Erik's POV
I didn't know what to do. My child had ran away from me, and all because I refused to take him to the beach. I was in a hurry, pushing past the crowds in order to find him.
"Erik, calm down." I heard my angel's voice, only to see her walking beside me. "He's straight ahead."
"This is all my fault." I cried. "Oh, Christine why? I can't raise him…"
"You can ange," she pulled me by my arm to stop me from walking on. "You should take him to the beach angel…Really, you should."
"And do what? Expose myself before everyone? Oh, Christine, you know how embarrassed I would be."
"Erik, you can wear your shirt," Christine ran her fingers down my white shirt. "And your trousers. Do this one kindness for him. You have a child to raise now…You can't expect him to be in the darkness all the time."
With that, my angel disappeared, leaving me looking at Gustave, who was sitting on a nearby bench. I sighed and approached him, sitting down beside him. Oh, he was crying, so hard that it hurt my heart.
"Gustave, you shouldn't have run from me like you just did. I could have lost you."
Gustave wiped his eyes and nodded. I knew he wasn't sorry, but he was understanding.
"I was thinking that perhaps I could postpone my work until a little later and take you to the beach. Would you like that?"
This instantly lifted his spirits, for he looked up at me and nodded.
"Very well then, let's get you back to the apartment so that you can change into your bathing suit."
My child didn't smile, nor did he laugh in joy. No, he was simply quiet as we walked back home in order to allow him to change. In all my years living here, never once did I ever go to the beach. Yes, I had seen its beauty from far away, but never actually stepped foot onto the sand. While Gustave was changing, I packed a blanket and a few things that we would need for our beach outing. When Gustave emerged from his room dressed in his blue and white stripped bathing suit, he and I ventured to my Phantasma beach. It was much harder to walk on the sand in my shoes, but as soon as we were settled, I would take them off. When the beach blanket was spread out, I took a seat and removed my shoes. Strange how sand felt between my toes, but it was a wonderful feeling. To ensure that my trousers didn't get ruined, I rolled each pant leg up to my knees. Yes, the scars showed, but it was better than wearing a bathing suit.
"Could we go and play by the water, Mister Y?"
I nodded as I stood up from the blanket. "Of course, but you have to promise me that you'll hold onto my hand. You don't know how to swim and the water is rough."
When Gustave interlaced his hand with my own, we walked towards the water that was crashing up against the shore. When his toes touched the edge of a wave that had approached shore, he backed away in fear, his grasp coming loose from my own.
"What's wrong?" I asked, the cool water covering my feet.
"I'm not ready."
"Gustave, it's only the water." I assured. "It's all right."
I held out my hand once more and beckoned him to come to me.
"I won't let you go. You wanted to learn how to swim and I shall show you."
When Gustave nodded, he interlaced his hand with my own and I brought him to my side once more. Another wave came over our feet, causing Gustave to laugh. Figuring that I had his trust, I walked us out further, the water up to my knees now, and nearly Gustave's waist.
"All right, time for your first lesson." I placed my hands at his side and positioned him on his stomach, holding him above water. "Sway your hands back and forth…"
My child began to panic, for another wave came crashing against the shore, causing it to hit him in the face. He coughed as I brought him up to my height.
"I don't like this." He cried. "I don't like this, Mister Y."
"You're not trying."
Gustave broke away from my grasp and headed back to our beach blanket. I sighed and followed him, finding him sitting there with his hands wrapped around his knees.
"Perhaps the ocean is too rough for a beginner?"
"I don't like it." He whimpered. "Swimming, I mean."
"We can leave if you wish?"
"I like the beach, Mister Y. Could we perhaps stay here for a while?"
When I nodded, the boy sat himself in the sand and began to dig. Like a loyal father, I sat there watching him. Even though he didn't like the water, he still walked along it, collecting seashells and enjoying himself.
"You look handsome in your swim attire." Christine teased. I glanced over to the spot beside me to find my angel sitting there with her toes buried in the sand. "Reminds me of my father's house by the sea. It's been so long since I last buried my toes in the sand."
"He hates the water." I said. "How am I to teach him how to swim?"
"If I'm not mistaken, your park does have a pool."
I shrugged. "It's always crowded."
I felt my angel playfully hit me in the shoulder. "You're the owner, Erik. Just take him there when the park closes for the day."
I nodded, looking at my angel, who was sitting beside me. She seemed so real, so real that I wondered if it were too good to be true?
"Christine, may I ask you something?"
She nodded. "Of course."
"Am I the only one who can see you?"
She nodded. "Only you, ange…"
"What about Gustave?"
