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Chapter 16: The Long Road to Home- Part I
Since arriving home from the hospital, Rinoa and Rori had fallen asleep on the sofa in their warm living room. Almost an hour had passed since Quistis left the two alone with the solace of the empty house to keep them company. Despite Rinoa's assurances to Squall about her having gotten all of her sleep earlier that morning, she found herself giving in to the tiredness from the car ride down the long highway, and decided to take a light nap before noon.
The sun, invited into their home through closed blinds, emitted rays that decorated the walls in patches of sparkling light creating twinkling stars onto the yellow wallpaper. Its sunrays also smothered the television which Rinoa had shut off long ago, turned off just as soon as she realized Rori had fallen asleep watching her favorite cartoon. The girl was now asleep with her head pressed into Rinoa's stomach for extra softness, both arms wrapped about her mother's waist for comfort. Feeling as though Rori had clung to her for dear life, Rinoa watched the sleeping little girl until her own weariness claimed her; thus, she had turned off the television soon after and joined her daughter in that slumber.
Rinoa had no reason to watch the loony character bouncing from left to right on the screen; if she had, it would've given her a terrible headache. Given the choice to suffer a killer headache or lethargy, Rinoa would be lethargic any day. At least she could require sleep that way. The young woman dug her face into the arm of the sofa, its firm yet cushioned surface served as a pillow underneath her head. If by any chance she believed a good day's nap would come to her easily, she would be crowned the world's biggest fool.
The screen in her mind rewound the morning events; thankfully, as far as she could remember her morning wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Unreserved, Rinoa welcomed these thoughts, wanting to relive her moments with Squall in the parking lot once again. Because it was impossible to physically relive that time, she would gracefully allow the memory of his voice to ease her to sleep.
Not only had she wanted to hear his voice again, but she wanted badly to feel the heat of his breath against her ear or the firmness of his hand against her back. Like a daydream, his voice was there again, and he was pressing his body against hers once more. The outcome was surreal. Momentarily, she was secured in his embrace, standing in the hot morning sun, her eyes forced to look everywhere but into his as he rubbed his face onto hers. "I want you to trust me, Rinoa…I want you to let me love you again," He whispered, causing her to bite down onto her bottom lip.
"Squall…" She sighed softly. Even at her memory, her inner body tingled furiously. His words would always be with her, tormenting her until they saw one another again. Until we see each other again? She had asked herself as her hands balled into fists underneath her face. She pushed her back against the base of the couch, remembering that Rori was still there and holding on to her for protection. All the while, Rinoa's mind neglected her moments of closeness and raised questions about their departure. What was it that stopped him from coming with us?
Why hadn't he wanted to come home with her? Wasn't it what they both wanted? Wouldn't it be for the best? Rinoa understood he didn't want to ruin the new day by taking the ride home with them. It would have been completely fine if Squall had tagged along; after all, she forgave him.
Rinoa wanted him home andshe wanted him. Instead, he went back to the hotel, his second home perhaps, and only God knows what he did to pass time after that. Perhaps he went to the shop to work? She shook her head furiously, awaking from a light sleep despite her mind's frantic activity.
"…Why did you leave…?" She whispered softly into the mildly stuffy air of their home, and then wondered about the last time anyone had been there to open up a window or a door. It seriously needed to air out a little. That also explained why she felt a bit warmer than usual while inside.
She opened her eyes, softly sighing and looking about the room as if in search of something, someone perhaps? And after remembering that she and Rori were alone, she smiled foolishly and wiped her forehead with a warm hand.
Looking down into her lap, Rinoa saw her sleeping angel, sleeping with her chubby cheek pressed against her lower stomach. Rinoa noticed because her stomach was supporting Rori's head, the smudging forced a smile across Rori's lips. She laughed softly. Rori smiles so much, it's a wonder that a smile hasn't been branded there already.
The young woman grinned at her happy daughter again. She studied the bandaged wound on Rori's forehead, understanding that the girl would have to wear it for the next few days to be certain the bruising and swelling had minimized. Rinoa admired Rori's bravery in everything that had happened to her lately. Aside from the 'bad parenting' episode with Dr. Kadowaki, Rori hadn't cried one bit.
The telephone rang suddenly, frightening Rinoa from her place on the sofa. She placed a quivering hand over her heart to calm its rampant beating. Meanwhile the phone continued to ring, its sound rattling from wall to wall throughout the living room.
After shaking off the fright, she eased herself from Rori's grip and moved to the opposite end of the couch, where she answered the phone with a soft, "…Hello?"
