The Impossible Test
Cloud sat at the table, halfheartedly eating his cereal, watching the snow fall lightly outside the dining room window. Music played softly filling the silence.
"UGH! I hate snow! It's too cold and wet and I hate it with a fiery passion." Liesl groaned, joining him at the table, putting away her cellphone, having finished a call. "Why can't it be summer all year long? Fuck this! I'm moving to a tropical island and wasting my life away lounging on the beach."
"Finish your coffee, Grouch. You'll hate everything less and I won't have to listen to you complain." Cloud muttered, still half asleep.
"You're not invited to my island, Little Kitty." She remarked sarcastically.
"Your island? We'll see about that when you start to get lonely." He smiled "So, What did your mom want?"
"To know if we'd be coming to visit over the holidays."
"Visit?!" He repeated almost choking on his cereal. "As in stay at their house… for a few days… And nights!"
"It's not like they're going to do anything to you, and isn't it about time you met them? Officially. Besides I haven't seen either one of them since I came here to see Tifa. And that was six months ago!"
"Ok. I guess you're right, Love"
"I always am."
"We'll go visit them-"
"First thing tomorrow.
"Wait what?! Liesl!" He hollered after her as she made her way into the bedroom.
"You're the best!" She sang in reply.
…-o-…
By the time they arrived at Liesl's former home it was late evening and growing darker. A woman, who looked like an older and more country version of Liesl, greeted them on the front steps. In a southern accent she exclaimed "Well I'll be! Y'all are finally here! We've been on pins and needles waitin' for y'all to show" embracing Liesl in a tight hug, the woman continued "It's been too quiet around here with you gone."
"I bet it has." Cloud mumbled under his breath.
"And you must be Cloud!" the woman announced turning her attention to him "OH MY! Pretty lil' thing, aren't ya."
"Oh no, Mama. This is Mark. I met him on the way here and decided to bring him instead. Though, I'm pretty sure he's an ax murderer, so that may not have been my smartest decision." Liesl said facetiously.
"Hush your mouth! He's too gorgeous to be an ax murderer." Liesl's mother joked back. "My name is Marla, but you just call me Mama, ya hear? And we are just tickled pink to have you here, so make yourself right at home. And if you need anything at all you just let me know, ok?" She ranted as she led the pair into the house and upstairs to Liesl's old bedroom.
"Where's Daddy?" asked Liesl, setting her bags down beside the bed.
"Washin' up for diner. If y'all aren't down by the time he's done, I'll send him right up." Marla informed, leaving the couple to get settled.
"Well, Little Kitty, looks like we've got a minute alone." Liesl smiled flirtatiously. Smiling back, Cloud allowed her to lead him over to the bed and pull him on top of her while placing a lustful kiss on her lips, trailing his way toward her neck. Just as things started to get heated, the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them. Sitting up frantically, Liesl knocked Cloud off the bed.
A late-fifties version of Zack with Liesl's green eyes glared at Cloud with violent intent. Cloud was thankful he landed on the opposite side of the bed, so Old Zack couldn't see just how tight his pants had become, particularly in the zipper region.
"Daddy!" Liesl exclaimed, running to Old Zack, throwing her arms around his neck.
Hugging her back, he greeted "Hello, Princess."
"This is Cloud." She introduced, gesturing to the blond who still sat behind the bed. "Cloud this is Obadiah, my father." Now facing Cloud, she gave him a warning look that told him if he misbehaved then he'd be in serious trouble. Resembling a deer in headlights, he waves awkwardly.
Glaring at Cloud once more, Obadiah turned his attention back towards his daughter and informed "Dinner's ready. Mama sent me to come get y'all. And YOU" he scolded, pointing at Cloud "will be staying in Zack's old room."
"Thanks Daddy. Be down in a minute." Liesl remarked, as her father left the room. She faced the unmoved blond and give him her "you're dead" look.
"What?!" Cloud squeaked in fear.
…-o-…
At the dinner table the mood hadn't improved for Cloud. Liesl gabbed on with her parents and every time they asked him a question, Liesl saved him from unbearable awkward silences by answering for him. Most of the time.
"So, how did you two meet?" asked Marla.
"Uuuummmm…" Cloud intelligently replied, looking to Liesl, half panicked, and knowing the embarrassment that was to come. Trying hard not to laugh, Liesl managed "How did we officially meet? Or the first time we saw each other?"
"Both and don't skip on the details." insisted Marla, resting her elbow in the table and placing her chin in her hand in anticipation.
Before Liesl could begin, Cloud finished his almost full glass of wine, though he didn't really like the taste. Grabbing the bottle from the center of the table, Liesl refilled Cloud's glass, no longer trying to hide the grin that now played across her lips.
"Well, y'all remember the last time we saw Zack? He had that friend with him? It was summer time and we were all at the market place."
"You mean that scrawny fella that broke his nose? The one we had to bring back here for me to patch up?" inquired Obadiah.
"Yes! Liesl delighted as Cloud finished off another glass of wine. Liesl decided to take up the habit of refilling Cloud's glass as soon as it was empty.
"What about him?" asked Marla.
Liesl simply pointed at Cloud who was in the process of finishing off another glass.
The Fairs' laughter filled the room as Cloud sipped his newly refilled beverage slowly this time, while he waited patiently waited for them to regain their composure. After what felt like hours to Cloud, Marla breathed "I'm sorry, sweetheart. We don't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"So, were you and Zack good friends?" questioned Obadiah, almost making it sound like an accusation.
