Final
Pinako stands still, unmoving, and watches the door swing slowly closed behind them of its own accord. Normally she would have turned away at once, tied her apron on in a businesslike manner and got straight down to work- it's best to keep yourself busy, it really is- but today she feels strangely unable to force her limbs to move. She indulges herself, standing there for a while longer and listening to the sound of bright laughter and young excited voices receding down the path, disappearing into the air.
Her granddaughter has gone to live elsewhere at last. And she has taken the boys with her.
Den approaches and nuzzles closely, fondly against her leg. She swats him impatiently away.
But the movement lifts her from her immobile stance, and she gazes around herself thoughtfully, wondering why everything feels so different from normal all of a sudden. It's not as though this is the first time they have left. The two boys have walked away from her house and their home a thousand times or more, and each time they did so, despite all their promises to return some day, it felt like the last. Winry too has left multiple times in the past: called out for emergency repairs, visiting friends in Central, training for her apprenticeship, even just accompanying the boys. So really, Pinako thinks, resolutely gesturing Den away as he pads over to her again, she has no reason to let it affect her any more this time.
Perhaps it is because this time, things really do seem final. The three of them are happy. After everything they have been through together, she knows that nothing, not war, not strife, not even death, could possibly separate them from each other. And now the three of them have left her life forever. They aren't going very far, they say, their house is just around the corner really, but she knows that three young, enamoured kids, elated with their sudden freedom, will hardly bother to come and visit an old woman like herself.
Den butts her hand with his head and whines. As Pinako finally acknowledges the dog, stooping marginally to scratch behind his ears, she thinks that maybe Den is more perceptive of her emotions than she had thought. Hell, maybe Den is more perceptive of her emotions than she herself is.
Because damn it all if the house doesn't seem massive and empty and quiet now that they've gone, when it never seemed so before, and damn those children if they haven't left echoes of themselves that still ring hauntingly through the suddenly enormous corridors.
"I'm comforting you, Den," she says firmly as she pats the elderly dog fondly on the head. "Old women don't get lonely. You know that already, I'm sure."
Author's notes: Commissioned by the wonderful Legendary Chimera, who requested Pinako and Den. I'm quite ashamed of this, actually. Legendary Chimera, it turns out, has a very appropriate name. She is a legend. She has been amazingly kind and supportive to me during my short time on this site, and always takes the time out of her busy life to read and review. And- get this- there is, as far as I can tell, just one of my fics that she has not reviewed. That may not sound too impressive, but have any of you checked out my profile recently? I have a LOT of fics. Not to mention how she puts up with my ranting over the PM system. And this commission? Ugh. I am not at all pleased with it. It sort of came out sounding like Pinako!angst, which is just disturbing o.O I'm sorry, Chimera! I hope you like it anyway! Hopefully your other commission will come out better -.-;