Rinoa, hoping it would be his voice at the other end of the line, was met with disappointment when a female yelled, "Hiya, Rinny! Guess who's back in town?!!!" The little woman's voice pierced Rinoa's ear through the phone.
"Selphie!?" Rinoa answered in a loud whisper, trying not to wake Rori from her midday nap. She had hoped Selphie would take the hint that she was currently in a no shouting zone. She tried to avoid getting Selphie more excited than her frail body had already sustained; after all, her aching eardrums might not have been able to hold up another wind of the younger woman's lung capacity.
"Ta-dah!" Selphie laughed, "You know, I think I'm a psychic!"
"Psychic, how?" Rinoa asked. She was curious about Selphie's random drabbling.
"I called and called all morning long, but you never answered! So I gave it a rest for a while, but for the fifteenth call, I had this gut feeling that you would pick up the phone and--- booyaka---you answered! See?!" She laughed ecstatically into the phone. By this time, Rinoa realized that Selphie was extremely excited. Yes, Selphie had always been the more energetic of the two, but now it was ridiculous. Rinoa couldn't keep up to pace with Selphie's energy.
She snickered into the phone a few times, wondered if there had been a certain source behind Selphie's mood. Perhaps a peculiar something occurred during the young couple's three day getaway? "...So how was your trip with Irvine? Did you have fun?"
"Did I have fun? We had a great time! Except well… it was raining when we first got there, but Irvine insisted we go out and enjoy ourselves. After he insisted the rain wasn't acid, we decided to go shopping, and I picked up a few cute outfits. Which reminds me, I bought you an outfit too. Oh you're gonna love it, I just know it! You wanna know how it looks, it's got blue—"
"Selphie, Selphie, slow down!"
"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I just want to shout!" She heaved a great sigh and began in a whisper, "Rinoa…we…we got married!"
If it hadn't have been for her hand taking action and covering her mouth in advance, Rinoa would have screamed aloud. As though her life depended on it, she continued to scream into her palm, being careful not to wake Rori. Rinoa rose from the sofa so she could share her excitement with Selphie in full context. She grabbed the phone tightly by its mid and gathered its base from the tabletop to move away from Rori. The little girl had only stirred slightly at Rinoa's sudden movement. "Married!? Oh, Selphie that's wonderful! Congratulations!" She grinned from ear to ear, but a thought occurred to her suddenly, and the grin was now lost. "…But when did you guys do this? What happened and how's Irvine?" She asked, walking toward the kitchen with the base of the phone in her hand.
"Irvine's asleep right now; he's so exhausted from the trip! I guess I'm the one to blame," She laughed. "Well, it all started when we went to this Gun show he'd been raving about since we left the hotel, but when we got to there, Irvine was upset that all of the guns on display were last year's models. He wanted to know why they weren't updated, so we spent most of the day waiting around to speak with the chief editor of the Weapon's Monthly magazine, who also happened to be the biggest sponsor of this event. What we didn't know was that you need a permit just to speak with the guy. He's just so rich, and I think he was afraid someone would try to use one of his own weapons against him or something…"
"Are you serious? A guy like that, afraid?"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Money and power doesn't live up to the hype, I guess. Anyway, that's when Irvine had an epiphany! He didn't like the fact that the guy who was over the entire gun exhibition was actually a coward at heart. Seeing that changed Irvine's entire outlook on guns, and now he thinks of them as an excuse for the weak to be strong!" She said, and Rinoa could picture a cheesy grin across her face as she spoke confidently about her new husband, "Of course by this time, I was naturally the happiest person at the gun show. Rinoa, you know how much I hate guns! They give me the creeps and they're just trouble waiting to happen! That's why I couldn't believe that of all people, my Irvy would say those things about his lifelong obsession!"
Rinoa laughed, "Wow…it's hard to imagine."
"Isn't it?" Selphie released a happy sigh, "After that, we left the gun show and walked around Balamb. …There wasn't much to do, but walk. Then Irvine told me about this play he'd seen in the paper—he said I might've missed the ad because it was so tiny because of all the Gun Show ads. …Anyway, it was an article about a play in a theater in back Deling City that was showing all week long. It must've wounded up in Balamb's paper because it received great reviews in Deling—"
"…Don't tell me you guys went all the way to Deling?"
"Yeah, as a matter of fact," Selphie laughed. "We went all the way to Deling, and I wanna know why you, Miss Deling City, never told me how beautiful that place is?!"
