Workings of a Happily Ever After, The

by Nona Mae King

  ~*~

  I plopped onto the couch in the SeeD cabin just as the phone in my pocket rang the tone programmed for Sally. I smiled and dug it out of my pocket, answering with a "How's the sexiest security officer on the planet?"

  She giggled, and like usual, it gave me tingles and a grin.

  "Hi, sweetie. I'm doing okay."

  "How's your day been goin'? Wild? Or just the usual?"

  "Mostly the usual. What about you? You haven't been in any classes today."

  "I know. I grabbed one of the entrance exams and brought it out here to Deling Garden for Jax to fill out. I had to ask him about 'Best Man' anyway. Oh. And I guess he's the lucky stiff that gets to plan the reception over here. Janine buzzed while we were talking." I sniggered when I remembered the look on Jaxon's face. "Jax's crapping kittens, too, because now he has to set up all the security crap."

  "Poor Jaxon."

  "Nah. It'll be good for him. Keep his mind busy." Maybe make it easier to give up on the GFs. "Say, you hear anything from that furniture place we stopped in? They said they'd call as soon as that bedroom set came in. I guess I should've stopped by."

  "They did call, actually. They said that it's on backorder and won't be in until about 4 weeks from now."

  I frowned and glared at the ceiling. "Geez. That's, like, 2 weeks before the honeymoon. How are we supposed to get the apartment set up with doing all the final crap for the wedding?"

  "They said that they wouldn't charge us extra for delivery and set up," she offered.

  I smiled. "Leave it to you to have it covered before calling." She softly giggled and I shook my head. Damn girl, you couldn't be much less than perfect. And what the hell was she doing with me? "What about that table and chair set? Did he talk to you about those, too?"

  "They should come in tomorrow. I wasn't sure if you wanted me to have them delivered, so he said he would call when they came in."

  "Okay. If I'm not there, tell him we'd like them delivered. I don't think we're going to have time to pick them up and everything."

  "All right."

  For some reason, an itch in the back of my brain had me asking, "Meg, are you sure you're okay?" I checked my watch. She wasn't off the clock yet and it was way beyond her lunch time. "You're calling on Garden time, kitten. What's the matter?"

  "N-Nothing," she said hesitantly. "I just miss you, is all."

  I adjusted my position to lay out on the couch, hand behind my head as I stared up at the ceiling. "Yeah, I know. I've missed you, too." I released a deep breath. "Life's been pretty crazy, huh? If it isn't one thing, it's another. But I'll make it up to you, kitten. Promise."

  "You don't have to."

  But her tone of voice screamed for it. "Sure I do. Besides, I know how much you love surprises."

  "Okay." And I could practically see the smile in her voice.

  "How about dinner on the beach tonight? We'll go out just before the sun goes down."

  "That sounds wonderful," she whispered, and then she sighed. "Zell...?"

  "...yeah?"

  "Zell, I really want this to work."

  And the hint of tears I heard in her voice made me feel even worse for not being around as much as I wanted to. "I know, kitten. So do I. I'm training those seniors for my classes, and once that's done things'll slow down. A couple of them already have Final Exams scheduled, so as soon as they pass, Squall said he'd push through their graduation and have them instated as Instructors. He promised it'd be before the wedding. Okay?"

  She didn't say anything, but she more than likely nodded her head because of not wanting to have me hear the tears in her voice. She was a sensitive thing, just another reason why I sometimes wondered why she was with me. I could be as tactful as a Wendigo on steroids.

  "Now don't you start crying," I soothed. "Seifer'll bust you for using company time for personal calls."

  She sniffed. "No. He said it was okay for me to call."

  My eyes snapped open. "Say again?"

  "I wasn't feeling very good, so I asked if I could call you. He said I could."

  I frowned in confusion and scratched my scalp. "Oh." Seifer? I guess she was his favorite. I smirked. Hell. She could wrap anyone around her little finger with those big eyes of hers. I chuckled.

  "What's so funny?" she asked softly, the smile returning to her voice.

  "Nothing. I'll see you in a little bit, kitten. Okay? I've got to transfer at Timber and then I'll be home."

  "All right."

  "Bye, bunny."

  She giggled. "Bye."

  I clicked off the phone and then tucked it back into my pocket, moving my other hand behind my head as I stared up at the ceiling. I smiled. I could still remember the first time I was here with her. On our way to Timber to meet her parents and tell them about her score on the Fire Cavern.

  Hanging out with her had been different than anything I'd done before. If someone had asked, back then, how I meant 'different', I wouldn't have been able to tell them. But now? I guess the best way to describe it was 'we clicked', but even that was kind of half-assed. I could 'click' with mostly everybody--except Seifer and Squall. But with Sally? I'd actually... I don't know. I guess I'd looked at her different. Played it cooler and not as wild. I hadn't had to act so much the clown to be, well, cool. Maybe it had been the way she'd looked at me. Or the way she listened to what I had to say. It didn't matter, I guess. I just felt safe with her.

  I brought my left hand out from behind my head to stare at my half of the ring she'd had made for me. A 'claw‑like' portion of the tattoo on my face. I guess it sounded hokey but... Well, I'd begun to feel like this ring when I was away from her. Only half there. I guess that's what Jax was talking about. He'd lost his half.

  I released a deep breath and lowered my hand to again stare at the ceiling. Thinking about what he did to not think about it. You would've done the same damn thing, Dincht, and you know it. What else could I have done to keep from feeling only half alive?