Disclaimer: See part 1
A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to update (mutters incoherently about evil science courses and the pointlessness of long-term projects). Thank you all who reviewed! I am currently lacking a beta reader, so if anyone wants to proofread my stories should send me an e-mail. I hope the text is better now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Erik was still troubled by why Christine was so angry. He had asked her what was wrong, to which she had contended nothing. He didn't know what else to do. The next day, very early, he went out to the marketplace.
The fog had not quite burned off yet, so he had taken one of his lighter cloaks. Merchants were still setting out their wares. Even the ones already set up where lingering over a last cup of coffee. Few people roamed the market alleys. That was fine with Erik. Less people, less chance of pickpockets. Fewer lines, less stressful bargaining. Erik strode purposefully to the red-draped booth near the end of the street. The elderly man and woman who ran it sold silks and parchment paper, as well as the occasional musical instrument. Erik did not yet have a title for the new opera he was writing, but he went through parchment paper at an alarming rate. Thus, he had gotten to know the owners well.
"Erik, out of paper so soon?" They addressed him by first name; they were considerably older than him.
"Yes, Madame. My new work is progressing quickly."
The woman smiled at him slyly.
"Word has it you had better buy something for your little wife, Erik. And your child, too."
He grimaced.
"The only thing that spreads faster than fire is talk, Madame. Yes, Christine is with child."
She began to gather paper together for him, placing it on the scale on her counter.
"How much, Erik?"
"The usual, Madame. Any advice for prospective parents?"
She sighed.
"Do not ever deny a child what you lacked as a child. Every person has something they sorely missed in childhood. But remember, if you overzealously make up for your parents' shortcomings, you are probably neglecting elsewhere."
They smiled together at the contradictory advice.
Erik paid her, quite generously tipping her, at which the old woman frowned.
"Thank you, Madame. This should be good for about, oh, a week..."
She laughed.
"She's a good person, Erik, to put up with you. I suggest you start planning the nursery now, six months left!"
Erik was totally shocked by that statement. He walked away from the booth in a daze. It was true. Like it or not, ugly or beautiful, girl or boy, he would be responsible for a human life entirely dependant on him in six months. Erik hurried home. Now he had much to plan.
About three weeks later, he led a blindfolded Christine into what was formerly a guest suite on the third floor. Erik stood behind her and let the blindfold fall. Christine surveyed the room and her heart sank. It was an exquisite room, decorated with so many wonderful toys and carefully crafted furniture. Christine walked over to the bassinette and numbly tapped the bells hanging over it, each of which produced a different note
Erik moved closer behind her.
"Do you think our child will be happy in here?"
"It is very cheerful," came the stoic reply.
Erik's brow furrowed and he spoke in her ear, a little bit tersely.
"Christine, I am trying to make amends for leaving you and not being very attentive. Why are you so angry?"
She whirled to face him. Christine was a pacific person by nature, but she was very angry now.
"You want to know why, Erik? You are not doing anything to show me you will love me once our child is born, or that you will be a real parent. We will _both_ be the parents of this child Erik, and we do not work separately! You haven't asked me once about how I would handle any situation with our baby! I love you because you love _and_ respect me! I thought you did, at least. Poor children are happy, not just the ones always surrounded by beauty! What if we have another child after this? You aren't that old, I'm only twenty-five! What if our child is an incredible genius? What if it's not? Are you going to be upset if it's a girl? Are you going to hold my hand when I give birth? Or wait in the hall? Let me remind you of who is taking the physical risks! Of who has seen so little of the world! Of who isn't the fabulous, infamous, many-talented genius! Of who had her mother die in childbirth and is terrified of sharing the same fate! Of who also has fears, and hopes, and questions, because you aren't the only one, Erik!"
She turned and ran out of the room. Erik stood stock-still. That's all he could think of, for the moment.
Please let me know if the chapters are starting to sound cloned, people have complained in the past. SO... should it be a boy or a girl? Both? Have Christine miscarry? I might not use what everyone says, but I am brain-dead from school and need a little help here.
