Hello everyone and welcome back. Thank you for your reviews and for everyone who is loyally reading this story. Your support means the word to me. I'm happy to be publishing this chapter much sooner than the last one. I always mean to do weekly updates and I'm happy to be able do that this time. Now, on with the story.
It was December and Christine's concert was in less than a month. Both lessons with Erik and chorus practice seemed more tense and focused to Christine.
The actual chorus was really shaping up to sound good. The group's sound was harmonious and all the songs they used to struggle with came easily to them. The only part Christine was unsure about was how she would fit it. She had attended concerts for this chorus and she knew they were good. If anything went wrong, it would be easy to know who to blame.
Lessons with Erik became even more important to Christine, if that was possible. Not only did she need his expertise, but he also had the unique ability to both improve her skill and make her feel like she would do perfectly. Despite Meg's, Judie's, Cecilia's, and Raoul's assurances, she trusted Erik's opinion more, and his faith in her made her have faith in herself.
Christine pulled her coat on and began buttoning it up "So, I'm leaving next Friday, the 22nd, to spend Christmas with Meg and her family, so does Thursday work for lessons?" she asked "I want to practice with you one more time before I go off by myself. Plus when I get back we'll only have a couple of days until the concert"
Erik didn't hesitate before agreeing. He would see her everyday if he could. "Of course, and don't worry. You are a strong enough singer to do well practicing on your own. Just don't get in your head"
Christine smiled at him "Thank you" she said, draping her scarf casually over her shoulder before tucking it under her hair "You're an amazing friend. I don't know what I would do without you" she wrapped her arms around him for a quick hug before heading out into the cold. Erik stood at the window, watching her walk away.
The shops were bustling with people, all busy buying presents for their loved ones and friends. Christine was in the middle of this all. She needed to find a good gift for Raoul, they had agreed to exchange gifts tomorrow and she hadn't gotten anything for him yet. As she browsed through the men's section of the store, looking for something for Raoul a sweater caught her eye and she thought of Erik. She was planning on getting him something, but she hadn't known what. He could be closed off and she didn't know what he would like. It was a nice sweater, forest green. It had some color, but not too much . He usually just wore black, but Christine thought this would look good on him. Plus it went with his eyes. She grabbed the sweater and put it in her cart
After getting the sweater for Erik, Christine ended up at the wallets. She found a nice one and got it for Raoul. He had been saying that his wallet was getting old, so she thought he would like it. She checked out with the two items in her cart, satisfied with her choices.
When Christine got home she laid out all her gifts to wrap. She had already purchased Meg's and Aunt Giry's gifts. She wrapped her presents neatly and labeled them so she would remember which was which.
The next day Christine headed over to Raoul's apartment to exchange gifts. His place was considerably nicer than hers, a fact that Christine tried not to let make her insecure. Raoul greeted her at the door with a kiss on the lips that quickly deepened and turned into more. After a minute of this Christine pushed him away before it could get too heated, Raoul had hinted at "taking their relationship to the next level", as he put it. But Christine just wasn't ready for that yet.
"Merry Christmas, well early Christmas" she said, taking her scarf and coat off.
Raoul smiled at her and took her coat "Merry Christmas to you too, it sucks that we won't be able to see each other on the actual day, but this is a good substitute". Raoul was visiting his family for Christmas .
They moved to sit on the couch to exchange gifts. Christine handed him her gift first "I know it's not fancy, but you said you wanted a new one and I thought you would like this one" she explained as he opened it.
He smiled when he saw it and gave her a quick hug "Its great, I love it. Thank you Christine"
She smiled back at him "I'm glad you like it". Then, he handed her her present. It was a thin black box. Christine opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace with a diamond pendant "Oh, wow, it's beautiful Raoul. You shouldn't have"
"Nonsense" Raoul dismissed, pick the necklace and unclasping it "You deserve the best, now turn around, I want to see it on you". Christine obeyed and lifted her hair off of her neck. After he clasped the necklace on her neck she turned around. Raoul grinned at her "Now, you look even more beautiful
"Thank you so much" Christine said.
"Now, do you have time for a movie? Because I say we watch A Wonderful Life, you do still love that movie right?" Raoul suggested
Christine laughed at his spirit, she didn't always see this side of him "That sounds wonderful" she said leaning against him and cuddling under a blanket.
