Lucille Destler watched her son caress the hand of his soon to be wife from the opposite end of the table. After all of these years she never could have imagined sitting across from Erik and a woman who had agreed to marry him. As she sat through their rehearsal dinner in the Manhattan hotel restaurant, she couldn't help but feel a wave of relief rush over her body. She had spent the entirety of Erik's life bitterly worrying that he would never amount to anything – that he would never get a job or have a social life, let alone a wife.
Watching Erik and Christine made Lucille realize that every charming and eloquent word that left her son's mouth was his own doing. He had built an incredibly successful life without her help. The more she watched him as the night went on, the more regret she felt for not realizing all of this earlier. He was making the other guests laugh, being a perfect gentleman to the restaurant staff, and nervously smiling at his fiancé every time he caught her looking at him.
She was shocked when Erik had told her he was dating someone; she was even more shocked when she met Christine for the first time. Most people who encountered her son tended to shy away and leave him in the dust, but not Christine. She was glowing next to him.
The rehearsal dinner went smoothly and there was constant conversation among the small group of attendees. There was the wedding party which consisted of Meg, Nadir, Akira, and Andrew, and a couple of Erik and Christine's respective coworkers. Lucille was actively participating in the conversations around her, but her mind kept drifting back to the sudden regrets of how she raised Erik.
When he was born she was worried he would never be accepted by the rest of society. She neglected him, knowing that whatever efforts she made in raising him would be ruined. He had proved her wrong, and he had done it all by himself. He had a gorgeous fiancé, a small group of wonderful friends, and he owned and built the most successful theatre in the city. She had been a horrible mother for no reason. Erik had always wanted nothing more than her approval, and she still had never given it to him.
When Lucille had returned to her hotel room once the rehearsal dinner had ended, she couldn't keep her negative thoughts at bay. She was leaving to go home the day after the wedding, which was tomorrow, and the next time she would see Erik wouldn't be until Christmas which was 10 months away. These feelings weren't going to go away until she apologized to her son for the way she had treated him for the last 34 years.
But she couldn't. But she had to. Tomorrow was going to be the happiest day of Erik's life and now she realized that she didn't want his mind to be on anything else. Her relationship with Erik was so muddled and distant that, when she thought about bringing this up, she didn't know where to start. After several minutes of contemplation, she finally left her hotel room, and the door she found herself standing in front of belonged not to her son, but his fiancé.
She took a deep breath and rapped her knuckles against the door three times. Lucille could talk to Christine easier than she could Erik, and she figured the best place to start with this situation would be with Christine.
Christine had finally removed all of her makeup and wrapped herself in the fluffy white robe that the hotel had provided when she heard the knocks at her door. She cautiously opened her door and was met with a conflicted-looking Lucille.
"Lucille? What are you doing here?" Christine asked nervously. "Is everything okay? Did something happen with-"
"No, everything's fine, dear," she responded. Her next words were hesitant. "I would like your help with something."
"Anything," Christine answered before stepping aside so Lucille could enter the room.
Although Erik insisted that Christine sleep in their honeymoon suite, she elected to rent a normal room for the night. The thought of being in a large room, no matter how accommodating, was unsettling for her so Erik took it instead.
The two of them sat down in the chairs that were placed in the far corner of the room. "I'm going to cut to it," Lucille started once they were comfortably seated. "I need to talk to Erik about the way I've acted, but I don't know how to without upsetting him."
Christine was visibly taken aback and was unsure of what Lucille was talking about. "What do you mean the way you've acted? The two of you have hardly spoken the past couple days, I don't see why you would need to apologize to him."
"I don't mean recently; I want to apologize for how I've treated him his entire life," she paused and looked at the ground, trying to compose herself. "I'm sure he's told you plenty of horrible things about the way I've been toward him, and I'm sorry you've had to hear that. When I see Erik with you, especially these past few days, I've been able to realize that he's no different than any other human. I need to tell him that."
Christine nodded, now understanding what Lucille was saying. She wasn't her favorite person, but Christine was able to accept and appreciate what Lucille was trying to do for her son. "Then let's go tell him. I'll go with you and move the conversation along if I need to, but this is about you two. I'm happy that you're doing this."
She gave Lucille a smile before standing up and gesturing her toward the door. They walked silently together toward the elevator, and remained so on the way up to Erik's room. When they knocked on his door, they were met with a very confused looking man.
"Christine, mother, what are you two doing here? Is everything alright?" He shot out quickly upon seeing them. His hand was on one side of the door frame and he moved it aside, indicating for them to come in.
Christine entered right away, but Lucille hesitated. While Christine assured her fiancé that nothing was wrong, Lucille was having doubts about confronting her son. When she looked up from the floor, she caught Erik and Christine smiling at each other, which was just the reminder she needed of the kind of person her son was.
