The dark crimson and light gold leaves crunched underfoot and the air pierced through unsuspecting tree branches to men and women graciously bundled up in heavy winter coats, although it was only fall. It was unusually chilly for October and I would have been surprised if snow had not started falling instantly. I watched out my bedroom window at the men and women on the street, which had been mildly entertaining. I watched as a gust of wind pulled off a woman's hat, a man chase it, only to have it land in Lake Michigan. A small chuckle escaped from the depths of my throat; never in a million years would I have thought I'd see someone chase a hat.

"Was that a chuckle from my daughter?"

I turned around quickly, my loose chocolate curls slapping me in the face. My eyes met my father's eyes, which held the same amount of pain and loss as I'm sure mine did. "Of course papa," I smiled "I saw a lady lose her hat." I scooted over for my father to sit down.

He patted my knee and handed me the cup of tea he had been holding. "I just haven't heard a laugh from you in quite some time." He looked out the window and I studied his face. In the past five months he aged profusely. Laugh lines had formed around his eyes and the hair around his temples was starting to gray, circles had formed under his eyes like he hadn't slept in years and pain was etched on his face. All in all he just looked tarnished and very tired. "You know, ever since—"

"Ever since mother died" I finished looking into my tea cup. "Papa," I paused for a second before deciding to move on "I noticed that we're running out of funds..." I chewed on my bottom lip for a second "I believe that it would last us until the spring, only if we save correctly." I took a sip of my tea, which had turned cold. My mother was beautiful and wealthy; my father was handsome and unlucky in his fortunes. My mother's marriage to my father was looked down upon, and for the first three years of their marriage, they were not helped out by my mother's family. Their luck had changed when my mother found out she was with child and her sour mother had changed her tune and invited my mother and father to live with them on her estate. My mother had told me the story on how I was born countless times. Unlike most traditional births, I was born under a peach tree that was on my grandmother's estate. My mother and father had been taking a walk and it was too far away from the house and mother was large with child and unable to hurry or be lifted to be in the comforts of her bed.

I grew up in the comforts of a large estate, I got horseback riding lessons, Piano lessons, lessons in math and science, writing and reading and I had got lessons in singing, which provided as the nightly entertainment for many years. My parents ended up having another child, a boy, named Phillip, but he died in infancy and my parents never tried again. I did have someone to play with though, the neighbor boy named Raoul who was always polite to me. He escorted me to a few of my Grandmothers lavish balls. He was a gentleman and had often took me down to Hyde Park, taught me how to fly a kite and took me on picnics during the spring and summer months.

But then tragedy struck. My mother got ill with fever, my father was by her bedside the whole time she had been sick, not allowing me to visit her for long, for fear that I would catch it as well. My mother ended up getting delirious, talking about Phillip and how she should have married a man of class and wealth, she often spoke on how much of a horrible daughter I had become, and that I should have been a son. Once she made me leave in tears, and I had found comfort in my dear friend Raoul, who told me not to take anything she had said to heart, because she was not in her right mind. My mother passed away May 21st the year of our lord, eighteen ninety-two. Soon after that, my grandmother kicked my father and me out of the only life I had known, away from my only friend Raoul and from the comforts of my large bed.

My father had money saved up, that provided us money for a nice apartment and food, but the funds were dwindling, and they were going fast.

"I know Christine." He cupped my left cheek in his hand and sighed deeply. "I'm afraid that if we cannot afford the rent then we will be out before Christmas." He strummed his thumb across my face, wiping away a tear that had secretly fallen. "You look so much like your mother Christine."

I sniffed and pulled away wiping my nose with the sleeve of the once expensive and beautiful dress "You tell me that every day." I smiled a little pulled a handkerchief from my bosom and quietly blew my nose. "You also tell me that you wish I had gotten her golden hair and not your dull brown hair." I sipped at my tea again before looking up at him.

He laughed slightly "Yes, I still wish you got her beautiful hair, instead of the curly mess that I have." He patted my knee and stood up "I'll make dinner tonight."

I looked up at him and nodded "Alright, I got some Leeks from the market the other day for soup because I know how much leek soup is your favorite." I jested.

My father smiled and stood up "Oh, I enjoy your leek soup the most. Mine however, can use a touchup. Maybe one of these days you can teach me. Before you wed and leave your poor father alone."

I stood up, placed the tea cup on the large window sill that I was previously occupying "papa," I smoothed out my skirts and dusted off his shoulders "You know I'm not going to get married." I picked back up the tea cup and laced one of my arms with my fathers "I don't need to. I have a lovely man right here, who loves me and would never ever leave me. So why would I leave him?" I questioned.

"Aw shucks." He chuckled a bit and escorted me downstairs in silence. I placed my cup in the kitchen and turned around to see my father leaning on the chair, confusion etched into his face. "Christine, I don't want you to stay here because of me, I want you to go out and see the world. I know you want to as well." He paused and rubbed his hand on his stubble covered chin. "There's a nice young man out there, just waiting for you. I want you to be happy."

I looked at him and smiled slightly "I am happy papa."