A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to update (mutters incoherently about evil science courses and the pointlessness of long-term projects). Thank you all who reviewed! I am currently lacking a beta reader, so if anyone wants to proofread my stories should send me an e-mail. I hope the text is better now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Erik was still troubled by why Christine was so angry. He had asked her what was wrong, to which she had contended nothing. He didn't know what else to do. The next day, very early, he went out to the marketplace.
The fog had not quite burned off yet, so he had taken one of his lighter cloaks. Merchants were still setting out their wares. Even the ones already set up where lingering over a last cup of coffee. Few people roamed the market alleys. That was fine with Erik. Less people, less chance of pickpockets. Fewer lines, less stressful bargaining. Erik strode purposefully to the red-draped booth near the end of the street. The elderly man and woman who ran it sold silks and parchment paper, as well as the occasional musical instrument. Erik did not yet have a title for the new opera he was writing, but he went through parchment paper at an alarming rate. Thus, he had gotten to know the owners well.
"Erik, out of paper so soon?" They addressed him by first name; they were considerably older than him.
"Yes, Madame. My new work is progressing quickly."
The woman smiled at him slyly.
"Word has it you had better buy something for your little wife, Erik. And your child, too."
He grimaced.
"The only thing that spreads faster than fire is talk, Madame. Yes, Christine is with child."
She began to gather paper together for him, placing it on the scale on her counter.
"How much, Erik?"
"The usual, Madame. Any advice for prospective parents?"
She sighed.
"Do not ever deny a child what you lacked as a child. Every person has something they sorely missed in childhood. But remember, if you overzealously make up for your parents' shortcomings, you are probably neglecting elsewhere."
They smiled together at the contradictory advice.
Erik paid her, quite generously tipping her, at which the old woman frowned.
"Thank you, Madame. This should be good for about, oh, a week..."
She laughed.
"She's a good person, Erik, to put up with you. I suggest you start planning the nursery now, six months left!"
Erik was totally shocked by that statement. He walked away from the booth in a daze. It was true. Like it or not, ugly or beautiful, girl or boy, he would be responsible for a human life entirely dependant on him in six months. Erik hurried home. Now he had much to plan.
About three weeks later, he led a blindfolded Christine into what was formerly a guest suite on the third floor. Erik stood behind her and let the blindfold fall. Christine surveyed the room and her heart sank. It was an exquisite room, decorated with so many wonderful toys and carefully crafted furniture. Christine walked over to the bassinette and numbly tapped the bells hanging over it, each of which produced a different note
Erik moved closer behind her.
"Do you think our child will be happy in here?"
"It is very cheerful," came the stoic reply.
Erik's brow furrowed and he spoke in her ear, a little bit tersely.
"Christine, I am trying to make amends for leaving you and not being very attentive. Why are you so angry?"
She whirled to face him. Christine was a pacific person by nature, but she was very angry now.
"You want to know why, Erik? You are not doing anything to show me you will love me once our child is born, or that you will be a real parent. We will _both_ be the parents of this child Erik, and we do not work separately! You haven't asked me once about how I would handle any situation with our baby! I love you because you love _and_ respect me! I thought you did, at least. Poor children are happy, not just the ones always surrounded by beauty! What if we have another child after this? You aren't that old, I'm only twenty-five! What if our child is an incredible genius? What if it's not? Are you going to be upset if it's a girl? Are you going to hold my hand when I give birth? Or wait in the hall? Let me remind you of who is taking the physical risks! Of who has seen so little of the world! Of who isn't the fabulous, infamous, many-talented genius! Of who had her mother die in childbirth and is terrified of sharing the same fate! Of who also has fears, and hopes, and questions, because you aren't the only one, Erik!"
She turned and ran out of the room. Erik stood stock-still. That's all he could think of, for the moment.
Please let me know if the chapters are starting to sound cloned, people have complained in the past. SO... should it be a boy or a girl? Both? Have Christine miscarry? I might not use what everyone says, but I am brain-dead from school and need a little help here.
