My Cherie Amour (Fully Posted)

Chapter 45

"So, it sounds like she's known from the beginning who and what she is, but I wonder if we can be absolutely certain that's the case? Sometimes, supernatural beings opt to suppress self-awareness, and if that's what's happening, we'll have to take the proper precautions," Mirela said to Blaise.

Their return to her house was quite recent, and it had involved taking a weakened Cherie upstairs so she could rest. She was currently sleeping, and they hoped her spirit stayed put this time.

"I don't think that's necessary," Blaise said as they descended the stairs. "May I show you something?"

"You may."

They sat side-by-side on her living room sofa, and Blaise reached for Cherie's copy of Rebecca.

"There's a part of this where the narrator, the second wife of a secretive man, is tricked by the housekeeper. Specifically, she ends up wearing the same kind of costume his late wife wore at her last ball. The husband acts like he's seen a ghost, and he thinks that it's a cruel joke. After that, the second wife is scared, and the housekeeper enjoys the satisfaction of flexing the first wife's memory."

He put the novel down and fiddled with his hair. "Before my costume ball in '88, I commissioned an outfit for Cherie. I wanted to see her in it before the main event. My assistant gave her a garment bag straight from my mailroom. She said Cherie was excited to model it, and I was excited too, until she came out in a replica of Karina's last costume."

Mirela's mouth dropped open.

"Now, the way things played out between me and Cherie, it was like a repeat of this story. I blew up, and although she forgave me, I wasn't able to stop wondering what happened. I'm telling you, no one in my employ or the design house could explain how the costumes got switched. But after reading this and learning what we've learned, I know it was Laurencia. Her copy of the book led Cherie to get one, and her motives would make the most sense."

"And was this before or after you broke up with her?"

"Well before," Blaise said, ashamed of how he'd lied to Cherie about being single at the time. "Back then, I hadn't mentioned Cherie to her, my people wouldn't have told her, and Cherie was in the dark about everything. But supernatural abilities would explain her finding out, and a legendary grudge would explain why she saw her as a threat. In some weird way, she probably believed she was sticking up for Karina too."

He looked at the book again. "If she wasn't aware of her true self, how else can we explain that?"

"You're right. The signs point to her knowing," Mirela said. Her voice was very soft.

He interlaced his fingers. "Go on."

"Go on and what?"

He looked at the floor. "I know that I just helped you piece together the truth about my love life. I also know that these facts probably change what you think of me, and you have every right to be angry."

"Ah, yes, I'm livid," she said, her soft tone holding steady. "In fact, I'm inclined to hate the day you ever saw Cherie. But in the end, I have to acknowledge that she's chosen to be in your corner, and I am not without heart. Your wife needs help. You, as much as you aren't my favorite person today, have been through an ordeal. And Cherie cares about you and considers you a friend, so I'll try to follow her example."

"Thank you," Blaise whispered. "That means a lot to me."

"But don't misunderstand," Mirela said. Her voice considerably lowered. "Whether we bring your wife back or she makes her ascension, you'd better know that I'll push for Cherie to run from you when this is over."

***

That night, Blaise tossed and turned.

Mirela's words were so loud in his head that nothing, not even his Walkman, could drown them out. Hand on his chest, he forced an exhale and thought. If he got up, it'd take less than a minute for him to cross the hall. He could count on Cherie to talk to him, and the temptation was strong. But then he reminded himself that this was not them anymore.

Cherie was no longer a woman he could think of a future with, but a woman he'd drawn into a situation that, like Mirela, he felt she should flee.

By the same token, Karina was no longer his late wife whose presence among the living was a puzzle. Nor, though he'd previously denied it, was she the memory he'd thought might not revive. Instead, he'd learned that she technically hadn't died and their reunion could be imminent. This made romantic interest in another problematic.

Mind racing, he clung to the bed.

Years earlier, before he married Karina, he'd gone to Sarah's for a talk with Calvin's father, as Thomas Fox was one of the few men he knew in a happy marriage. Over malts, he'd asked the man and the father he'd always wanted a very pointed question: What makes committing to a marriage different from regular falling in love? Thomas's answer surprised him:

"Love is only one reason that you get married, and it's not the most important for some people. What separates marriage from simply falling in love is the decision two people make to act as one. And with that, the validation of their decision by God, the government, and the rest of this big world. In theory, you could fall in love many times, but if you're married, you have a first loyalty. It's to the person you made that decision with, until death or divorce intervenes."

Blaise closed his eyes. His heart was torn, but that special decision was one he'd already made, and his love for Karina meant he didn't regret it. So, he didn't go to Cherie, but prayed that somehow, he'd be saved from the ruin that breeds in a house divided.

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