She walked into her son's hotel room which was set up much like a studio apartment. It looked as if no one had even lived in it yet, although Erik had slept here the night before. There was a small kitchenette, a set of couches surrounding a television, and a king sized bed tucked away into the corner.
After mustering up the courage, Lucille cleared her throat and spoke up. "Erik, I'd like to talk to you about something."
Erik was still slightly puzzled, and he looked from his mother back to his fiancé, wondering whether or not Christine should leave. Christine gave him a small nod, telling him she knew what was going on. "Well, let's sit down then, shall we?" Erik offered as he gestured toward the comfortable looking couches.
Once they were all settled, Lucille knew what she needed to do. "I want to apologize to you, Erik, I truly am sorry and I hope you can kindly accept my apology. I've brought Christine with me for the moral support; you truly have found yourself a lovely woman."
Erik stared at his mother inquisitively. "I don't understand, you haven't done anything that you need to apologize for." He continued looking between his mother and Christine, waiting for some kind of explanation.
Christine stayed silent, wanting Lucille to give her full apology to Erik. She gave Lucille a small smile, and Erik's mother began speaking again, her voice quite small. "I have, Erik. I have been a terrible mother to you, and I think it's about time I apologize and make a change." Her voice was on the verge of cracking, and both Christine and Erik could sense her nervousness.
Meanwhile, Erik's stomach dropped down to his toes. He couldn't believe the words that had just came out of his mother's mouth. For one thing, she was never one to admit she was wrong, and she almost never apologized for anything. He was at a loss for words, and all he could do was stare back at her. He felt Christine's small hand wrap around his, and it was the only thing that was keeping him anchored in reality.
After she didn't receive a response, Lucille took a breath and continued. She was much surer of herself this time. "I've always strove for perfection, even when I was young. When I was pregnant with you I was sure you were going to be the perfect baby, but when you born I was shocked. When I look back at it now, I realize that there was nothing wrong with you; your face just didn't look like everyone else's and because of that I thought you weren't perfect." She paused, again waiting for a reaction she wasn't going to receive. Erik was too attentive to say anything.
"I'm ready to admit I didn't treat you right when you were younger, or for any other stage of your life. I should have supported you instead of shunned you, should have paid attention to your interests instead of brushed them off." She stopped again, wondering if she was prepared to say he next statement. "I should have loved you instead of pushed you away," she said quietly.
Erik's breath caught in his throat and he knew tears would be taunting his eyes soon. He gripped Christine's hand a little tighter, and she returned the gesture. He nodded at his mother, wanting her to continue.
Lucille thought this might have been enough, but she saw that her son wanted her to continue. "I wish I could have made this realization earlier in your life, and I'm sorry this has to happen right now. Seeing you with Christine these past couple days have made me realize that you're no different than any other man. You have an amazing life; a fiancé who loves you dearly, wonderful friends, an incredible career, and you've grown into a respectable gentleman. I- I'm proud of you." She looked up in time to see Erik blinking very hard and staring at the floor, probably trying to keep his cool. Christine was holding his hand and rubbing his with her free one, trying to calm him down. This gave Lucille even more confidence.
"I'm sorry, Erik. I wanted to tell you this now so you don't have anything to worry about tomorrow on your wedding day. Tomorrow is going to be the greatest day of your life and I would be honored if you would let me be an active part of it. If not, I understand. I'm sorry." She was about done, and she patiently waited for a response from her son.
Erik took several moments to compose himself. His mother had basically told him the things he had been longing to hear from her for his entire life. He looked to Christine for guidance and she smiled her encouragement at him; he would have been even more of a wreck if she wasn't with him.
Once he had composed himself and figured out a way to answer his mother's apology, he spoke up. "I appreciate that you were able to make yourself aware to how you've treated me. You're my mother, and it is not my place to be disrespectful to you, but I have to agree that you've treated me terribly. When I needed someone to be there for me, you weren't, and that was very hard. Luckily I've found someone to teach me how to love," He said as he placed his hand on Christine's knee; she looked up at him and smiled proudly.
"I accept your apology, and I too would like for you to be an integral part of our wedding tomorrow." He paused, wondering what else he should be saying. "Christine doesn't have anyone to walk her down the aisle, so I supposed you could, if that's alright with her."
He looked toward Christine who smiled happily. "That would be perfect. I like the idea."
Erik nodded. "Mother, I appreciate your apology. I-," he struggle with his next phrase, unsure that this situation was a reality. "I forgive you."
Lucille nodded. "Thank you," was all she said to her son before the room fell into silence once again.
Taking this as her cue, Christine stretched a bit. "I'm very glad the two of you could work everything out, it makes me very happy, but I'm about ready to call it a night."
Lucille took the hint a quickly got off the couch. "I'm glad too. Goodnight, you two. I'll see you both tomorrow." She went to get up but turned to say one last thing, "And, Christine, thank you," With that Lucille exited her son's room and left the future newlyweds alone.