Erik had debated for a long time before getting Christine a Christmas present. He never usually celebrated the holiday, but he was aware that it was coming up. One on hand, he loved Christine and he wanted to make her happy. But would she be happy receiving a gift from him? Especially when she already had a boyfriend, as much as he loathed that fact. In the end, he couldn't not get her a gift, and browsed the internet for hours before finding the perfect gift and ordering it. It was a bracelet with "Where words fail, music speaks" engraved in it. He was sure she would love it. I had wrapped it carefully and was now turning the package around in his hands, waiting for Christine to arrive for lessons.
The doorbell rang and Erik promptly got up, placed the gift in his pocket, and let Christine it. She was as beautiful as ever and the cold tinted her cheeks a rosy color. He thanked God she couldn't hear how fast his heart was beating "Christine, come in" he invited. She greeted him warmly and they started their lesson. He would give her her gift after there lesson... probably.
After an intense lesson Christine moved toward the living area of Erik's house, but didn't leave right away. "Before I go, I wanted to give you your Christmas gift" she said. "I know you aren't much into the holiday, but I wanted to get you something. I hope that's okay?"
Erik couldn't believe what he was hearing. Never in a million years would he imagine someone would get him, of all people, a gift. Nadir never had, probably because of Erik's constant efforts to push him away. Not even his own mother had bothered. Erik nodded, gathering his voice "Of course, it's more than okay that you get me a gift." Christine smiled and went to retrieve her gift for him from her purse. "I got you something too" Erik added.
Christine's smile was radiant and Erik knew he made the right decision to get her a gift. After all they were friends. "Thank you, here you open yours first" she offered.
Erik took the soft package in his hands and carefully unwrapped it to reveal what was inside. He almost didn't care... it could be a pile of trash and he would just be happy that it was from Christine. When he saw what was inside, he drew in a breathe. It was a simple, but nice green sweater. He never expected something so nice, and the fact that Christine had gotten it for him made it all the better. Christine was saying something about how it wasn't much and she hoped he liked it, but he hardly heard her.
"I love it" he said horsley.
This seemed to calm Christine down and she smiled "Really? I thought you would like it, but I wasn't sure"
"Just the fact that you got me a gift at all is enough" he assured her, figuring the fabric of the sweater "You know, you are the first person to ever think to get me a gift"
This made Christine freeze. Surely he couldn't be serious. She hadn't hesitated before getting a gift for him, surely someone else would have gotten him a gift at some point in his life.
At Christine's confused look Erik explained further "As you know, I don't have many friends. I never have. The only person besides you who really tolerates me is Nadir. And we aren't close in that way."
Christine took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently "I don't tolerate you Erik, I like you. We're friends." "Well what about when you were a kid" she asked "Didn't your parents ever celebrate your Birthday or Christmas?"
Erik shook his head "My father died before I was born and my mother never really cared much for me" he gestured at his masked face "I'm sure you can guess why, she wouldn't get me a gift for Christmas and my birthday wasn't exactly cause to celebrate for her"
Christine frowned "That's awful of her, she should have treated you that way. And you know, I really don't care if you wear a mask or not. If you want to, that's fine. But don't feal like you have to around me. But you do have to tell me when your birthday is now so I can get you a present"
Erik laughed "You really shouldn't waste your time on me. And I think I will spare you the horror". He was so glad she did though, even if he didn't deserve it.
Christine was glaring at him now "Don't you say that, I like spending time with you. And I am not horrified of your face, because it's not horrifying. It's just another face".
Erik raised his eyebrows "I still think you are crazy to think that, and I think I'll leave the mask on." Her hand was warm in his.
Christine shrugged her shoulders casually. "Its up to you". She wanted him to feel comfortable, and if that went wearing his mask she accepted that.
"Now" she said, drawing her hand from his gently "You said you had a gift for me"
Erik mourned the loss of her hand in his but nodded his head and fumbled for her gift "Yes, I do. Here it is, it's not much but I hope you like it
Christine took the gift from him and opened it. The bracelet inside the box was beautiful and simple. She read the inscription on it, it was perfect. She smiled at Erik "I love it, you know me so well. Its perfect"
Erik let out a breath he hardly realized he had been holding. "I'm glad you like it"
"You have good taste. Here" she handed him the bracelet and stuck out her wrist "Can you put it on for me?"