"I told you before, I was born there and had lived there most of my life. Things aren't so dazzling when you're right in its backyard."
"…You're only saying that!" She retorted.
"What about you? Seeing snow isn't such a big deal to you now is it?"
"…Well, when I was younger, I thought snow was a gift from the faeries—Hey! Rinoa! That is not the same thing!"
"Yes it's the same thing! You were born in Trabia where it constantly snows, right? So if it snowed here in Balamb, you wouldn't care about it much, would you?"
"…Not unless Irvypooh went out with me---Wait a minute, we're getting beside the point here! I have to finish telling you what happened! Well, after the play Irvine and I went for a walk down the main strip in Deling City and came across a wedding place. At first we joked about going inside and getting hitched, but by the end of the night, I was walking down the aisle to one of Irvy's favorite love songs, wearing one of those cute dresses I'd bought from our shopping trip just the day before!"
"…Oh Sel…You know that I'm happy for you," Rinoa began sweetly, "…but I was looking forward to a real wedding!"
"A real wedding…?" She retorted, groaning into the phone, "…A real wedding would've been hectic and costly, and it would take too long! We just couldn't wait any longer, and besides, our little ceremony was more than perfect!"
"Perfect? I'd probably agree with you if I were there to see it!"
"But it's our memory!"
"You know, that's really unfair."
"I'm sorry! Okay?! I promise we'll have a real ceremony in Trabia during the winter! My mom will be so proud of me!"
"Yeah, after she finishes scolding you about eloping!"
"We did not elope! As far as everyone is concerned, we're deeply in love with each other," She answered with a chuckle. "And my mom can scold me all she wants, because I'm just happy to be with Irvine finally." There was a brief pause between them before Selphie had cleared her throat. "…So tell me all about your week. I've already talked about myself for far too long." She said. Rinoa noticed the sounds of the air danced around in her ear behind Selphie's voice, sounding as if Selphie had walked through her house while speaking with her on the phone.
"Selphie, I don't know where to start." Rinoa said, leaning back against the countertop in her kitchen as she rubbed her forearm with her free hand. She wanted to avoid all conversation pertaining to her completely. It seemed the past events were even farther than she could remember. However, because Selphie was her beloved friend, Rinoa knew she had every right to be informed about what had happened so far. She reflected within and began with the most important news. Her eyes had gazed toward the sofa where Rori still lay asleep as she lowered her voice, "…Squall…he, he finally met her…"
"Really…?!" Selphie shrieked. She was glad to hear that Rinoa's situation had finally made progress. Realizing Rinoa hadn't finished speaking, she quieted her thoughts. Who knew what would follow later? "And…how did he take it?" She spaced her question carefully.
"He was shaken at first, but when things finally settled down, he took it all surprisingly well. He and Rori seemed to bond right away, but I left it up to him to tell Rori everything. …I'm beginning to think that was a big mistake though… To tell the truth, I'm not sure if she really knows just who he is. The most I think Rori knows about him is that he's a friend of mine. …I've tried asking her about her Squall today, but she wouldn't answer me. She made the strangest face I'd ever seen."
"What gives? Rori's usually the talkative one…" Selphie suggested. "Was it a mean face? Like a 'mind your own business' face?" She asked, all the whileRinoa could picture Selphie tapping a finger against her chin like a detective
"No, it was a weird one. It wasn't a smile or frown. I'm not even certain if she was upset. Rori was just…well, I can't explain it." Rinoa sighed, "…So I cut on the TV for her, and left it at that."
Rinoa could hear Selphie's laughter getting the better of her across the phone line. When she had finally calmed down a few moments later she asked, "Is there anything else that's happened that I might need to know about?"
Rinoa, wanting to ask the younger woman what had been so funny, decided to pass the bizarre episode by and proceed with their conversation, "…Well, Rori was in the hospital for a few days."
"The hospital?!" The younger woman freaked, "When and how did that happen?"
"Oh! …That's right. I seriously forgot! You guys left the morning it all happened." She took a moment to gather her thoughts, "Well, it's a long story Selphie, but…" Rinoa started, clearing her throat before speaking on the events as they took place before and after about Rori's recovery, most of which had passed over her tongue like a fleeting dream. In the midst of her chattering, Rinoa realized how sorry she felt about doubting Squall's ability as a father again. When she finally came to a close, she had released a sigh, a signal of her relief from past endeavors.
"Okay." Selphie muttered, "…Then what about Seifer? I mean…is it truly over between you two?"
