You crawl up into my lab, smiling like a little child you are. Your eyes bright and blue like your mother's. I sigh, it was late and you had to be awake. I was reading a book then you came along. I smile at you. "Yes my son?"
"Story time daddy!" you say to me, grinning brightly.
"Oh yes, what should I tell you tonight? It is getting late, are you sure you want a story now?" You nod quickly. "Okay but I have work to do." I put my book down.
"Can you tell me more about Mommy?" you ask, I freeze. I tense and hold back tears hiding in my eyes. I nod.
I push a smile to my face. "Of course my son. Her name was Rachel. She was as beautiful as her name."
"Really?" You gasp with happiness.
"Yes. You have her eyes, her cheeks, and her smile." I grin. "Now...I was about..thirteen when I met her, that's when you will meet your fiance."
"I don't want to get married daddy!" you demand, determined by this statement.
"I'm sure you will when you meet her." I continue with the story of your mother:
"Vincent Phantomhive! Why are you still in bed?" A calm voice called to me, getting my morning tea ready for the morning. "She will be here to meet you any minute now." I sat up and drank my tea while they put my clothes on. He was a nice butler, always took care of me. I watched him tie my shoes. I flicked my foot as he tied my shoe, concentrating on the laces being so thin. It made it harder for him to tie my shoes if I moved too much. I sipped my tea in silence. "Brat.." He muttered.
"You have to stay my side until I say so," I snapped. I looked at him sternly. My father had this company going for generations and I was going to take over after I turned eighteen. None of the servants really favored me, because of me being so unhappy and strict with them.
"I'm sorry my young lord," my butler apologized. He stood up as I did. There was a knock on my door.
"Who is it?" I asked when my jacket was being buttoned on.
"It's your guests Earl Phantomhive," a voiced answered me.
"Quite right," I replied. "Come in."
There she was as the door opened, shy at first. Her brown hair braided swiftly on her right shoulder. Her eyes were a dark, happy blue with a twinkle when she saw me. I blinked at the sight of her. She was pretty and cute. She smiled brightly. I never saw a girl smile so happily to see someone as grim as me.
Even with a skirt, she ran up to me. I paused, unsure what to do when her arms wrapped around mine. I froze with confusion. She was hugging me.
"Wow! You're so cute!" she exclaimed. I blushed. The rest of the day, we got to know each other. She was only twelve. "I think I love you!" she bursted out at the end of the day.
I smiled for the first time in my thirteen years. "I love you too!" I blushed. I waved to her as she left in her carriage.
"Daddy! You sound like you were mean!" you say, interrupting my story.
I laughed. "Yes, I was spoiled, like you. But you aren't mean, are you?"
You shake your head. "No, I hope I'm not. I don't have my own butler daddy!"
"Maybe when you're thirteen." I smiled. "Should I skip to the part when your mother and I marry?"
You nod. "Yes!" I laugh and skip to the wedding day.
I paced back and forth, worried she wouldn't show to the altar. I made it to the altar when the ceremony started. The music began to play, the crowd stood, and the doors opened. She smiled and blushed, looking beautiful in her wedding gown. We were going to start our lives together from now on, watching her walk down the aisle. The ceremony ended before we knew it, I kissed her. I was nervous. I held her hands into mine.
I looked into her eyes. "I love you."
"I love you Vincent." We walked down the aisle to the carriage waiting for us outside the church. We spent our honeymoon on walks through the parks.
She came up to me one day after about a year we were married. I was working in my office. I smiled up at her as she walked to me. She had a smile on her face, due to her poor health, we weren't planning on having a son.
"Vincent!"
I looked up at her. "Yes Rachel?"
"We're going to have a baby!"
I dropped my papers in shock. "I-I thought due to your poor health, we weren't?"
She looked saddened now. "You aren't happy?"
I stood and grabbed her hands. "No, no I'm happy! But..Rachel."
"The nurses and doctors will keep a watch. Besides, I am a couple months along. I noticed I was gaining a lot of weight and I was throwing up a lot."
"You have been sick a lot," I said. I smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I can't wait."
"Then I was born, right?" you ask. I smile.
"Well it is time for your bedtime," I tell you. "Maybe I'll tell you more tomorrow." I kiss the top of your head.
"O-okay daddy." You get down from my lap and I walk you to your bedroom. You get up in your bed, dressed in your pajamas now. "Daddy?"
"Yes?" I start blowing out the other candles and closing the curtains.
"Why did you decide to tell me about mommy now?"
"Well, son, I believe you're old enough now. I'll tell you more when you're older. I'll tell you how your mommy went to be with the angels in heaven." I walk to your bed and kiss your forehead. "Good night."
I blow out the final candle and walk out. I close the door. I see eyes in the distance.
"You think it's too early?" a voice asks me. It talks to me every night, watching your every move. It's waiting for something from you. I didn't know what and I didn't know when.
"No, what do you want from my son?" I finally ask after my son was born.
"Oh nothing really," the voice replies. I hear it's wings flap just a little. I walk to my bedroom, no longer hearing the voice until the morning. I would sleep the night away and I did.
"DADDY!" a scream woke me that night. I got up and ran to your room. I saw it, a black raven with dark eyes. It was trying to grab my son. I ran to it and started to beat it, screaming at it.
"Get away!" I shouted. I took my son into my arms, holding you close when the raven flew out the window. "Ciel, are you alright?" You look up at me.
"Yes Daddy...what was that?"
"A black raven."
"What does it want from me?"
I guess it was your soul for life. My death was drawing closer, I was going to see Rachel soon. "Ciel, promise me something."
"Yes?"
"If a demon ever tries to make a contract with you, don't do it out of revenge, okay?"
"Okay." The rest of the night, I was sleeping in your bed with him. You looked peaceful in a way. I imagine you were dreaming of running through fields with butterflies, catching them with your mother and I. I, myself, drift into a deep sleep. The sun awakes us.
I see the butler making tea for you, I smile and leave you so I can get ready for the high priest to come visit.
The day rolls on, I see your head pop in as I was talking with the high priest of Germany. I can speak fluently in German. Someday, you will learn the language. "Ciel!"
You widen your eyes.
"Is this your son?" the priest says in German.
"Yes," I reply back in German. You come up to me with my hand gesture. You say hello in English but the priest doesn't quite understand you.
"Hello!" you say louder, unsure if he knew English.
"Ah, friendly," he speaks in English.
"You speak English?" I ask him in German.
"Little," he replies back to me in English.
I smile, you sit in my lap while the priest and I chat and make arrangements. I tell you how popular our company has come along. You smile and tell me you want to take over the business. I tell you good. The priest leaves after you tell him goodbye in English, he waves. I tell you the German word for "Thank you".
"Danke!" you shout, waving. It sounds like "donkey" in English language. I ignore it and wave my good byes. We go back inside, I take your hand into mine.
"Ciel?" I ask you.
You look up at me as we go inside, smiling. "Yes daddy?"
"You're just like your mother."