Nora did a little spin in front of the mirror in her new dress. She didn't quite fancy black clothes on her; they often clashed with her bright orange hair, but with proper matching eyeliner she felt gorgeous. Besides, any portion of happiness she felt was both valued and stored away forever in her memory. In the midst of her thoughts, she heard a knock on the door. That must have been Ren at the door, here to pick her up for the day. Smiling to the best of her ability, she grabbed a short black coat with long sleeves that she felt particularly complimented her attire on this rainiest of days. She opened the door and closed her eyes, smiling as she felt Ren take her into his arms in a loving embrace. Nora had always felt really safe with him holding her and she would spend every minute of every day in this exact situation if she could. Ren gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before breaking away from her. Nora took a brief moment to admire Ren's attire for the day. He always looked stunning in a black tuxedo, but it took a really special occasion for him to wear a tie that wasn't green. She appreciated that he would do that for him today.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. Something else Nora appreciated about him was that he would always say what he meant to say in as few words possible. He never was one to use fancy words to jump around the subject at hand. She remembered back to when he arrived at her house and asked her to a dance a few years ago.

There was a knock at the door. A younger Nora had watched eagerly as her mom opened the door and revealed the smaller but still handsome boy behind it. For someone his age, he was remarkably straightforward and confident in the presence of adults.

"Well hello, Ren!" her mother said in an enthusiasm similar to what Nora still possessed. "Are you here to see Nora?"

"Actually Miss Valkyrie, I was hoping to ask for Nora's hand to the dance," he said simply, never once breaking eye contact with her or stuttering in his words, despite the pretty massive size difference. When she turned back towards Nora, her eyes were glowing in excitement. Feelings of ecstasy bubbling inside her, Nora practically sprinted to the front door, rudely ripping the flowers Ren had presented from his grip and throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him to her as tight as he could.

"Of course I'll go," she whispered, burying her face in his shoulder.

Her mom was always so supportive of them as a couple. Memories further generating a warmth inside her, she stood up on the tips of her toes and kissed Ren on the cheek. Every time she saw him she was reminded how lucky she was to still have him in his life through all the trials they had encountered.

"Yes, let's go," she said softly, smiling the best she could and exiting her house with Ren at her side. Getting into the passenger seat of his white sedan, Nora applied her seatbelt and rested her head against the soft leather. Closing her eyes, she calmed her emotions the best she could as Ren started the drive down the road. The heavy pitter patter of the rain against the roof did nothing to distract her, nor did the occasional bump in the road. Ren didn't do much talking, but that was expected. He wasn't the best at small talk, but he knew when he needed to speak and exactly what he needed to say. Now wasn't one of those times.

Pulling up to the white building, Nora felt a sense of overbearing dread take control of her entire body. Her cute black dress and coat combination turned gothic. Ren's usual silence felt like speechlessness instead. The rain itself turned from a soothing weather anomaly into a physical manifestation of sorrow. Any light in the atmosphere vanished and Nora felt alone in the dark for the first time in as long as she could remember. She walked down the pathway with Ren by her side once more. Neither uttered a single word and both of their heads hung low. She reminded herself that Ren knew when he needed to talk. He knew.

He opened the door for her and she entered the lobby without any acknowledgment of his act of chivalry. He said nothing on the subject; he knew when he needed to talk. She found herself in a flood of familiar faces, all of whom were turned towards her. Nora was the center of attention now. Many different people walked up to her one-by-one and muttered something that she ignored. In this mess of despair she found that she was not able to utter a single word or even look anybody in the eyes. Before she knew it, an arm was wrapped around her shoulders, and she looked up to the sight of Ren being there and holding her, protecting her from the onslaught of other people. She couldn't help but at least smile a little bit at the gesture. He knew that she didn't need words. He always knew just what she needed.

Each step she took down the aisle weighed her down a little more than the last. Tear after tear began slowly escaping her teal eyes before streaming silently down her cheeks and dripping onto the red carpeted floor. About halfway across she stopped moving entirely, her legs refusing to cooperate, and she collapsed onto her knees. Ren followed her, easing her to the ground where she could let out her sorrows in peace. She did not dare move while Ren repositioned himself in front of her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"You need to do this, Nora," he said softly, each word exiting his mouth in soft gusts of warm wind. He was right and she knew it. There was really nothing more to it. Ren always knew what to say. With his help, she stood to her shaking legs and helped her walk the rest of the way down the aisle. She lost her balance several times along the way, but not once did Ren let her fall. With him by her side she knew they could accomplish anything, including this most heart-wrenching of tasks. Together they approached the large black box in front of them. Nora knew very well what was in it but chose to pretend she had no idea.

After what felt like an eternity, the two did eventually make it, but Nora squeezed her eyes shut. With her long hair dangling on either side of her face as she hung her head, she wasn't sure if Ren knew this, but he stayed there nonetheless. They stood there for upwards of ten minutes, neither of them making any difference in their positions, until Nora decided to take the plunge. Mere moments after her eyes were open they had widened and her hand had clasped around her mouth. She knew what was in the box but still it looked so foreign.

Beneath her was a sight she had known all her life. With her similar long orange hair, her mother looked purely at peace, as if she could wake up at any time. Of course, Nora knew this was not true, and she could not hold back the fit of sorrow that followed. Turning to Ren, she buried her face in his chest. Ren held her close as she bawled, not minding that her tears might stain his blazer. She held him as tightly as she could, determined to make sure she was not alone during this time of great loss.

Ren stood in silence as the sobbing went on and on. It felt like it was never going to end, but he stayed still anyways. After it was all over, Nora looked up at Ren, there eyes telling a story all their own. Both of them were parentless; both of them were orphans. They were the only remaining constants in each others' lives now, and they could never let each other go.