"Selphie!" Rinoa groaned, before helplessly smiling into the phone. "Seifer…" Rinoa continued with a deepening grin, although her eyes had begun to frown. "…He asked about Squall, and I told him the truth. He was angry, but he needed to hear it—"
"My gosh…that means you're still…"
"I was wrong to say those things about Squall. He is…"She wanted to continue, but then the knot in her throat had caved in.
"Rinoa…he's your friend, your companion, and your lover. Squall is yours!" Selphie cheered, only to hear her friend waft in cries. "Rinoa? Rinoa, what's wrong?"
"You were right, I love Squall. We've resolved our issues and now he and Rori are all that matter to me. But those last days were hectic, and I can't help but feel like I'm still living in them. I thought that all this extra weight would have lifted from me, that I would feel so liberated from it all, but I can't understand it! Why did I ever bother dragging Seifer into all of this?" She said, caging her feelings within: Maybe Seifer was there to help me out of my depression, make me feel worthwhile again? As her face was downcast, tears slid down her cheeks almost instantly. There was a knot of pain in her chest, one that spurred to her throat and prevented her from speaking anymore, but she cleared her throat softly and forced her words through, "…Selphie, I am happy right now, but I…I feel terrible about what I've done to Seifer! He's such a good person, and I…"
"No, no, no, Rinoa! You were on the right track! You have every right to be happy, and you deserve to be happy! Just stop thinking about Seifer and look at yourself! You should feel wonderful!" Selphie said, hearing Rinoa crying from her end, but the younger woman continued to give her the support she needed, "Squall left but now he's back with more sense, and you two are still in love, and he loves Rori! Not even the storm from those four years could tear you two apart! Rin, don't cry!" She said, and then she heard Rinoa sniffling into the phone. She softened her voice, "I knew everything would work out by the time I got back from my vacation. C'mon, be excited! Be happy for yourself, be happy for Rori! Be happy for me! I mean, look at me, I've gotten married!"
Silence dropped its heavy weight onto both women before Rinoa immediately burst out into laughter, and Selphie joined her. As she laughed, Rori, who was asleep on the couch, shot up from her slumber and snapped her head around to see what had happened to her mother. When the girl realized Rinoa was laughing and not screaming, she had then sighed in relief, pressing her fingers to her temples and comforting her worries.
"Oh, Rori!" Rinoa said, looking over into the living room at her daughter, "I'm sorry I woke you up, honey."
"It's okay, momma…" The girl muffled into her hands, sliding them down her cheeks.
Watching her daughter yawn into the palm of her tiny hand had reminded her of the dried tears on her own cheeks. Rinoa mouthed, "I am so sorry…" She had no right to be sad while in Rori's presence. She had to keep her own sanity in check to preserve the girl's sanity as well. The young woman immediately wiped her face to hide every trace of sadness from the young girl's eyes. She humbly accepted Selphie's request; after all, there was no need to frown, was there? Things were working out for the best, right? Most of all, she needed to be happy that Rori still had her health, and that the girl hadn't lost her life to Seifer's car. Rori was Rinoa's gift, and as such, Rinoa would cherish her everyday for the rest of her life.
Once again, Rori yawned into her hand; however, Rinoa knew what would shake off her weariness. She took a deep breath and sang, "Guess who's on the phone?!"
"Sefie?!" The girl squealed almost immediately after.
"That's right!" Rinoa answered, watching as Rori jumped from the couch and dashed toward her, tackling her legs.
"Let me see! Let me see!" Yelled the little girl who was jumping at her mother's thighs and reaching up for the phone, all the while Rinoa had placed her hand on top of Rori's forehead to keep her still until she could lower the phone down to her level.
"Hold on a second, Rori—Selphie?"
"I'm still here! I can hear the little lady from here!" Selphie cackled through the phone as she recalled the day Rori had worn her yellow sundress out in the noonday, admiring the playing card designs and drinking lemonade. Selphie also remembered how mature Rori had been after Squall returned the lost card to her. As if sensing that Rinoa would instinctively move the phone from her own ear and out to where Rori was bound to hear, Selphie yelled, "RORI!"
"Sefie!" Selphie heard the little girl shout back, "I missed you!"
"I missed you too, Rori!"
"BYE!" Rori yelled, ending the shortest conversation known to all mankind. Rinoa laughed, pressing her free hand into her cheek while Selphie yelled goodbye to Rori, who had run back and dived onto the softness of the sofa.
"Bye!" Selphie said again as Rinoa pulled the phone back and placed it over her ear. She heard Selphie rattling, "Oh, I really miss you guys so much; it was the longest vacation ever! Rinoa, you don't know how excited I am right now!"
