We rode into Boucherville. Erik tried his best to be calm and I had to love on him to keep him from completely losing it. He all but stopped breathing when we came to a halt.
"Erik, love, breath." I told him. He gave me a worried look. His mental walls had failed him. He was nearly wheezing. I kissed him. I took his hand and put it to my stomach.
"Even if she shuns you all over again; you still have me, and you will have our child. You will never be alone again. Do you hear me?" I told him. He nodded and swallowed painfully. Erik got out of the carriage I got out as well. After I got out of the carriage and went to the front gate I waited for Erik but faced the house the door opened and an elderly woman stepped out. This is the mother of my husband. She wore a brown dress and walked with a cane.
"Are you Madame O'Rally?" She called her voice was the ghost of a wonderful one.
"We'll actually O'Rally is my maiden name. My name is Constance Destler-O'Rally. I'm your daughter in law." I told her. She stopped.
"Pardon me?" She asked.
"This is my wife, Mother. I am, Erik." His voice cut through the air with an authoritative edge. He came up beside me. He was in Phantom mode. His arm went around my waist.
"Erik? Hurry, come inside. No telling how long it will take for the townspeople to figure it out." She said. I looked at Erik as he opened the front gate for me I stepped through. Madeleine watched us keenly. I took his hand and held on to his arm lovingly. Madeleine let us in before her and she quickly closed the door. The home was charming and it was quite out of date.
"Why don't you two come sit down? Where did you come from?" She asked. She looked like she was about to erupt. Tears were brimming in her eyes and her voice was tight.
"The other side of Paris, Mother." He told her awkwardly.
"Erik, I am so sorry. I should have treated you better. I heard about the problems in Paris. I immediately knew it was you. I'm so happy you're okay. I love you, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She said, standing up nearly panicking. Erik bolted up as well in complete shock I didn't know what to say or do.
"O- okay Mother. I-I've had my time to be angry with you. I think it's about time we put the past behind us and start thinking about the present." Erik told her. She just fell into his arms sobbing. He held her. Everyone in the room was crying. I smiled as I stood. Erik turned to me.
"I've been blessed with you, Constance. If you had never come to me I would have never done this." He told me, kissing me. I smiled and hugged him tightly after we pulled apart.
"This is my fantastic wife; she's already introduced herself but I thought we should be a little more formal. She's quite rough and tumble but I believe that is one of her best qualities." Erik said. I smiled, laughing softly.
"It's an honor to meet the mother of such a wonderful man." I told her. She smiled warmly; the corners of her eyes wrinkling.
"Well the woman who married him must be even more 'honorable' than I, Constance." She told me. I smiled.
"Thank you; Madame." I told her.
"No please, call me Madeleine." She told me I smiled a little more, I habitually placed my hand on my stomach. Madeleine got a twinkle in her eyes.
"Are you with, child?" She asked, I realized this must be so overwhelming for her. She just reunited with her son, who was married, but to know that I was pregnant?
"Just under three months." I told her a prideful hint in my voice. She smiled wider and clapped.
"That's just wonderful!" She said. Erik beamed.
"We're split about the gender. Constance is determined on a girl. I want my first born to be my son." Erik said. I laughed.
"Oh well quite a predicament isn't it? But why don't I show you two the guest bedroom?" Madeleine asked. Erik nodded and gathered our bags. Madeleine led the way further into the house and opened a door.
"Here you go; how long do you think you'll be staying with me?" She asked.
"Maybe a week or so. We don't want to impose." Erik said. Madeleine giggled waving her hand in a dismissive fashion.
"Nonsense. You're my son. You would never impose. You only stayed with me for seven years, you have years to make up to me." She said charmingly. I smiled stood.
"May I have a look around?" I asked.
"Oh of course dear, you're family. My house is yours." Madeleine told me. I smiled and excused myself so Erik could talk to his mother in private I walked around the quaint little house, rubbing my stomach absently. I was in the parlor, there was a beautiful fire place and above it hung a painting. I studied it for a moment and realized it must've been Erik's father. He looked exactly like Erik only without a mask.
"That's Charles. Erik is practically a clone of his father, of course, if you take the deformity away. Both of them are handsome devils though." Madeleine told me. I turned and smiled at him.
"They are." I agreed.
"Now, Constance. How did you meet my boy?" She asked as she sat down.
"Come sit down, child. You don't need to be on your feet so much." She told me, patting the place beside her. I sat down beside Madeleine.
"We'll before we met he was obsessed with a girl named Christine." And from there I descended into Erik's and my story.
