Tifa woke up the sound of Fenrir starting up and shot out of bed, running to the window to see Cloud leaving. She put her hand flat against the window, unbelieving that he was leaving again, and without even looking back. Turning around to face her empty room again, she noticed her phone was blinking. Checking it, she saw that she had a voicemail from Cloud. Afraid of what he might have said, she still started playing back his message.
I do care about you, Tifa. I just...don't know when or if I'll be back. Take care of yourself for Marlene and Denzel's sake, please. You deserve to be happy after all you've gone through for my sake.
Cloud sped out of town, hoping that he was doing the right thing. When he woke up before she did, he couldn't help but notice that even with her eyes closed, her face looked like she'd been crying all night, and he couldn't take it anymore. She wanted something he could never give her, and as he quietly packed his bag, he thought about kissing her goodbye, but he was afraid he'd never be able to leave if he did, and their lives would end up just being miserable. So he waited until he was outside to leave the voicemail message.
Tifa went around like a zombie for most of the rest of the day, unsure if Cloud had actually left her for good, or just needed more time. Could he have seen the painting and thought she had cheated on him? The thought terrified her, even though the truth was he had been like this ever since they reunited. She didn't know how she was supposed to help him now.
When Barret dropped Marlene and Denzel off Sunday afternoon, he noticed something seemed wrong about Tifa, but her forced smile unnerved him and he didn't know how to ask where Cloud was, since he only took the kids for the weekend because Tifa had told him Cloud was coming home and she wanted to be alone with him.
Two weeks later, Mrs. Beasley was just getting back from checking her mail when she saw Reno getting home from somewhere as well. "Thanks again for helping out with the art class, you exhibitionist you." she told him teasingly.
"Any time. If you need help again, let me know, I'm almost about to start having to order takeout again." Reno replied with a smile. "Oh, and I'll be entertaining tomorrow afternoon. I'll put my tie on the doorknob again."
"I'll keep that in mind." Mrs. Beasley thought of Tifa's painting and decided to meddle. "Is it Tifa?"
"What? Not a chance!" Reno blurted out, momentarily floored by the question.
"Why not? She's pretty enough, isn't she? Or have you never actually looked at her face?" she continued in a teasing tone.
"She's taken." Reno explained. "And yeah, she's pretty." He thought of how he would have made a play for her long ago if not for Rude's interest and Tifa's own obvious clinging to Cloud. "See you around, Mrs. B." he said as he entered his own apartment.
Picking up her phone, Mrs. Beasley called Tifa to see how she was doing. The older woman instantly noticed how different her voice was, and she was relieved that Tifa reluctantly agreed to play chauffeur to the weekly bingo game at the community center.
"Have you thought about taking more art classes?" Mrs. Beasley asked Tifa as she got into the younger woman's jeep. "You seem to have a great deal of natural talent."
"I don't have time." Tifa replied flatly. "I'm basically a single mother who owns her own business."
The wistful yearning in her voice and the loneliness in her eyes did not escape Mrs. Beasley's attention. "You should try and rearrange your schedule then, I'd like to see what else you can bring out of a blank canvas." she said. "Would you like to come in with me?" she asked when Tifa pulled into the first parking spot she found at the community center.
"I've got to get back to..." Tifa started to say that she had to get back before the kids got home from school, but they were on field trips and wouldn't be back until dinnertime. "I'm...I'm not a bingo person." she said instead.
"I'll need a ride home too, but I won't know how long I'll be here, and then you'd have to come back out here and pick me up. If you stick with me, it'll be easier on you. And you might have fun." Mrs. Beasley gently bullied the younger woman into coming inside with her.
"We were wondering when you'd show up, Ellie." One of the women Tifa recognized as another member of the Stitching Bitches said when Mrs. Beasley sat down next to them.
"Not a chance, Sara." Mrs. Beasley replied in a mock haughty tone. "The blackout's mine this time!"
"Ellie?" Tifa quietly asked Mrs. Beasley as she sat down next to her. She had noticed quite a few of the men were checking her elderly companion out, and she was winking at others. Why were people around four times her age getting more love than she was?
"Short for Elmyra. And if you ever tell anyone that's my full name, I'll tell everyone about your painting." Mrs. Beasley answered. "I much prefer Ellie, but you can still call me Mrs. Beasley if you prefer."
Tifa nodded, then the first round started, and she focused on paying attention to the numbers being called. Mrs. Beasley's comments about her painting made her think of Reno, and the red sliders to cover the numbers on her cards made her think of his hair. Why did other women think that jerk was so great? Remembering what kind of body he had, she already knew the answer. She hadn't told Yuffie the truth, Reno's body looked better to her than Cloud's did. There was just more of him to explore and...Mrs. Beasley suddenly nudged her and she realized one of her cards had won. "RENO!" Tifa called out, holding up the winning card. Aware of what she had blurted out, her cheeks turned crimson as everyone stared at her. "I...I mean BINGO! Reno is...um..."
"It's another gaming place where you always win gifts that keep on giving." Mrs. Beasley salaciously finished for her.
"I can't believe I did that." Tifa said as she drove Mrs. Beasley home.
"You shouldn't be ashamed of your feelings for Reno." the older woman told her. "He's a good-looking young man with a steady high-paying job, and a libido that will never disappoint. What's not to like?"
"The only thing I feel for him is contempt!" Tifa lied. "Besides, I've got a good man already. Someday soon Cloud will realize how much he loves me and come back." she said with some difficulty.
"I'd like to thank you for today. Why don't you bring Aerith and Yuffie over tomorrow afternoon for tea?" Mrs. Beasley asked. "It would mean a lot to me."
"I'll...I'll think about it." Tifa replied. She felt bad that the most social activity she had lately was hanging out with an octogenarian. What had happened to her?
