Summary:
Three years after Sephiroth and Meteor Tifa is living in Costa del Sol raising a two year old son. But when she runs into a familiar face from her past will she forgive him or keep resenting him?
Disclaimer:
I do not own nor claim to own anything from, about or pertaining to Squaresoft. Like I have enough money to pay for a lawsuit...--
Author's Note:
Okay, revamp has been completed. Please read through the entire story over again. I've made at least one change to every chapter. I think I did a pretty darn good job, but that's just me speaking...let me know what you think...
Why Do I Love Thee?
By: Jenna Mogavero
I leaned back, resting my weight on my elbows and watched the shimmering waves lap up onto the Costa del Sol shore. It was cooler today. Cooler than most average days here in the little resort town, but it was still warm enough to make a person who wasn't used to the weather very uncomfortable.
But not me. I've been living here for the past three years. One would think I'd be used to the weather by now.
"Mommy! Come look at my sandcastle!" I turned my head at the sound of my son's voice and slowly rose from the place I had been sitting. He was jumping up and down waving his arms wildly.
I smiled as I walked towards him. His blonde hair seemed to glow in the bright sunlight and his brilliant blue eyes matched the waves that rolled onto shore.
My son….and Cloud's as well. Logan looks so much like his father it's sometimes hard to look at him. Cloud left as soon as he found out I was pregnant. He'd been living with me for about two months after Sephiroth and Meteor were destroyed when Logan was conceived.
He told me that he wasn't ready to be a father yet and when I told him he had better start getting ready is when he decided to leave. I tried to convince him to stay and help me raise our child but he told me he didn't want any part of it. He wanted to enjoy his life without having to worry about a child.
I got angry then and hit him. What else could I do? Stand there and take a beating from the man that supposedly 'loved' me while he told me he didn't want to be a part in our child's life?
After I hit him he marched up the stairs and packed all that he had into an old, worn backpack and left. I just stood in the doorway, shocked, and watched the father of my baby disappear.
Logan grabbed the hem of my shorts and tugged on them. "Look, Mommy!" He exclaimed happily, pointing down to the mound of sand, seashells and sticks that he had crafted.
I kneeled down and looked at my two year old's masterpiece. All it was constructed of was a few lumpy mounds of sand that had random seashells and sticks sticking out of it. I smiled and kissed him on the forehead, standing up again. "That looks wonderful."
He smiled and wrapped his arms around my leg, squeezing it as tightly as his tiny arms would allow. "I love you, Mommy!" He said before he clapped his hands above his head. His sign that he wanted to be picked up.
I leaned down and hefted him up into my arms and set him on my hip. I ran my hands through his messy blonde hair before kissing him on the cheek. "Are you hungry? Why don't we go home?"
He giggled and wrapped his arms around my neck. I laughed as well, gently placing my hand on the back of his head before turning around and walking back into town.
The only good thing Cloud did for me besides giving me Logan was leaving the condo all to me. Because we paid the whole three hundred thousand gil for it right up front there was no need to make house payments every month so I could use my paychecks for something other than bills.
I unlocked the door to my home and walked inside, breathing a sigh of relief when I walked into the air-conditioned condo. I set Logan down on the couch and looked at my watch. I needed to be at work in two hours. I sighed as I walked into the master bedroom and rummaged around in my closet for my uniform.
A few weeks after I moved here I had gotten a really good paying job being a cocktail waitress at the newest hotel/casino in town. The hours weren't that bad and the manager seemed to like me, which was always a plus in the work environment.
My costume consisted of a blue and gold tuxedo like overcoat that stopped at the base of my butt and a sleeveless, black leotard that had rhinestones making swirling patterns down the front. Not my fist choice of costume but my manager is the one that picked them out.
I quickly dressed and walked into the bathroom to apply my make-up. I had just finished putting on my eye shadow when the doorbell rang. I walked out of the bathroom and opened the front door.
Trish, my baby sitter, smiled at me. "Hey, Ms. Lockheart! Getting ready for work?" She asked, as I stepped back so she could enter.
"Yeah, just finishing," I said, walking back into the bathroom.
"How long are you working tonight?" She asked from the living room.
"At least until eight. If they need me to stay longer, I'll call you," I said, putting my earrings in. I turned the bathroom light off and walked into the bedroom, picking up my purse. "If I do end up staying late," I began as I walked into the living room. "I'll pay you double what I normally do."
She shook her head. "That's alright Ms. Lockheart. Babysitting Logan is reward enough. I hope I have kids just like him."
I smiled as I hugged Trish. "You're so sweet. Well, I've got to go. You know the drill."
She nodded and saluted. "Yes, ma'am."
"Okay, I'll see you later." I walked away from Trish and over to Logan who was sitting on the floor playing with a few plastic blocks. I picked him up and kissed him on the forehead. "Mommy has to go to work now, sweetheart. I'll be back later."
"Okay, Mommy," Logan said, wrapping his arms around my neck and hugging me. I set him back down on the floor and said bye to Trish one last time.
On warm evenings, I would usually just walk to the casino. It was only a few blocks away so driving was not exactly a necessity. I walked in the front door to the casino and made my way over to the main bar. Tony, the bartender, smiled at me as I set my purse on the shelf behind the bar.
"Hey, Teef. How ya been?" He asked as he prepared a drink for a customer.
"Pretty good. Where's Raoul?" I asked, grabbing a pad of paper and a pencil.
"Your guess is as good as mine, babe," he said, laying both of his large hands down on the bar surface. "Haven't seen him since I got here. Why?"
