The Phantom of the Opera Retold!
From the start of the story - why Erik loves Christine, why he killed, the deal with Raoul le Viscount de Chagny, who her heart truly follows...
*the Erik in my story is a mix of ALW, Leroux, and Susan Kay
It was entirely odd that we hadn't heard from Christine in over a month - until this day. The post man came to the door with a letter from their place in Rouen. He bowed to me with respects to the letter and I immediately went inside. Meg sat on loveseat, where we read in company to each other, and looked at the letter in my hand. She spotted the seal and dropped the book with excitement, "Open it, mother."
"I will."
I sat with her in the loveseat and grabbed the golden letter opener, tearing the envelope. Meg was excited as I for word from Christine, with how long it has been. But joy did not describe what I found within the letter. The scent of her rose had brought tears to my eyes, but the letter was something I did not know how to feel about:
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Christine, the little girl I knew from her father Gustav Daaé, was pregnant. Meg was obviously excited, but I did not know how to feel. Christine was probably happier than ever, having always played with baby dolls when she was younger, so I tried to emulate how she would feel, "The thirtieth of March," cheered Meg, "That is tomorrow! Oh, mother, we are going, right?"
"Of course, Meg. Christine is like a second daughter. Here," I gave Meg fifteen francs, "buy something for the baby while I find an heirloom."
Meg smiled brightly before going out to shop and I went into the nursery for an heirloom. I had several trinkets for a mother-to-be and picked two from the shelves, the front door being knocked yet again. I set the trinkets aside in a tote and answered the door to Nadir, who waved around a letter in his hand, "Did you get the message?"
"Of course, Nadir. I'm practically her foster," we sat in the silence of the family room, doting on the notes in our hands, "Have you any idea what to bring?"
"I have very few ideas. I just wonder how Erik feels about all this."
"What, do you think he's gone mad?"
"No. But he will probably be distressed by her moods. Erik has a problem with bottling when it comes to stress."
I nodded - remembering the odd occurrences at the opera, "That being so, do you think he will be a good father?"
"Oh, I have no doubt in the matter. As long as he can channel his stress through something, he will be fine."
The situation at hand was not as grave as I once thought. For some reason, I thought the worst of Erik when it came to paternity. Having a second opinion, I knew he wouldn't be terrible, but I still feared for Christine - for her health. Hopefully new scientific advancements would help her avoid her mother's situation, "What of the girl? Christine seems rather fragile. Can she handle this?"
"I am sure she can, Nadir. Christine has more strength than any of us know. Do you realize how much death she has seen? Creating life should be an improvement for her, if anything."
"Alright. Well with that being true, how do you feel?"
"Truly, Nadir, I am happy for her. It seems to me that she will make a wonderful, cheery mother. Her children will be blessed."
"She will hate confinement, though."
"What woman doesn't? I despised it when I had my little Meg."
"Do you think she will choose to have it here?"
"Most likely," I reached out for my teacup and took a welcoming sip, "Now, if my estimations are correct, I'd say... seven months?"
"Yes. Around that," Nadir glanced around at the white, patterned walls, then down the hall, "Say, where is little Meg?"
"I sent her to shop for the baby," I laughed, "Who knows what she'll buy."