Christine shook her head. "Only you, Erik. Gustave does not need to see me. I live through you, ange… It be bad for him to see me at his age. He might grow up thinking that I never died at all and then, when I do go away for good it would hurt him."
"What are you saying?"
"Sometimes people on earth have unfinished business when they die. That's why they're made into angels and sent to finish up what they couldn't on earth."
"And what is your unfinished business?"
"To raise Gustave into a fine young man. But, when he reaches that point, I shall disappear, being able to finally rest in peace."
I scooted closer to my Christine. "You could stay here forever, Christine. You don't have to return to heaven when Gustave is older."
My angel innocently giggled. "Oh, Erik, you've never changed a bit. I wish things could be that way, but sadly they cannot. I can't linger more than I must, and when Gustave is at the right age, my job shall be done. I wouldn't be dead if I were able to stay, now would I?"
"But there are so many things I wasn't able to do with you, so many things I wanted to do… If you're here for Gustave's well being, couldn't you be here for my own as well? I feel your touches, feel your kisses against my skin. If you can do all of this and make it feel real, why can't you spend time with me?"
"Simply because you'd be made out to be a crazy person. No one can see me, ange…You can't be seen talking to someone that isn't there, can't be seen with your hand wrapped around thin air as if wrapped around my shoulder. This is why I can't live life with you until my job here is done."
"I'm dying inside, Christine." I pleaded. "Dying because I can't hold you, dying because I can't kiss you. If I can feel your kisses, why can't you feel my own?"
"I could." Christine replied. "But I can't…"
"No, you won't…"
"It's for your own good."
Before I could argue further about it, Gustave came running up to me with a shell in hand.
"Look at this beautiful shell, Mister Y."
"Yes, it is very beautiful."
"Mother would have loved it, don't you think."
I nodded. "Yes, I believe you're right."
"Then I want to take it home and place it on the windowsill for mother. That way when the stars come out each night she can see it."
When the sun began to set, my child and I packed up and headed home. Though, the sun had burned my pale flesh, making it sore and red. My body was not used to the sunlight; therefore, I knew I shouldn't have lain out on the beach all day. I ignored my aches and pains for the time being and changed, ready to go out and finish my work. There were supplies that needed to be ordered, and I needed to make a note of each item. Deciding to bring Gustave along with me, we journeyed out into my park, the bright and colorful lights shimmering all around.
"Wow," my son gasped every few seconds, taking in the beauty of my park at night. Though, I pulled him along each time he stopped so I wouldn't lose him in the crowds.
"Come alone, Gustave." I warned. "I don't want you to get lost."
"Could we get ice cream?" he asked. "When you're finished working?"
"We'll see." I said, writing down items that needed to be filled on my shelves of the cotton candy stands. "For now, I need to get this order in so it can be shipped out immediately."
"Could we go play some games in the arcade as well?"
"If I get everything done, son."
It was extremely frustrating trying to work and have a child bugging you at the same time. For the past ten years I have worked alone, never having to play babysitter while trying to complete daily tasks. Though, it was hard to work while Gustave was getting himself into mischief. Christine had only been gone two days, and already, I was having a rough time caring for the boy.
"Gustave, get out of there." I scowled, finding my boy trying to sneak into the snow cone stand. "There are people working there."
"But I'm hungry, Mister Y."
If there was one thing I was never concerned about, it was eating. This child on the other hand wanted to eat every three hours. I glanced up at the Phantasma clock tower to notice that it was eight.
"Why don't we take a break then?" I suggested. "I'll take you to Nathan's for dinner."
Today, my plan was to have gone into town and fulfill a grocery order to stock my shelves at home, but since Gustave wanted to go to the beach, I hadn't gotten to it. The food order would simply have to wait until morning. Perhaps I could sneak out of the apartment while Gustave slept and be back before he woke. It was much easier to shop without him at my side.
Once more, I wasn't hungry, and therefore, I ordered my son a hotdog and took a seat outside to watch him eat. Of course, my employees all gawked at me; for I knew they found it strange seeing me with a child. For years, I have wandered my park alone, and now that Christine was gone, I knew they suspected the obvious. They either knew that he was my own flesh and blood, or that Christine had left him in my care. Either way, Gustave was here to stay and therefore, they needed to get used to seeing him beside me.
I was moved from my train of thought, when I glanced back at Gustave and noticed that he had mustard all over his face.
"Gustave, look at you, you're a mess."
But, I still had no idea about what to do with him. I needed to finish up my work, and yet, here he was, making a complete mess of himself.
"I'm sorry, Mister Y."