Cloud nodded in response.
"Were you with him when he died?" demanded Obadiah allowing the anger in his voice to be heard clearly.
"Yes." Cloud bite back.
After a moment of silent tension, Marla piped "I do believe we need more wine.'
"I'll get the dishes started for you." added Liesl, gathering the plates.
Safely in the kitchen, Marla remarked "That was… unexpected. Should we leave those two alone?"
"I don't know. Is Daddy going to do anything?"
Before Marla could answer the sound of something shattering drew the females' attention. Hurrying back into the dining room, they arrived in time to see Obadiah pinning Cloud by his shirt against the buffet.
"You murdered my son!" he yelled.
"Obadiah!" Marla reprimanded, horrified by her husband's behavior.
Breaking free easily, Cloud stormed upstairs to his borrowed room. Lingering long enough to give her father her "you dead' stare, Liesl followed Cloud.
…-o-…
Joining Cloud on the floor next to Zack's old bed, Liesl looked around the unchanged room. "I haven't been in here in a few years." Liesl muttered, attempting to lighten Cloud's mood.
"He called me a murderer." he grumbled angrily.
Smirking slightly because she did the same thing when she introduced him to her mother, Liesl replied calmly as she ran her fingers through Cloud's hair "I know, Little Kitty, and he was out of line."
Sighing heavily and laying his head on Liesl's shoulder he admitted "This is a disaster." Swaying, he almost fell off of Liesl, finally feeling the effects of the wine.
"Whoa, there, Little Kitty. I think you're a wee bit drunk." Liesl said.
"Just a bit." he agreed. "How do I fix this, Love? I can't let first impression of me be this…. And then what? Never see me again because they hate me so much?"
"Calm down. Things will be better in the morning. After everyone has had time to cool off. Then we'll start over." advised Liesl, still running her fingers through Cloud's hair.
"If they even let me stay here that long. I wouldn't be surprised if they kicked me out after all that's happened tonight."
"They won't. And if they try I won't let them. Besides, I think Mama's on your side. She looked pretty upset with Daddy for the 'murder' comment." Cloud winced at the word "murder" and swayed again.
"You ok, Little Kitty? Are you going to be sick or do you need to lay down?" asked Liesl, making the same face he'd seen her make while treating her patients at her clinic.
"I'm fine, Love." he assured her.
Suddenly, there was a timid knock at the door, which was open fully, and Obadiah stood in the doorway bashfully. Liesl's medic faces melted into pure anger.
"Mind if I speak to Cloud alone?" her father quipped.
"I don't know. You gonna accuse him of murder and attack him again?" she sassed, making sure her anger was clearly heard in her voice.
Shaking his head, Obadiah voiced calmly "No, I just wanna talk."
Liesl looked to Cloud who gave her a single nod. As she exited the room she paused in the doorway, refusing to meet her father's eye, and threatened "Fix this or you'll lose your daughter, too." Stomping her way downstairs, she joined her mother.
…-o-…
Obadiah and Cloud sat on opposite ends of the bed, and after a few minutes of the men looking around the room avoiding eye contact in unpretentious silence, Obadiah cleared his throat and announced "My wife has informed me, if I don't apologize to you for accusing you of murdering Zack, then I will find myself sleeping on the porch. And my daughter has made it clear if I don't try to fix this and play nice, then she will never forgive me and I'll never see her again."
"But you're not sorry and you hate me." Cloud noted coldly.
"Something like that."
"Right." Cloud huffed as he crossed the room to the closet to retrieve his bag, disturbing a bag in the process. Grunting, he knelt to clean up the mess, and as he was filing away the contents of the box he realized it was all letters addressed to Liesl from Zack and pictures. Nostalgia took over him as he sat looking at the smiling face of his best friend. He could tell the photograph was taken the day he broke his nose because he was in the background, and he remember Zack was acting like a goofball just before he saw the camera flash that drew his attention to Liesl. Returning the picture to its box, he realized Obadiah was sitting across from him, with tears in his eye, reading one of the letters. Upon finishing, Obadiah looked at Cloud as a few of the tears fell down his cheek and pulled Cloud into a tight and almost painful hug. Too shocked to respond, Cloud waited for Obadiah to release him.
"Well this is unexpected." Liesl broke in, leaning against the door frame. "What brought this on?"
"I don't know, Love. I Just…." Cloud trailed off, still trying to figure out what was happening himself. Finally letting him go, Obadiah held up the letter for Liesl to see. Joining the males on the floor and taking the paper from her father, she skimmed over the words. "I got this a few days before… Before he died." looking at Cloud, she continued, "This is the letter I was talking about on our first date."
"Cloud, I apologize for what I said. I think I understand just how important you were to Zack. And I could see from the beginning just how important you are to Liesl. So, if you're willing I'd like to start over." Obadiah expressed.
Leaning over and kissing his cheek, Liesl smiled appreciatively "Thank you, Daddy."
"I think starting over is a good idea." Cloud admitted.
"Great. But just remember, you break my daughter's heart, I'll break your neck. And I'll make it look like an accident. Deal?" Obadiah warned.
"Deal." Cloud agreed with a crooked grin.
COMING SOON Chapter 4: The Final Test
Thanks for your patience and continued reading. I greatly appreciate any feed back anyone has to give so please feel free to let me know what you think via review or private messaging. I'll do my best to have the next chapter posted faster this time. :)