Renovating the Heart (FFXV)

XXXVII) Whiskers on Kittens

~8 years before~

Rue tucked her hair behind her ear and twirled in the mirror, watching the puffy white dress swell and flare up dramatically. The top was too loose and there was a mysterious green stain on the back of the skirt, but otherwise, the gown was gorgeous. Behind her, a woman with cropped brown hair stood, hands clasped before her. Her ears adorned large clusters of pearls that matched the loop around her neck but Rue new they were only plastic beads.

"What do you think, Aunt Kath?" she asked, her cheeks glowing pink as she smiled. Or perhaps it was the obnoxiously vibrant blush her aunt's friend had applied. Kath swiped a tear off her cheaply tanned cheek and nodded.

"You look beautiful, dear."

"You think he'll like it?" Rue's face screwed up and she rubbed a smudged bit of pink lipstick off her cheek.

"Casper? Of course he will. He'd better, or else you leave him alone at that alter, you hear me?"

"I know Casper will," she sighed, placing her hands on her hips and cinching the material in with them. "I meant Dad." Kath's eyebrows drew together to reveal a line of wrinkles that had grown across her forehead caused by her tendency to worry about the slightest of details.

"Darling, you know what your father thinks."

"Yeah, yeah." She sighed, touching the tight curls that were secured at the crown of her head. "But this is Mom's dress, isn't it? I thought maybe he'd like to see it again. Maybe he'll be proud."

"You know he resents me for stealing it?"

"It's your sister's."

"It's his wife's."

"He hasn't seen her in eighteen years, anyway." Rue bit down on her cheek and turned to face her aunt. "What happened to her, Auntie?"

"You know we can't get into this—not now." Kath's red lips pressed into a thin smile and she rested her hand on Rue's shoulder. "Just focus on today. Maybe your father will turn up after all."

"He hates me."

"No, of course he doesn't."

"Then why won't he see me?" she demanded, turning to face Kath with a pout on her face.

"He loves you, Rue, he does. But he also has a... sense of morality, if you will, that stops him from offering his full support."

"It's screwed up."

"I know it is." Kath pressed a thin hand to Rue's stomach and laughed. "But he'll be sorry when he sees this bundle of joy."

"He'll remember Mom and hate me even more."

"Oh, Rue." Kath shot her a motherly look. "Don't do that. Who's coming?"

"That I know of, it's just my coworkers, a few cousins, and Casper's friends."

"His druggie friends?"

"I don't know!" Rue cried defensively. When Kath raised a brow, she lowered her eyes to the floor. "Probably."

"Well, I don't mind as long as no deals are made."

"I can't stop them."

"Rue, you aren't using, are you?"

"#$%^no. Casper isn't either—he just hangs with the wrong crowd."

"Just be careful."