There it is, the last chapter, an epilogue of sorts. Thank you all for reading this story, for leaving me wonderful reviews, for favoriting this one, and thank you to my new readers for also checking out my previous stories. Your support means the world to me! I hope you will all check out my new story as well. It is called "Love That You'll Regret" and the first installments are already up.
Anyway, I still don't own anything or anybody. What else is new?
Chapter 27 – Happiness
Nobody danced much that night at the Conte Pernettoni's summer ball. Everybody was far too excited about that long-awaited engagement between the architect and the diva. Everybody wanted to congratulate the young couple and to see for themselves how much in love they were.
The next day, telegrams went out to both, Meg and Angela, telling them the news. Ten days later, Giovanni hosted a reception at his house to celebrate his son's engagement. All their friends and business partners were there.
Angela and her family had come to Rome for this occasion. Her children learned only now that the young diva that they had met at their grandfather's house last Easter was to become zio Erik's wife and thus their new aunt. Christine with her twenty-two years of age was only a few years older than her new nephews. The boys therefore had secret crushes on her and were very impressed with their uncle's bride. They both agreed, though, that it was only natural, that their uncle would marry the prettiest, nicest and most talented girl. "Zio Erik has found the right woman, she is just as special as he is," they said to each other. And their younger sister Assunta was totally in awe with her new aunt and told everybody that once she'd be grown up she'd want to become a famous singer too and marry a gentleman as nice as her uncle.
Meg had arrived in Rome the day before the reception. She was almost certain that she would want to stay in Rome with her mother and Christine. She was very curious about Erik, too. She had never met him in person, had only heard the rumors about the Opera Ghost and of course she had been there the night of "Don Juan Triumphant" when Christine had unmasked him in front of the audience. She remembered him as revoltingly ugly and had never quite understood how Christine could love him, especially since he had committed criminal acts as well, but when she was finally officially introduced, and could see for herself how much in love he was with Christine, she knew that her friend had made the right decision.
The engagement party was a wonderful event in more ways than one. Christine introduced Meg to the manager of the Opera, who immediately promised to let Meg audition for a position in his Corps de Ballet. Meg also met Mattia Caprotti, the son of Giovanni's competitor and good friend Luigi. The Caprottis were the company Erik and Giovanni always recommended when they were too busy to take on any new assignments.
Angela and Mme. Giry had a long conversation at that party as well. They were almost the same age and got along very well. By the end of the evening they had become great friends, each of them thinking of the other one as "Erik's other sister".
Raoul had not stayed in Rome for this reception, he had been in a hurry to return home and tell his baroness that he had made his peace with Christine. He promised to be back for the wedding, though. "Who else would give you away?" he had asked Christine with a smile.
Xxxx
Four weeks later, the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle was more crowded than it normally was even at Easter or Christmas. Every single seat was occupied and people were standing in the back to watch the wedding between Erik Nardini and the young diva.
Everybody agreed that the bride looked fabulous in her simple white dress, and all were deeply touched by the obvious love between the bride and groom. Barely one noticed the brief look of pain in the eyes of the French nobleman who gave the bride away. It had only been a second, then Raoul looked over to Marie-Claire de Merycourt, who was one of the two bridesmaids, Meg being the other one.
One last time Raoul's heart ached at the loss of Christine, then he looked over at his little baroness, whose love was slowly healing the wound of his heart.
Christine and Erik looked at each other while saying their vows. They did not need to hear the priest proclaim them husband and wife till death would part them. They already knew that they belonged together for all eternity. Their hands reached for each other, their fingers entwining, when the priest told Erik to kiss the bride. Their eyes met and slowly, reverently, Erik kissed Christine, who was now finally his wife.
Xxxx
Towards the end of the wedding reception the unmarried girls among the guests lined up and Christine threw her bridal bouquet. Two hands reached up simultaneously and the two bridesmaids held on to the flowers together. Both blushed deeply.
Roman gossip mongers nodded. They had observed that the gentleman who had given the bride away had looked gooey-eyed at one of the bridesmaids, and the other one, the new ballerina at the Opera… well, it was obvious that after Nardini, Caprotti, too, would be marrying an opera-girl.
