Evening was falling over Paris. The moon was up in the sky and stars were twinkling against the shadow's of night. For most people, their days were coming to an end. But for others... the night was just beginning.
'BEEP BEEP BEEP!' went the alarm clock near the bedside. A sleeping hand moved out from under the covers to swat at the annoying alarm. The hand managing it's goal as it came down on it, hitting that alarm off. Two sleepy violet eyes looked over to the alarm. 6:00pm it read. The boy sat up in bed, his slightly scruffy long hair falling down his face. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. Outside his window was a picturesque scene of Paris at night. Still half asleep, he pulled himself out of bed and walked over to his desk. Flicking a small table lamp on, he dropped down into his chair, still trying to wake up. His eyes rested on a calendar on his desk. He yawned and stretched picking up his glasses. Brushing away some stray hairs, he put on his glasses and looked down to the calendar again. Despite being a vampire he still needed glasses to help with his vision. His face lighting up when his brain clocked todays date. It was the 1st of July, his birthday! It was the day Matthew Bonneyfoy was born! He smiled at the date because this was not just any birthday. This was his 1800th birthday! Kinda his 18th in normal terms. He wondered what he'd be doing today. No doubt his Papa would do something big for him. He quickly got dressed, brushed his hair and ran down the stairs.
"Happy Birthday Matthew!" Francis grinned as he hugged his son. Matthew grinned from ear to ear hugging back.
"Thank you!" He said pulling back. "So... what's gonna happen today?" He asked trying to contain his excitement.
"Well..." Francis smiled. "We are going to start by going to your favourite restaurant for breakfast."
"Can I have pancakes?" Matthew asked buzzing already about today.
"You can have whatever you want." Francis said. "After that we'll catch a late showing of that new film that's come out."
"You mean...?" Matthew gasped. Francis nodded.
"I know how much you were looking forwards to seeing it." He smiled. Matthew hugged him again.
"Thank you papa!" He grinned. Francis hugged him back and ruffled his hair.
"That's not all." He chuckled. Matthew looked up at him wondering what else could possibly be in store. "After that we can go and look around the shops. I'll give you your birthday money then and you can spend it on whatever you want."
"How much will I have this year?" Matthew asked.
"Well..." Francis rubbed his chin. "...today is a special day, so I guess you get a special amount." He smiled to Matthew. "As it's your 1800th birthday, how does €1800 sound?"
"That sounds amazing!" He grinned hugging Francis again. "How could you let me spend that much?"
"I save a little each year, it soon adds up." He chuckled. "After that we can come home for cake." Francis smiled.
"What type of cake?" Matthew asked. Francis chuckled tapping Matthew's nose.
"You will have to wait and see."
"Did you bake it?" Matthew asked. Francis nodded in reply.
"Now come on Matthew, we don't want to miss our table." Francis winked. Matthew nodded and ran upstairs to get his trainers and coat on. Francis smiled as he watched his son shoot off. It had been hard raising him on his own. His mother was only a human, Matthew was born human too. Unfortunately his mother died soon after giving birth to Matthew. She knew that Francis was a vampire. He had told her all along, but she didn't care. She knew that if a human carried a vampires child, she would die soon after his or her birth. Francis remembered that day perfectly.
"Francis... did I?" She gasped utterly exhausted. Francis nodded holding her hand.
"You did." He smiled softly to her. Her tired eyes looked over to him.
"I guess you know what happens now..." She smiled weakly.
"I don't want you to go." Francis tried not to break into floods of tears. He loved her so much. He had told her why they couldn't have a child. He didn't want to lose her, but she insisted.
"Francis, you know as well as I do. You would have to see me die eventually. I wanted to live the rest of my life with you."
"But we could have had so many more years." Francis whispered. "There was so much I wanted to show you."
"And these last 9 months have been the best in my life." She smiled weakly. "I want you to remember me like this. Forever young, never getting older. Never to go deaf or blind. I want you to remember me this way, not as the old lady I would have become. Leaving you nothing else to remember me by."
