He took a deep breath and walked slowly across the room. There, Tifa was busily humming a lullaby and rocking the cradle of a young in

fant girl. The room was dimly lit. The fire from the fireplace lit the room and also kept Tifa and the baby warm.

"I want divorce." Cloud softly mumbled.

Tifa stopped rocking the cradle and sighed. "So it has come to this." She stood up and approached Cloud. "We should move to the next room. We might wake up Arisa."

They walked out of the room quietly. The two moved to their room two doors down from Arisa's. It was night time even Denzel and I were sleeping on our rooms. Tifa sat on the foot of the bed waiting for Cloud's reasons for his proposed divorce. But it was actually clear to her from the very start. After they got wed, they started like a normal couple but Cloud started to work religiously again after a few months stating that it's for Tifa and his. From then on they started to drift apart. The fact that Cloud was doing it for their sake, Tifa just can't fight back and opposed him. She just let him and support him like a wife should be. When she became pregnant, Cloud started to stay by her side more frequent making her worries fade away. She thought all of her waiting finally paid off but it really wasn't.

It took awhile but Cloud finally spoke.

"We grew apart from each other," he said with a slight hint of regret.

"Whose fault do you think this is?" she asked to him in a calm manner. "You always indulge yourself at work and you're frequently not home. I'm glad that you're working for the both us but…." She paused for a little bit and let go a deep sigh. She looked at him showing how sad she was. Her eyes were glistening and could cry any minute. She bottled this much until now. "But this is too much."

"I'm sorry."

The conversation ended just like that without discussing the whole matter at hand. Tifa didn't know how to continue the discussion further. She just let it be. She thought it was for the better. It will be just the same anyways he will work just as much as always it's just Cloud will not be her husband anymore.

"I'm clearly opposed to this." I yelled as I smashed our dining table.

The next day, early in the morning they told us about the matter. Denzel and I were eating and getting ready for school. Tifa came down from their room with Arisa on her hands while Cloud was in his regular garb for delivering stuffs for his costumers. It's been four years after Midgar got attacked (DOC) and Cloud and Tifa have been married for two years now. It's too early to decide a thing such a divorce. I know they have a long way to go now they have Arisa.

"You can't just divorce like this! What will happen to Arisa?"

Tifa looked down for a bit and then looked at Cloud for his response. "I will still support her. I will still pay for Tifa's and everyone's monthly expenses." he said while Tifa stood by his side silently patting Arisa to sleep.

"So he thought up to this much? He must really give this divorce a lot of thought." Tifa said to herself.

"Arisa doesn't need that. She needs a father and you're his father and besides Tifa didn't marry you for money. She married you because she loved you." I continued to shout while I didn't notice tears falling down on my cheeks. "For better or for worse…." I added with a hushed tone.

They remembered their vows on each other on their wedding and looked at each other. They know I made sense. All I said were true. I know they have problems but divorce is not the solution to this, it's the fastest way out of it.

"Denzel voice out your opinion as well." I sniffed and wiped my tears with my hands.

"Does my opinion even matter?" His ice cold voice shocked them. "Marlene we're not even their real kids so why do we need to butt in? The fact that they're telling this now means they have already decided on to this. Normal family asked their kids first about this matter and make decision with them not without them." He chuckled a bit and continued to speak. "Sorry. We're not even a REAL family right?"

"Denzel….." Tifa said in awe. She remembered the times when Cloud was distancing himself because of the stigma. She kept telling him that they were a family and families help each other out. She kept forcing the ties of "family" to Cloud to be with him.

"Four months." I said, breaking the silence. "If your relationship will still not be fixed after four months, I will accept it but during those four months you will do the things on this list." I took a pen and paper from my bag and proceeded to write. Tifa and Cloud looked at each other in confusion on this unexpected development. But neither of them retaliated maybe deep inside they want someone to stop them because they can't do it themselves.

"Here! Read this." I showed them the paper and smiled happily. Cloud took the paper while Tifa move a little closer to read the paper as well.

Marlene's rule for happy marriage

Rule 1: Say I love you every day and remark how beautiful she is on that day. "I think that last part is unnecessary." Tifa said while blushing.

Rule 2: Say "I'm home" and "Welcome home" to each other. "I don't see what will be the outcome of this." Cloud remarked.

Rule 3: Kiss her upon returning home. "Will the cheek be okay? I think I still can't kiss her lips on a daily basis." Cloud said in a slightly embarrassed tone while Tifa giggled. "Cloud isn't really a man filled with romantic thoughts. It's still amazes me whenever I see this side of him," she said to herself seeing Cloud as bright as red.

Rule 4: Be home before 9. "Too early….." Cloud said to himself while he looked at me. I smiled to him back, naughtily.

Rule 5: Always tell how your day was on dinner. "I don't like this one." "This is the best rule yet." Tifa said while Cloud looked in shock.

Rule 6: Eat Dinner and Breakfast together.

"What if we disobey this? Is there some punishment?" Cloud put down the paper and asked me while Tifa and Cloud patiently waited for my answer.

"No, there's not." I said, shocking the both of them. "If you really want to get things together, you will do everything in that list without complaint."

"Marlene let's go. We're gonna be late," Denzel said as he took his bag and opened the door. "Coming!" I shouted and put my plates on the sink. "Oh, I forgot! Please grant the last rule as well." I said running to the door.