"Well I think I've gotten a good grasp of it."
"Ha-ha." She said, followed by a real laugh. "…Anyway, we got home some time yesterday, so we're unpacked and snug now. …Say Rin, I was thinking about having a little get together today or tomorrow. What do you say?"
"…Sounds like fun."
"Great! Bring Rori and Squall, okay? Irvine and I have a little surprise for Rori, so be sure to tell her for me, will you?"
"I will. Oh Selphie, exactly when are you holding this get-together?"
"How about tomorrow at noon…? Wait…that won't do, Irvy's got work. Let's say tonight at 6 or 7? You think everyone will be ready by that time?" She laughed, "Everyone…? Listen to me, talking like I'm throwing a huge party in a mansion somewhere. Oh, and don't worry if you think it'll bother Irvine, it was originally going to be a party to celebrate our good news, but now that I see we all have good news, it'll be to welcome Rori home mostly and to celebrate every one of us."
"Thank you, Sel..." Rinoa laughed inwardly; however, the good news was short lived. Although grateful that Selphie would go through all the trouble to allow everyone a good time at her place, Rinoa wanted to be with Squall, to rebirth what was once lost to them. She needed that time with him, tonight perhaps. Whether that time meant that they would be with Rori or alone even, she just wanted him all to herself, to know he would always be with her. The young woman wondered if it was selfish to feel that way.
"Earth to Rinoa!" Selphie yelled over the phone.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Sel. I'm still here…"
"I thought you were going to say something afterwards, but…you left me there. …You know you really don't have to go if you don't want to. It's your choice!"
"No…I wanna go," she lied, "I was only thinking…that's all."
"Well, there's nothing to think about anymore because you're coming over and that's final! Be here tonight!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Rinoa laughed, fanning the air with a wave of her hand as she prepared to terminate the lines.
Hours after the sun had breeched the sky with its orange evening glow Squall was back in his hotel room, showered, eaten, and incredibly tired from his long day. After retiring to his bed some moments ago, he had tried to take a nap that he hoped would span off into sleep.
Since leaving Zell to spit-shine every corner of the shop alone, he felt an unbearable wave of weariness overwhelm his body. He could laugh at Zell's foolishness in reacting before knowing much about the suspicious new store across the street from his shop, but expending the energy just to form a grin wasn't worth his time or effort. "…Sleep…just go to sleep." He urged himself; hopefully, he would give in to his fleshly desire to rest sometime soon. After all, sleep was much sweeter to the working man, but he was left to wonder if this so called sweet sleep had chosen to betray him instead.
Suddenly the telephone in his room rang, interrupting his attempts to rest.
"Oh no…" The brunet groaned amidst the darkness. He looked over at the phone on his dresser top and sighed, "…Zell, if that's you, I'm going to kill you tomorrow." Finally, he reached over and answered the phone groggily, "…Hello?"
"Squall?" At the sound of her voice, Squall had immediately winced. How could he ever think of Zell calling before Rinoa? He had almost forgotten she had had his number.
"I'm sorry…Were you sleeping?" She asked quietly.
"No, it's fine. I was just dozing." He cleared his throat and sat up in his bed. Reaching for the lamp on the dresser top, he grabbed and pulled its string to illuminate his room. He brought his hands to his eyes and massaged the weariness away, "…Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, everything's fine. I…I thought you were at the shop, so I called there looking for you. …I think I gave Zell a scare."
"Zell…?" He smiled, turning his face away from the phone to yawn. "…Don't worry about him, he's always scared."
"That's typical of him." She laughed, widening the grin onSquall's face. He enjoyed the sound of her voice over the phone. "By the way, he says that you better not think about working for the guy across the street. What…what's he talking about?"
Squall sighed loudly. "…Is he still going with that?"
"…Something between you guys from earlier?"
"Yeah, it's something stupid." He had breathed aloud and explained, "…Someone bought the building across the street from Zell's shop. We have no clue as to who owns it now— it could be anyone. Zell starts panicking, getting all delusional about his competition or whatever. I told him he was crazy." He said, hearing giggling from her end of the line, and he continued, "You'll love this..." Squall smirked, "…He fired me for laughing."
"He fired you?!" She paused, "That's ridiculous!"
"We weren't serious, but I'm beginning to think he was…" He said, sliding a hand through his hair as Rinoa began to laugh again. He rested the phone between his neck and shoulder to give his hand a rest, and kicked his legs to the left side of the bed so his feet could touch the floor. "I worry about him sometimes…"
"You know Zell. …He'll be fine." Rinoa assured
"Yeah."
