"Erik…"
He didn't answer.
"I've had enough…"
He remained silent.
"You've been at this all day and now you're threatening to continue into the night. At first it was understandable, bearable…but this is beyond ridiculous. Do you find this behavior acceptable? Because I don't."
"I…I know…It's just that - "
"I understand, believe me, I do. But after all of the lengths you've gone through, to put this immense undertaking together just to your exact tastes, to abuse the situation as you're doing now is -"
Erik gave a great, rattling, gasping sob.
"- is beyond the pale! Really!" Christine crossed her arms, fire rising in her eyes. "Carrying on like this…it's - it's selfish! Honestly, you are such a child - and I already have one of those, I don't need another!"
"I'm sorry…" Erik mopped at his tears with his soaked handkerchief, his voice cracking from emotion. Gustave looked on, quietly shoveling down a second piece of cake and very glad he wasn't on the receiving end of his mother's ire. She wasn't quick to anger at all but he had heard the fierce tone he was using right now once or twice before and it was never a good thing. Once she had that firmness in her voice, it was best to admit defeat.
"You are embarrassing me in front of our friends - " she continued, her hand waving towards the very small group of trusted associates nearby. " - and I already feel ridiculous being in this white dress. Me - a widow well in her thirties and with a child - in white! I did it for you and the least you could do is be grateful. But no - you must go on simpering and sobbing. Enough already!"
Erik's trembling hands flew to his face. "I'm just so - so - so happy!"
Christine sighed. "I know but you sobbed through the wedding, wept through the reception, cried through the cake..are you going to blubber through our first dance as well?"
Erik shook his head "no" but a fresh round of tears betrayed him.
"You are the greatest fool I've ever known!" She planted a firm kiss on his lips to shut him up and dam up the endless flow of tears. "Now come along and let's have our dance and don't you dare complain about the quartet's playing, you picked them. I'll have this marriage annulled by the time we reach the honeymoon suite the way you're going."
"Yes, dear…" Erik scrubbed the eye on the better side of his face with his sleeve and followed her out to the dance floor.