Xxxx
When the last guest had finally left, Erik and Christine were alone at last. They had decided to spend their first night as a married couple at home and leave for Tuscany together the next morning on a short honeymoon.
The moment the door of their bedroom had closed behind them, they fell into each other's arms and their lips found each other. Their tongues met, and for a moment they just savored the feeling that they finally could be together. Then, slowly, hands and lips started exploring, and one by one items of clothing got discarded, the first thing to go being Erik's mask.
Skin met skin and desire built in both of them, until their bodies finally joined, celebrating their love. Afterwards they just held each other and smiled. "Did I hurt you?" Erik asked his wife. He had noticed the brief moment of pain when he had penetrated Christine's virginal body. Christine shook her head. "Not really, my Angel," she said. "It was more an adjustment to something new. But what we just did…" she smiled at him. "It was wonderful." Christine gently caressed Erik's deformed cheek, before their lips joined yet again.
Xxxx
Roughly nine months later, Giovanni's home was once again buzzing with activity. Christine was about to give birth to her first child. Erik had been shocked when he had learned about her pregnancy, fearing that the baby might inherit his deformity, but Christine had convinced him that even if that were the case it would not matter. Erik was loved despite his face, not just by her, but also by his adoptive family and his surrogate sister Mme. Giry, and there was no reason to think that the baby would be loved any less in case he or she looked like their father. Erik had finally accepted this, but now that Christine was starting to have contractions he was utterly nervous again. The baby's face was the least of his concerns at the moment. He just hoped that everything would go well and Christine get through it all unharmed, and hopefully the baby as well.
Mme. Giry had come immediately when she learned that the baby was about to arrive, followed shortly by the midwife. Erik was sitting at Christine's bedside, holding her hand and whispering words of love to her, trying to help her through this ordeal as best he could. The midwife would have wanted to get him out of the room. Helping a child into the world was hard work and the last thing she needed was a husband who fainted halfway through the procedure. Christine held Erik's hand in a vice-like grip, though, and begged that he could stay. She needed him with her in order to be strong, she told the midwife.
The latter shrugged. She just hoped the father-to-be would not be in the way. Erik surprised her in a positive way, though. His presence had a calming influence on the young woman, it seemed almost as if by holding her hand he absorbed some of her pain and thus made the contractions easier on her.
"Now push," the midwife told Christine. "I can see the baby's head. It's almost there." Christine smiled at Erik, then pushed with all her might. "Again," the midwife told her, and while the next contraction tore through her body, Christine pushed once again. When she sank exhausted into the pillows, she heard her baby's first cries. She turned her head slightly, to face Erik and whispered happily, "we have a child."
Mme. Giry, who had helped the midwife, cleaned up the baby while the midwife took care of the afterbirth and cleaned up Christine. Then Mme. Giry placed the tiny bundle into Christine's arms. "You have a beautiful son," she said.
Erik and Christine both stared in wonder at the wrinkled red head of their son, the child that their love had created. It was too soon to tell who he resembled, but Christine was fairly convinced that he had Erik's eyes and her father's chin. "He is perfect," she sighed happily. "Oh Erik, we have the most adorable little baby!"
Erik, too, was convinced that theirs was the cutest little infant he had ever seen. After a while Christine remembered Giovanni. "Where is our father?" she asked. "Angel, please call him in so that he can meet his new grandson!"
Erik nodded and went to the living room where Giovanni was anxiously awaiting news. The moment Erik entered, Giovanni knew that everything had gone well. Erik looked so happy in his fatherly pride. "How is Christine?" Giovanni asked, when Erik hugged him. "She is fine, padre," Erik sighed relieved. "The midwife thinks she will be up in a few days. And our little son is adorable. Christine is waiting for you, come and meet your grandson!"
Together father and son returned to the bedroom, where they found Christine with her infant son. "Padre," she said to Giovanni, "look at our little treasure. Isn't he the cutest?"
Giovanni approached the bed and smiled at his latest grandchild. "He is amazing," he agreed. "Have the two of you thought about a name yet?"
Erik and Christine looked at each other, then Christine faced her father-in-law and said, "we have been thinking of calling him Giovanni."