"Oh, right," She said suddenly, "Here's why I called…Selphie's invited us over to her place tonight. Do you feel like going?"
He thought about his bed for a moment, how it had seemed to seduce him, making him feel as though he would miss out on a chance in a lifetime to rest between its irresistibly comfortable sheets. He shook away the temptation and smiled, "Sure, I'll go."
"Great! Come home and then we'll head over there together, okay?" She said eagerly, sounding as if she had been multitasking, sliding on clothing while talking with him at once. He had grown silent with the thought. "Squall…?"
"Hmm?" He muffled into the phone, rising from the bed as if she were dressing in the room with him, reading his every move.
"…Did you hear me?"
"Yeah, Rin…I was just…" He grabbed the phone from his neck and held it firmly, "I'll be there in a little while."
"Okay." She said. "We're waiting!"
"Don't worry, I won't be late."
After Rinoa hung up her phone, Squall had remained on his line a little while longer, grinning against the buzzing from her end. He placed his phone back onto its charger slowly as he muttered, "…This day keeps getting better and better."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The brunet looked at himself in the mirror once more before he left his room. He had dressed in a burgundy sweater and black pants, and his boots. Typical Balamb weather told him it would be a cool night, and so he topped it all off with a short midnight coat. He wondered how Rinoa might dress since recalling how she had hated the crisp coldness contrary to his hate of the scalding heat. Suspense couldn't rear its head for long; he would be seeing Rinoa in less than an hour. He realized it was the most they would see of each other in a single day since his return. He couldn't help but to cringe when jittery twinges engrossed his body.
What was it that he was feeling? Was he nervous all over again? Nervous like he had been during their first date? He smirked, first date… It was the only date I had ever been on before, so ofcourse I was nervous! But Rinoa…she made me feel so calm, and we spent our time as naturally as it came. …Although everything hadn't gone as we had planned, we actually wound up having a great time. He had then released a relishing sigh, what have I got to be nervous about? This is Rinoa…I trust her.
Soon after leaving the hotel, he had reached the house. It towered him like a whale to an insect; he unknowingly swallowed a large lump in his throat. When I saw this place for the first time, I knew she would love it. She really admires doll houses, and I think this one beats the rest by far. The crème edges have dulled over the years, but it is still in good shape.
Taking his first step upwards, a mixture of bittersweet memories coursed his being, making his stomach rampant. He had paused momentarily, allowing his feelings to settle before continuing up the stairs to their house. He tried to calm himself down as he drew upon old memories of Rinoa.
I knew these stone steps would work out fine, regardless of what her father had said about its condition. He said it was a nice house, but he didn't want Rinoa to live here…it wasn't suitable for his little girl. But I knew the truth. He only disliked the house because Balamb was just too far away from him.
The young man laughed inwardly, I was glad it was far away…that meant I was free from him. The things he said to me back then, sometimes it was hard to hear, but then I appreciated it too. Better to hear something rather than nothing at all, right?
He sighed, Rinoa spent all those years despising her father, but as she had gotten older she couldn't stay away from him.
The front door opened unexpectedly and Rori peaked outside, her hair falling over her eyes.
"Rori!" Rinoa's voice roared from behind the girl, "…Don't open the door like that! You don't even know who it is!"
Even with hair blocking her view, she was able to make out the figure standing on their front porch, and her eyes lit up like stars, "Daddy!" She cheered, running toward him quickly.
"Hey, Rori!" He said, dazing at Rori's outburst from the doorway. He had then laughed and knelt down, opening his arms to pick her up from the boarded floor of the porch. She hugged him and then moved her face back to see his eyes.
"I kept my promise!" She whispered, looking into his eyes as she placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Did you?" He asked, his voice returning her whisper. Rori nodded fiercely. Squall smiled, "Well then…I think we have to tell her the truth now. No more keeping secrets from mom."
"Aww…" Rori sighed, and moved her hand over her mouth. "She looked so funny!" She giggled, causing Squall to laugh too, and she then rested her face against his shoulder.
Rinoa peeled back the front door from where Rori had already left it open. Had she heard Rori correctly? When she looked out onto the porch, she saw Squall patting Rori's back, her arms now wrapped around his forearms and they were calm. Rinoa noticed that his eyes were smiling more than his mouth had. Judging from the look on his face, he too had been surprised at Rori's outburst.