But what was I to do now?
"Lick a napkin, Erik." Christine was beside me now. "Lick the napkin with your saliva and wipe his face."
Oh, how childish and revolting this seemed, but I did as I was told and placed the napkin up to my lips before wiping Gustave's stained mouth with it.
"Mother used to do that to me all the time." He said. "I miss it."
Was that a compliment I wondered?
"Come along, Gustave, we have much more to do before the park closes for the night."
My son traveled with me a while more, before he eventually shut down all together.
"I'm tired." He groaned. "I want to go home, Mister Y."
"We will as soon as I'm finished." I said, looking over the counter of my pretzel stand. "I've got about twenty more stops to go to before-…"
"My feet hurt, Mister Y… I can't walk anymore."
Oh, I knew I wasn't going to be getting what I needed done tonight, not while I had this child complaining every five seconds.
"Gustave," I turned to face the boy. "I really need to get this done. My order needs to be shipped out tomorrow."
"But I'm tired."
I stood there, thinking about what I could do in order to get my job done. I had twenty more stands on the other end of my park to get to. I would never get to them with Gustave complaining every few moments. Up ahead, the arcade was there...Yes! it was perfect… I would let Gustave play in the arcade and leave him for an hour to finish up my work. It was a win win situation.
"Gustave, I have to continue working, but if you want…" I was about to mention the arcade, when Christine appeared before me, a look of rage displayed across her face.
"You're not doing what I think you're going to do?" she growled. "A child cannot be left alone for so long, Erik. Something could happen to him."
I balled my fists together, ready to blurt out "It'll only be an hour," but Christine read my mind.
"Five minutes is too long to have your eyes taken away from a child, Erik. Gustave is precious, and you can't risk something happening to him. Tired or not, you're the adult and you set the rules."
"Mister Y, were you going to say something?"
Christine disappeared, leaving me standing before my child again. Oh, how I wanted to leave him at that arcade, but I simply couldn't, not after getting spoken to by Christine. If she believed that leaving Gustave at the arcade was a bad idea, then who was I to argue?
"Nothing," I groaned. "Let's press on."
"But-…"
"No buts, Gustave. Now, stop complaining."
Yes, the child groaned every inch of the way, but I ignored him, finishing my work just as the lights of Phantasma shut off. For being semi good, I bought the child and ice cream cone on the way out of Phantasma. Not only did it give him a burst of energy, but it also made him smile.
"How often do you have to do that, Mister Y?" he asked, licking his vanilla ice cream.
"Do what?" I questioned.
"Order things?"
"Once a month."
"Are you sure you don't want a lick of my ice cream cone?"
"No, Gustave, I'm sure."
By the time we reached my apartment, Gustave finished his ice cream and I sent him to the shower. While he was getting washed, I freshened up his bed waited for him to return from upstairs. When he walked back into his bedroom, his hair was soaking wet. I took his towel from him and ran it over his head to dry his chocolate locks that he had inherited from my angel.
"Get some sleep, Gustave." I said, tucking the boy in. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Mister Y?"
I was at the door, when my son called for me.
"Yes, Gustave?"
"Mother used to kiss me goodnight." He pointed to his lips. "She would kiss me right here…"
"I'm sure she did, Gustave." I gulped.
"Would you kiss me goodnight?" he asked. "Just like mama did?"
My heart began to race inside my chest. Kiss him goodnight? On the lips? I approached him, standing tense at the side of his bed.
"You need to take off your mask to do it."
I nodded and peeled the article away, holding it in one hand, while I used my other to caress his cheek. Oh, why? Why did he want these bloated lips pressed against his own? I did it quickly though, pressing my lips against his flawless ones, never lingering for a single second. Afterwards, I had him lie down again so I could adjust the blankets.
"Goodnight, Gustave."
Once more, I approached the door and turned off the lights, about to close the door behind me, when his voice wailed out.
"Mister Y, don't close it!"
I stopped, remembering that he liked it cracked. Therefore, I adjusted the door just how he liked it and received a quick "thank you" before I headed towards the stairs. Once I was up in my room, I worked quickly at cleaning up the tub from Gustave's bath and then to my room to get changed. My flesh was beginning to hurt me more than it had been from the sun beating on it all day, but I managed to get into my night attire and crawl into bed. Tonight, I was exhausted, for it had been the first day I had spent with my child…It had been tiring, it had been annoying, and at the same time, it was also wonderful.
"Each day will get easier," came Christine's voice. "I promise you."
And with that thought in mind, I closed my eyes and slipped into a dreamless slumber.
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