I scribbled in my journal as I sat back in bed, shaking out my hand occasionally as my hand cramped. Alice had been in to see me a few times, but other than Erik, I had few visitors. Most of the cast had lost their respect for me since I fell pregnant. I didn't really care though. I would be out of the job in a few months anyway, and I won't have to worry about any of them. However, the newspapers heard about my accident, and after asking around it didn't take long for the press to learn about my condition. All they needed was the knowledge that I was unmarried and they ran with the story. Velluae wasn't happy. He said he was bringing in my replacement in a few days.
There was a soft tap on the door and I looked up.
"Door's open." I said. Erik hadn't let me move from my bed since the incident.
I blinked as the door opened and a man stepped it. He had blonde hair and soft blue eyes, and although his clothes were finely made, they were modest in nature.
"Raoul." I said, slightly dazed. "What are you doing here?
"It really is you." He said, looking surprised himself. "I… Christine, my wife, she used to sing here, but…" He shook his head. "What happened to you?"
"A lot of things happened to me, Raoul." I muttered, using my blanket to hide my condition, though he most likely already knew.
"I'm sorry, Alanna, for what Philippe did to you." Raoul said. "I never had the chance to say that before you left,"
"It wasn't your fault." I insisted. "It's alright.

Raoul sighed and glanced at me.

"Is it true what they are saying about you?" Raoul said, pulling to stool from my vanity and taking a seat beside my bed.

"What are they saying? I don't participate in ballerina gossip." I murmured, running my hand over my braid.

Raoul blushed. I knew what he had heard. I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. Would this ever end?

"Yes, Raoul," I murmured.

"Are you married?" He asked quietly.

"I'm engaged." I said. "I found out after he proposed."

"H-"

"Five months." I responded automatically.

"Oh," he rubbed the back of his head.

"How's Gustav?" I asked.

"He's fine. He's growing up so fast. Such a smart kid too. Showing an affinity for horses, as well." He said, smiling.

"And Christine?"

"She's... She's Christine." He murmured. "She doesn't tell me anything anymore." Raoul sighed. "Who is your fiancé? When can I meet him?"

I hesitated. "He keeps to himself mostly, doesn't like being around people." I scratched my head. "So Christine is my replacement?"

"Yeah. I convinced her to take a few seasons off so she could spend some time with Gustav and I," he explained. He stood. "It's been wonderful seeing you again, Alanna, but I must speak with the manager,"

"You too," I smiled.

I returned to my scribbling as Raoul left. I jumped as Erik appeared.

"You never told me," he said. "That you knew Raoul De Chagny."

"I said I was engaged to his brother, didn't I?"

Erik's face went blank. "No. You didn't."

"Oh." I murmured. "Why does it-" I blinked. "Christine. She was the one involved in the Opera Ghost incident, wasn't she?"

Erik nodded bitterly.

"Look, I don't like talking about the past," I folded my arms.

"I didn't realize how much I don't know about you," Erik said, taking the seat Raoul had vacated. He took my hand, running his thumb over the tendons in the back of my hand. "Like your mother and your sister, and now... I want to know you, Alanna."

"I..." I sighed. "Fine. When I was young, my mother left my father, taking my sister with her. She cheated on my father with a rich banker, you see. My father was a cellist and my mother didn't want to... He didn't make enough money for her to be comfortable. He worked a lot of freelance jobs and even played on street corners. My mother couldn't handle it and ran off to Paris to become a mistress to the banker. Well, shortly after, my father got a gig with an orchestra and began making steady money. His hard work paid off. Then, when I was 20 I met a boy named Philippe De Chagny. Raoul was like a brother to me, and Philippe and I courted for two years. Just before the wedding, however...my father fell ill. I think they must have written a newspaper article about it or something because a few weeks later my sister showed up. It turned out that she only wanted to squeeze money out if my father, since he was dying. I know now that it was my mother who put her up to it. The banker died, and instead of willing the money to my mother, he gave all of his money to his first wife." I sighed. I was trying to keep the story as simple as possible. It hurt divulging it to Erik. "We kicked my sister out... And then my father died a few months later. The grief was horrible. Philippe left me because of it." I folded my arms. "That was three years ago, though, I'm-" Erik kissed me, cutting me off as he leaned over my bed. He pulled away after a few brief seconds of bliss. I missed kissing him.

"I love you," he breathed.

"I love you too." I pulled him close to me, clinging to him.