Thirty-Six

Eponine

I wake earlier than Enjolras, presumably because I am excited, and I roll over to face him. He is so peaceful when he sleeps, all the worry lines gone from his face. I reach up and ghost my fingers over his jaw, bringing them up to twist one of his curls. Slowly, one of his blue eyes creaks open and he groans as the light hits his eyes. I pull myself up and kiss the tip of his nose.

"Morning sleepyhead," I smile.

"G'morning," he sighs, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulls me into his chest, "It's too early, Ep."

"We have a big day ahead."

"And what's that?" he mumbles into my neck.

I smack him playfully on the arm, "You know."

He pulls back and looks up at me, raising an eyebrow, "If you're talking about lunch, then I highly doubt that will take all day or that we need to be up this early."

I roll my eyes, "Oh, you're just being silly. You said you'd take me to the house today."

He smiles, "Oh yes! I did say that, didn't I."

He leans over and kisses me softly, trailing his lips down my jaw and landing on my neck.

"Gabriel!" I giggle.

I reach up and place my hands on either side of his neck as he rolls us over. He hovers above me, resting on his elbows and his blonde curls framing his face. I see his crystal eyes twinkle as he smiles mischievously at me.

"That house isn't going anywhere you know," he smirks, kissing my collarbone.

"I suppose you're right," I breathe, succumbing to his touch, wrapping my arms around his strong back.

In merely my robe, I sit on the edge of the bed facing the mirror, brushing out my hair. Enjolras returns from the washroom after freshening up, and I watch in the mirror as he pulls on his trousers. It is now pushing lunchtime. I stand and pull a simple shift-dress out of the armoire so that I don't have to wear a dreaded corset and discard my robe. I pull the garment over my head and begin the long row of buttons down my back when I feel my husband's gentle fingers cover my own.

"Let me," he says softly.

His fingers trail up my spine as he deftly fastens the buttons. He finishes and runs his hands down my arms as I turn to face him. I place a hand on his bare chest, and he brushes a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Thank you," I smile.

"I'm awfully hungry, so how about I make a quick lunch and then I'll give you the grand tour. I would say that we would go to a cafe but it is Christmas day, so I don't believe that many places will be open," he says.

"Sounds wonderful."

As I pin my hair up, Enjolras finishes dressing and disappears into the kitchen. When I come into the kitchen, he has prepared a small but nice lunch for us, cheese, bread, and wine. We enjoy it together before Enjolras notices that I can hardly contain my excitement to see the cottage. He laces up his boots, I slip on my leather soles, take his arm, and we are out of the door.

We walk on the main streets for a while, but as we approach the section of town where Luxembourg Gardens begins, we turn down a small residential street. It is quiet and sweet. As we approach a curve in the cobblestone street, Enjolras gestures to an iron gate, and I can see the top of a cottage peeking out from behind a couple of trees.

"Is that it?" I smile.

He nods and uses the key in his pocket to unlock the decorative iron gate. We step into the front yard and I nearly gasp at the beautiful, quaint cottage before me. It's stone walls are covered in beautiful green vines and moss, crawling up to the roof. It is framed with a wooden door, windows with pretty shutters, and a stone chimney stack.

"It so beautiful, Gabriel," I breathe, tears in my eyes.

We start to walk toward the door, but Enjolras places a hand on the small of my back and leads me to a brick pathway down the side of the house. As we round the corner, I see a very green garden with stone benches and a tree big enough to hang a rope swing from. It is like it is from a fairy-tale storybook.

From there he takes me into cottage and begins to show me around. There is a kitchen, much bigger than the one in the flat, a dining room, a living area with a nice fireplace, multiple washrooms, and a study big enough for Enjolras and I to share. He leads me down a small hallway and points to several doors. He swings one open and I stare into a blank room that looks like a bedroom.

"What's this room?" I ask.

He wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder, "These three rooms are the same. I thought they'd be perfect for our children."

My breath catches in my throat as his hand covers my stomach. My heart sinks in a way I cannot explain.

Somehow I manage to regain my voice, "You have decided that you do want children?"

I pray that he can't feel how hard my heart is slamming into my ribcage.

"With anyone else, no. But with you, Eponine, yes. I do want a family. I want to see a piece of you and a piece of me put together."

His words make tears sting my eyes. I can hear the joy in his voice, the hopefulness, and I can't bear to speak right not. I simply turn around and press my lips to his. He thinks the kiss is out of joy, which I can tell by the way he grips my waist, but only I know that the kiss is apologetic. When he finally break away, he stares down at me, his eyes shining.

"I've got a surprise for you," he whispers.

He takes my hand and pulls me down the hallway and into a much larger room with another fireplace. I notice a thick pallet of blankets and pillows on the middle of the room with a basket tucked away in the corner.

"This is our new bedroom. I thought you might like to spend the day and night here, so I arranged for bedding and dinner. Would you like that?"

I finally manage to swallow the lump in my throat and I smile at him, "Yes, that sounds lovely."

Slowly, he kisses me, intertwining our fingers.

"I'm so glad you like the house," he smiles.

"I do. I love it."

I pull him fiercely to me, wanting him to make me forget the sinking feeling in my stomach. I tangle my hands in his hair and encourage him further, losing myself with his every touch. He grabs my by the hips and picks me up, carrying me to the pallet. We take no time at all in burying ourselves in the multitude of blankets. He makes me forget.

Author's Note: Hello readers! I am so grateful for all the support I have gotten so far. I'm not sure how many chapters I have left to write, but I know I still have several major plot points I want to cover, so you shouldn't expect this story to disappear anytime soon. I do hope you'll continue to tell me how you feel about this story. I love your input because it helps me become a better writer. Thanks again! I really hope to update again soon, although college may get in the way of that. I hope not! See you soon.

~loislane16