The Fifth Cellar (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 38 - Melodramatic

Evangeline's POV:

I saw his eyes go wide and horror fill them. He released my hand and, standing up, started to shake his head.

“No,” he whispered, “Please, tell me you aren't!” I was puzzled. I was glad. I always wanted children. I always had. Now I was going to get my wish. True, we hadn't ever through about having them but wasn't it normal. Why was Erik having a panic attack. I stood up and walked after him.

“What is wrong, Erik?” He shook his head and whispered,

“What have I done? What have I done?” I was even more confused. I reached out to take his hand.

“Erik, you haven't done anything. This is normal. That is what happens when people get married. He shook his head.

“I told you my love was a poison. Now it is proven. I don't want to even think about what our child will look like.” He covered his head in shame and collapsed to the ground. “What have I done?” He mumbled. I knelt down before him and laid my hand on his shoulder. He cringed from me like I had hurt him. I bit my lip.

“Erik, I didn't know that you didn't want children. I didn't know. It has always been what I wanted. But we can give the child up for adoption if that would make you feel better.” I tried to keep the pain from my voice and I stood up and walked to the door. I wanted my baby. I didn't want to give him or her up. But I would choose Erik over my baby. I would stay with him even though I couldn't have the children I always dreamed of. I sat on the edge of our bed while my body was racked by silent sobs. I hated having to make a choice.

“My baby!” I sobbed. I heard someone at the door and tried to hold back my tears. I didn't want him to think he was hurting me. If he did than he would never forgive himself. I knew that. Once he had accidentally bruised my wrist and had almost panicked. I didn't even look up at him. I heard his footsteps and felt the bed lower as he sat down beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and I sobbed into his chest. He held me close and didn't say a word. I stopped crying and said,

“I should have asked. If I had than this never would have happened.” I could feel Erik's pain. He was torn in two. Torn between having to raise a child he didn't want and watching his wife crying. I pulled myself together and tried to act like it wasn't killing me from the inside out. I folded my hands in my lap and didn't look at him. He finally said,

“Are you sure you are pregnant?” I nodded. Taking his hand, I laid it on my belly. I was about a three months along. I should have seen the symptoms earlier but I hadn't. My stomach had grown just a tad and I had already felt just the faintest of movements. But the moment that Erik's had was laid on my stomach my baby kicked. I winced and Erik pulled his hand back like he had touched something on fire. I held my back tears and whispered,

“He or she knows who their father is.” Erik eyes clouded over. Tears welled in his eyes. He turned away from me and stared at the wall.

Erik's POV

I should have known something like this would happen. I got her pregnant. Sure she was my wife and it was all proper but the thought that I might have a child that looked like me frightened me to death. But when she laid my hand on her belly and for the first time I felt my child I couldn't bare the thought of giving it up. I knew I should. No child needed to be raised by a monster. They needed two humans to raise them. Not a human and a corpse. I shuddered and looked at my hand. I had felt my baby. MINE! I thought. That was mine and I hadn't ever let something go that was mine. I remembered how hurt Eva had looked when I had implied that I didn't want the child. She looked crushed. She wanted the baby of a monster. I clinched my hands and made myself a mental promise, I will never let anything hurt my child. MINE! I turned back to Eva and kissed her soundly. I wanted that baby. If it was born like me all the more reason for us to raise it.

Evangeline's POV:

I watched him stare at the wall and debate with himself. Suddenly he turned toward me and kissed me. He pulled away and whispered,

“What shall we name our child?” I gasped and replied,

“Are we keeping her?” He nodded.