Chapter 14 - Cecile and Dusty's Moment of Love

That evening in Tucson, our heroes and heroines were gathered at the inn, and had just finished dinner when Cecile had decided to take a little walk outside and look at the sunset. "I won't be gone too long," Cecile told her friends, "I just want to have a breath of fresh air."
"Okay," said Angel, "But watch out for robbers and criminals."
"Not to worry, I know what to do if any of those fools come along!" So the French woman went outside, but then Dusty decided to follow her. He didn't really want to confess love for her, but he wanted to tell her something.
A few minutes later, he saw Cecile sitting on a bench at the edge of town, looking up at the sky. Dusty cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, mademoiselle."
Cecile looked to her right and saw Dusty standing next to her. "Oh, monsieur Dusty," she said, "Why are you here?"
Dusty sighed and said, "I just wanted to apologize to you."
"Why? You have done nothing wrong – you even saved my life yesterday!"
"You see, I was kind of a jerk earlier," the man explained, "And I just want to apologize for acting kind of cold at you earlier." He remembered the day he and his friends met the girls, and how Cecile fell in love with him, but he wasn't showing any sign of interest in her.
"Oh, well, I accept your apology," said Cecile, "But I always thought you were a good man."
"You did?" Dusty asked with surprise. Then he smiled and said, "To be honest, I think you're really pretty, and extremely nice. I've been around a lot of women, but I think none of them come even close to what I think of you."
"Oh, merci beaucoup!" beamed the French woman. She then looked at Dusty as he held her hands and began to sing:

Look at the sky, and tell me, what do you see?
Just close your eyes and describe it to me.
The heavens are sparkling with starlight tonight.
That's what I see through your eyes.

Cecile closed her eyes and imagined a starry night, while in real life, the sky darkened and stars began to appear.

Cecile: I see the heavens each time that you smile,
I hear your heartbeat just go on for miles!
And suddenly I know why life is worthwhile,
That's what I see through your eyes.
Both: That's what I see through your eyes!

Dusty and Cecile held each other close and danced around a little bit as they sang together:

Here in the night, I see the sun,
Here in the dark, our two hearts are one!
It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun!
And love just took me by surprise,
Looking through your eyes.

A shooting star went through the sky while a crescent moon shone down upon the star-crossed lovers.

Both: I see a night I wish could last forever,
I see a world we're meant to see together!
And there is so much more than I remember,
Dusty: More than I remember!
Cecile: More than I have known!

Dusty and Cecile then turned around and looked towards the town before the former half decided to walk the latter back to the inn.

Both: Here in the night, I see the sun
Here in the dark, our two hearts are one!
It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun!
And love just took me by surprise,
Looking through your eyes.

As Dusty and Cecile walked back, Dusty asked, "Cecile, did you love any man back home in Canada?"
Cecile chuckled and said, "First of all, I am actually from France. Secondly, no, I hardly every socialized with any men, because I lived in the French countryside until I was a preteen."
Dusty gave a look of surprise and said, "French countryside, huh? I thought you were from Paris."
Cecile sighed sadly and said, "That is what most people think of when France comes to their mind. All my life, I wished to go to Paris, especially the Moulin Rouge. But my father never cared for urban life."

Flashback: French Countryside, 1890
Cecile was a preteen girl growing up on a farm in rural France. Her parents were Marcel and Genevieve, and they loved her very much, even though Marcel was sometimes strict. On this day, the family was preparing to leave France for America. "Oh, Papa," pleaded Cecile, "Couldn't we just move to Paris instead?"
Marcel scoffed and said, "No! Paris is full of many street urchins at night, not to mention the promiscuous Moulin Rouge! No daughter of mine will be involved in city life, whether she likes it or not."
"Besides," added Genevieve with a smile, "We will be starting a new life in America. Money is tight right now, and we need enough to provide food, clothing, and a better roof over our heads!"
Cecile just sighed and finished loading the family cart full of suitcases and prized possessions to take on the long journey.

Three and half years later, Cecile and her family had finally settled in Indiana after travelling by boat, train, and motorcar. Like most teenagers who were immigrants from this era, Cecile was frightened, confused, and anxious about her new lifestyle. While her parents immediately picked up on American farming, Cecile hungered for urban life even more as she drew herself further away from her mother and father. One day, things went a bit too far. Cecile accidentally spilled the beans about longing to live in a faraway city, and her parents became infuriated. "WHAT?" shouted Marcel, "Why, Cecile?"
"You know your father wants you to continue our rural family traditions," added Genevieve, "You can't just break away from this family right now – you're only a child!"
"I may be young, but that doesn't mean I can't make my own decisions, too!" Cecile snapped angrily.
"Young lady," said her father, "You will stay in this house and all its acres around it to help us with farming! We just want some extra help, because harvesting food and taking care of livestock is harder than it looks!"
"I know!" said Cecile, "But if I go to the city, I can get a job, and…"
"Not another word about cities!" shouted Marcel. And he sent his daughter to his room so she could think about her actions.

Later that night, Cecile waited until her parents were both asleep, and then opened her bedroom window. The rebellious teen had made a rope out of bedsheets, and placed it out the window to serve as a means of safe exiting. Cecile wrote a note on a piece of paper that said:
Mama and Papa,
Although I love you, I must follow my dreams and live somewhere urban in California. I will become the showgirl I always wanted to be, and you cannot stop me! If you ever do, I will never speak to you two ever again.
Cecile
The French girl then went out the window, down the "rope," and off into the darkness until she climbed into a westbound train's boxcar.
End of Flashback

"I travelled for many weeks until I came to Sacramento, and I made my way to a women's living facility, where I later met Angel and Kitty," Cecile finished, "And one day, we all became showgirls!"
Dusty gave her a look of worry and said, "Didn't you think your parents would get worried?" he asked.
"I left them a note," said Cecile, "And I lost touch with them after that, because I was so angry with them."
"I don't wanna upset you, but maybe someday you should track them down and apologize to them," said Dusty.
Cecile didn't say anything as they went into the inn's main entryway. Instead, she thought long and hard about Dusty's advice.

Author's Note: The song "Looking Through Your Eyes" is from the movie Quest for Camelot. ((c) Warner Bros.)