Christine blinked harsh as the sun flooded her sight. She was finally home, the gates had been repaired and as she looked over the whole of the estate she realized it had all been changed. “Driver are you correct in your navigation?” she asked suddenly unsure if this was indeed her nest.
“Oui Madam” he helped her out of the carriage and gathered her things. She headed for the door where Erik was standing. His face free of the mask, had a look of astoundment.
“What is that?” he asked pointing at Christine.
“This is Gia-Marie” she answered holding the baby more upright to introduce her to Erik.
“She’s yours?” his heart slammed against his chest, surely she’d have contacted him if she were with child. His child?
“No.” Christine answered him bluntly but tears formed in her eyes. “Meg didn’t live through the birthing. Oh Erik she took her son with her to heaven and Raoul begged me to take his daughter way, he said it was too painful to look at her. What am I to do? I couldn’t just leave her, I couldn’t. Oh Erik please understand.” she collapsed in front of him, still holding the baby. He knelt next to her and put his arm around her. Before he spoke he retrieved his mask from his pocket and placed it back on his face.
“I’m glad that your home.” he said evenly. “And we’ll manage with the girl.” Christine’s tear soaked face faced him a small smile crossed it. “I love you.” he said to her.
“I love you too Erik.” she sobbed more as Erik helped her into the house. He showed her some of the renovations he had done, the changes to the den and to the bedrooms, her singing studio and a room that would fit Miss. Gia-Marie.
“What happened?” Erik asked after Christine had put the baby down.
“Raoul was called away to a family crisis, Meg went into labor, he arrived home just in time to watch her deliver. The nurses looked scared when they pulled the boy out, they realized he wasn’t breathing.” she stopped, her tears were choking her. Erik put his arms around her holding her against him. She missed this. “The doctor noticed there was another baby and quickly delivered her but Edward didn’t make it. We had their funeral together. Meg holding her baby boy, buried together so she could care for him in heaven.” Erik wondered if his mother would have done the same if he’d been still born. He doubted it.
Hours had passed since Erik had given Christine something to help her sleep. He stare at the blonde hair of the child in the crib. The crib he’d built for his possible children, not that of Raoul. Thought’s of smothering the child or simply dropping it out the window crossed the evil part of Erik’s mind. The part he was working hard to keep from getting out. “What kind of name is Gia-Marie?” he asked the sleeping baby smelling the air, it smelled of fresh mornings and baby poop he made a face as the baby moved and squeaked. Her eyes opened to look at him, but she made no sound. Erik expected her to cry, to scream but she did neither, she looked at him and blinked. Erik removed his mask, that would scare her, then she’d scream. Gia-Marie did not scream, she cooed at the sight of Erik unmasked and smiled. Erik lifted her into his arms and carried her to the change table, he removed the dirty diaper and reached for the bag that held the clean ones. He pulled a large white fabric nappy from the bag and looked at it with great mystery.
“I can build an opera house, kill men without knowledge sing to people without being in a room but I can’t change a diaper?” he smiled to himself this was being human. He wiped the baby’s bottom and folded the diaper, he maneuvered it to the baby with relative difficulty and finally fastened it with a pin. It was no work of art but it was attached. He held her as he sat next to the crib, humming her back to sleep.
“We may just get along.” he said to her as she drifted into dream land.
Morning came not long after and Christine felt like she’d been hit in the head with a hammer. Suddenly the thought of where Erik was and where the baby was were blurred by what could have Erik done to the baby. She rushed out of her room and up the stairs to the babies room, there she found the most endearing thing she’d ever seen. There in the corner bathed in early morning sunlight was Erik, unmasked holding the baby and both were sound asleep. Tears of joy ran down Christine’s face.
“Good morning.” she said softly waking Erik.
“Indeed.” he answered pushing the baby to her.
“You don’t hate her.” Christine asked holding Gia-Marie tight.
“No.” he answered quietly. “She’s innocent. But one day Christine she will ask about her family, she’ll ask about Raoul and Meg, and I don’t believe I can stay diplomatic. What if he returns for her?” the thought had crossed Christine’s mind, she wanted in writing that Raoul was giving up his daughter but he was too distraught to provide it.
“I don’t know.” she answered Erik finally. “I don’t know.”