Erik had gotten up to walk her to the door, and when it was closed he sunk to his knees. Christine rushed over to him and knelt beside him.
She picked his chin up with her hands and looked him in the eyes. "Erik, I'm very proud of you. You did a wonderful thing by forgiving your mother."
For once, Erik didn't cry. He was mostly in shock from what had just happened. He hung his head, not knowing what else to do, and didn't perk up again until Christine began rubbing his back.
"She came to me and asked me how she should go about apologizing to you. She was very nervous, I could tell she wanted to make this work," she told him.
Erik looked at her, surprised at her statement. "Well, thank you for encouraging her, which I'm sure is what you did."
Christine nodded and moved to get up off the floor, but Erik sprang up so he could help her up in time. She laughed at his gesture and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so excited to marry you tomorrow," she whispered as she leaned her head against his chest.
"And I'm excited to marry you," Erik whispered back to her before kissing the top of her head.
She couldn't bring herself to pull away from his embrace. "I wish I didn't have to go back to my room."
"Well," Erik interjected slyly, "You don't really have to."
Christine rolled her eyes even though she knew he couldn't see them. "I know, but I should."
He rested his head on top of hers and laughed. "Yes, you should, but tonight is the last night you'll ever find yourself sleeping alone. After tonight I will be next to you every time you close your eyes and every time you open them again."
Christine finally pulled away and smiled up at him. "I can't wait."
"Neither can I," Erik told her immediately.
They both hesitated before walking toward the door again. "Goodnight, my Christine."
Christine turned and stood on her toes to give Erik a kiss. "Goodnight, my Erik."
With that, Christine left her fiancé in his room, for the next time she saw him he would be her husband.
Christine's room was dark the next morning, but she was wide awake. She had tried to get as much sleep as she could, but she was far too excited about her wedding day to stay asleep for long. Knowing that a day full of getting ready was ahead of her, she stayed in bed and tried to relax. Her peace was interrupted when she heard something slide underneath the small gap of her hotel room door.
She jumped out of bed and hurried over to the door; when she looked down at the note in front of her feet, 'Open the door' was all it read. Christine flung the door open, without picking up the note, knowing that whoever it was from couldn't have gotten too far. She was wrong; the hallway was empty save for the single red rose and sealed envelope at the foot of her door. A smile appeared on her face when she realized who it was from.
Returning to her room with the rose in one hand and the envelope in the other, she sat down on her bed and eagerly opened the envelope. She was greeted with Erik's familiar handwriting.
"Miss Daae,
"Today is the day. I've been constantly imagining what you're going to look like when I see you today, but I know no thought will compare to the real thing. Thank you for saying yes; it all seems so surreal even though it's happening in a few hours. The hours are going to drag until then. Do me a favor and let those ladies pamper you because today is all about you, as every day should. I know all of my days are and will continue to be. I can't wait to marry you, my Christine.
"Our forever starts today."
The letter ended with Erik's signature. Christine clutched the letter to her chest and fell back onto the bed, her heart full of love and her stomach full of butterflies. She was feeling lucky to have a man who was still set on wooing her even though they were getting married.
There was a soft knock on her door, so she sat up and told whoever was on the other side to come in. Meg slowly opened her door and peered inside, looking pleased that Christine was already awake. She walked in and sat down next to Christine on her bed.
"Are you excited?" was the first thing Meg asked her when she sat down.
Christine chuckled and nodded slightly. "Of course I am."
Meg returned her smile. "Andrew has gone to wake Erik up so they can all go to the tailor to pick their suits up."
"Luckily for Andrew he's already awake," Christine said as she held up the note Erik had sent her moments earlier. Meg quickly snatched it out of her hand and read through it.
Her friend let out a squeal of delight when she was finished reading the note. "Christine, you're so lucky," Meg told her as she put the letter back into the envelope. "Now go get dressed. We're taking you out to breakfast before we go to the nail salon."
Christine laughed, shaking her head, as she got off the bed and walked into the bathroom to do as Meg had told her. The day was just starting, but the only thing Christine wanted was to be with Erik.
By the time the girls had arrived at the nail salon, Andrew found himself smushed in the backseat of a cab between Erik and Nadir as they traveled from the hotel to the tailor to pick up their suits. Erik was too lost in his thoughts, Nadir was glaring at the chaotic New York City traffic outside, and Andrew felt like his entire bone structure was going to collapse at any second. Although he was average sized, Erik and Nadir were much bigger than he was and took up a lot more room. The three of them stayed relatively silent for the majority of the ride.