Rinoa stepped too hard, sending a creak from the wooden floor. "Ma!" Rori called to her mother in her baby voice, looking back to her from Squall's shoulder. "Look who's here!" The girl yelled, her eyes returning to her father's, but then she realized Squall was no longer looking at her. His eyes had fallen in line with Rinoa's.
"…I see him, sweetie." The young woman replied softly, her eyes never leaving his blue orbs. Hearing Rori call to Squall without using his given name, it had surprised her, but it also released suppressed tension from her heart. Rinoa was overjoyed to find that he had finally told her the truth, and she smiled. "…Squall." She whispered, watching him standing before her, the scene unfolded before her eyes in slow motion. Had she dreamt this, imagining it up while waiting on him? All the while, Squall continued to stare at her, unable to make another move or say a single word. He smiled warmly. Rori giggled as she watched her parents' flirting eyes.
Rinoa laughed, placing her hands over her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears, tears that Rori became concerned about. "What's wrong, momma?" She asked, her smile slowly disappearing upon seeing Rinoa's eyes glistening by the second.
"Oh…it's nothing, sweetie…" She smiled again, forcing her eyes to Rori's. "I'm just…I'm just glad that your dad made it here on time." She answered, bringing her hands underneath her eyes to wipe away the tears before they could fall.
Squall saw the shimmers in her eyes and took a step toward her with Rori in his hold. "…Sorry, I didn't get to ring the doorbell, which reminds me." He looked at Rori again, "Your mom was right, Rori, don't ever open the door by yourself. Just wait until she says it's okay to open it, alright?"
The little girl sighed, "Alright…" Rinoa hid her laughter, covering her mouth with a relaxed hand. Squall had barely been in Rori's life for a full day and was already lecturing her about safety.
She wiped the unruly strands of hair from her face, and smiled to the pair, "Well then…we should get going. It wouldn't be fair to Selphie if we showed up late."
"Let's go!" Rori yelled, urging Squall to let her down, and he abided, allowing her down from his waist where she leapt onto the porch again. Rori jumped up and down with wild laughter, "Guess what, Squall! Sefie's got a surprise for me!"
"A surprise…?" Squall smiled, looking at Rinoa who had placed her hands on her hips and shook her head from side to side, "It's true. Oh...and Rori, your secret is out, so you don't need to do that anymore, okay?"
"Oh…okay." She had muttered, dropping her eyes to the floor, but then the moment was short lived. "Hey! How did you know…?!" She placed her hands on her hips and faced Squall again, "You didn't tell her, did you daddy?"
"No." He answered, shaking his head from left to right, grinning at her seriousness.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Positive," He answered with a nod.
The girl scratched her head, completing missing the hint when Rinoa had deliberately used dad before any of them had said a word about it. She shrugged her shoulders and faced the door. "If you say so…" The girl muttered. Rinoa and Squall exchanged looks across the porch. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Rori yelped. "I gotta get something! …Be right back!" Rori said, running into the house and leaving them a few seconds alone.
"…I blame myself for telling her about the surprise so soon," Rinoa sighed. "She hasn't been quiet since I told her, or quite herself," She laughed. "…Selphie insisted I tell her about the surprise, but heaven knows why I listened to her. Rori's been excited about this present for the last three hours."
"Oh wow..." He mouthed, hiding away his smile. Who knew what would happen to him if he had laughed at her right then and there? Looking into the house, Squall watched Rori emerge with a pink bunny in her hands.
"I'm ready." The girl whispered, tugging at the bottom of Rinoa's long pink skirt.
"Okay, Rori. Just let me lock the door." Rinoa answered, pulling the keys to the house from her jacket pocket and closing the door behind her.
There on the porch, only the streetlights provided light. Rinoa concentrated on locking the front door to their home.
Feeling little fingers tapping his hand, Squall had looked down and smiled. Such a sight was spooky in the eyes of any three-year-old, and so Rori reached up and grabbed for Squall's hand in the darkness. She had been cuddling the stuffed rabbit underneath her right arm for comfort, when she reached out for his help. Without a single word, Squall took Rori's hand, and they waited for Rinoa to join them at the foot of the stairs.
Rinoa had faced them, placing the keys into her tan jacket, and smiled, "Are we ready?"
"Yeah!" Rori shouted, and Squall had given a quick nod. Rinoa sauntered toward them and grabbed Squall's free arm. And they finally walked from the porch, heading up the street to Irvine and Selphie's home.
