January 13, 1917
-
Present Day
Riza's Apartment, 9:00pm
-
"Aunty Riza?"
Riza blinked, surprised and took the phone away from her ear for a moment to stare at it before answering, "Maro?"
"Yeah," said the twelve-year-old on the other end of the line.
"Is something wrong?"
"Well, a little…"
"Are you and your father okay?"
"Dad's been feeling sick since the morning and he wanted me to tell you that he couldn't come with us to Great-Grandpa's farm, but I could still come if it wouldn't be too much trouble… Can I, Aunty Riza? Please?!" her voice was suddenly panicked and quite desperate, as though she actually believed Riza could deny her anything.
"Of course, Maro," she replied soothingly, "I'll come and pick you up on the 17th and we'll drive down together. Tell your father to get well soon- and that he can come if he's feeling any better by then, alright?"
"'Kay! Thank you so much, Aunty Riza! Dad was worried it would be too much trouble for you to take care of me for some reason!"
Riza frowned, "of course not, Maro. You can call me anytime- I'll always be willing to take care of you, no matter what."
"Thanks again, Aunty Riza! I have to go now- bye!"
"Goodbye, Maro," said Riza and she hung up.
She went to get changed then- pulling off her military uniform and replacing it with a pair of soft white flannel pyjamas, unable to help but feel a little cheated as she climbed into bed. "He doesn't think I can handle looking after a child," she murmured to herself as she climbed into bed and hugged her legs up to her chest. "My child… All because of what happened when I was eighteen-years-old…"
Sighing, she rolled onto her other side to gaze at the pictures on a nearby shelf forlornly. A couple showed a young man with light brown hair and green eyes in a military uniform, smiling in a manner that could only be described as Hughes-like. "Our child, Edwin… always ours." She reached over to run a finger over the smooth glass covering a picture of baby Maro in her crib twelve years ago, then one of the girl's namesake, Private Otori, holding her and laughing. A couple of photos featured Hughes, a couple more of both Maros, Erich, her father and grandfather, Maria, Havoc, Fuery, Falman, Breda and Sheska, and then her favourite- the one on her side-table:
Roy was holding her father's old cat, Tsunami, who was trying to knock off his military academy cap, and grinning lopsidedly at the camera. Beside him, Riza was smiling, with laughter in her bright mahogany eyes, wearing a blue sundress and a straw-brimmed hat. Her hair was shoulder-length, from just before she cut it and joined the academy.
She closed her eyes now, and smiled, the picture remaining etched in her dark mind. It was very special to her- a good time in both of their lives, before everything started going wrong…
"Goodnight," she whispered to the old photographs, and she closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful sort of sleep among her happy memories.
-
Note: A couple more days in Central, then out to the countryside for fluff, and back to Central for drama… and a spot of murder.