Chapter Thirty-Four
"What is it?" asked Étienne.
Alison and Erik looked at each other, trying to think of what to say.
Alison took a deep breath and leaned forward so that she was on Étienne's level. "Étienne, remember all the stories I told you about your daddy?"
Étienne looked up at her. "You said he was musical and smart and kind and you said he was like an angel to people."
Alison shifted and went a little red, trying to hide her face from Erik. A small, loving smile lifted Erik's lips.
"Yes, darling, those stories. Do you remember what I told you his name was?"
"Erik." Étienne's answer was quick. Even Alison didn't know that he dreamed about his father. Ever since Alison had said he was like an angel, Étienne's two-year-old mind had imagined him as one, with white wings protecting him from his nightmares.
Alison nodded. "Then I would like you to meet someone very special." She had no reason to hesitate, so she figured she might as well tell him the truth quickly. "Étienne, this is Erik, your daddy."
Étienne stared at him for a moment. He didn't seem to understand. "But Mommy, you said he wasn't coming back."
"Yes, well, I thought that was true, but it isn't. He's a magic daddy and he–" She stopped when she saw he wasn't paying attention. He was just staring at Erik.
Étienne jumped down from the couch in front of Erik, reaching up to be held. Alison's eyebrows went up. "He never does that," she whispered. "He doesn't seem to like new people."
Erik picked Étienne up and sat him on his lap, awkwardly. He wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands or if he should say anything. He looked painfully self-conscious as Étienne stared at him solemnly.
His awkwardness turned to horror as Étienne grabbed at the mask, making it fall of his face and onto the floor with a soft thud.
He wanted to turn away, cover his face, do something, but any movement on his part would make Étienne fall and he knew he couldn't do that. So he faced Étienne and tried his hardest not to show the outright fear in his eyes.
Étienne reached out a hand and Erik did his best not to flinch as the little boy touched his face, running his hand along the pits and craters with interest.
With no warning at all, Étienne jumped off his lap and toddled away to examine something else in the room.
"He's got a short attention span," Alison told Erik, who was still looking shell-shocked. "He moves on to the next new thing pretty quickly. It's interesting: he talks like he's older but acts his age. He's got a combination of your genius and my…normalness, if that's even a word."
They both turned to watch Étienne playing. After a moment, Alison got up and joined him, trying to interest him in one or other of the toys. They stayed like that for half an hour, Alison playing with Étienne and Erik watching, face exposed. Warmth stirred in his chest, a strange, tingly feeling he had never experienced before.
So this is what it means to have a family.
Soon enough, Étienne began to yawn. Alison looked up at the clock. "Wow, it's 8:00 already. He should be getting to bed." She took the toy from Étienne's hands after a momentary struggle: he didn't seem to want to let go. "Up you get." She picked him up, holding him on her hip as she carried him to his room, which was across the hall from hers. Erik picked up his mask, fitting it to his face, and followed, not really knowing what to do.
At the door to Étienne's room, she turned to look at Erik and smiled. "You don't have to stay for this. I'll just put him to bed and meet you in a minute?"
He nodded and turned to go into her room when Étienne said, "Goodnight, Daddy." He stopped and turned back to his son. "Goodnight, Étienne." His voice was quiet and warm. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Erik turned again and fled into Alison's room, overwhelmed by the surge of emotion that had swept through him when Étienne called him Daddy.
Alison looked after him for a second, smiling, then turned to Étienne and bounced him on her hip. "Shall we?"
She managed to get his pajamas on, his teeth brushed, and him tucked into bed without too much of his normal fuss. She sat beside him on the bed, stroking his hair. Dropping a kiss on his forehead, she had started getting up to go when he grabbed her hand. "Mommy, could you sing the song?" he asked plaintively.
She smiled and sat back down. "Of course, darling."
"Love's a curious thing
It often comes disguised
Look at love the wrong way
It goes un-recognized
So look with your heart
And not with your eyes
The heart understands
The heart never lies
Believe what it feels
And trust what it shows
Look with your heart
The heart always knows"
Her voice drifted through the walls to Erik, who closed his eyes and let Alison's long-missed voice wash over him. She wasn't self-conscious or nervous, and he loved the way it sounded, even though it was untrained. At first he just reveled in the sound of her voice, then he began listening to the lyrics.
"Love is not always beautiful
Not at the start
So open your arms
And close your eyes tight
Look with your heart
And when it finds love
Your heart will be right
Learn from someone who knows
Make sure you don't forget
Love you misunderstand
Is love that you'll regret
So look with your heart
And not with your eyes
The heart can't be fooled
The heart is too wise
Forget what you think
Ignore what you hear
Look with your heart
It always sees clear
Love is not always beautiful
Not at the start
But open your arms
And close your eyes tight
Look with your heart
And when it finds love
Your heart will be right"
Alison stroked Étienne's face, smiling. At the end of the song, he was already asleep. "That song is about your daddy, Étienne," she whispered. "He needs people to love him, who can look past his face. You can look with your heart too, I bet." She kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, darling." Then she left the room, closing the door behind her.
She slipped into her own room, trying not to wake Étienne. She closed her door and turned to face Erik, who was staring at her with the strangest look in his eyes.
"What?" she asked, suddenly nervous. "Did it sound bad? Did I do something wrong?"
He crossed the room until he was standing just in front of her. "No," he said softly. "You did everything right." He cupped her chin and kissed her passionately, whispering "Thank you" over and over and over again against her lips.
After they broke away, Erik whispered, "You've given me everything I've ever wanted, Angelique. I never thought that someone could love me as much as you do and I never thought I would have a child. Never thought that anyone could call me Daddy. Thank you for teaching our child that love is more important than looks. My mother never did." His voice was bitter for a second, and Alison reached up to touch his face gently. His eyes cleared at the sensation and he looked at her, trying to put everything he felt into his eyes and words. "Thank you for making me feel like a normal man."
Thank you all so much for your suggestions about two-year-olds, they were all really helpful! Hope I've made him as much like a two-year-old as I can. And this is another short one, but I hope I've gotten the point across. Please review!