When they arrived at the tailor, Nadir did most of the talking. They all received their suits and disappeared into their respective dressing rooms. Erik was the only one who would be wearing a tuxedo; he had a dark red bowtie to match the flowers. Nadir and Andrew had gotten black suits with powder blue vests and ties that were the same color as Erik's. Luckily all of their outfits fit perfectly, except Andrew's left shoe was the wrong size but that was easily fixed.
Erik paid for their rentals and they laid their bags down in the trunk of the waiting cab before piling in the back seat again.
The wedding was set to start at 4pm, and the ladies found themselves waiting for their 1pm hair and makeup appointments. The three of them got their makeup done together first, which took a short enough amount of time, and then Christine and Akira were the first two to get their hair done. Meg and Akira were getting simple up-do's, but Christine's process was going to take slightly longer. By the time Akira was finished and Meg had taken her place in the seat next to her, Christine's hair was only half done.
When it was finally finished, she was very satisfied with how it looked. She had a medium-sized braid wrapped around her head, and the rest of her hair fell in intricate curls down her back. The three of them spent a good amount of time admiring the hairstylists work in the mirror before paying and traveling back to the hotel to finish getting ready.
Meanwhile, Erik was wandering around the hotel unsure of what to do with himself before the wedding. It was still a few hours away and it would take him an hour at most to get ready. He tried going down to the hotel ballroom where the wedding would take place to see if everything was being set up properly, but of course it was. While he continued to walk around he found himself at the door of Nadir's room, so he decided to knock and see if he was up to anything.
When the door opened he was slightly surprised that it looked like no one was there, but it wasn't until he looked down that he noticed it was Cyra who had answered the door. Nadir was asleep on the bed, probably bored with whatever cartoon she had made him watch.
Erik laughed as he picked Cyra up and walked over to his sleeping friend. He carefully placed Cyra on his chest and waited for him to realize there was someone sitting on him. Nadir woke up, startled, and glared at Erik immediately.
"What are you doing here?" He asked him after placing Cyra next to him.
Erik sat down on the chair next to the bed and Cyra immediately jumped into his lap. "I'm not doing anything. I've been walking around for the last 45 minutes because I don't have anything to do."
Nadir smiled at him. "I see the nerves are getting the best of you."
"No, they're not," Erik scoffed. "I just – Just don't want to sit in my room for the next couple hours with nothing to do. I hate that feeling."
He could tell Erik was lying, but he didn't mind. "Well I'm going to go check on the ladies to see if they made it back from their appointments in one piece. Don't make too much of a mess, you two," Nadir warned them playfully as he got up and walked out of the door.
Cyra looked slightly uncomfortable in Erik's lap on the small chair. "Cyra, while your daddy's gone I think you should steal his spot."
She crawled out of Erik's lap and hoisted herself up onto the bed, laying where Nadir had just been. Erik chuckled at how small she looked. She patted the space next to him and he got up and sat down next to her, leaning against the headboard.
While Cyra's eyes were glued to the cartoon on the television, Erik quickly understood why Nadir had been asleep. He was starting to feel tired himself. By the time Nadir returned, Erik had slid his way down and was now lying with his hands behind his head. Nadir shook his head and took his spot back on the bed, moving Cyra so she was in between them.
"How were they?" Erik asked, trying not to sound too eager over getting an update on Christine.
"They said everything had gone smoothly, and they all looked lovely."
Erik turned to look at Nadir, rising his eyebrows and wordlessly asking for more details.
Nadir smirked at him. "I'm not giving you any more of an explanation; that is all you're getting out of me."
Erik huffed and turned his attention away back to the television. The two of them lay there silently while Cyra sang along with the show or talked excitedly about what was happening. After a while he could no longer pay attention, and he felt his eyes droop and close.
Upstairs, Christine's dress was hanging up in front of her window. There was about an hour to go until the wedding, and because she already had her hair and make-up done, there wasn't much left to do except wait. It was a sleeveless trumpet style dress, with an open back and a dipped neckline. The bottom layer was a solid white and the top layer had a see through lace pattern. The bridesmaids dresses were the same blue that the groomsmen had on their vests. The dresses fell straight to the floor and were strapless with a sweetheart neckline.
Christine felt the bed dip next to her and a hand fall gently on her shoulder. The light gesture had snapped her out of her haze, and she turned to see Akira smiling at her; Meg was in the bathroom, convinced that her hair was already getting messed up.
Akira turned to look at the dress that Christine had been starring at. "You're going to look gorgeous, dear. Erik is going to be even more awestruck around you than he normally is."
Christine relaxed as she laughed at the truth behind Akira's statement. "Thank you. I hope so"
"You have nothing to worry about," Akira told her. "You're not here for anyone except him, and I think he would still cry even if you showed up in a garbage bag."
Akira's statements had made her feel slightly better. She wasn't sure of what she was so nervous about, but she knew she couldn't wait to see her future husband. Just then a knock came at the door, and Christine got up to answer it. A breathless and frazzled looking Andrew was on the other side.