"Oh, I just wanted to know if he wanted me to work a double shift, that's all."
"I'll ask him if I see him," he said, grabbing a rag and beginning to wipe down an area of the bar.
"Thanks, Tony."
"Anytime," he said, picking up an empty glass and washing it out.
I walked out from behind the bar and ran into Janice, one of the other ladies that waitress with me.
She smiled at me when she noticed me and rushed over. "Hey, Teef. You just get here?"
"Yeah, how's it going so far?" I asked, putting my pencil behind my right ear.
"Well, it was pretty slow when I got here but it's starting to pick up. Better get out there. Go check out the blackjack tables, will ya? I need to give Tony a drink order."
"Sure, see you later, Jan."
I walked out past the poker tables and a few rows of slot machines before I came to the blackjack tables. I looked around and didn't see a single cocktail waitress in sight.
I sighed. Might as well get into character.
I sauntered up a table that two men were sitting at. I placed my hand on the edge of the table and looked down at the two men. "Can I get you two gentlemen anything?"
They both looked at me at the same time. The one in front of me nodded. "Yeah, I'll have some Acid Water."
I pulled out my pad of paper and scribbled his drink order down then looked at the other man. "Uh, I'll have an Agent Orange."
I nodded as I added his to the paper. "I'll have those to you right away."
I walked back to the bar and gave the drink order to Tony. He looked at the order and chuckled. "Man, I could mix these drinks in my sleep."
"I've never even heard of half these drinks. Guess I wasn't in the business long enough."
Tony chuckled as he put both drinks on a tray and set it on the bar. "Basic bartender knowledge, my dear."
I grabbed my moneybox and set it carefully on the tray next to the drinks before I picked it up and carried it back to the blackjack table area. I set the two men's drinks out in front of them and gave them their change then moved on to the next table.
I was waiting for Tony to finish making an Aztec Punch for a lady at table twenty-three when I saw Raoul walking towards the bar. He saw me and smiled.
I smiled back and picked up the tray with the drink and my moneybox then walked toward Raoul. "How's business Tifa?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Same ol', same ol'. Do you need me to work two shifts tonight or not?" I asked, shifting the tray to my other arm.
"Actually yes, I do. Carlotta had to leave early tonight so I need you to stay."
"How long do you think?" I hoped he didn't want me to stay till the bar closed. That wouldn't be until at least one or two in the morning.
"Until closing, that is, unless you can't. I can get someone else to stay."
"I can stay longer but not that late. How about eleven? Is that alright?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't object.
"That's fine. I'll ask Janice or Melina if they can work later."
I nodded and smiled as he walked away. I sighed in relief, happy that I wouldn't have to ask Trish to stay longer then she ever has before.
I returned to the bar after I finished the blackjack area and looked at my watch. It was almost eight. I walked behind the bar and fished my cell phone out of my purse. I walked into the bathroom and dialed my home phone number.
"Hello?" Came Trish's cheerful voice on the other end of the line.
"Trish, it's Tifa. Just calling to tell you I'll be working till eleven tonight. Is that okay?" I asked, tapping the toe of my high heel on the marble floor.
"Yeah, that's fine. Logan's watching TV right now. What time do you want me to put him to bed?"
"Uh, if he falls asleep watching TV just put him to bed right then. If he doesn't lay him down at nine. Is he being good?"
"Oh yeah. He's an angel. No trouble at all."
"Great, well, I better go. Gotta get back to work. Thanks again, Trish."
"No problem. I'll see you at eleven."
"Alright. Bye."
I ended the call and walked back to the bar, placed my cell phone back in my purse and resumed working.
At ten forty-five I made one last quick round along one section of slot machines before returning to the bar. I was getting ready to clock out when a very familiar voice spoke up from behind me.
"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Lockheart."
I spun around and locked eyes with none other than Reno. His thin lips curved up into a tight smirk and his teal colored eyes sparkled slightly.
"Reno?" I said, surprised that I'd find him here of all places.
"In the flesh," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.
"Well, I was in the neighborhood. If I knew you lived here I would have just left," he said, leaning on the end of the bar.
I raised one eyebrow, quickly becoming irate. Of all the times that Reno had to cross my path it had to be when I was getting off work. "Well, I have to get home."
He shrugged. "Later, Lockheart."
I walked away from the bar without uttering any form of good-bye. I could barely stand being in that man's presence. Reno was the symbol of so much of the pain in my life. He was the one that was responsible for countless lives when he caused the plate above Sector Seven to collapse. Not to mention the destruction of my bar. How I managed to keep my cool throughout that entire conversation was beyond me.
I arrived back home to find Trish sitting lazily in front of the TV flipping idly through the channels. She rose from the couch and stretched when I walked through the door.
"So, how'd it go?" She asked, trying to stifle a yawn.
"Pretty good," I said, setting my purse down on the coffee table. "You're tired. You better get home." I pulled my wallet out of my purse and handed her her usual thirty gil for babysitting and escorted her to the door.
"So, are you working again tomorrow?" She asked, scratching an itch on her right shoulder blade.
"As far as I know. I'll call you if plans change."
She nodded and yawned before walking out and gently closing the door behind her. I stretched my arms over my head then walked into Logan's room. I walked as I quietly as I could over to his crib to find him sleeping soundly, wrapped warmly in his favorite blanket with a stuffed toy. I smiled as I flicked a few stray strands of hair out of his face before leaving his room.
I collapsed into my bed after putting on some comfortable pajamas and buried myself in my blankets, willing my mind to forget about my encounter with Reno.