Erik took the bracelet and unclasped it "Of course I can". He cradled her small wrist in his hand as he attempted to clasp the bracelet on her. Her proximity made in hard for him to focus and it took him a few attempts before he finally redid the clasp.
"Thank you" Christine said peppily. She drew him into a tight hug before leaving. It wasn't until she had driven halfway home that Christine realized that Erik had never actually told her when his birthday was.
Erik sat on the couch holding Christine's sweater for a long time after she left. She had left this piece of her, for him to keep. And he would treasure her gift forever.
The next day Christine and Meg drove down to Meg's Mom's house for Christmas. The had decided to head over today so the could spend the weekend together before the holiday.
"So, do you think you are ready for the concert next week?" Meg asked over the low volume of the music.
"I don't know" Christine said. "On one hand, I know I am ready. But on the other hand, I still feel like I am going to mess up. I mean, I'm new to the chorus and this is their first concert I'm going to be a part of. I feel like I'm going to mess it all up"
"I know how you feel, I was super nervous the first time I danced in front of people, and worried I would mess up the choreography and mess everyone else up.
I was fine, and you will be to. You just need to focus on how you know you are ready, and not let your doubts take over" Meg reassured.
"Yeah, you are right. I'll just be happy after opening night, then I won't have to worry anymore". They spent the rest of the car ride chatting and singing along to the music.
When they got to Meg's mother's house she welcomed them with a warm greeting "Hey girls, I'm so glad you could come down" she said, sweeping them into a hug. "We missed you for Thanksgiving, Christine"
"I missed you too, I just couldn't get away from work and rehearsal, Did Meg tell you that I joined to local chorus. We have a concert the Friday after Christmas, it's the 29th" Christine explained.
"She did, and I am so proud of you sweetheart. I always knew you had the talent, and I'm glad you are finally sharing that with the world. You'll do great. Now what else is new with you, Meg tells me you also have a handsome young boyfriend?"
Christine smiled at her assured confidence in her, Aunt Giry had always been supportive of her singing and it was nice to have her support now. Christine sat down and started filling her adoptive Aunt in on the new events of her life. It was the closest thing she had to a parent to talk to.
Miss Giry ensured that Christine and Meg were full of food for the entirety of the weekend. Christine keep practicing her music. She knew she has to stay sharp, even if she didn't have the chorus director or Erik to help her. She went through her normal warm up exercises, before focusing on the numerous notes scrawled around her music. Christine had also had a lot of fun with Meg and her mom that weekend. It had snowed Friday night so there was fresh snow for them to enjoy outside. When she didn't have to worry about driving anywhere that day, the snow was a beautiful sight. They had also made Christmas cookies, another one of Christine's favorite holiday pastimes. Now, the three of them were curled up on the couch tucked under blankets, settling down for a Christmas movie. Tomorrow it would be Christmas.
It was Christmas morning and Christine woke to Meg shaking her shoulder "Christine, come on, get up. Mom's already up and I want to open presents" she whisper-spoke.
Christine groaned and stretched out in bed "Okay, just give me a second" she said sleepily.
Christine slowly woke up as she dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen to get some coffee. She loved Christmas, but she was always slow in the mornings. Soon they were opening presents.
Christine had gotten Meg a bath relaxation set. She had been working really hard dancing lately and she needed a way to relax. She got her Aunt a coffee mug with flowers on it. She kind of had a collection of them, and this would be a nice addition.
"Thank you so much, Christine" Meg said "This is really nice"
"This is a beautiful mug, thank you. I always love having another mug for my collection" Aunt Giry said with a smile as she got up to hug Christine.
Meg had gotten Christine a candle that she made herself at the store. It had a lot of different scents that Christine liked in layers. She got her mom a nice purse.
Christine smiled and smelled the candle "This is really great, thank you for making this for me"
"Thank you so much for getting me this honey, I really needed it" Meg's mom got up and hugged her daughter.
Aunt Giry got Christine a journal and she got Meg clothes and several other things.
"You always have a million thoughts and worries running through your head, I thought this would help you organize your thoughts. And maybe be less stressed. You could also use it for notes about your music, if you wanted." she explained.
"Thank you so much, this is really nice" Christine thanked.
"Thank you for everything mom" Meg said and she hugged her mother.
