did with Ellone's father. "Are you going to move back to your old house?"
"No. Mom wants us to stay in the apartment. She said she'd always be sad and have nightmares living there. Nightmares about how they found him, what he looked like."
"Do you want to go back?"
"I don't know… Thinking about it my mom's way, no. Knowing it's our house, yes. I can't make up my mind."
"That'd be hard for me to choose too."
In the dish room where Rinoa worked, she was concentrating on cleaning dishes next to a coworker. She scrubbed each plate hard and roughly put it back. "Rinoa," Selphie called from the front. "Can you come here for a second?" It only took a moment for Selphie to be joined by her friend. "How are you holding up? Everything going okay?"
She said, "Things have been easy so far. Once he tries to see us though, it'll get harder. If he comes to see me… I don't know what I'll do."
"You think you'll take him back?"
Her shoulders moved up then back down in a shrug. "I'm afraid I might. I miss him so much."
"I'm sure you do. But if you love him, then this is something you need to hold out on. He has to quit drinking."
"I know." A few moments of silence filled the air.
"Well, do you want to help me out here for a while?"
"Sure." An elderly couple walked through the door and sat down at a table. Rinoa handed menus to them as she told them what the special was in a cheerful voice that she didn't exactly feel. "Can I get you something to drink right away?" The pencil in her hand created their responses on the tablet in her left hand. "I'll be back in a moment to take your order." After fetching their drinks, she went around to a new group that had just arrived, spouting the same message. Then she walked back over to the elderly couple to take their order. Both groups got their food and Rinoa sat down at one of the tables in the far corner for a break. Selphie took a seat next to her. "Heard anything from Quistis or Zell? I'd like to see everyone again."
"I can get a hold of them," Selphie said. "Why don't we see what Squall decides to do? If he decides to quit drinking, I'll get everyone together for a celebration. If you end up divorcing him, I'll wait 'til all the shit is over and then it'll be a cheerer upper. How does that sound?"
Rinoa nodded as she said, "Fine. Can you get a hold of Fujin too? I want to know how she's doing too."
"Everyone I can get a hold of. Don't worry. Okay? Just take care of yourself and Julie."
At 2:50 pm, Julie stood outside the double doors of the elementary school. She was waiting for Rinoa to come pick her up like she said she would. A few minutes later, she still hadn't come. Instead, a familiar car pulled up next to the sidewalk. The darkened window rolled down to reveal Squall's face. "Hey Julie. You waiting for your mom?" he asked. She nodded, providing no verbal response. "Why don't you hop in and I'll give you a ride?" His daughter didn't move from where she was standing. The bones in his wrist flicked in the right direction to turn the ignition off. He got out of the car and went up to her. "I miss you guys you know," he said as he kneeled down next to her.
"I miss you too daddy," she said as she hugged him. He picked her up and took her to his car.
Rinoa drove all over looking for Julie. She was completely hysterical at the Heartilly house when she still couldn't find her daughter come four o' clock. Just as she was about to call the police, the doorbell rang. "Rinoa," her mom called. "It's for you!" On the front steps stood Squall with Julie cradled in his arms. He put her on the ground. Julia ushered the child inside and shut the door. Though caught off guard, Squall was not surprised when Rinoa hit him.
She hissed through clenched teeth, "How dare you sneak off with her!"
"I didn't sneak off," he argued. "If I did, she wouldn't be here now. And neither would I for that matter."
"It doesn't matter! You have no right to take my daughter-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're daughter? If I remember correctly it takes two people to make a child. She's my daughter too and I love her just as much as you do. So don't start that bullshit. I miss you, both of you." He ran his fingers through a small portion of her hair. She pulled away from him.
"Well, if you miss us that badly then you know what to do to get us back." Quickly she disappeared in the house with the door slamming shut behind her.
That night as Rinoa cried in her room, Squall sat at home with his head in his hands on the couch. He really missed Rinoa and Julie. Without them he felt empty. He felt drained of everything: life, strength, emotion. As much as he wanted to he couldn't cry and he certainly couldn't bring himself to drink. It was so hard to break an addictive habit. No one seemed to understand that. Of course he appreciated that they all cared about him but the lecturing needed to stop. It was the lecturing that bothered him.
Squall couldn't blame Rinoa for leaving. She was only protecting herself and Julie. After they'd left that night, he sat alone in the kitchen, feeling completely disgusted with himself. Apologizing really wouldn't do a whole lot of he also knew he owed Rinoa more than just an apology. For Julie and Rinoa, he'd have to try to quit drinking. Easier said than done.