I tied the apron around my waist and spent most of my dreary afternoon in the kitchen preparing the leeks. My mind couldn't help but wonder about the world around me. I had read in the daily paper that the University of Chicago had started classes on the first of October, that had been a week ago and I wondered how the classes were going. I couldn't help but secretly wish to join the lucky men who got the privilege to go. I thought about singing and how my father and I would make it to Christmas. Lastly, I wondered if papa was right, if there was a man out there somewhere waiting for me. Naturally this led my thoughts to Raoul, my childhood friend. I wondered if he would be attending classes at the University of Chicago, and if he was, I wondered how well he was doing.

Supper soon came and went almost as quickly as it had come. Papa was unusually quiet during dinner, and left the table without excusing himself, leaving me to clean up. After dinner was finished, I left papa a note explaining that I decided to take a brisk walk after dinner, to help my digestion. After all, a corset was not made for digestion. The cloak that I had owned used to be my mothers and was quiet outdated, but gorgeous all the same. I kept it in a special hat box to keep the moths and other little creatures out. The light blue garment was floor length with a hood that could hold the city of Chicago inside it. The inside was made of dark mink fur and the outside was made of French silk, the best money could buy and I wanted to keep it that way. There was a single gold button on the collar of the cloak with my mother's initials scripted onto it.

The outside chill was much thicker than I had imagined when I was looking out from my upstairs window. I shivered and thought about turning back inside, but decided against it. It had been months since I had a decent walk outside by myself that did not include a disappointing trip to the market that was already scarce with food. I quickly crossed the street and back onto the sidewalk of my favorite park in the whole of Chicago. The park wasn't that far from the new college, and that's where I had ended up. The whole walk I had managed to avoid awkward stares from upper class women who were on their way to supper with their other upper class families. I had once been one of them, and would most likely be on my way to supper with my grandmother and the rest of my family.

It was then that I had spotted him. His golden blond hair was not to be mistaken, and his brilliant blue eyes were not to be forgotten. Oh his eyes. I remember staring into them when I was escorted onto the dance floor unwillingly to waltz with the young man of ten. When I was nine, I had a fancy for the boy with the golden hair, but as I grew up my love for him had turned to that of a sisterly love as I had nursed him back to health a few times after he had nasty falls from his prize horse. I chewed on my lip as my mind battled back and forth between going to talk to the man, or to stay away. Before I knew it, my feet were carrying me towards the man with the golden locks of hair.

"Raoul?" I said hesientley

"How may I—" he turned around and surprised etched his face "Christine!" he laughed and picked me up spinning me around, just like he used to when we were small. Only now he had done it in public, in front of his grandmother, and the rest of Chicago, where it was frowned upon. He put me down abruptly and cleared his throat "How have you been since…" he trailed off.

"Oh…" I gave him a one shoulder shrug "I've been well." I inhaled the smell of high classed food, the kind where leek soup was served as part of a five course meal, not as one meal alone. "I—I see you have something to attend to with your family…" I trailed off.

He looked back at the door and nodded "Yeah, um… you should get inside; you wouldn't want to get ill out here." He looked back at the door and then to me "Let me walk you home, it's not safe for a lady to be out this late on her own."

I looked at him and I wondered if he thought that I still had money, and if he did think so, I knew he would be sorely disappointed when he walked me back to the apartment I had shared with my father.

"Thank you, Raoul. That's very generous and very thoughtful but I think I'm going to decline." I wrung my hands under my cloak for an excuse, but nothing came to me.

"Why?" he questioned but without second thought he placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'd love to catch up with you, if you won't let me walk you home, you should at least let me pick you up tomorrow for dinner at my place."

I looked at him and snaked my arm around his "I think it would be okay if we did both." I swallowed hard as the butterflies arrived in my stomach. I never felt anything for Raoul in years; I did not know why I did now. Maybe it was the idea of a nice large home cooked meal that did not consist of leeks, or maybe it was because my father wanted to see me happy. A part of me wondered if this was the man who was out there waiting for me. If he wasn't then I wouldn't have been able to find him right here near the park five months after tragedy struck my family. For once in my life, as Raoul walked me home, I felt that everything in the world was all right.

We walked silently in the streets of Chicago, to the small little apartment I had spent the last five months of my life. I was sure Raoul and I had looked like one of the many regal couples I had seen out my bedroom window, but I was sure we had the whole world fooled.

"This is my stop." I whispered.

Raoul nodded and looked up at the building which had been falling apart slowly. The bricks of the stairs were chipped, the railing had rusted and the door was peeling back from years of weather exposure. "Alright" he took his eyes off the eyesore of a building "I'll pick you up here tomorrow for dinner. Let's say, around eleven in the morning?"

I nodded and smiled before looking down at the ground and tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear "yeah, that sounds perfect." I backed up on the steps until I was up at the door "Good Night, Raoul." I curtsied to him.

"Good Night, Christine." He took off his top hat and bowed before turning and walking down the street. I held my breath as I watched him walk away, and when he was out of my line of vision, I made my way into a warm apartment.