"All I wanted was your love!"
Christine tosses in turns in her marital bed, a cold sweat upon her face. She dreams of the dreaded horror that she sees in daily flashbacks. It frightens her, but it also intrigues her - why? Something so vile plagues her innocent mind constantly...
"Leave me alone! You had your wishes!"
"You know perfectly well that isn't what I wanted."
"Why?!" her eyes are red, most likely from crying, "Why did you do it!?"
He glares back at her, but she avoids the obvious distaste in his eyes. He gives no answer - only walks off into the night. Her cold, shivering body lays on the bed and all she can feel is numbness. She wants the answer - why did he do it? - and she is afraid that she will never know the limits of his wrath...
Christine quickly sits up and sees the shadow of a man beside her bed. She falls in terror before the massive shadow, but tears come to her eyes when she realizes it is only her husband. The dreams and visions haunt her so much that all men appear terrifying, "Well," Raoul hangs his overcoat on the stand and bends down to his wife to give her a kiss, "I apologize for frightening you awake."
Raoul kisses her again, this time caressing her cheek. Her skin is ice and he pulls away, "You are freezing, dear!" Christine only stares blankly, still frightened from her night terrors, "Let us get you into bed."
Christine removes her croissants from the oven and sets them on the counter to cool, staring blankly as she fans the hot pasties. Her boy tugs at her skirts and she drops the fan, holding him instead. She loves her child more than words - more than music - but she still shakes from her terrors. She is fearful of many people, some of whom she once took for friends, and she wants more than ever to just be normal. To be a normal wife and mother is the only thing she desires.
She grabs one the croissants and takes a small bite, feeling her anxiety melt away. Her son shoves the pastry into her mouth and she laughs, chewing the flaky bread. Gustave feels happiness to no end. He is being held and loved and he wants no more than to just stay in mama's arms. Christine heads off into the parlor and just as she sits down there is a knock on the front door, "I'll answer it, Madame," the maidservant cheers.
Christine glances down at her baby boy whose head is now snuggled into her breast. Raoul steps into the parlor as well, taking a bite of a croissant, "For a Swede, you make some delicious French pastries."
Raoul glances towards the front and smiles at his wife, "We have guests."
Christine cuddles Gustave a bit tighter, making him coo. Once the guests step inside she recognizes them as Raoul's parents, but there is someone else. She notices a blonde-haired lady and an older woman and smiles fondly at them, "Christine!"
Christine smiles at her friend and Madame Giry covers her mouth as soon as she sees the baby boy. Meg hugs her friend and looks at the child in her arms, smiling at the boy, "Christine, he is so handsome!" Madame Giry sits to the other side of Christine, smoothing over the baby's cheek, "It is a boy, right?"
"Yes, Madame," Christine looks down at her son and he laughs up to her, "My little boy," she says with a kiss to his nose.
Raoul sits with his parents at the other side of the parlor, taking pride in his manhood at the fact that he can produce a boy. Christine still struggles to understand the importance of bearing sons, but she looks down lovingly at her child nonetheless, "May we see the nursery, Christine?"
Christine looks to her proud husband again and then agrees to leave the room. The Giry's follow her up to the nursery and her little boy cheers upon seeing the door. Madame opens the door for Christine, "O," she steps inside and flicks on the lamp, kicking her son's blocks out of the way, "You should see this. I do not understand, but he already toddles."
Christine set her son down and wobbled all the way to his blocks. Madame stares at the boy curiously - as if she is having flashbacks herself, "How old is the boy?"
"He is only eleven months."
Madame watches Gustave begin to construct something with his blocks, "Odd."
Gustave starts to build what seems to be very juvenile, but the project turns into something greater as he continues. Madame observes the boy carefully, then develops an odd feeling - as if a thousand eyes are watching her. She grabs Meg by the wrist, her body shivering, "Come, Meg. We must go!"
Christine stands up quickly and follows her friends to the hall, "Why must you go in such a hurry?"
Christine is stopped by Madame's ice cold hand and she sees beyond her stern face this time. Madame looks about as frightened as she was from her night terrors, "I worry for you, Christine," she looks at her friends and lowers her head, "I only know one person that brilliant. Hopefully you are safe."
Christine watches coldly as her friends walk down the marble staircase, her chest feeling heavier with each breath she takes. She wanders into the nursery and glances at her son, who smiles at her with all the gaps of his teeth. She looks at his creation and tears fill her eyes. Christine falls to her knees and bends over a sobbing mess. A tiny hand rests on her head and she hears the word, "Mama," come out of her child's mouth.
She looks up at the boy and is confused about whether to be afraid or joyful.