"So, why a party?" He asked, keeping Rori's hand secured in his own. They were sure to take smaller steps because the girl had chosen to walk too; otherwise, he would've lifted her from the ground at any moment. He tensed the arm that was looped with Rinoa's to assure he was there, and wouldn't be leaving from their lively bunch any time.
Rinoa smiled, brushing her face against his forearm. "Well…despite Rori's 'surprise', it's actually to celebrate Selphie and Irvine's big news."
"Big news?" He asked while facing her, tilting his head slightly to the side. Rinoa allowed her eyes to meet his and giggled when she saw his face had curled quizzically. He was adorable to her, and she couldn't help but to laugh at him. "What's so funny?" He asked, oblivious to his own expression.
"Nothing's funny, I'm just…" She smiled after putting a rest to her laughter, "… Irvine and Selphie are married now." She said, continuing to stare at him. Squall looked away momentarily, and then brought his eyes to hers again. "Isn't that great?" She inquired, hoping to get feedback from him, but he laughed out loud instead. "Squall!" Rinoa yelled, using her left hand to slap the top of his arm jokingly.
Rori had looked up at them with a grin, uncertain of what her parents had been talking about all along; her mind had been fixated with her long awaited gift, wondering what it could possibly be.
"I'm sorry!" He laughed. "…I meant to say that it's great to hear that they've tied the knot, but isn't it a little expected?"
She smiled again, looking at the path of the dirty sidewalk before them. She lowered her voice, "…Well yeah, I guess it wasn't a big surprise to me either, but…I'm a little upset, Squall. They didn't have a wedding... A wedding is special because it serves as the unity of two people… It's a wonderful way to begin a new life together. It's the first day of a new life with the one you love."
"...I couldn't have said it better myself." He whispered, watching her as she lifted her eyes from the ground to meet his. Rinoa smiled, her cheeks blushing against the dim lighting from the streetlights. Silence had taken over.
In the midst of their silent flirtations, Rori yelled, "There it is!" She pointed to the young couple's home with the pink bunny in her hand. Both shrugged their shoulders and smiled to hide the disappointment. The moment should have been longer.
"Great," They said in unison, stopping at the street's corner to observe the house from afar.
"Are you ready?" She whispered to him, facing him slowly. He grabbed her hand from his side and grinned. She understood his gesture. As long as they were together, they were prepared for anything. They had been through hell and high water, so what could possibly stop them now? Aside from the expected hyperactivity for the next few hours, they were ready for anything, "Here we go…" Rinoa whispered.
Once Upon an Author's Rocky Road:
Hey! I separated the chapter. The other will be posted next week because I realized it would need a few more tweaks. So if this one reads a little naked, don't worry, I'll bring the clothes next time. I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me. Anyway, I hoped you've enjoyed your read, so stay tuned as we get to the end of the line. Oh yeah, and on a side note, I've notived that when I've uploaded a document exceeding 5000 words, the system smudges my words together like this ( My little exampleindication, you see?) In such a case, I haven't written the words that way, but rather it is a glitch with the document transformation, and as such, I may not see those when I've first uploaded a document. However, I will not neglect those as they are nuisances even to me, and I'd rather not read or have any one else read the words that way either. Thank you for pointing it out, now let me exterminate so you won't have to look at them again, okay? Okay! Thanks!
I'm going to reply like this for the rest, and I'll use their system with the newer story. Sorry, Don't hate me!
SavannahX: lol… I'm thinking about writing a one shot about a fight between those two…of course it'd be AU, but…it's just a thought. (lol, As if I can afford to write due to all the work from classes…ahh.) Anyhoo, I'm glad you liked that last chapter, and hope you like the next even more! Hehe
Cerulean Crystal: Thank you, I'll try to keep up!
Amy: Candy! Yay! –gathers candy, throws some to the chocobos in the fields.- lol! Thank you!
Teresa: Hola! Thank you very, very much. ( two "very"s because you left one for EB, thanks!) As I said before, I'll continue with that one, but it requires my top concentration. When I begin that story again, I'll have to focus on it alone. lol. Well now, don't worry, from here on, it shouldn't be too long of a wait. Thanks!
Ayato: Thanks so much. Almost every scene with Zell plays in my mind like a show. I think I'm beginning to love his character even more. Hey, just read whenever you feel like it, take your time! Adieu!
Well guys, looks like this is it. Time to wrap it up! Just going to say, hope you enjoyed your read, and leave a message for me when you get the chance. Remember, this is part 1, part 2 will be brought to you next week, okay? Aright!
Adios,
StardustRay