The next morning Miss Giry cooked them a big breakfast of pancakes and bacon. They spent the rest of the day lazily lounging around until dinner. Meg's mother made a feast and insisted they bring a good portion of the leftovers home.
"You girls deserve to have some good food that you don't have to make for yourselves" she insisted.
She didn't have to fight them long and they left the next day, carrying a good bit of food with them.
It was the night of Christine's concert. She was dressed in a silver sparkling dress that shone when the lights of the stage were lit on her. Her hair was tied up in a bun. Her dress matched the clothes of her fellow chorus members, and the guys of the group wore black pants and simple, dark blue shirts. Everyone was back stage, shuffling around before they went on stage. Everyone was ready, but the nerves in the room were palpable. The singers who had solos seemed a little more on edge. Erik had encouraged Christine to try for a solo part, but she had chosen not to.
She remembered the conversation "Let's see how I do just singing at a concert normally, then I can try for a solo" she had said.
"Okay, if that's what you want" Erik had said "But after this concert, promise me you will at least try for a solo, I will help you"
"If I do well ... then I will try for one" Christine had promised.
But right now she was very happy with her decision to not try for a solo part. She was nervous enough as it was. Before she knew it, she was moving onto the stage with the rest of the chorus groups. There were dim lights illuminating the audience and to Christine it seemed enormous. She saw Meg and Raoul in the audience and wondered where Erik was. He had told her he would be attending. She didn't have time to scan the audience before the lights over the people turned off and the spotlights on the stage turned on and Christine started singing.
Christine was exquisite on the stage. Erik was watching from a dark booth her reserved for himself. She looked beautiful in her dress on the stage and she she sang beautifully. The rest of the group sang surprisingly well, and the soloists sang well enough. However Erik's attention remained focused on Christine, and her watched her for the duration of the concert. She didn't make a single mistake and Erik was proud, but not surprised. He always had faith in her.
As the music died down Christine felt herself come back to earth. Her body was warm from the lights above her and her voice still felt warm in her throat. She was exhilarated. She did it, and she didn't mess up. She exited the stage with the rest of her chorus and once they got backstage everyone started softly murmuring about there successful concert.
Christine made her way into the crowd from the backstage area and was soon met with and enthusiastic Meg, engulfing her in a hug "Oh, Christine, you did amazing. I told you you would do great. You guys sounded amazing" she gushed.
"You really were great Christine" Raoul said and he pulled her close to her for a quick kiss, before he slung his arm over her shoulder. He had a bouquet of flowers which he handed to Christine "These are for you, you deserve them after your performance tonight" he said.
"Thank you both" Christine said, as she took the flowers "And thank you for coming tonight"
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world. You always have gone to all my stuff" Meg said.
"I was excited to come" Raoul said "Hey, do you want to grab some dinner? My treat" he offered.
"Sure" Christine agreed "Let me just grab my coat and put these in my car, we can meet at the entrance to the theater"
Meg and Raoul agreed, so they parted ways. Christine got her coat from the room she had stored it in before the performance, before heading out to her car. Erik was waiting by her car. He was wearing the sweater that she got him, which brought a smile to her face.
"You did amazing" he praised
A smile took over her face "Thank you, it felt amazing, to be singing in front of people. I was so nervous, but once I starting singing it just felt so natural."
"You are a natural" Erik agreed "And you worked hard too, many with talent waste it by not working hard. By thinking talent is enough, but you are smarter than that"
"I couldn't have done it without you" Christine said and she unlocked her door and placed the flowers inside before re-locking the door. She turned to face him again "Thank you so much"
Erik's eyes caught on her wrist to see that she was wearing the bracelet he had gotten her and he smiled to himself "It was my pleasure"
Christine pulled him into a quick hug which Erik reciprocated "I've got to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow?"
Erik nodded "I'll see you then"
Christine away and through the theater to get to the front, where she meet Meg and Raoul.
End of Chapter. So what did you think? This was a nice long chapter. Erik and Christine had more interaction in this chapter. What about Christmas, you got to see a little more of Erik's past, when he was a child. Later I will dive into more of his past as an adult that I mentioned in earlier chapters, for those of you who are wondering, I haven't forgotten. Please review, your reviews really do motivate me. Also please feel free to P.M. me if you would like.