"You said Denzel came to your place."
"Well...." Cloud looked like a kid that about to be scolded as usual.
"Tell me. I'll decide whether I'm angry or not after I listen."
Cloud nodded and continued.
"Denzel had collapsed in front of the church where Aerith used to be. That's why I thought Aerith lead him to "my place."
Saying all that in one breathe, Cloud looked away.
"You went to the church."
"I wasn't planning to hide there."
"You were hiding."
"I'm sorry."
"I didn't say you couldn't go. But next time, I'll go together with you."
"I understand."
"And you're wrong, Cloud."
Cloud looked dubiously at Tifa.
"Aerith didn't bring Denzel to you."
"Yeah, that's what I thought too."
"Aerith brought that child to us, didn't she?"
Cloud gazed at Tifa and finally smiled. It had that kindness that made her think everything was all right.
Days after having that conversation, Cloud left. Tifa wondered if the smile she saw was just an illusion. After kissing the sleeping children on the face, she went into Cloud's office. Brushing away the dust on the family photo they took, she tried calling him. After several rings, the messaging service took over.
YOU ARE READING
Final Fantasy VII (7): On The Way To A Smile
FantasyOn The Way to a Smile is a collection of seven short stories written by Kazushige Nojima the scenario writer for the J-RPG (Japanese Role Playing Game) Final Fantasy VII and its spin-off movie Advent Children. Each story takes a look at how the char...