"Have either of you seen Nadir or Erik? I knocked on both of their doors with no answer, and neither of them are answering their cell phones," Andrew said immediately once Christine opened the door.
Akira stood up and walked toward the door, and Meg came out of the bathroom once she had heard her husband's voice. "Nadir was here a little while ago, but none of us have seen Erik," Meg answered him.
"Nadir and Cyra should be in our room," Akira offered. "I'm sure that's why he's not answering. Take the room key and then the two of you can find Erik."
Andrew laughed. "I'm not even the one getting married and these two are going to give me a heart attack. Thank you," and with that he left.
Christine's stomach lurched; where could Erik have gone? Hopefully he had fallen asleep or was wandering around trying to quench his boredom. She tried to not think of anything negative as she went back to sit on the bed again.
Andrew quickly walked downstairs, trying not to make a scene, and he swiftly swiped the key card and opened the door to Nadir's room. A sigh of relief swept over him as he found Erik and Nadir were both inside, and a sudden wave of laughter overcame him at what he saw. Erik and Nadir were both fast asleep with Cyra in between them. He quietly walked over to them and snapped a picture before deciding to wake them up.
They needed to be downstairs in twenty minutes, and seeing as none of them were dressed yet Andrew needed to figure out a way to wake them up. Realizing that touching either of them would result in his strangulation, he elected to turn the volume on the television up all the way. Erik was the first to open his eyes; he jolted upright and looked like he had forgotten where he was. Nadir woke up from Erik's sudden movements, and when he looked over to see the situation he had fallen asleep in he groaned and rolled his eyes.
Without saying anything, Erik looked at his watch and jumped off the bad and started to make a beeline for the door. Andrew stepped in front of him and placed his hands on Erik's shoulders to stop him; the impact pushed Andrew back slightly.
"I know, I know, it's fine. Give me your room key and I'll go get your things. I can take Cyra down to the girls and then I'll be back," Andrew offered in an attempt to calm Erik down. "Just relax for a second, okay? We won't be late."
Erik took a deep breath and nodded, pulling his room key out of his wallet and handing it to Andrew. "Hurry please."
Andrew rolled his eyes. "I'll be as fast as a snail," he said sarcastically, but realized the mistake of his statement when Erik glared at him, so he turned and left the room.
"Erik, ease up, it's going to be alright," Nadir suggested as Erik began to pace around the room. "The ceremony will be a breeze, I promise."
He continued to pace around the room and the second Andrew return he grabbed his bag, muttering a word of thanks before disappearing into the bathroom. Nadir raised his hand to Andrew, wordlessly telling him not to worry.
By the time Andrew and Nadir were both dressed and ready to go, Erik was still in the bathroom. All they could hear from inside the closed door was the sound of water running and Erik vigorously brushing his teeth
Nadir knocked on the door quietly. The water turned off and within a few seconds Erik opened the door. His clothes indicated that he was ready to go, but the light lines in his face were etched with nerves.
"You look great," Andrew offered optimistically from behind Nadir who nodded his head in agreement.
Nadir walked closer to Erik to get a better look, and couldn't help but straighten his friend's bowtie regardless of the fact that it was already perfectly straight. He was happy to see that Erik, his closest friend, was finally content with his life. "We should get downstairs," He told them. "And just remember, Erik, it's you and Christine up there. Try not to think of anything else."
Erik nodded and tried to take a few deep breaths. "Thank you," he said as he walked past both of them and to the door after taking one last look at himself in the mirror.
The three of them walked downstairs to the ballroom and took their respective places while they waited for the guests to arrive. When they did, Nadir and Andrew left Erik alone with the judge who would be officiating the ceremony so they could escort the guests to their seats. The judge tried to make light conversation, but Erik only offered him short answers as he watched the doors of the hall open and close, knowing that Christine was somewhere on the other side.
When Andrew and Nadir finished seating the guests, they returned to the doors of the hall and waited for the processional music to start. When it did, the doors opened and Akira was the first one to step out. She gave Nadir a wink as she took Andrew's arm and the two of them walked down the aisle toward Erik.
Once they had gotten into their places, the doors opened again and Meg took Nadir's arm and they walked down the aisle as well. When they reached the altar, Nadir gave Erik an approving nod and Erik returned his sentiment with a smile. He would see Christine soon, and he was becoming flooded with happiness.
Little Cyra was the next to walk down the aisle, sprinkling flower pedals on the floor along the way. When she got to the altar she still had one rose pedal left, with a thin stem still attached to it. She reached into the basket and offered the flower to Erik who took it in his hands and began to fiddle with it.