"It's on the back!"

"On the back?" Tifa wondered while Cloud flipped the paper. The note then says "Please make Denzel happy".

"Why did you do that? What if they say that you have no right to butt in like that?" Denzel asked to me as we walk to our school. I paused and gave it a thought for awhile. "Well they didn't right? But aren't you glad?"

"About?"

"They told us about it even though it's not going to affect us. I mean, you know, we just live in the same roof and all. They must have thought of us as a family."

"So are we going to make this work out?" Tifa asked Cloud while she put Arisa on her cradle. "I bet she's thinking that we are taking the easy way out."

"I guess we can give it a shot." He said and kissed Arisa's forehead and head towards the door.

"I'm going to put the paper on the memo board, okay?" Cloud nodded and waved goodbye. Tifa took the paper and pinned it up at the board.

Cloud opened the door and just stood there. Tifa looked at him and wondered what is wrong with him. Cloud took a deep breath and said. "I'll be going now." Tifa started to tear up and smiled happily.

"Take care."

Few days had passed and Cloud did everything on the list obediently. He rarely talks about himself in dinner but whenever Tifa or I talked about ours he laughs or makes side comment about it. It's kinda refreshing to see.

"I'm home." Cloud opened the door and said. He was welcomed by Tifa with a smile. "Where's Arisa?" He looked left and right and said.

Tifa smiled and put down the mixing bowl she was carrying. "In the living room, she's being nursed by Marlene. Next time will you enter in the front door? You always enter here in the kitchen (in the back). Why don't change the pace a little bit?"

"Okay I will try not to forget about that." He smirked and put down his bag behind the door. Then he went to Tifa's side and kissed her cheek and whispered 'I love you'. He put his hands on his pocket and walked his way to the living room.

"Oh, I forgot!" Tifa exclaimed while she raised the whisk. She smiled and turned to him. "Welcome home."

"Don't you guys have assignments to do?"

"Nope! Besides tomorrow is Saturday, even if we had we still have plenty of time." I said while I made funny faces to Arisa.

Cloud shrugged and saw Denzel watching silently at the corner. "How about you Denzel?" Denzel shook his head and changed the channel. He felt something odd from Denzel's action. He's not this distant before especially to him. I tugged Cloud's pants and showed a notebook with something written to it.

"Dinner's ready!" Tifa said and peeked into the living room.

"Mama!" Arisa shouted while I gave her to her father. "Mama! Mama! Papa!"

"Thanks for the meal!"

"Tifa I have a classmate that has a crush on you!" I exclaimed while Tifa blushed and Cloud stopped on eating.

"E-eh?" Tifa embarrassingly said. "When did he saw me?"

"He said when you attended a meeting for the parents." I said while Denzel silently put down his spoon and fork and went to his room.

"Not hungry?" Tifa asked following her gaze to Denzel. He nodded and went to his room. She sighed and looked at Cloud who was visibly shocked at Denzel's actions. "You're not frequently home so you didn't know about this. Denzel was actually bullied at school."

"Why?"

"He didn't say. But I think it's not about the bullying Cloud, maybe it's about you." She said and continued feeding Arisa.

Later that evening, Cloud and I snuck out and went to the terrace. Normally the old Cloud hates being alone with me but ever since he communicated with many people he started to warm up with me as well. I just didn't have the chance to spend time with him because he is so fixated with his work.

"Do you know what is wrong with Denzel?" he said starting our conversation.

"One time you promised to him that you will attend the meeting for him at our school but in the end you didn't come and what's worst? You came back later that evening without saying anything. You had forgotten about your promise with him. He was bullied because he looks up to you. Other kids are jealous because he was so close to you so they tease him that you didn't care about him at all and you don't see him as a family. He got so fed up and said to those kids that you love him like a real family would. They come up on a dare and said that he must bring you to them to show that Denzel is in fact saying the truth." I stopped and looked at Cloud. "But you know what happen next right?"

"Hey you guys! Why are you still awake?" Tifa said while holding a broom on her hand.

"Why are you holding that broom Tifa?"

"I thought there was a burglar in here so I woke Denzel up and checked it out." Cloud looked at Denzel while Denzel on the other hand avoided his gaze.

"I'm going to sleep."Denzel immediately said and head towards his room.

"Marlene, sleep as well." Tifa glared to me and pointed my room. I pouted and walked my way to my room. I bid goodnight to them and shut my eyes. "What are you going to do about Denzel?" She folded her arms and looked at Cloud. Before Cloud could talk Arisa had woken up and cried. She sighed and left Cloud there.

"Morning." Tifa said to me and Denzel as we make our way to the table. "You slept in again today. How will you enjoy your weekend if you sleep and sleep? Cloud even took a day off today." She said completely shocking Denzel.

"Why did you decide to take a day off Cloud?" I asked for Denzel's sake because I know he's too shock to ask.

"Something just came up." He said and gaze at Denzel.

After we ate our breakfast, Cloud ordered us to get changed because we will have a walk on the city. We know it's kinda old fashioned but it's a way of Cloud showing Denzel's bullies how close they are. He talked to the parent's bully and told stuffs about his exploits and occasionally his love life whenever we passed to a house we know. After that long day, Cloud talked to Denzel and asked for his forgiveness. Denzel became his old self again and everything was going smoothly until.

"I still want divorce." Cloud said to Tifa shocking each and every one of us.