ERIK''S POV
I listened as Constance told Mother about our adventure before marriage. I heard the familiar distasteful click coming from my mother as she learned of Raoul's insanity. I entered the room as Constance finished her story. I smiled at the two women. I was finally feeling more at ease. My mother loved me; after years of being convinced that she hated me.
"Look at this picture Erik." Constance told me, standing up and bringing me over to the mantle. I looked up and saw a man in the photo; it was almost like looking at myself. It was my father. Charles Destler.
"You look very much like him." Constance whispered to me, rubbing in between my shoulder blades.
"Are you a master mason, Erik? That's what Charles was." Before I could answer, Constance jumped in.
"Oh he's much more than a master mason. He's a script writer, violinist, he has the singing voice of an angel; but something tells me you already knew that. He designed my wedding dress and I had a hair piece I wore on our wedding day hat he designed. He's a jack of all trades. If he really wanted to he could be the richest man in Paris, but his new found modesty forbids." Constance said with a giggle. My mother gave a heartfelt laugh.
"Charles would be proud of his son." She said, causing my embarrassment. Constance laughed again.
"Don't worry dear, I'm the price jewel of my family as well." She said, kissing my cheek.
"Oh you are? What's your family trade?" Mother asked as Constance sat back down, I could tell her back was bothering her.
"Do you have any herbal tea, Mother?" I asked. She nodded.
"It's in the cabinet above the stove." She told me. I entered the kitchen and went over to the stove as Constance and my mother chatted about my wife's line of work. I grabbed the chamomile tea and set the pot on the stove.
"It's wonderful you finally got married, Erik. She is breath-taking and so charming as well." Mother's voice sounded behind me. I turned and saw her smiling up at me. She reached up and touched my face.
"You've gotten so tall." She told me, going to the other cabinet and grabbing a glass and filling it with water.
"She is quite the blessing isn't she? All women in France are a bit too dainty to want anything to do with anyone who's less than perfect." She told me.
"So I've learned." I muttered. She patted my arm and left the kitchen. Constance's voice carried into the kitchen, thanking my mother.
The tea finished warming up and I took it off heat then poured Constance a cup. I brought it to her.
"It'll help you sleep." I told her. She had been kept awake throughout the night previously and I wanted to make sure she slept through the night tonight because of how hectic our day had been. Constance took the cup and sipped at the beverage while she listened to Mother talk with her. She laughed charmingly, looking enchanting. Her eyes sparkled beautifully. I sat beside her and put my arm around her.
"So what do you want for dinner; I know you must be starving; especially you Constance." Mother said.
"We aren't picky." Constance told her, finishing the rest of her tea. Mother stood and went into the kitchen. Constance stood as well.
"I'm going to get more tea; do you want a cup?" She asked. I shook my head.
CONSTANCE POV
I came into the kitchen. Madeleine was bustling about her kitchen. I sat down at the kitchen table.
"How old is Erik?" I asked her. She smiled and gave a soft laugh.
"He turned thirty six last month." She told me. I smiled and went back into the living room and sat down next to him. I kissed him deeply with a smile. When I pulled away he gave me a curious look.
"What was that for?" He asked, kissing me again.
"Happy belated birthday." I told him.
"You turned thirty six last month. I didn't get the exact date however. I will though and when I do we'll have a celebration next year." I told him. Erik just closed his eyes and shook his head.
"This place hasn't changed since I was a boy." He told me, rubbing my stomach affectionately. I shivered in delight of his touch. He smiled and kissed me. I still absolutely loved the feel of his kiss. His lips were slightly chaffed but he tasted sweet. I loved him. We pulled apart but I curled up the best I could with my bump and wrapped my arms around his chest. He sighed in content.
"How is your back feeling?" He asked.
"A little bit better since the tea, thank you." I told him. He seemed pleased by this.
"Wonderful." He said. I smiled and rested my head against his chest.
A bit later after dinner and helping Madeleine clean the kitchen (more of which consisted of Erik and Madeleine shooing me out of the kitchen and telling me to rest.) Erik and I retired to our bedroom. I brushed my hair as I always did before bed and Erik walked into our room from the bathroom, looking almost regal in his bed robe. I watched him shed it and he placed it on the back of the chair I was sitting in. I was in front of a mirror. He ran his hands over my exposed shoulders I shivered again. Erik kissed my neck.
"You're beautiful. Even my mother admits to it." He said.
"Okay?" I asked. He smiled and turned, grabbed a picture frame off the fire place and showed it to me.
"That's what she looked like when she was young." He told me showing me the picture of his mother. She looked gorgeous.
"Wow." I said. Erik laughed.
"Mother told me that my father was a bit older than her. It's strange. I'm just about twelve years older than you. My parents were the same." Erik told me. I nodded.