I toweled my hair and wrapped a robe around my body gently. I fell back onto my bed, covering my face with my arms. I didn't know what to do. My mother. Erik. The possibility of losing my job, should anyone find out about my pregnancy? I couldn't deal with this. It was too much.

I drummed my fingers on my bloated abdomen, muttering to myself.

"You aren't even a person yet, and you're already causing so much trouble."

Of course, I was the one talking to someone who couldn't hear me. I hadn't allowed myself to slow down and think about what I was going to do with my baby. I didn't have any plans, no ideas for the future. It all banked on whether or not Erik became a part of my life. And that was up to me.

On one hand, if Erik became my husband, we could live in my father's house in Italy. Right now it was just collecting dust. It would be a good size for a budding family.

On the other hand, if it would just be me and the baby, I wouldn't want to live in my father's house. It would be too big, and it would be too easy for Erik to find me there. It would be best to move somewhere smaller. Maybe a cottage on the country side. But would I be able to sell my father's house then find a good suitable home before the baby was born? So many questions I didn't have the answer to.

What about the little things? What would be the baby's name? Would the baby be male or female? What would I tell my child if their father wasn't around?

I didn't want to think about it. I pulled the towel from my hair and sat at my vanity as I ran a brush through my hair. Maybe tomorrow I would get a real ride in. One without my mother around. I wish she hadn't decided to take up residence in Paris, but I had also thought that life here would be simple and fun... Boy was I wrong. On both counts.

()

"Sorry, I just need to sit down for a second," I murmured, pressing a hand to my back as I sat atop a crate. Alice glanced at me from where she stood at the costume rack. We were in her apartments, and in the absence of our seamstresses for the holidays, Velluae had asked Alice to make repairs.

"You okay?" She asked, pulling down a particularly feathery cloak that needed to be re-hemmed.

"I'm fine." I murmured, putting my hands on my knees. The crate I had inhabited held some of the more delicate pieces of costumery, like masks or head dresses.

We both jumped as someone pounded on the door.

"It's open," Alice muttered, looking slightly ruffled as she set her cloak on the workbench.

Velluae didn't hesitate before bursting in.

"What is this," he said, huffing a puffing with apparent anger, "about you being pregnant?"

Alice froze, moving her eyes to look at me.

"Who told you?" I said warily.

"Someone called Agatha. She wanted to make sure I wasn't working you too hard," his mustaches bristled with anger. "Jesus, so it's true?"

My fucking mother.

"What the hell do you think?" I snapped, not in the mood to deal with the manager.

"I think you need to meet me in my office in twenty minutes so we may discuss your... The problem you've caused the opera house." He left as quickly as he had appeared.

"Shit," I muttered, putting my face in my hands.

Alice couldn't contain herself any longer. "You're pregnant?!"

"Yes, Alice." I said wearily. "Four months, before you ask."

"Mary, Jesus, and Joseph." She breathed. "...it's his, isn't it? The one who..."

"Yeah." I muttered, touching my eye absentmindedly. "And... I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"I can't believe you're having a baby," Alice murmured.

"Neither can I." I said. "And if Velluae fires me, that'll be it."