-Get A Life Girl-
Havoc and Jennie arrived right on time dress nicely. It was strange for Riza to see Havoc out of uniform, he wore a white dress shirt, red tie and black dress pants. Jennie wore a red skirt and white blouse. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a bun and tied off with red and green ribbon.
"Mom this is Jean Havoc and his sister Jennie."
Riza introduced them to her mother who made it obvious she wanted introductions. She was standing by the stairs with her hands on her hips. Jennie hugged Riza's mother out of respect and Havoc shook her hand. Strangely, Havoc didn't even bring his cigarettes with him... for once. He didn't even smell like smoke, he had a sweat aroma about him and Riza smiled.
They all sat down to dinner, Havoc next to Riza and his sister on his other side. Hannah remained next to Riza also. A few of Riza's mother's friends arrived, mostly people she knew at her weekly book club. Something Riza never could get into. A sweet old lady named Rose and her husband Joe. Another was Brenda, another book club member. The meal was served and everyone had fun. The phone rang and George answered it. He returned a moment more and requested Lieutenant Hawkeye, with a smile.
"Hello, this is Riza... Oh, General Holm, yes... one moment please."
Riza excused herself from dinner and went to the stairs where she could have some privacy.
"Sorry about that sir... Your in today? Merry Christmas to you too sir... And thank you for returning my call... No, no real complaints... My superior officer? Oh you mean Colonel Mustang? ...Well... nothing major important. You will. Oh thank you sir. Northern? Thank you... You too. Bye."
Riza hung up the phone. She did a quick look around and then pumped her fist in the air. She hen straightened her self out and returned to dinner.
"Everything okay?"
Havoc whispered as Riza smiled and continued with the family celebrations.
"Yes, fine. Oh, remind me after dinner to give you something to take to the office."
"Oh... okay."
Dinner finished up shortly after that. They sat around the tree as James and Aaron sang Christmas songs to amuse everyone. They were making fools of themselves but everyone was having fun. Riza disappeared and returned to hand Havoc a single key on a plastic key chain.
"What is this?"
"The key to Eastern HQ."
"Um..."
"I won't be returning to Eastern Thursday, I'm transferred to Northern."
"Everything okay?"
"Nothing more then the usual."
Havoc placed the key in his pocket. He knew what it was. He's just surprised it took this long for her to leave the office. It sure wasn't going to be the same without her around. Hannah was given the chore of passing around the family traditional candy canes. Each red and white cane of candy had a ribbon tied around it into a bow. A tiny white envelope with a card inside was tired with the ribbon. Inside the card was a little fortune for the up coming year. Each year the fortune was different and as they got passed around, they were random.
Hannah walked around with the basket and everyone took one, the non-family also got one. Hannah received the last one and then hoped up next to Riza. Havoc leaned in to Riza and asked her the meaning of this.
"It's a very old, strange, but old Chaparian tradition. My mother's side."
Riza laughed and elbows Havoc jokingly as he began to examine the candy closely.
"I have nothing to do with it. They are not poisonous. Havoc shrugged and smiled. Soon, Riza's mother stood in the center of the living room, holding her candy cane.
"Everyone ready? Lets see those fortunes."
Havoc, jokingly carefully opened his envelope away from his face. Riza laughed as he pushed him aside. She opened her's.
'A recent discovery in your life has caused you to change your life around. These changes might be for the better, or for the worse. Remember to listen closely to your heart before you etch anything in stone.'
Riza stared at her's closely. She looked around, but everyone was busy reading theirs. She thought at first that it was fixed for her to get it, but no one was suspicious. She looked over to Havoc and saw he was staring at his strangely. Then he leaned back and sighed.
"What's up?"
Havoc turned to look at Riza.
"I should of know this would be my fortune."
He handed it to Riza. She opened it and read it over. 'Things change, but not this time. Things will stay the same, some for the better, some for the worse. Your love life will not change but your work life will. Smile and be happy. Things might get better later.' Riza couldn't help but laugh. It fit Havoc perfectly. She handed it back to Havoc as he opened his candy cane and began to suck on it like a cigarette. He stick the un bent end in his mouth and moved it to the corner of his mouth. Riza smiled as she slowly eat her's.
Later, the friends were leaving. Riza stood outside, arms wrapped around herself as she said goodbye to Havoc and Jennie.
"Thanks for coming Havoc."
"Thanks for inviting us. We had fun."
Havoc, still sucking on his candy cane which was now down to the bent end waved as he and his sister left. Riza watched them leave until they were out of sight and she went back inside. Hannah fell asleep on the sofa so Andrew was gone to put her to bed. Aaron and James were playing chess with their grandfather and Shawn and their mother were talking in the dinning room while drinking coffee. George was in the kitchen sneaking a sandwich out of left over's and Hayate was with him. Riza smiled as she looked around. She was really glad she came this year. She needed to have some fun.
After saying a quick good night to everyone, she headed up stairs to hit the bed. She entered her room and closed the door, quickly changing behind the room divider that sat next to her bed, blocking view of the sliding window that lead out onto the small one room balcony. After changing into her extra large pants, extra large military sweat shirt and slippers. She stepped out onto her balcony and remembered all those times she and her brothers would sneak out at night.
The getting out was easy, it was getting back in that was hard. Riza never got in trouble. She would get caught at the front door and then would lie and say she was letting them in. since she was smart to leave in her pajamas, she never got in trouble. Yet, after all that, her brothers loved her none the less.
"So, how's operation forget the loser going?"
"First, her's not a loser. And second, it's going fine. As soon as vacation is over, I'll be transferred to Northern City. I called HQ last night."
"And how does it feel?"
"At first it felt great, but then I began to remember a promise I made. I promised to..."
"Promises get you no where except more heart ache. Just forget him."
Riza sighed and laid back down on the bed staring up at the ceiling. Her brother was right. She needed to move on, start to live her life like a twenty-three year old female should. Even if the military is holding her back, there are some things she can still do. Riza rolled over and leaned on her arm, facing the purple canopy. Images of her early military career pushed into her head. She closed her eyes and pushed them back out.
'I need to move on.'
She thought to herself as the lights in the room were shut off as Riza closed her eyes.
"Good night sis."
"Night."
Riza heard her door slowly close and then click shut. She rolled back over and stared up at the canopy. Was she doing the right thing?
A/N -
Please review. No FLAMES (Thats Roy's job only). Please look in my profile ooOAnimeChildOoo for all my other stories. And again, thanks for reading.
"Write a wise saying and your name will live forever"
Anonymous