Hey! I'm really sorry that I haven't updated lately, but I've been busy and working out a few issues of mine, plus I've been nursing a terrible case of...writer's block...it's truely horrible. But anyway, I don't own POTO until I can convince the bank to give me, a sixteen year old jobless high-school student, a loan to buy it. sigh
I woke upa combination ofthe sun shining brightly in my eyes and Madeline crying. A month had gone by since Meg's first meeting with Raoul, and today she had agreed to another. I offered to watch Elijah, but Madame Giry insisted on taking him for the day, telling me that Madeline was plenty to care for, which was partly true. Madeline had started teething and had been crying endlessly. I looked over, hoping that Erik was still here, but he usually left early to bring the boys to school and to work. Just as I figured, he had left already, so I got out bed and grabbed my robe, then went to check on Madeline.
"Madeline, Madeline, you are so noisy! You should be a good little girl and let Mama get some sleep!" I picked her up and she grabbed my finger and started gnawing on it. "Poor little baby, your teeth hurt. Mama want to make you feel better. I don't want you to cry." I started humming softly to her. This calmed her for a few minutes, then she started crying again. "Okay, Madeline, I didn't want to do this to you, but we're going to have to pull out the brandy." I hated rubbing brandy on her gums. I tried to avoid it at all costs. Brandy was horrible tasting. I couldn't figure out how Erik could drink it.
I brought Madeline down to Erik's study andgrabbed the decanter of brandy. "Madeline, I'm sorry for doing this to you." I dipped my finger in the brandy and rubbed it on her gums. She made a horrible face, but she had stopped crying. I sat down and looked at the decanter and sighed, then grabbed it and took a drink. Big mistake. The taste was horrible and it burned my throat. I started gagging and coughing at the same time. I couldn't believe that I just put that in my innocent child's mouth.
"Christine! It's not even noon yet and you are starting to drink!" I looked in the doorway and saw Meg laughing.
"Meg, it's horrible! I just put it in my child's mouth! I'm a horrible mother!"
"You along with thousands of other women, myself included." She came and sat down next to me and exhaled deeply.
"How did the meeting go?" Meg rolled her eyes.
"He want me and Elijah to move in with him."
"WHAT? Is he insane? Honestly, what is wrong with him?"
"He wants tobe part of Eli's life, and I told him that if he was just going to bemoney in the mail to forget it. I don't know, Christine. I mean, I wouldn't even have to look at him.His house is enormous!AndElijah would have financial stability. I mean, Ican't livewith you for the rest of my life, and I wouldn'tbe able to supporttwo people on a ballet dancer's wages, plusI'm too busy raisinga child to practice.Iwant Eli tohave a normal upbringing, withboth aMama and a Papa, even if it is Raoul." I sighed. I knew where she was coming from-I couldn't imagine raising a child alone.
"So would you have to marry him or what?"
Meg looked at me funny. "Oh, God no! I would have to be crazy to marry him! He's so...I don't know..."
I finished the sentence for her. "Foppish?" She started laughing.
"That was the exact word I was looking for! I swear, it looks like he spends more time on his hair than I do! He always looks so pristine. That's going to change because I'm going to have him chaning diapers in no time!" We were both laughing at the mental image of Raoul changing diapers until Madeline started crying again.
"Well...I suppose that I should go take care of her. I'm going to try giving her a bath; maybe that will help." Meg nodded.
"I have to start packing and making lists of things that we need. Elijah's going to need so much, and Raoul said that he'd buy anything Elijah needed. I think he might need a few new dresses..." Meg winked and laughed, then headed up the stairs behind me.
The bath didn't work, so I did what I promised myself I wouldn't do again: I rubbed more brandy on her gums. This time, it did the trick and she fell asleep. I finally had the chance to change out of my nightclothes, but after I changed, I found myself back in Madeline's room watching her sleep.
I don't know how long I was standing over her crib, but I was distracted when I felt arms sliding around my waist. "She looks so peaceful, doesn't she?" I turned around to see Erik.
"You're home early today, aren't you?" I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head against him.
"Dante and Gustave were let out of school early today and they wanted to come home and see you and Madeline, but they ended up falling asleep on the way home. But tell me, how did Meg's meeting go today?" I explained the situation to Erik and expressed my feelings and worries. "I hear your fears, Christine, your torment and your tears."
Just then, I heard Dante and Gustave running up the halls yelling, which woke up Madeline, who started screaming. I sighed and Erik laughed. "This is parenthood." I shook my head, then picked up my screaming baby and sat down. Dante ran into the room and looked around for somewhere to hide, then Gustave ran behind him and tackled him, causing both of the boys to erupt in laughter. I looked at the boys, then at Madeline, then at Erik, was was also laughing. He came over by me and rubbed my shoulders.
"Don't worry, Christine, it's going to be okay."
I looked up at his unmasked face (I wouldn't let him wear his mask when he was at home, but he insisted on wearing it in public) and smiled. "Promise me that all you say is true." He smiled and laughed.
"That's all I ask of you."
I know, I know, horrible, stupid ending. But you know what. I think that this phic is done. I am starting on a sequel, but please, please tell me if I should continue with it and post it. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR READING THIS, AS WELL! I LOVE YOU ALL! I know that my chapters are boring and I just want to thank you for sticking it out. Y'all are the greatest!