The processional music changed, and all of the guests stood and turned their attention toward the doors again. Erik took a deep breath, but just as he was about to exhale the doors opened and his breath got stuck in his throat. In fact, breathing was the last thing on his mind. Everything and everyone seemed to fall away as he finally saw his gorgeous bride on the other end of the room. The moment he saw her he felt tears rush to his eyes and his thin lips opened into a wide smile. He had forgotten where he was, even who he was, because all that mattered was Christine slowly walking toward him.
She was being accompanied by Lucille, but Erik didn't notice her either; just Christine. She was grinning at him the entire time, and when she got closer he could see that her lip was quivering slightly and tears were taunting to fall from her beautiful brown eyes. Erik wanted nothing more than to run toward her so he would be able to wipe the tears from her eyes and wrap her in a hug. The only thing keeping him from doing so was the fact that he felt like he had no control over any of his body parts; Christine had rendered him motionless.
When Christine and his mother reached the foot of the altar, Erik stepped down the single step to meet them. For the first time, Lucille gave her son a hug; it was short-lived and awkward, but it was still a hug, and it caused Erik's tears to well even more. Lucille then hugged Christine before taking her seat. Erik remembered the flower Cyra had given him, and he reached up to carefully twist it into Christine's hair just above her ear.
She was smiling radiantly at him and she let out a small giggle when he put the flower into her hair. She reached up briefly and wiped the tears from his eye; the ones from his right eye had already gotten his mask wet. He relaxed and felt his shoulders fall slightly when her hand touched his face. Christine took Erik's hand, shaking slightly from his nerves, and they walked up to face the officiant
As he started the ceremony, Christine made sure to pay attention to what he was saying; she wanted to remember as much of their wedding as she could. When she looked up at Erik he was staring, wide-eyed, at the judge, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. He noticed Christine's subtle movement and when he looked down to meet her eyes, a quiet chuckle escaped his lips but the happiness that it brought sent a visible jolt through his entire body. After a few short moments of smiling at each other, they turned their attention back to the judge.
Truth be told, Erik was having a hard time paying attention to what the judge was saying. He was too busy trying to mentally prepare himself for reciting his vows. They had decided to write their own and while Erik knew it wasn't much different than the romantic things he told Christine every day, he was worried they wouldn't be special enough. When the judge declared that it was time for the two of them to recite their vows, a wave of panic swept over Erik. His only relief was that Christine would be saying hers first.
Christine turned to face Erik, and he followed her gesture. Taking her hands in his made his heart beat even faster, and he could tell she could feel his pulse from the comforting look she gave him. It calmed him down slightly, and he nodded happily in her direction, encouraging her to start.
She took a deep breath and tried to remember how she wanted to start. She had written them down, knowing the thoughts would stick in her brain that way. If she couldn't do it by memory, Meg had a copy tucked into her bouquet.
"My dear Erik, you came into my life at a very interesting time," she began as she fondly recalled the memories. "And after that second day I thought I would never see you again, but I'm so thankful that I did. At first you opened your home to me, and I waited with great patience for you to open your heart to me. When you did, I was amazed at how beautiful it was. Learning the inner workings of your mind and your heart has been an incredible journey, and I cannot wait for it to continue. As it does, I promise to be patient, accepting, and loving with every new thing that I find. I promise to travel down every new road life throws at you. I promise to give you space when you ask for it, and encouragement when you need it. I promise to continue to open my heart to you, and to contribute to making a beautiful home for both of us. Above everything else, I promise to love you, no matter what, for the rest of my life."
When she had finished, Erik reluctantly pulled away one of his hands to wipe the tears from his eye. Christine became slightly teary eyed when he did this, so he quickly wrapped his hand back around hers, giving it a light squeeze before starting his own vows. "After all this time, I'm still trying to find the perfect words to use to describe how much I love you. When I first met you, there was something about you that struck me to my very core, and I still feel it every time I look at you. I didn't know it at the time, but now I know that that's what love feels like. Learning to love and be loved has been nothing short of enjoyable with you by my side. I promise to care for you and support you in everything you do. I promise to continue to teach you and be taught new things by you. I promise to be there every single time you fall asleep, and every single time you open your beautiful eyes, and, most of all, I promise to never stop showing you how much I love you."
Erik leaned forward slightly when he was done, wanting nothing more than to hold Christine in his arms. He resisted the urge to do so and instead held her hands tighter, causing her to smile. The judge announced that it was time for them to exchange rings, so Erik reluctantly let Christine's hands fall as he turned around to get the rings from Nadir.
As Christine repeated after the officiant, Erik didn't take his eyes off of her for one second. He paid close attention to the way her lips formed every word and the concentration in her eyes as she tried to not mess up what she was saying. She broke her eye contact with him for just a moment as she looked down to slide the silver wedding band onto his ring finger; when she looked back up she was smiling.
Erik carefully repeated after the officiant once it was his turn. He had the entire wedding ceremony memorized in order to compensate for his nervousness, so he didn't miss a beat. When he delicately slid Christine's wedding band onto her finger, he didn't even need to look down. He locked his eyes on hers and they both shared a smile.
