Chapter Six

Nicolae

I looked at Charmaine. "You're Aria's mother? Do you have proof of this?" My heart racing for the thought of losing the one and only light in my world was becoming a reality that I was not prepared to face. Though something told me she was the child's mother, my heart didn't want to take the facts."

"Yeah, that's what Reno brought over yesterday." She looked at me, confused. "Didn't you read the things he dropped off here?"

"No." I looked at the girl, who sighed.

"I figured as much, that's why I came here, to apologize for his behavior and to explain to the both of you why I left Aria, and haven't been a mother figure in her life."

"I can sum up the reasons for your not being there. You were a young mother, barely turning of age, with no help from Rufus. You couldn't take care of her, so you sent her to people who could. As for her being at ShinRa's when my brother found her, he committed kidnapping."

Charmaine looked at me. "Leonard didn't kidnap her. You were right. I couldn't take care of her, so I had asked Leonard to take her to someone who could be a parent to her until I could save up and get money to get us a place away from ShinRa. Reno and the company he's employed to, I've cut ties with them, I've run away from them and I'm not going back."

"Understandable. Can't say I fault you for wanting to get rid of that company. How do you plan to protect yourself and Aria? Do you know how to fight?"

"No, I don't."

I looked at Aria, who was looking at the table, as I placed my hand on her's, causing the child to look at me. "Then I can't allow you to leave here, with Aria." I stood to my feet, taking my plate to the sink.

"I figured as much." She sighed tears hidden in her downward gaze.

"I will not allow you to leave here, either. I have an extra bedroom. Perhaps you should consider the option of staying with us. You'll get to be with your daughter, as well as be guaranteed your safety."

She looked at me. "I can't."

"And why is that? It's usually us men with pride. Are you the prideful one?" I asked, without looking at her.

"No."

"Really?"

"No." She sighed as I chuckled.

"You can, I insist."

She was silent. "Come on, Momma. He said you could, he even insisted. Please?"

I looked at Aria, who looked at her mother. Charmaine looked at me. "What about your safety? TURKS have been tracking my movement. Aren't you worried?"

"Daddy can handle Reno and Rude. He beats them up every day. Well, twice a week, but he's really nice. He's been sad, Momma, he needs you to cheer him up. There is this mean girl that hurt his feelings yesterday. Maybe you can be nice to him and prove that not all girls are meanies. Come on, Momma, please."

I looked at the child. "Is there anything else you want to spill to her, Aria? Was that necessary?"

Charmaine laughed. "Who's the prideful one now, dude?"

I sighed, cleaning my dishes. "Well, we can't have girls being mean to him, now can we, Arie? We'll have to lecture them, now, won't we?"

"Uh-huh!" the child said with glee as I sighed.

I placed my towel on the counter. "Aria, why don't you go outside and play?"

The child looked at me. "Okay."

She jumped from the chair, running outside.

Charmaine looked around. "I can clean up Aria's mess on the floor. Does she keep her room clean?"

"Yeah, she does well at keeping it clean." I leaned against the counter. "I have things I need to do. Will you be alright downstairs while I go clean up the rooms?"

"What am I supposed to do while I'm here? Just sit and do nothing?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

She sighed. "I can't just sit here and make you wait on me hand and foot. I want to contribute here."

I sighed. "I can man down the fort, Charmaine. Just spend time with Aria."

"You're not going to let me do anything, are you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm picky about my house, and the way it's taken care of, plus just because you are here, doesn't mean I'm going to make you into a slave woman. I would rather do it myself."

She stood up, looking at me with a gentle smile. "Well, don't think of it as slavery. Think of it as motherly care. Look, I get you don't want anything between us, but the two of us have one thing in common and that is a six-year-old child playing outside. You are like a dad to her, and I'm her mother. I could read your fear of losing her like I was reading a book. I don't want to take her away from you, can't we maybe co-parent without the dating or marriage if that's what you want. I just want to make Aria happy, and you are the main way, and I am truly grateful for what you and your family have done for her. Can you at least let me pay back your kindness?"

I looked at her. "Co-parent? How do you suppose we do that? The only parent in this room to Aria, is you? A child has to have both parents to co-parent."

"Look, dude, you've been more of a parent figure to Aria, playing both mother and father. I think you can tackle it. I think of you as more of a father to my daughter than Rufus. If it were to do over again, I would have waited for you, or I would have gone searching until I found you before I had a child by that man."

I sighed. "Fine, I'll do it, only because I don't want to lose Aria. I'm going to tell you this, then you can make of it whatever you want. I love that little girl. I love her as my own. I would take on Sephiroth in his final form. I would fall victim to Meteor if it meant that Aria was going to return home safely. I never said I didn't want anything to happen between the two of us. It's just going to take some time to get to know you. I don't fall in love fast. Honestly, I think it will hit you before it will me."

"So, there is a maybe there somewhere?"

"Maybe."

I shook my head, holding in a laugh, walking past her. "Where are you going?"

"I told you, I need to clean upstairs."

"Can I come?"

"Whatever you want to do, you do it. You are a guest in the home. Make yourself at home."

The two of us walked upstairs.