"What should I tell our son? He will never know of you." Francis asked, holding her hand. He could already feel her pulse weakening.
"Bring our child here." She whispered. Francis nodded and went over to the cot. The small child was fast asleep. He smiled down to his one and only son. Gently scooping him up and carrying him over to his mother. She gently took the bundle in her arms smiling down lovingly to the little boy. At that moment the boys eyes opened. His beautiful violet eyes looked up at her.
"This is the only time he'll see you." Francis felt a tear escape him.
"Yes... I have two wishes Francis." She said softly as the child closed his eyes again.
"What are they?" He asked.
"I wish for our child to be named Matthew, Matthew Bonneyfoy." She said softly. "The second wish is a bit more than that."
"Whatever it is I will do it." Francis promised. She looked to him sweetly.
"I want you to turn Matthew into a vampire." She said, her voice leaving her. Francis was going to argue, but deep inside him, he knew it was for the best.
"I will blood Matthew once you are sleeping. I will care for him always." Francis said. Tears falling down his cheeks.
"Thank you... my one true love." She looked down to the child and kissed his forehead. "Stay safe, be good. I will always watch over you. I love you my little Matthew." Her voice was just a whisper. She lent back in bed and closed her eyes. Francis kissed her lips for one final time. He felt her pulse stop. Her breathing finished, her eyes never to open again. Matthew started crying in his mothers arms. Francis picked up the crying boy and held him close. Letting his own tears fall down his cheeks.
"Why are you crying?" Matthew asked, bringing Francis back to the present.
"Oh, it's nothing." He said quickly trying to wipe away the tears. Matthew frowned a little.
"Is it because of mama?" He asked quietly. Matthew knew his mother had died centuries ago. Francis told him what had happened many years before. Matthew never hated or regretted how he was born and the cost it came with. He knew that his mother was happy when she died. Sometimes even now he would dream about her, what she looked like, what her voice sounded like. Francis was some what of an artist and had painted many pictures of her. Matthew liked to look at them from time to time for there were no photographs back then let alone recordings. Sometimes when he was little, Francis would tell his stories of his mother and who she was. He loved hearing them and knew almost all by heart. Matthew felt she was close to him, he couldn't explain how... but he knew she was close.
"Yes..." Francis said softly. "I was remembering the day you were born, and the promise I made."
"Erm papa?" Matthew asked nervously. "I know it makes you sad to talk about mama, but you never told me what her final words were. You've told me what happened, how she held me as she had her final breath and I started to cry. But... what did she say to you?" Francis smiled sitting down with Matthew.
"The last thing she said to me was 'Thank you my one true love.'" Francis said softly.
"Were those her final words?" Matthew asked.
"No..." Francis smiled weakly shaking his head. "Her final words were to you."
"What did she say?" Matthew asked. Francis shuffled over and took Matthew's hands, looking him in the eye.
"She said, 'Stay safe, be good. I will always watch over you. I love you my little Matthew.'" Francis said softly. Matthew felt really moved by these words. Even though he only had Francis' word for it, in his heart he knew he was telling the truth.
"I love her too." Matthew said quietly.
"Me too. I will never stop." Francis smiled to him. "Well, I'm sure she wouldn't want us sulking over the past. Let's get going and make this a night special."
"Yeah. Mama would like that." Matthew smiled. Francis stood up and went to get his coat. Matthew took a while to think over what he had heard. He blushed slightly, closing his eyes he pictured his mother saying those words. He only wished he could see her now, talk to her and hug her.
"Come on Matthew. We don't want to be late." Francis called. Matthew opened his eyes and nodded. Picking up his coat and going out into the crisp night air. He smiled as he looked up to the moon as Francis locked the door. The moon was full in the clear sky, Matthew could see the stars. Francis had always told him that mama was up there in the heavens watching over them. Francis looked up at the sky too. His eyes searching the stars. He remembered her as clear as the moon in the sky. "You loved the night, named every star, every symbol. Now you are up there with them, making the night sky even more beautiful."
"Come on Papa." Matthew chuckled. "You were worried we'd be late."
"Oui, let's have a night to remember."