A few moments later, when the judge had declared them husband and wife, Erik didn't take any time in being told he was allowed to kiss the bride. He took a small step forward, closing the gap between him and Christine, so he could place his hands around her waist. When he leaned his head down to meet hers, he could feel her lips forming a smile underneath his kiss causing him to smile as well. Not caring that there were so many people watching them, Erik kissed her again, this time lifting her off the ground slightly. She wrapped her hands around his neck and placed several kisses on his cheek until he put her back on the ground.
When they turned to face their guests, they were all clapping; Andrew and Meg were both cheering from their places on the altar. As they took their first few steps down the aisle as husband and wife, Erik couldn't help but notice his mother wiping a few tears from her eyes. If his heart wasn't already racing from having just married the love of his life, it surely would have been upon seeing that.
Erik wasn't one to take kindly to having all the attention on him, but he could not care less. He smiled at their guests as they traveled down the aisle without a care in the world. They finally reached the small room behind the doors of the hall and Erik eagerly pulled Christine back into his arms. She placed her hands onto his chest as they shared a short kiss before the rest of their wedding party entered the room. When their kiss ended Erik kept his forehead against hers, both smiling blissfully.
"My God, you look Beautiful, Mrs. Destler," he whispered to her quietly, keeping his head where it was.
Christine let out a small laugh and lifted her head up to place a kiss on his nose. "And you look handsome as ever, Mr. Destler."
Just as Erik was about to open his mouth again, he felt a few pairs of eyes watching him and Christine. When they finally pulled apart Nadir, Akira, Cyra, Meg, and Andrew were all standing there with huge smiles on their faces. Each of them took their time in congratulating the newlyweds as the rest of the wedding guests filtered into the small room. Both Erik and Christine were thankful that they hadn't invited many people to their wedding so that their receiving line would be relatively short.
When Erik's mother reached them, he was surprised that she gave him another hug. His adrenaline was still flowing rapidly, so he easily accepted it. Lucille's eyes were bright and it was clear that she had shed a few tears during the ceremony, but they had a look that Erik was unfamiliar with. It was sensitive and kind, which was something he thought he would never see from his mother.
"I'm very happy for you both," Lucille told them when she finished giving out hugs. Erik and Christine weren't hooked up to microphones for their vows, but Lucille was close enough to have been able to hear them. She was touched by the words that Erik had told Christine, and there was no denying she was moved by them. "You both looked radiant up there, and I'm very glad you let me be a part of it."
Erik nodded, unsure of how to accept his mother's gratitude, so Christine backed him up. "We're very happy, too. Thank you for being here." It was a simple answer, but the three of them understood the strength that it held.
Lucille went off to talk to Nadir, who was trying very hard to entertain his daughter. Christine and Erik talked to the rest of their guests who were filtering through the doors; Erik's coworkers, Christine's college friends, all people they had carefully selected so they would both be comfortable being themselves during the reception. Soon enough the guests had exited into the hallway to make their way to banquet hall of the hotel where the reception would be held.
When the guests had finally left, Christine and Erik followed their photographer outside to the hotel courtyard. It was a relatively bright February day, and although it was still quite chilly out it was bearable enough for a few photographs. They had hired a very calm photographer, who kept her distance away while the two of them explored the courtyard, stopping every once in a while for a kiss. Christine had started to get cold, so they began to make their way inside until Erik had an idea for one last picture. He told Christine and the photographer his idea, and they both very much liked it.
Erik walked over to Christine and made sure she was ready for him to pick her up. He picked her up just like he had the night of their first date, and held her in his arms. The photographer took a few shots of them, smiling and laughing at each other and then again at the camera. Erik very much couldn't wait to frame one of those pictures so he could place it next to the photograph of them from their first date.
The two of them walked back inside the warm hallway and made their way toward the banquet hall. Everyone had already been seated, and Christine and Erik could hear the DJ announce their entrance. They walked into the hall to the applause of their friends, but all Erik was focused on was the small hand that was wrapped around his and the woman it belonged to. They could have been walking into an empty room and he still would have felt the same pride in being able to call Christine his wife.
They went through the motions of a typical wedding reception: good food, speeches from their best friends, clinking glasses calling for the newlyweds to share a kiss, all occurring while Erik physically ached to be closer to Christine. He had moved his chair slightly closer to hers, and it took a few times for Christine to pick up on what he was doing. She moved her chair closer to his until the wooden edges were touching. Christine had rested her hand on Erik's knee while he happily wrapped an arm around her while Meg tearfully struggled through her speech.
Once the majority of the guests had finished their food, Erik was struck with the sudden realization that he'd have to spend the rest of the reception dancing. He was much more comfortable with this group of people than he was at Meg and Andrew's wedding, so he knew it wouldn't take as much coercing for him to enjoy himself.
Christine sprang up excitedly when it was announced that they would share their first dance. Erik laughed at his bride's enthusiasm and let her pull him through the tables and onto the dance floor. When the music started he swiftly pulled her into his arms and they swayed around the dance floor in perfect time. They didn't say much to each other save for a few sweet nothings in between some short, blissful kisses. The last few notes of the song rang through the hall and Erik dipped Christine very low to the ground and placed a much longer kiss to her waiting lips before pulling both of their bodies back up to normal height.
The pace of the music had picked up and some of the guests had made their way to the dance floor. Erik kept his hands around Christine's waist as they danced, unsure of what else he was supposed to do with them. As new songs came and went and more guests flooded the dance floor, Erik became more comfortable to let go of Christine and dance on his own. Soon enough he had danced with both Meg and Akira, but his second favorite dancing partner, behind Christine, was Cyra. He had to bend over considerably to be able to twirl her around or lift her off the floor, but the smiles and giggles that she was producing made it all worth it.
Erik and Christine spent the majority of the night dancing, taking breaks to catch their breath or have a quick drink. Erik had never felt so alive, and he was sure he had never had this much fun in his entire life; he never allowed himself to. Everything had been different since Christine came into his life. The walls he had built around himself had slowly tumbled to let her in, and he was glad she decided to stay. She accepted him for who he was, and he would be forever grateful.
The guests slowly began to leave for the night, whether they were taking a cab back to their own homes in the city or taking the elevator up to their rooms. Erik and Christine thanked all of them on their way out until the only ones left were the wedding party. Music was still playing, but the six of them stood in the middle of the room talking while Cyra began to fall asleep in Nadir's arms. Nadir and his family decided to leave first and they congratulated the newlyweds for what felt like the hundredth time before heading to their room. Meg and Andrew followed soon after, not wanting to invade on their friend's privacy.
After another kiss, Christine made a movement toward the door, but Erik stopped her by taking her hand. He backpedaled until the two of them were on the dance floor again as a slow song played in the background.
"Just one more dance," Erik told her quietly as they swayed along to the music. "Just you and I." While it was true that the guests had left, the room was quietly bustling with some of the hotel employees who were trying to get the place cleaned up. Neither of them cared.
Christine smiled and laid her head on Erik's shoulder as she started to feel the effects of an incredibly busy day. She closed her eyes and let Erik lead her around the dance floor while she listened to the low hum he was producing in his chest along with the music. "I've never felt more content than I do right now."
They had stopped dancing and were standing still in each other's arms. Erik rest his head on top of Christine's. "I feel the exact same way, darling."
They stayed standing like that for several moments until their silence was broken with a tired sounding yawn from Christine. Erik pulled away from her and lifted her chin with his finger so he could look into her eyes. A smile curled at the side of his mouth before he leaned in to kiss her once more. They pulled apart, both smiling and feeling tired.
Before Christine could move toward the door again, Erik swept her off of her feet and into her arms. She was taken slightly off guard but soon buried her head into his neck as they exited the banquet hall. He carried her all the way to the elevator, but once they were inside he refused to put her down.
"I can walk, you know," she told him as she kicked her feet slightly.
Erik shook his head and smiled at her. "Queens shouldn't have to walk."
Christine smiled back and accepted it, resting her head on Erik's shoulder as he walked down the hallway to his room which they could now share. He struggled trying to unlock the door with Christine in his arms, and they both laughed every time he missed the slot for the room key. Once Erik had crossed past the door and closed it, he set Christine down and made sure she was steady enough to stand. They both happily changed out of their wedding outfits and into comfortable clothes before placing their formal clothes in their respective bags.
While Christine disappeared into the bathroom, Erik slowly laid down on the bed. After a few moments of getting comfortable he finally began to feel drained as well. Christine came out of the bathroom and went to put her things into her overnight bag. She had on pajama pants and a tank top, and she had pulled her curls up into a disheveled bun. He still thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Christine," he called in a low voice to her to get her attention. She turned around right away to look at him; her eyes bright and a content look on her face. "I love you."
She smiled and crawled onto the bed and into his open arms, resting her head on his chest. His heart was strong and steady, although beating slightly faster than its usual pace. "Erik, I love you too."
Just as she said it, she heard Erik's heart rate increase inside his chest. He pulled her closer and she smiled while he placed a kiss to her forehead. The rest of their nights would be spent like this, and they wouldn't have had it any other way.
A/N Thank you all very much for the wonderful feedback and for sticking with this story for so long. Your feedback means the world to me. I'm sorry this chapter is so long, but I hope it was worth the wait. I'm afraid this is the last one. I'm working on an epilogue, which will be up in a couple days, and after that I'm starting a new fic so watch out for that one around December. Again, thank you all so much!
